Charles sat on the dining chair with Zayn in his arms, quickly forming a bond with his grandson. He looked genuinely happy spending time with him. Sara smiled, watching the new connection between them.
Kairo, meanwhile, gave obvious glares and side-eyes as he helped Sara serve the food. He finally settled beside her at the table, trying to keep his composure.
Charles fed Zayn small bites of meat while speaking to him gently. Zayn giggled, chattering away about his little world. Kairo felt a burn of jealousy seeing his son so at ease with Charles, almost forgetting him.
Sara couldn't help but smile, enjoying how comfortable Zayn had become with his grandfather.
As Charles picked up another bite of meat for Zayn, Kairo interjected, "Don't feed him too much meat."
Sara and Charles turned to him. Charles raised an eyebrow.
"He's still small; he can't digest too much meat yet," Kairo added, his face blank and slightly arrogant.
Under the table, Sara gently squeezed his hand, silently warning him to behave. She smiled at Charles. "No problem, sir. One more bite won't hurt him."
Kairo shot Sara a sharp glare. Sara just mouthed shut up, making him give her an offended look before returning to his dinner.
Charles smiled slowly and nodded. "I'm sorry, I didn't know about that. Back in my days, I used to feed my child plenty of meat so he'd get enough protein," he said teasingly, glancing at Kairo.
Kairo's glare intensified. Sara bit her lip, trying to hold back a laugh. Kairo shot her another look, clearly annoyed. while his deadpan expression only made it funnier.
"Can I feed him at least some dessert?" Charles asked, his voice a little higher, sneaking a side glance at Kairo.
Sara smiled. "Yes, Sir, he loves this dessert. It's his favorite."
Charles nodded, looking pleased. Kairo kept his head low, quietly eating.
"Thanks, Sara. And… please don't call me sir. I'd really like it if you called me… Dad," Charles added gently.
Sara froze mid-bite, startled. She glanced at Kairo, then back at Charles, and finally nodded. "Okay… Dad."
Charles's face lit up with a warm smile. Kairo let out a soft sigh and returned to his dinner, keeping his silence.
The rest of dinner passed with the soft chatter of Zayn, whose adorable yapping made Sara and Charles smile. Kairo quietly ate, watching them with guarded eyes. Sara and Charles exchanged light conversation in between, keeping the mood comfortable and gentle.
After dinner, Charles settled in the living room, holding Zayn again. Meanwhile, Kairo helped Sara clear the table as the maid tidied up the kitchen.
As they all moved into the living room, Charles stood up. "Thanks for dinner, dear. I should get going now," he said.
Sara smiled warmly. "My pleasure, Dad. Please visit us more often."
Charles returned her smile, then glanced at Kairo, who looked away, ignoring him.
Turning to Zayn, Charles knelt down and picked him up. "My little man… Grandpa's gotta go. See you soon."
Zayn beamed. "Bye…"
Charles kissed his grandson's cheeks. To the surprise of both Kairo and Sara, Zayn leaned forward and returned the kiss. Kairo's eyes widened in shock, Sara chuckled softly, and Charles's face lit up with joy.
"Good night, my boy," Charles said, handing Zayn gently to Sara.
"Good night, dear," he murmured to Sara, wrapping her in a gentle fatherly hug.
Kairo, frustrated and still processing the scene, clenched his fists. Charles ignored the glare and gave a final, calm, "Good night."
Sara nudged Kairo playfully, making him stumble slightly, frowning at her, he nodded stiffly.
Charles smiled at the small moment and walked toward the door. Sara followed him to the doorstep until his car disappeared into the dark night, leaving a quiet warmth lingering in the house.
As Sara returned, Kairo's glare pierced right through her. She frowned but smiled lightly. "What's with that look?"
"Why did you have to hug him?" he snapped.
"Oh, come on, Kairo… you're really offended by a fatherly hug?" she teased.
"Whatever. Nobody has the right to touch my people. I already shared Zayn with him. Now not you," he said, his tone sharp.
"Don't be childish," she replied, heading toward the bedroom to put Zayn to sleep.
"Childish? I'm serious, Sara. This is too much. I don't like him visiting my house," he argued, following her.
"He's my father-in-law, Kairo. He has every right to visit," she said firmly.
