Chapter 128 Like Father,Like Son

Chapter 128 Like Father,Like Son


Crying.

Real crying.

The kind that hit her chest before her mind could catch up.

She looked up from the fabric spread across her worktable just as the front door opened. The sound of little, uneven sobs filled the hallway, followed by the familiar deeper voice of the driver murmuring something soothing.

Naomi was already on her feet.

“Charles?” she called, panic sharp in her voice.

Lucas appeared from the living room at the same time, brows drawn together. They met each other’s eyes for a split second shared alarm and unspoken fear before both moved toward the door.

Charles stood there, small shoulders shaking, his backpack hanging crookedly off one arm. His face was red, eyes glossy, lower lip trembling in a way Naomi had only seen once before when he was three and had fallen hard off his bike.

Naomi dropped to her knees immediately.

“Oh, baby,” she said, pulling him into her arms. “What happened? Are you hurt?”

He shook his head against her shoulder, sobs muffled now. “No.”

Lucas crouched beside them, scanning him anyway, checking hands, knees, face. “Did someone touch you? Did you fall?”

Charles shook his head again, crying harder.

Naomi’s heart clenched. “Then talk to us, sweetheart. You’re scaring Mama.”

The driver cleared his throat awkwardly. “Sir, Madam… I think it’s emotional.”

Lucas blinked. “Emotional?”

Charles sniffed loudly and pulled back just enough to look up at them, eyes swimming. “She doesn’t like me.”

There it was.

Naomi froze.

Lucas frowned. “Who doesn’t like you?”

Charles hiccupped. “A lady.”

Silence.

Not the tense, dangerous silence from weeks ago.

The stunned kind.

Naomi glanced at Lucas. Lucas glanced at Naomi.

“A… lady?” Naomi repeated carefully.

Charles nodded solemnly, as if this was the most devastating thing in the world. “Yes.”

Lucas pressed his lips together, clearly fighting something. “Charles,” he said gently, “how old is this… lady?”

Charles wiped his nose with the back of his hand. “Six.”

Naomi inhaled sharply.

Lucas turned his head away for half a second.

Naomi caught the twitch of his mouth.

She shot him a look.

Do not laugh.

Lucas coughed. “Okay. Alright. Let’s let’s all calm down.”

Charles sniffed again. “She said she only likes boys who are funny.”

Naomi’s heart softened immediately. She brushed Charles’s curls back from his forehead. “Oh, sweetheart.”

“I am funny,” Charles insisted, wounded pride breaking through the tears. “I told her a joke.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “What kind of joke?”

Charles hesitated. “A smart one.”

Naomi smiled gently. “What was it?”

Charles took a breath, trying to steady himself. “I asked her why zero was sad.”

Lucas leaned in despite himself. “Why?”

“Because it had no friends,” Charles finished quietly.

There was a beat.

Then Naomi’s hand flew to her mouth.

Lucas lost the battle.

He laughed.

Not a soft chuckle. A full, startled laugh burst out of him before he could stop it.

Naomi turned on him instantly. “Lucas.”

“What?” he protested, still smiling. “That was objectively funny.”

Charles looked between them, offended. “She didn’t laugh.”

Naomi pulled him back into her arms. “That doesn’t mean it wasn’t funny.”

“It means she doesn’t like me,” Charles said miserably.

Lucas sobered immediately. He shifted closer, resting his forearms on his knees. “Hey,” he said softly. “Come sit with me.”

Charles hesitated, then climbed into Lucas’s lap like it was the most natural thing in the world.

Lucas felt the weight of that trust settle on his chest.

“Do you know why Mama likes me?” Lucas asked quietly.

Charles sniffed. “Because you’re handsome?”

Naomi snorted despite herself.

Lucas smiled faintly. “That’s generous. But no.”

“Because you’re rich?”

Lucas winced. “Also no.”

Charles frowned, genuinely puzzled.

Lucas looked at Naomi for a moment before continuing. “Because I listened to her. Because I respected her. Because I didn’t try to be someone I wasn’t.”

Charles stared at him, absorbing every word.

“And,” Lucas added, “because I was patient.”

Charles frowned deeper. “How patient?”

Lucas smiled. “Very.”

Naomi crossed her arms, amused. “You’re really about to give him dating advice.”

“He asked,” Lucas replied.

Charles looked up at him seriously. “Daddy… how did you woo Mama?”

Naomi froze.

Lucas did too.

The word hung there.

Woo.

Naomi slowly turned her head toward Lucas. “Did he just…”

“Yes,” Lucas said quietly. “He did.”

Charles nodded earnestly. “I want to woo her too.”

Naomi covered her face.

Lucas took a deep breath, choosing his words carefully. “Okay. First lesson.”

Charles straightened, eyes wide. “Yes, Daddy.”

“You cannot make someone like you,” Lucas said gently. “No matter how smart you are.”

Charles’s shoulders slumped. “So it’s impossible?”

“No,” Lucas said. “It just means you focus on being kind. Being yourself. And if she doesn’t like you back… that’s okay.”

Charles looked unconvinced. “But it hurts.”

Lucas nodded slowly. “Yes. It does.”

Naomi’s throat tightened.

Lucas continued, voice steady but honest. “And sometimes, even when you do everything right, it still doesn’t work. That doesn’t mean there’s something wrong with you.”

Charles thought about that.

Then, quietly, “Did Mama like you immediately?”

Naomi opened her mouth.

Lucas beat her to it. “No.”

She turned to him sharply. “Lucas.”

“What?” he said calmly. “It’s true.”

Charles blinked. “She didn’t?”

“No,” Lucas said. “She challenged me. Ignored me. Questioned me.”

Charles gasped softly. “Ignored?”

“Yes.”

Naomi sighed. “You’re making it sound dramatic.”

“It was dramatic,” Lucas replied. “For me.”

Charles tilted his head. “So what did you do?”

Lucas smiled softly. “I showed up. I stayed consistent. I respected her space.”

Naomi watched him, heart warming despite herself.

“And eventually,” Lucas said, glancing at her, “she chose me.”

Charles considered that carefully.

“So… I should wait?”

“Yes,” Lucas said. “And in the meantime, be the best version of yourself.”

Charles nodded slowly. “I can do that.”

Naomi leaned in and kissed his temple. “And Mama is very proud of you.”

He looked up at her. “Even though I cried?”

“Especially because you cried,” she said firmly. “Brave boys feel their feelings.”

Lucas nodded. “Absolutely.”

Charles sniffed one last time, then wiped his face. “Can I still like her?”

Lucas smiled. “Of course.”

“And tell jokes?”

“Please do,” Lucas said. “Just maybe… try a silly one next time.”

Charles smiled faintly. “Okay.”

Later that night, after Charles was tucked in and fast asleep, Naomi leaned against the headboard, replaying the moment in her mind.

“Our son just asked you for wooing advice,” she said softly.

Lucas chuckled. “He did.”

“You handled it well,” she admitted.

Lucas turned to her. “So did you.”

She smiled. “He’s sensitive. Like you.”

Lucas raised an eyebrow. “I’m not sensitive.”

Naomi leaned over and kissed him. “You’re very sensitive.”

He wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close. “If that’s true… I’m glad he got it from me.”

Naomi rested her head against his chest. “Me too.”

In the next room, Charles slept peacefully, his heart bruised, pride intact, lessons learned.