Flora dismissed the thought from her mind. It had been a failed trip, but she needed to catch the next bus if she did not want to wait out in the cold for the next hour.
The boy was now too big for her arms, but she still carried him with a bit of difficulty, and they barely made it, but they thankfully did not miss their bus.
She breathed in heavily after the tiresome run with the boy and settled on one of the bus seats with Collin in a seat next to her.
"Collin dear, who was that man?" Collin just replied, "my friend," but he did not answer any other questions from his aunt, no matter how much she pried. Flora was thoughtful about that encounter between them, but she had much more pressing issues on her mind that day and soon, the little interaction between Collin and the unknown man was soon forgotten.
As young as Collin was, he had thought that getting his mum back would have taken a few hours to a few days at most. The hope that had built up in his mind started to dwindle with time, but he still hung on to the card that he had been given. Until that morning in Trimshaw Hills…
****
In the dining area, Collin raised his head and fully looked at Jorge Trimshaw after he calmed down, even though he still heaved from time to time because of the intense crying. His small eyes widened when he recognised the man.
Mirabel was sure that she had never seen nor met Jorge Trimshaw before she had signed the marriage contract, but the reaction from her child showed otherwise, and she wondered why.
Jorge had that small smile on his face as he focused on the boy with that same fond look. He was somewhat surprised that Collin had yet to tell his mother about him, which was evident from the confused look on Mirabel's face. At the same time, he was happy that the boy had kept their secret and had not told his mother. This just attested to the fact that the boy was trustworthy, and that was a clear hallmark of a good man and an even better businessman!
Collin, on the hand, was happy that his one adult friend had finally kept his promise. But he did not give Jorge away, for a promise was still a promise. At the back of his mind, there was that worry that his mother might leave again if he did not keep his promise of not saying anything. Because upon seeing Jorge Trimshaw, he knew without a doubt that he was the reason! A smile spread across his face as the young and older man looked at each other.
[A/N~ Loctovia-3]
Mirabel decided to find out later about how her son knew her new husband because she had a pressing problem first,
"Why were you crying, sweetheart?" she inquired softly, and that had Collin lower his eyes temporarily,
"I -I th-ou-ght t-hat you left me to go back there!"
Mirabel sighed and hugged him tightly, "I already told you that I will never leave you again… don't you trust mummy?"
He further lowered his eyes almost to a close as he twisted a part of her t-shirt in his hands, "I'm s-o-rry mummy," he hiccupped,
"You don't have to be sorry, my dear. Mummy is the one who is sorry!" They stayed like that for a while, and then as if remembering something, Collin wiggled out of his mother's embrace and took a few steps to Jorge.
Jorge's gaze had remained on his new family with their interactions, and it warmed his heart. He waited for what Collin wanted to do or say and was very much as surprised as Mirabel when the boy climbed onto his lap and hugged him tightly.
"Thank you for keeping your promise," Collin whispered in his ear, smearing saliva all over his ear in the process.
In as much as Mirabel was touched by the scene in front of her, as a mother, she was surprised because even if she had missed out on her son's life, he told her everything and had never told her about this man as was evident that they may have met! Collin was not one to get physical with anyone apart from his mother and aunt.
She dismissed it from her head as it was a good thing for their new family, even if was just contractual.
After Collin settled, Jorge rang a small bell and Mr Benny appeared behind him. "Bring it out!" he stated, and Mr Benny disappeared, only to re-appear a few moments with another male servant who pushed a small car into an open space beside them. It was a 'toy' car that looked big enough for the kid to sit in. It was the first time Thalia had seen one, so she was surprised but intrigued.
"That is a gift to say; welcome to the family," Jorge said and rose with Collin in his arms. They walked to the said kids' car and set him down by it. Collin looked at Mirabel as if waiting for permission, and she gave a nod. That is all the young boy needed to sprint and cover the small gap into the car.
But he paused halfway there and turned back to him. Jorge patiently waited for whatever the boy wanted to say,
"Thank you for the room and the clothes, … and this car!"
"You don't have to thank me, buddy, that is what fathers do, and I am glad that you like them."
Collin did not need another second before he sprinted around it towards the driver's side.
It was a miniature gold-plated Rolls Royce-style truck. Its colour, was the same shade as the gold steaks on the one they had arrived in the day before. It looked as luxurious as it sounded. The servant who waited patiently by it opened the door and helped Collin enter it. The space it had been placed in had enough room for him to drive around. But the male servant guided him in it while Mirabel turned to Jorge, "he already got one gift yesterday, so why this one too?"
Jorge's response nearly made her choke on her own saliva. "You do not expect me to gift something as small as that, right? That should have been from Mr Benny, and this is from me."
*********
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