Chapter 28 Routine

Chapter 28 Routine
The soft hum of the car engine faded as I parked near the school gates. This had become my routine ever since I started courting Ethan.

Since I didn’t have much to do after my own classes, I decided to pick up Elijah and Elise from school myself. It helped cut down on their commuting expenses—something I knew would ease Ethan’s load.

At first, he resisted, saying it would be too much trouble for me. But I insisted, and eventually, he gave in. It wasn’t a burden anyway. My schedule often left me free during their dismissal time, either because of vacant periods or no afternoon classes.

I stepped out of the car and scanned the stream of students pouring out of the main building. Backpacks bounced, laughter echoed— the familiar chaos of dismissal. Then, through the crowd, I spotted a familiar ponytail bouncing toward me.

“Elise!” I called out, my voice loud enough that a few students turned their heads.

She hurried over the moment she saw me, her three friends quickening their pace to keep up with her.

“Careful, you might trip,” I muttered as she got closer.

I immediately took her bag and opened the backseat door to place it inside. Then I leaned casually against the car’s bumper, waiting.

“Wow, Elise, your family must be rich. You never told us!” one of her fair-skinned friends teased.

“No, we’re not,” Elise replied shyly.

“Then why do you get picked up by a different car almost every day?” another girl pressed.

I chuckled quietly. I couldn’t blame them for thinking that—I did show up in a different car nearly every afternoon. The truth was, I enjoyed their reactions, especially Elijah’s. His eyes always lit up with excitement as he asked about every little detail, treating each car like the coolest thing in the world. That alone made it worth it. Who knows? Someday, I might even give him one of his own.

Elise scratched her head, clearly unsure how to answer her friends.

“Elise, let’s do our Science project at your house. I really want to meet your Kuya Ethan,” one of the girls said dreamily, giggling.

I shot her a sharp look. “How old are you?”

“Fifteen, po,” she answered nervously.

Were kids these days really like this? So young, yet already thinking about things like crushes instead of focusing on their studies.

“You’re still too young. You and Ethan are not a match,” I said bluntly.

She stared at me for a second, then turned to her friends. “Come on, let’s go home.”

“Bye, Elise. See you tomorrow,” she said, quickly pulling her two friends away.

Elise lightly swatted my arm. “Kuya Lucas, why did you scare her like that?”

I sighed. “I was just telling the truth.”

I patted the space beside me on the bumper so she could lean against the car and rest her legs.

Once she settled in, we fell into a comfortable silence. I stood there watching the students stream out of the gate while Elise busied herself with her phone.

“There’s Kuya,” she suddenly shouted, raising her hand so Elijah could spot us.

I followed her gaze. Near the school gate, Elijah stood laughing with another boy—tall, with messy hair and a backpack slung lazily over one shoulder. The boy playfully nudged Elijah before walking off toward the opposite side of the parking area. Elijah’s smile lingered for a moment longer than usual before he turned and headed our way.

As soon as the other boy’s car drove away, Elijah’s eyes lit up—but not because of me or Elise. They were fixed on the car.

A grin slowly spread across his face, the kind that reached his eyes. He stepped closer, squinting against the late afternoon sun, and circled the front bumper like he’d discovered something amazing.

This was another reason I enjoyed picking them up, even though Ethan had been hesitant at first.

Having no younger siblings of my own, there was something special about seeing Ethan’s brother and sister so happy.

“Whoa,” Elijah breathed, clearly in awe. “A Toyota Vios today, Kuya Lucas?”

I raised an eyebrow and crossed my arms, leaning against the hood. “Yeah. Why?”

He walked closer and ran his hand lightly along the hood, checking its smoothness. “You’re so cool, Kuya. How many cars do you have?”

I couldn’t help grinning at his half-teasing, half-impressed tone. He crouched to inspect the wheels, then stood up again to admire the side profile like a true car enthusiast.

I approached him and ruffled his neatly combed hair. “You might call me boastful if I tell you.”

He shook his head quickly. “No, I won’t, Kuya Lucas. Promise.”

I didn’t reply. Instead, I patted his shoulder and walked around to the driver’s side. A few seconds later, both siblings climbed in, racing each other for the front passenger seat.

Elijah won—mostly because he was faster. He sat proudly in the front, grinning like he’d claimed a small victory. Elise pouted in the back but soon leaned against the window, arms crossed, pretending she didn’t care.

I held back a laugh at the sight of her sulking while Elijah beamed beside me, eyes scanning every detail of the car’s interior.

