The Officer's Runaway Wife & Secret Son novel Chapter 535

Today was Felix's first official day at his new preschool.

Rhys had specifically taken two hours of leave from the command center.

When filling out his time-off request, he wrote "Child's first day of school" in the reason box.

He paused for a moment before adding the word "First."

He dressed exceptionally sharp today. While it wasn't the intimidating tactical gear from his SWAT days, his tailored suit still made his tall, broad frame look overwhelmingly dominant.

Before heading out, Clara meticulously double-checked the folder in her hands.

"Medical records, vaccination history, copy of his ID..."

Having verified everything, Clara sealed the envelope and turned to Rhys, who was helping Felix put his jacket on. "You really didn't need to take time off today. The first day is just paperwork. I could have taken him myself."

"Absolutely not." Rhys zipped Felix's collar all the way up, playfully pinching his son's chubby cheek. "It's my boy's first day of school. As his dad, I have to be there."

Felix looked up, fully cooperating as he hugged Rhys's leg. "Mom, I want Dad to take me."

Clara smiled at the sight of the father-son duo ganging up on her and didn't argue further.

Since they had already completed the enrollment assessment, the paperwork was a breeze.

In the administration office, Rhys sat in a chair, pen in hand, and carefully wrote out his name in the box labeled "Father" on the registration form.

Once the forms were done, the principal personally walked over with the lead teacher for Felix's class.

It was the same young woman Felix had sweetly called by her first name the other day.

The teacher smiled and crouched down. "Felix, do you remember me?"

Felix nodded politely. "Hello, Professor Ward."

"Such a good boy." Professor Ward smiled and held her hand out to him. "Shall we say goodbye to Mom and Dad and head into the classroom?"

Felix turned around. "Bye, Mom. See you this afternoon."

"See you this afternoon." Clara leaned down and gave him a kiss.

Then, Felix looked up at Rhys standing beside her.

This was the very first time Rhys was dropping his son off at school.

Standing in that brightly colored hallway, surrounded by the chaotic chatter of kids echoing from the classrooms, he felt overwhelmed.

He was a little nervous, entirely unsure of what a normal father was supposed to say in a moment like this.

"Felix." Rhys crouched down to eye level. "If anyone bullies you at school, or if anything makes you upset, you tell the teacher right away, and I will be here immediately. Got it?"

Felix blinked his big eyes, then suddenly reached out with his little arms and threw them tightly around Rhys's neck.

"Dad, make sure you take your medicine and do a good job at work."

Rhys's eyes instantly burned with tears.

Honestly, back in Heron Bay, taking Felix to school had always been the responsibility of Clara's dad, Clara's mom, and Eloise.

Mostly because she was a chronic late sleeper who could never get up in time.

Seven or eight in the morning was when she slept the deepest. Felix had always been exceptionally well-behaved. Knowing his mom was resting, he never made a fuss; he would dress himself, put on his little backpack, and follow his grandparents out the door.

But on the rare occasions when Eloise was off work and her parents were out, Felix would crawl into her bed, literally pry her eyelids open with his little fingers, and say, "Mom, it's time to get up. I'm going to be late."

Listening to her tell the story, Rhys could perfectly picture her curled up under the blankets, refusing to get out of bed while her tiny son tried to wake her up.

It sounded incredibly cute.

He squeezed her hand inside his pocket and let out a low chuckle. "That's okay. You can keep sleeping in from now on. I'll handle dropping Felix off and picking him up. Every single day."

-

Felix's ability to adapt to his new preschool far exceeded both Clara's and Rhys's expectations.

In just two days, Professor Ward had posted several messages praising him in the parent group chat.

When the foreign teacher asked questions in English and the other kids were still looking confused, Felix was already answering in simple, complete sentences.

During snack time, he volunteered to help the teachers hand out the plates, never missing a single one.

When another child cried over a snatched toy and the other kids started adding to the chaos, Felix marched right over to break it up. He miraculously managed to get the two brawling toddlers to shake hands.

Rhys's verdict on all of this: the boy got his looks from him, his IQ and emotional intelligence from Clara, and was absolutely impossible not to love.