Sweet Twins

Charles used to see Nancy as very obstinate and strong-minded, someone he thought would not conceded. But now, she
appeared different that he felt curious and slightly interested.
"Nothing. You might as well consider yourself as Bobby's Mommy," Charles uttered, while the corners of his mouth twitched.
'What?
What did he mean by that?
How could he say it so casually?'
Nancy couldn't believe those words actually escaped his mouth.
"Mommy, let's take a bath together!" Bobby exclaimed, shaking her hand before running upstairs. As he reached the middle of
the stairs, he suddenly turned around, remembering something. "Daddy, would you like to take a bath with us?" he asked
earnestly.
Bobby never allowed anyone to give him a bath except for his father.
And even since then, the two had always practiced the habit of lying on the tub filled with water and bath soap while they played
silly.
Perhaps, it was because Bobby felt he was less passionate towards his father that he turned around to invite him.
"Yes..." Charles answered hesitantly. Cocking his head to the side, he nervously gazed at Nancy, thinking that his son had just
opened a significant opportunity to get close to this woman. It must be his wishful thinking––or perhaps the gods were siding with
him––but either way, he was more than elated right now.
Nancy might have an open mind, but she would definitely agree to such a thing!
Nancy panicked. "Well..." she started speaking with her evidently shaking voice. "Bobby, if you want me to bathe you, your
Daddy can't be with us. Do you understand?"
Bobby raised his head while his big puffy eyes appeared to be watery. "But why, Mommy?"
For a while, Nancy was taken aback with that question, coupled with the angelic pair of eyes staring at her. "Honey...because
your daddy is a man, and I am a woman..." Although that explanation sounded ludicrous to a child, Nancy felt helpless. It was not

easy to explain an "intimate behavior" to a five-year-old kid. So instead, she uttered, "Men and women cannot bathe together."
"Mommy, am I not a man?" Bobby was obviously even more confused. His face contorted, and his brows furrowed tightly.
"Bobby, of course, you are a man, but you are still a child. You call me Mommy, and a mother can shower with her baby, right?"
At this point, Nancy was not sure if she was even making the least sense to the boy. She, herself, felt even more confused with
her own explanation. It just didn't make sense at all.
What ticked her back to her senses was a burst of low laughter that penetrated her ears. When she turned her head, she saw
Charles touching his chin while a meaningful smile played in his lips.
"I, I..." Nancy scrambled to find the right words to say.
"You don't have to explain. I'm glad that you're letting Bobby call you Mommy!" With a wider smile, he whistled loudly, and walked
directly past them.
Hearing his words, Nancy suddenly felt her legs turned jelly that she almost lost her balance.
"I'm Mommy's little baby! I'm her baby!" Bobby totally ignored the conversation between the two adults, and instead rejoiced in
the idea of hearing him as someone's baby.
"Okay, Bobby. Let's go to take a bath now." Shaking her head lightly, Nancy walked up to the young boy.
"Okay. Mommy, can you bathe me every day?
You know I like you very much, and my Daddy likes you too, right?. Can you please just live here with us now?"
"I can't, honey. I have my own family too. If you like to be with me, you can come to my house also.
Also, you are too young to understand marriage. I just want to tell you that I can't just leave my family and stay here with you
guys."
Meanwhile, as he listened to their conversation while leaning against the wine cabinet, Charles couldn't help but narrow his
sharp eyes.
'Marriage.' He seemed to have never thought about it until Nancy mentioned it.

And although he was pouring himself some wine, his mind was wandering someplace else.
This woman had just walked in into his life without any notice. Although it came as an unprecedented shock to him, she had
already managed to secure a place in his home.
Without him realizing, Nancy had already occupied his son's heart. 'Should I ask her to stay?'
he thought while drinking the wine in one gulp. As the cold liquor filled his chest, he was suddenly reminded of Dorothy's face
and voice.
Massaging his now aching temples, he thought, 'Dorothy... Had I ever loved her?'
Now, he wasn't sure if he still loved her, just like he wasn't sure if he liked Nancy. If he were to be honest, Charles only accepted
Nancy because his son needed a mother––or was it really him who needed a woman?
How could he be so uncertain in matters of love when he was a confident and decisive businessman?
As Charles drowned himself with those thoughts, Nancy had already finished bathing for Bobby.
She wrapped his soft body with a bath towel and guided him to the children's room, which was painted in gray and blue. On one
corner was a desk filled with all kinds of aerospace models.
"Your room is so nice!" Nancy praised, pinching his soft chubby cheeks.
"Of course! Mommy, I'm a little man!" Bobby climbed on his own bed and lifted his arm like it was a routine he was used to.
"Yes, honey. You are one cute little man!" As if he was her own son, Nancy felt a warm sensation in her heart. With the hairdryer
on her hand, she couldn't help kissing him on his head as she dried up his hair.
"Mommy, let's go and play a spacecraft model! The one who loses will have to tell a funny story." Ever since he could remember,
Bobby had always liked making his own game rules.
Like father, like son.
"Okay," Nancy agreed, nodding.

Back downstairs, Charles had lost track of how much red wine he had consumed. He only decided to walk out of the study when
the taste of alcohol had become foreign to his palate.
On his way to his own room, he saw that the door of Bobby's room was still open, and the light was still on.
Taking a peek inside, his sight was welcomed by a smile on Bobby's lips.
Across him was Nancy, who sat on a small chair while her head leaned on the bed. Obviously, she was asleep too.
With this image, Charles almost believed that she was indeed his biological mother. And even though she was not really, she
might as well serve as one.
Slowly, he stepped inside the room. He then bowed his head and planted a soft kiss on Bobby's forehead. After that, he turned
around and glanced at the very delicate Nancy. As his eyes fixated on her soft and fragile face, he could not help but kiss her
hair.
Immediately, her sweet fragrance penetrated his system, sending him in a deep daze that he couldn't stop planting another soft
kiss. But before he could successfully do so, her eyes suddenly opened.
"Mr. Fu..." she uttered, rubbing her sleepy eyes. Nancy didn't realize that she, too, fell asleep while tucking Bobby in bed and
singing him a lullaby.
"Uhm... I'm so sorry. I lost track of time." "It's okay. You must be tired," Charles said in a hoarse voice while straightening himself
up.