Kairo stood there, deadpan and speechless. Sara went into the bedroom with Zayn, ignoring him, leaving him sulking, a mix of frustration and helplessness on his face.
After putting Zayn to sleep, Sara stepped out of the bedroom, searching for Kairo. She found him slouched on the couch, scrolling through his phone absentmindedly, his face sulky and slightly annoyed.
She smiled softly, tiptoeing toward him, a quiet giggle escaping her. Sitting beside him, she studied his expression. He didn't look at her, eyes fixed on the screen.
Gently, she wrapped her arms around his, hugging him. Still no response. She leaned closer and pressed a soft kiss to his cheek.
"Is my baby mad?" she whispered, her voice warm.
His heart skipped, but he stayed silent.
Not willing to give up, Sara reached out, turning his face toward hers. His gaze met hers for a brief moment before he quickly looked away.
"Talk to me, baby…" she murmured, her fingers brushing his jaw.
He stayed quiet. She slowly shifted onto his lap, cupping his face in her hands.
"Will you talk to me, or not?" she asked.
His green eyes met hers, blank and distant.
"I'm sorry…" she added softly, her voice gentle.
Something in her tone finally broke through. He softened, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. He nuzzled into her, mumbling, "I don't like it when my wife ignores me."
"When did I ignore you?" she teased, caressing his back.
He looked up at her, voice low. "You did. You gave more attention to Dad than to me."
She rolled her eyes, laughing softly. "Oh, come on… he's a guest, idiot. Of course, I should give him priority."
He glared but snuggled closer anyway. "I don't like him."
Sara lightly slapped his back. "Don't be a brat. He's your father."
"Whatever," he mumbled, resting against her.
"Give him a chance, Kairo," she said gently.
"I… can't," he replied, his voice quiet but firm, still holding onto her as if she were his anchor.
She sighed, brushing his hair back gently. "Think from a father's perspective, Kairo. How would you feel if Zayn treated you badly when he grew up?"
"He won't," he mumbled, still stubborn. "I'm not going to ignore him or push him away when he needs me the most."
She shook her head slightly. "But what if he does… even if you treat him well?"
He stayed quiet, unsure how to respond.
"You can't predict the future," she continued softly. "People change over time. Good ones can turn bad, and bad ones… sometimes they turn good when life teaches them a lesson."
He didn't speak, just listened.
"Your father made mistakes," she said, her voice gentle, "and it looks like he regrets them now. It's your chance to make it right. Besides, kids learn from adults. What if Zayn grows up learning from you… learning to push his father away the way you're doing now?"
His chest tightened, and his heart raced.
"Don't talk nonsense," he mumbled, whining.
"I am talking nonsense," she said softly, smiling, stroking his hair. "I'm just trying to make you understand. Give him a chance to be a good father now. One chance won't hurt anything. If he doesn't change, you can handle it your way. But just… one chance."
He listened quietly, then snuggled closer into her arms and murmured, "It's hard for me to suddenly be soft toward someone I don't like."
She smiled, kissing his hair. "Don't rush it. Take it one step at a time. For now, just stop being rude when he visits us," she said gently.
"I don't do it on purpose… it just happens when I see his face," he mumbled."Then try to control it. Stay calm," she replied.
He stayed silent for a moment, then hummed softly in agreement. She smiled, rubbing his back and kissing his head.
"Good boy. Now come, let's go to bed," she said.
He looked up at her. "Not yet. I want to spend more time with my wife."
She chuckled. "More time?"
"Yes," he said, then playfully pushed her down on the couch and hovered over her, making her giggle. He kissed her lips lightly.
"I want this moment every night, kissing you until my heart feels full," he said.
She smiled, "That is too much, because you got a big ass heart which never fills that quickly."
He smiled. "At least we can try to fill it as much as possible, right?"
She smiled back. "One kiss, and then we're going to bed. We've got work tomorrow."
"Fuck the work," he murmured, leaning closer. "Nothing's more important than my soda glass."
"Stop it, you idiot," she laughed, trying to push him away.
But he didn't listen, he kissed her anyway, and she melted into it quickly. Soon, her hands found his shirt, and their laughter faded into soft giggles and warmth. The night grew quiet around them, just the two of them teasing, kissing, and holding each other, while their little boy slept peacefully in the room.