Chapter 167 Sam's Request
Sophia had a wonderful birthday, and that night, she slept sweetly with her three children. The next morning, Gabriel called early to pick up Sam. Sophia hung up the phone in annoyance.
Gabriel's car couldn't stay parked outside the complex for long. After waiting for ten minutes without seeing Sophia and Sam come out, his handsome face turned gloomy. He gripped the steering wheel tightly and turned around to find a suitable place to park.
After exiting the car, Gabriel stood beside it, constantly looking towards Flora Garden while occasionally glancing at his wristwatch. His tall and straight figure was truly a captivating sight; he was impossible to ignore, especially with his noble and elegant demeanor. However, this attractive man exuded a coldness that seemed to keep people at a distance.
Sophia stood not far away, holding Sam's hand tightly. In the biting cold wind, she saw a hint of desolation and loneliness in the man standing there.
Sam looked up at Aunt Kelly, puzzled as to why they had suddenly stopped. The little guy gently tugged at her hand.
Sophia came back to her senses, smiled gently at the child, and continued walking forward, chattering, "Remember to think of Aunt Kelly. If you don't, Aunt Kelly will be very sad. Next time, Aunt Kelly will make you your favorite cookies, okay?"
Sam tugged her hand to indicate "Okay."
They interacted like this as they walked up to Gabriel. When they were a few hundred meters away, Gabriel saw them. He stood up straight, and his originally stern face seemed to melt into a spring warmth, his icy demeanor thawing as he picked up his son. His voice even softened a bit, "Did you have fun yesterday?"
Sam, now responsive to almost everything, immediately nodded to show he was happy.
It had been a while since the little guy had seen Tiffany, and it seemed he had forgotten about pretending to be sick. He spent his days at the kindergarten with Ethan and Emma, and every other evening, Daddy would play games and build blocks with him. He also visited Aunt Kelly's house every other day. He was truly enjoying his days to the fullest.
Gabriel placed Sam in the back seat, closed the car door, and caught a glimpse of Sophia's smiling face waving goodbye to Sam.
She actually looked quite pretty when she smiled.
When he looked her way, Sophia's smile vanished visibly fast.
Gabriel felt a sudden tightness in his chest and, feeling too lazy to say anything, got into the car and drove off.
Sophia muttered, "Bastard!"
With the car window half-open, the cold wind blew in, and the tightness in Gabriel's chest gradually dissipated. He glanced back at Sam and then rolled up the window.
"What were you up to just now?" Sophia hadn't come from Flora Garden with Sam but from another direction. Early in the morning, in such cold weather, what was she doing with Sam?
Sam didn't answer right away but thought for a few seconds, then decided to stand by Aunt Kelly's side and help her cover up the lie.
"Aunt Kelly took me for a walk."
Gabriel never doubted the truth of the words from Sam's mouth but found Sophia's actions a bit bizarre. Going for a walk in the cold morning... wasn't she worried about Sam catching a cold?
Gabriel turned up the car's heater.
Sam, comfortable in the back seat, was about to fall asleep when the car stopped, and he was still drowsy when Daddy picked him up.
Gabriel took off his own coat to wrap around the boy to protect him from the cold wind as they got out of the car.
The little guy clung to his daddy's neck, cuddly and soft like a little kitten.
But once indoors, Sam suddenly woke up; he struggled to get down and immediately ran to find his great-grandmother.
Great-grandma had been in low spirits recently, so Gabriel was supposed to take her to the hospital for a check-up, but she refused. So, it became Sam's responsibility to cheer her up.
Gabriel went to the study to get busy, and half an hour later, the little guy gently knocked on the door.
"Come in."
The little one cautiously peeked in.
"Hmm? What's up?"
The little one hesitated, gesturing slowly, "Daddy, I want to learn boxing."
A flicker of deep meaning crossed Gabriel's gaze.
"Why do you suddenly want to learn boxing?"
Sam was frail, and Gabriel had previously hired someone to teach Sam some exercises for physical strength, but Sam would just stand there motionless, no matter how much coaxing they did. They eventually had to give up.
Gabriel was curious about what had made Sam take this step now.
Sam fidgeted with his fingers, nervous. He didn't lack for much, missing only his mommy, so he rarely asked his daddy for anything. Yet, he wanted to learn boxing during the weekends with Ethan, who had said that boxing was good for health and could be used to protect the people one cared about.
He wanted to protect his daddy, his great-grandma, and... to protect Ethan, Emma, and Aunt Kelly.
And... maybe Caroline too, just incidentally.
Lately, Daddy had been coming home every day to spend time with him. He wondered if Daddy, who had always been so good to him, would agree to his request. Would it put Daddy in a difficult position?
Sam's heart was almost trembling with anxiety.
The little guy continued to gesture, "My classmate is also learning boxing. He says people who learn it can protect their family."
Protect their family?
Gabriel felt a strong surge of emotion. Was his little boy already thinking about protecting his family?
Gabriel stood up, walked over, and crouched down, only to find he still wasn't at eye level with Sam, so he knelt on the ground instead, gently cupping the little guy's cheeks in his hands and rubbing them.
"Alright, Daddy will find you a teacher, and you can learn boxing at home every weekend."
Sam shook his head.
"You don't want to learn?"
Sam struggled until he freed his face and then gestured, "I want to go to a training class."
Sam referred to the training class that Ethan attended.
Emma was also learning the violin at the same place.
After Sam walked away, happy and excited, Gabriel immediately sent Alex an order. “Check the qualifications of that training class and find a top-notch boxing instructor to take a position there.”
...
After sending the two children to their extracurricular activities, Sophia arranged to meet with Jake. The children had a full day of activities, and they could eat nearby at noon.
Jake had been back in the country for a while, and he had been looking forward to this meal for a long time. He was happily dressing up early in the morning in the cloakroom, shaving his beard clean, and after hesitating for a long time between wearing a suit or casual clothes, he chose a hooded sweatshirt with a black overcoat on top, looking fresh and dapper, which should match Kelly's aesthetic, right?
He arrived at the restaurant half an hour early.
To make up for the delay of this meal, Sophia specifically gave Jake the right to choose the restaurant.
Jake had carefully selected it, choosing this quiet and serene private restaurant.
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