“Elijah,” I said calmly.

He straightened up and looked at me. “Yes, Kuya?”

“Move to the back. Let Elise sit in front,” I told him gently. “Look at your sister’s face—she’s about to cry.”

We both turned to glance at Elise in the backseat. Less than a minute later, Elijah quickly got out and moved to the back.

“You can sit in front now,” he told her.

Elise’s face instantly brightened into a big smile. She hurried out and claimed the passenger seat.

I started the engine, the low hum filling the car.

“Seatbelts,” I reminded them.

Once everyone was settled, I reached for the paper bag I’d left on the backseat. The smell of fries and burgers instantly wafted through the air.

Elijah perked up right away. “Is that food, Kuya Lucas?”

“Yeah,” I said, handing him the bag. “I grabbed some from the drive-thru earlier in case you two were hungry.”

Elijah’s eyes widened as he peeked inside. “Fries!”

“Are you hungry again, Kuya?” Elise teased.

Elijah just nodded and started munching on the fries.

“Seriously? Your table was already full during break time,” Elise complained.

Elijah shot her a glare. “That was hours ago. And this tastes way better than the canteen food,” he said, taking a big bite of his burger.

I laughed softly and shook my head as I drove. Their constant bickering never went too far—it was light, familiar, and somehow comforting. It made the car feel warm and alive.

Listening to them made me smile wider. It reminded me of what my mom had said a few nights ago while we were cleaning up after dinner.

“If you’re really serious about Ethan,” she told me calmly, “you have to understand that loving him means being ready for everything that comes with him—his son, his family, his entire world. You’re not just choosing him. You’re choosing all of it.”

At the time, I had simply nodded, thinking it was just typical mom advice.

But now, hearing Elijah’s laugh and Elise’s teasing voice fill the car, I finally understood what she meant.

It wasn’t just about me and Ethan anymore.

It was about them too—the kids, the small everyday chaos, and the quiet comfort of being part of something real.

I shook my head and stifled a laugh when I saw Elijah trying to feed fries to Elise just to make her stop teasing him.

The car stayed noisy with their playful arguments until we finally reached their house.

“And we’re here,” I announced, glancing at them through the rearview mirror.

Elise quickly grabbed her bag, while Elijah suddenly lost his energy and just slung his over one shoulder.

I chuckled. Every day followed the same routine—picking them up, driving them home, listening to their banter, and secretly enjoying every bit of it. I was starting to get used to this kind of noise.

And maybe… I was starting to like it.

I was even more excited now to bring them home someday and introduce them to Mom and Dad. I was sure Mom would be thrilled—especially since Evan kept calling me whenever he knew I was at their house.

The moment the door opened, I saw Ethan sitting comfortably on the sofa. One arm rested along the backrest while the other supported Evan, who was perched on his lap.

Evan turned his head at the sound. The second our eyes met, his whole face lit up. Before Ethan could react, he wriggled free and ran toward me.

“Tito Lucas!” he shouted, jumping straight into my arms.

I laughed and caught him in a warm hug.

It was the first time he’d called me Tito, and I still didn’t know who taught him that.

I glanced at Ethan, who remained seated on the sofa. When our eyes met, he simply gave me a small nod.

I reached into the paper bag and pulled out the small toy car Evan had been asking for. It was a bright red race car—the kind that made little boys’ eyes sparkle.

“Vroom! Vroom!” Evan exclaimed, grabbing it with both hands and immediately zooming it through the air. Ethan chuckled from the sofa, shaking his head.

“You’re spoiling my son again,” he called out, pretending to complain.

“Our son,” I corrected him gently.

Evan quickly became busy with his new toy, so I walked over to Ethan.

As I approached, I noticed the familiar look on his face—brows slightly furrowed, lips pressed together in quiet disapproval over how much I spoiled Evan. He didn’t need to say anything; that little crease between his brows said it all.

Still… I couldn’t help but smile. He looked so real in that moment—no walls, no pretense. Just Ethan being Ethan. The way his eyes softened when our gazes locked almost made me forget he was trying to look annoyed.

It had been almost two months since I started courting him, and nothing about how I felt had changed.

If anything, my feelings had only grown stronger. Every day, every small glance, every quiet moment—it all built up inside me. No matter how much time I spent around him, Ethan still had that same effect on me… the kind that made me want to stay, even if all I could do right now was watch him from a few steps away.

“It’s just a toy car,” I said calmly as I sat beside him.

Ethan gave me a quick glance, that small frown still there. I simply smiled and quietly rested my head on his shoulder.

