Mom, Don't Cry! Here comes a new Daddy! novel Chapter 28

Chapter 221

+25 Print

Chapter 22-1

(Five Year Old Jake)

I don’t know what “ship it” means, but it sounds like a good thing. And lots of people are using

heart emojis, which means they’re happy for mommy.

“Look at this one,” Aunt Sophia says, pointing at a comment. “This is the most wholesome content on the internet. Jake, you’re the best son ever.”

My chest feels all warm and fuzzy. “Really? They think I’m the best?”

“They absolutely do. Because you are.” She ruffles my hair. “Not every kid would work this hard to

make their mom happy.”

“But that’s what kids are supposed to do, right? Take care of their moms when their dads are being

bad?”

Aunt Sophia’s face gets all scrunched up, like she’s trying not to cry. “Oh, sweetheart. You’re supposed to just be a kid. But yes, I think your mom is very lucky to have you.”

I climb into her lap, even though I’m getting too big for it. “Do you think Jason will want to be my

new dad for real?”

“I think Jason would be honored to be your dad.”

I nod. Jason said he’s been following my account for six months. That must mean he already likes

I hug Rexy tight and imagine what it’ll be like when Jason becomes my real dad. We can go on trips together-not just cruises, but maybe to the zoo or the science museum or that dinosaur park Mom keeps saying is too far away.

We can do the Father-Son breakfast at school, the one Dad never came to because he was “too busy with work.” We can do art projects together because Jason said he likes art.

And we can do the parent-child activity day at school. Last year, mommy had to tell the teacher that Dad was too busy, and I was the only kid whose dad didn’t show up. It made my tummy hurt.

“Aunt Sophia?” I say quietly.

“Yeah, buddy?”

“Do you think Jason will leave after he becomes my new dad like people sometimes do?”

She pulls me into a hug, and I breathe in her perfume that always smells like flowers.

WED

1/3

G

|||

O

<

Chapter 22 1

1.25 Pun

“I don’t know,” she says honestly. “But I think Jason is different. He is smart. He sees how special

you and your mom are. And smart people don’t walk away from special people.”

“Dad did.”

“Your dad is an idiot.” She says in that angry tone she uses sometimes. “But Jason isn’t your dad.

Jason is better.”

I nod against her shoulder, because she’s right. Jason is better than dad. Jason doesn’t make

mommy cry.

“Can we watch them dance again?” I ask. “From earlier?”

Aunt Sophia finds the footage we got of mommy and Jason in the restaurant. They’re on the dance

floor, moving slowly, and even though the video is far away and a little blurry, I can see the way

Jason is looking at mommy.

Like she’s Cinderella.

“That’s the look,” I whisper.

“What look?”

“The look Prince Charming gives Cinderella in the movie. When he knows she’s the one.”

Aunt Sophia makes a sound like a laugh and a sob mixed together. “You’re going to make me cry,

kid.”

“Don’t cry. This is happy.” I point at the screen. “See? Mom is happy. That means we should be happy too.”

She wipes her eyes and nods. “You’re absolutely right. We should be celebrating. How about we

order room service? Get some ice cream?”

“Can we get chocolate?”

“We can get whatever you want.”

While she calls room service, my tablet buzzes again-louder this time, like it’s screaming for

attention.

Aunt Sophia picks it up and her eyes go really wide. “Jake. The video has fifty thousand likes now.

And it’s been shared over ten thousand times.”

“Is that good?”

“That’s really good. That’s-” She scrolls through the comments, her mouth hanging open. “Oh no.”

WED

17

G

|||

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify