Chapter 27 Are You Questioning My Ability to Take Care of Children?

Angela gazed at Sidney and playfully pinched his cheek, asking, "Sidney, why do you have such a liking for me?"

Sidney blinked his innocent eyes and spontaneously uttered two words, "Pretty!"

Amused, Angela chuckled at Sidney's straightforwardness.

Sophia, with widened eyes, questioned, "Is it just because Angela is pretty?"

Sidney nodded affirmatively. To him, Angela was the epitome of beauty in the world!

Angela, blushing, responded, "Sidney, you're making me blush with such sweet words."

Sophia's feelings towards Angela became more intricate as she observed their interaction. Deep down, she didn't think highly of Angela.

However, Sidney spoke because of her, so she was wary of being harsh and upsetting him.

"Have you eaten yet?" Sophia asked. "If you haven't, shall I have the servants prepare something for you?"

Angela replied, "No need. Eddie and I have already eaten outside."

The Sidney in her arms suddenly yawned. As if it could be contagious, Eddie, clinging to Angela's side, couldn't help but yawn as well.

"Feeling sleepy?" Angela asked.

"Mm-hmm."

The two little boys said almost in unison.

Sophia instructed the nanny, "Take Sidney to bathe and rest."

Angela said, "Sophia, let me do it."

In the bathroom.

A bathtub two meters wide and two meters long.

Angela filled the tub with water and dropped in a bath bomb, which trailed a rainbow like tail. Soon, the entire tub was filled with fragrant bubbles.

Eddie quickly stripped and hopped into the tub, while Sidney stood shyly at the doorway, hesitantly blushing. He was seven years old.

From a young age, Carlos had taught him the differences between men and women. Although usually a nanny bathed him, standing before Angela, he felt nervous and shy.

Angela asked, "Aren't you undressing, Sidney?"

Sidney squirmed, his little hands cupping his face, his round eyes peeking through his fingers at Eddie covered in bubbles. Stuck between moving and staying still.

"Can't Sidney undress himself?" As Angela approached him and squatted down, Sidney became even more bashful, his body inching away.

Outside at the door, the respectful voice of a servant was heard.

"Mr. Murphy, Ms. Parker is in the bathroom."

"Is she taking a bath?"

"She is bathing Sidney."

Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.

Angela on alert asked, "Who is it?"

She had changed into a tank top to avoid getting her clothes wet while bathing the two little boys. Carlos entered directly, ignoring the knock.

Angela stood up in surprise, "What are you doing in here?"

Carlos glanced at her and commented indifferently, "You seemed so alarmed, I thought you were undressed."

He saw Sidney off to one side, nervously fiddling with his clothes, and understood he was shy.

Angela conveyed, "Sidney is reluctant to undress."

Carlos responded, "It's not that he can't; he's just shy."

Surprised, Angela inquired, "Shy about what?"

Carlos clarified, "I've been teaching him since he was little. He's a boy, and you're a woman. It embarrasses him."

Eddie, leaning against the tub, chimed in, "Mommy always bathes me."

Carlos remarked, "Sidney is different from you; he's more reserved."

Eddie's cheeks flushed with embarrassment.

Carlos directed Angela, "Step out. I'll take care of their bath."

Angela eyed him skeptically, "Do you even know how to do it?"

Carlos countered, "Are you questioning my ability to care for children?"

Angela glanced at Eddie and advised, "What about Eddie?"

Carlos assured, "I'll handle him too."

Eddie protested, "Why!"

Angela comforted Eddie, "Mommy will step out, okay? You're seven now, and it's time for a little independence."

Closing the door behind her, Angela sensed that setting boundaries with Eddie was crucial at his age. Meanwhile, inside, Sidney relaxed, but Eddie felt a new sense of tension.

Sitting in the tub, he seemed unsure whether to sit or stand, instinctively guarding his front as he looked towards Carlos, who had taken off his suit jacket and neatly rolled up his shirt sleeves, starting to undress Sidney.

How strange!

Carlos was a man, and he was a boy, but why did he feel nervous?

Eddie, half submerged in the water, could only blow at the foam floating on the surface. The bubbles drifted to his nose, and as he tried to wipe them away, he accidentally got some in his eye, "Ow!"

Carlos, concerned, looked toward Eddie, who was frantically rubbing his eyes, the rims turning red.

Carlos approached, "What's wrong?"

"Bubbles in my eyes," Eddie's eyes felt gritty.

Carlos frowned, bent down to pry open his eye. Behind him, curious Sidney tiptoed closer, slipped on the marble floor, and with a thump, fell onto his bottom.

"Ouch!" Sidney took a solid fall.

Hearing that, Carlos turned and saw Sidney on the floor.

"Sidney?"

Thankfully, he hadn't hit his head. Sidney rolled over, stood up rubbing his behind, and opened his mouth as if to cry, clearly hurt from the fall.

Carlos quickly went to him, "Don't cry, daddy's here."

He had just let go when Eddie also whimpered, squinting because he couldn't see, instinctively reaching for Carlos's shirt.

Angela hadn't gone far when she heard a commotion in the bathroom. She turned back to the door, but before she could ask, there was the sound of splashing.

She pushed the door open and was stunned.

Carlos had fallen into the tub. His legs, too long, hung over the side, his hands braced in the water, his neat suit vest and shirt soaked through.

Sidney was half undressed, his little bottom bare, his upper garment hanging off one arm, facing the doorway.

Seeing Angela, Sidney shyly covered himself with his hands, then quickly shielded his bottom.

Eddie, awkwardly lying on the tub's edge, his head covered in frothy bubbles, barely opened one eye, staring bewilderedly at the doorway.

Angela, witnessing this scene, burst into uncontrollable laughter.

Carlos, displeased, "What are you laughing at?"

Angela playfully taunted, "Didn't someone proudly declare their expertise in child care?"