Last week, I finally learned that Blake wasn’t actually courting him—they were just friends. When I found out, I jokingly got mad at Elijah for telling me otherwise.

All this time, I had been jealous over nothing.

“You two are disgusting,” Elijah muttered.

I straightened up and saw that he and Elise had already changed into comfortable clothes.

“Kuya, let’s eat dinner. You can do that later,” Elijah said.

“Are you eating again?” Elise exclaimed. “Didn’t Frank feed you at school?”

Elijah shot her a dirty look. “Mind your own business. If you don’t want to eat, then don’t.”

“Enough, both of you. Just set the table so we can have dinner,” Ethan interrupted.

Elise quickly moved to arrange the table while Ethan tried to pry Evan away from his toy on the living room floor.

“No!” Evan protested loudly.

Ethan sighed and tried again, but Evan wasn’t having it.

“Evan,” Ethan called calmly.

I shook my head, trying not to laugh as I watched Ethan slowly losing patience.

When it was clear he was fighting a losing battle, I stepped in. “Hey, bud,” I said softly, walking over. “You can play later, okay? Let’s eat first.”

Evan sat quietly on the floor, his tiny fingers tracing the toy car. His eyes shifted between the car and me, a thoughtful frown on his face.

Then he looked up.

Our gazes met—his wide, innocent eyes locking onto mine. He didn’t say anything. Instead, he simply lifted his little arms toward me.

I chuckled quietly and bent down, sliding my hands under his arms. “You can play again after dinner,” I murmured, lifting him easily. Evan giggled as he settled against my chest, still clutching his toy car.

Dinner was the usual lively chaos. Elijah and Elise bickered over who got the bigger chicken leg, while Evan sat happily on my lap, making a mess with his spoon.

The table was filled with laughter, chatter, and the warm smell of home-cooked food.

I tried to eat, but it was nearly impossible. Every time I lifted my spoon, Evan would grab my hand or try to feed himself. I ended up laughing and wiping the mess off his cheeks instead.

“Slow down, buddy,” I whispered, gently guiding the spoon back to his mouth.

Evan just giggled and patted my chest, unbothered.

Then, out of nowhere, a spoon appeared in front of me. It was Ethan’s hand. He didn’t say a word—just held it near my lips, waiting patiently.

I glanced at him. His expression wasn’t teasing. It was soft… quietly caring. The kind that made my chest feel tight.

Without thinking, I leaned forward and took the bite.

He pulled the spoon back and continued eating as if nothing had happened. No words, no smirk. Just that simple, quiet gesture.

For a moment, the noise around us faded—Elise’s laughter, Elijah’s groans, Evan’s babbling. All I could focus on was the warmth of that small act and how much it said without a single word.

After dinner, the house gradually quieted down. Elise and Elijah ran off to the living room, laughing and chasing each other, while Ethan cleared the table.

I was wiping away crumbs when I felt Evan’s tiny arms still wrapped tightly around me, his head resting on my chest. He refused to let go, even after I told him dinner was over.

“Hey,” I whispered, “dinner’s finished, buddy. I have to go home.”

He shook his head and tightened his grip around my neck. I chuckled and glanced at Ethan, who was watching us with a soft, knowing smile.

“I’ll walk you out,” Ethan said quietly, gently lifting Evan from my lap.

We walked outside in comfortable silence.

When we reached the car, I turned to face them. Evan’s eyes were already drooping, his cheek pressed against Ethan’s shoulder as he fought sleep.

I smiled and brushed a strand of hair away from Evan’s face. “He’s knocked out from all the excitement.”

Ethan nodded. “Well, he was with you. Of course he’s exhausted.”

Before getting into the car, I turned back to Ethan one last time. He stood under the porch light, Evan sleeping peacefully against him. The soft glow highlighted the calm lines of his face.

For a moment, I just looked—captivated by how right everything felt.

Then my gaze dropped to his lips, and I smirked. “No goodnight kiss as a reward?” I teased.

His eyes widened in surprise, and his brows immediately furrowed. “Just go home.”

“Alright, alright,” I chuckled, opening the car door.

Before sliding in, I looked at him again. “Goodnight,” I said softly. “Sweet dreams, Ethan.”

As I started the engine, I caught one last glimpse of him in the mirror—still standing there, shaking his head, but smiling anyway.

It was such a simple, ordinary sight.

Yet somehow, it stayed with me the whole drive home.

And as I drove away, I found myself smiling, wondering exactly when this place had started to feel so much like home.