Chapter 356 It's Difficult for a Five-Year-Old
Darwin stood at the door, watching as Fiona's car grew smaller in the distance.
He had taken Chicago out and about before, without any pressure at all. For reasons unknown to him, stepping into his new role brought an unexpected tension.
Mr. Solomon, who was usually omnipotent, suddenly felt a twitch of nerves.
He turned around and headed back inside.
As soon as he entered, he heard Wendy’s cheerful voice. "Good morning, Charles! Did you sleep well last night?"
"Good morning, Wendy," Charles replied politely, glancing toward the entrance and nodding in a courtesy, "And a good morning to you too."
"The lady has gone to work. She mentioned she'd be tied up till late tonight, so Mr. Darwin will be looking after you and the miss today," Wendy said.
But there was a problem. Wendy was petrified of Darwin.
After that incident at the hospital, Mr. Darwin had somehow managed to make Stuart vanish without a trace for a while. When Stuart returned, he was bruised and beaten, but to this day, he wouldn't tell her what happened.
Wendy was also utterly astonished that a gentleman she'd randomly met at the hospital had suddenly turned out to be Chicago's and Charles's biological father.
"Understood." Charles nodded, then made his way to the dining room.
Darwin was clueless about childcare. Last night, he'd inquired about what a typical day with kids should look like.
At this stage...
It probably starts with helping them freshen up, right?
But Charles looked all set, except for still being in his pajamas.
“Can Charles freshen up by himself?" Darwin asked Wendy.
With a nod and a tinge of pride, she responded, "Charles and Chicago have been taking care of themselves since they were three."
"That early independence is commendable," Darwin acknowledged.
His grandmother hadn't coddled him either.
He had been taught to be self-reliant from a young age.
"Sir, have you had breakfast yet? Chicago will probably sleep for another half hour," Wendy reminded him.
Darwin glanced at the clock and decided to join Charles for breakfast in the dining room.
At the table, Charles ate his nutritious meal with poise and turned on the TV to catch up on the morning's global financial news.
Coincidentally, the financial segment featured news about Solomon's recent takeover of Solomons.
"The acquisition just finished. You must be swamped," Charles remarked, looking his way, "It's fine, you can attend to your business. My sister and I can manage on our own."
"I have a competent management team in place. I'm not that busy," Darwin responded, "You seem quite knowledgeable about the workings of capital, Charles."
"I've heard stories from my great-grandmother," Charles paused, "Mom was pretty skilled too. I guess it runs in the family."
Darwin's smile was full of admiration.
In the time that followed, father and son engaged in some light business talk.
After their conversation, Darwin even thought about giving Charles some money to handle his own projects once he was better,.
Chicago wandered into the dining room, eyes half-closed, clutching her large elephant stuffed animal, her hair all tousled.
"Hey, sis."
Charles put down his half-finished glass of milk and walked over to Chicago.
Blinking sleepily, Chicago asked, "Where's Mommy?"
"Mommy went to work," Charles explained gently. "Today..."
Chicago's gaze finally settled on Darwin and she blinked again. "What are you doing here?"
After saying that, something seemed to click in Chicago's mind.
The last bits of sleepiness vanished. Her small face scrunched up slightly.
"He's looking after us today," Charles whispered.
Darwin stood up with a tender smile. "Good morning, Chicago. Did you sleep well last night?"
Chicago averted her gaze and thought for a moment.
"I’m going to wash up and brush my teeth, Charles." With that, she turned around and went back.
Wendy naturally followed her.
Inside the bathroom, Chicago stood on her little stool, squeezing out toothpaste slowly.
Wendy closed the door, standing next to Chicago.
"Miss, Mr. Darwin is married to Chelsea now, and he's your real dad. Why are you being like this?" Wendy said with a tone of gentle reproach.
Chicago brushed her teeth with great care and finally answered in a muffled voice, "It’s no good having a real dad. He left me and Charles and made Mommy cry. I don't like him!"
Chicago had been uneasy about the quarrel she'd seen in the video, but after Mommy explained, she wasn't that angry anymore.
Still, thinking about her "real dad" would always make her feel wronged and angry, especially because she'd been teased more than once for being a "bad kid" without a dad.
She'd once fought with a chubby kid just because he claimed that no dad meant she was a bad kid.
But Chicago knew she wasn't bad. She was really good!
It was Dad who was bad!
"So, what are you going to do about it?" Wendy asked helplessly.
Chicago washed her face leisurely, deep in thought.
Truth be told, this was challenging for a five-year-old to think about.
But she’d been thinking it over for days.
After freshening up, Chicago put on her athletic gear for a trip to the neighborhood park, pulling her hair back into a neat ponytail. She then headed downstairs.
"Your brother said this is all your favorite food," Darwin said attentively, placing Chicago's breakfast before her.
Chicago glanced at him, skepticism in her eyes. "You're trying to take me and Charles away from Mom, aren't you?"
Darwin, taken aback for a moment, quickly reassured her. "Of course not. You, Charles, Mom, and Dad are going to stick together. No one's splitting up."
Chicago's eyes flickered subtly.
With a hum and downcast eyes, she retorted, "Uncle said, 'Men's words can fool you; they're not to be trusted.'"
Darwin fell silent, at a loss for words.
That uncle, of course, was Burl.
What in the world was Burl teaching his daughter?
"I’m not lying, Chicago. You’ll see if I prove myself, okay?" Darwin said gently and sincerely.
"It won't work," Chicago snorted. "Men who have hurt Mom can't be trusted."
At the ripe old age of five, Chicago's life principle was clear - even if the sky falls, one must feast heartily.
She had managed to prick her father's conscience.
She bit into her sandwich happily and savored her meal.
Once Chicago had her fill, she began to tidy up her plate.
"I’ve got it," Darwin quickly offered his hand.
Chicago firmly refused. "We should take care of our own messes. A good parent doesn't coddle their children."
Darwin's hand awkwardly hovered in mid-air, trapped in indecision.
Young Charles delighted in seeing Darwin so utterly dominated by his little sister.
Darwin watched hopelessly as Chicago deftly placed her used utensils, plate, fork, and cup into the dishwasher.
He was lost in thought. Darwin himself didn't even know how cutlery should be positioned in the dishwasher. He thought you just tossed them in, but watching Chicago, it seemed there was more to it.
After meticulously washing her hands, Chicago returned and didn't hide her displeasure as she spoke to Darwin. "Mom and Grandma Rhoads have taught us lots of important life lessons. They're tough, so you can’t teach us anything bad!"
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