As soon as he entered the room, Max went straight to his wife who was lying with Cayden. The woman still furrowed her brows even though her eyes were closed. The hand that embraced the baby warmly, seemed so alert.
“Thank goodness,” Max sighed as he stroked the Little Prince’s head.
In just an instant, Gabriella gasped and hugged her son tighter.
“Calm down, Gaby. It’s me,” Max whispered, afraid to wake the baby up.
“Are you home yet?” the woman sighed as she was still in shock.
“Yes. I booked the earliest ticket as soon as I got the news,” the man explained with stiff lips.
After a moment of silence, the trembling eyeballs began to show compassion. “I’m sorry, Max. I have neglected to take care of our son.”
Seeing his wife crying, the man’s heart suddenly sliced. After stroking the little-messy hair, he gave her a soothing kiss on the forehead.
“Cayden is safe, so there’s nothing to worry, Gaby,” Max said as he rubbed the tiny back that was so calm on top of his mother’s body. “How is his condition?”
“The doctor said there were no major injuries. However, his psychological side will be slightly shaken. Cayden might be afraid of meeting strangers or being invited into crowded places.”
After a brief explanation, Gabriella burst into tears again. “I’m sorry, Max. I failed to make Cayden a strong and tough child.”
“Hey, don’t say like that. I have heard about how brave he was to face the kidnapper. Our son is very strong and tough, Gaby. And I think, he’s become more and more trained to deal with difficulties,” the man interrupted while stroking his wife’s cheek.
“But he was crying, Max. He kept crying as he ran towards me, and his back shook violently when he hugged me,” Gabriella sighed as she touched the tiny head that rested on her chest.
“It’s because he missed you. Little Prince was afraid to part with his mother.”
As if he could sense Gabriella’s sadness, Cayden suddenly opened his eyes. After a while, he began to raise his head and look around to examine the situation.
“He’s awake,” Max muttered, signaling his wife to straighten up.
“Hey, Little Prince. How are you?” Max asked as Gabriella rotated the son’s position.
“Dadadada …” Cayden called, warming up the air.
Seeing the twinkle in his son’s eyes, a smile appeared on the man’s face. A second later, he clapped his hands in front of the baby. “Would you like to hug Daddy? You miss Daddy, right?”
“Dadadada ….”
Smiling bitterly, Gabriella handed Cayden into her father’s arms. “He’s happy to see you again,” the regretful woman sighed.
“I don’t see any difference from Cayden, Gaby. Looks like he won’t be affected by today’s incident,” Max whispered as he checked his son’s expression. “Are you still scared, Little Prince?”
“Dadadada …” the baby answered while beating his father’s chest.
“Oh, do you scold Dad for not helping Mom look for you?” Max asked as he caught the Little Prince’s hand and kissed it. “Sorry for being too busy. From now on, Daddy promises not to work on weekends anymore.”
Unexpectedly, Cayden rested his head on his father’s shoulder. He leaned back as if letting go. “Mamamama …” the baby said as he raised his hand towards Gabriella.
Seeing the joy of her son, the woman’s tears rolled down again.
“Why are you crying again? Aren’t you ashamed of Cayden for being too whiny?” Max teased while holding his wife’s shoulder. With one tug, the woman came into his arms.
“I’m not a crybaby. It’s just … I’m too worried about our child’s future,” Gabriella said hoarsely.
“There’s nothing to worry about, Gaby. Can’t you see how bright Cayden’s eyes are? He’s a great kid.”
“Yayaya ….”
Hearing the chatter of Little Prince, the couple laughed in unison. After wiping away the tears, Gabriella kissed Cayden’s plump cheeks. As soon as she regained her composure, Max quickly kissed her forehead.
“Now, put away your sorrow. Take this incident as a lesson. From now on, we’d better take care of Cayden by ourselves. Don’t trust other people easily,” Max said softly.
Without thinking, Gabriella nodded. “Right. This morning, I only bought ice cream for a while. But the kidnapper managed to steal the opportunity.”
“She must have been lurking and waiting for you to let the guard down,” the man replied casually. “By the way, what about Lena? Did you scold her?”
Getting such a serious question, Gabriella’s face suddenly went flat. “I haven’t had a chance to talk to her yet. I have my full attention on Cayden.”
“Should we fire her?”
With furrowed brows, the woman considered the difficult question.
“I don’t think it’s entirely Lena’s fault. She’s just too young. She’s not even 20 years old yet. I don’t think it would be wise if we fired her, Max. After all, Cayden survived.”
Hearing such a gentle answer, the corners of Max’s lips turned light. A second later, the man raised Cayden in front of him. “Little Prince, what do you think? Isn’t your mother very wise? You’re lucky to have a mother like her.”
“Yayaya ….”
Seeing the cooperation of father and son to cheer her up, Gabriella spontaneously let out a laugh. “Are you teaching Cayden how to melt a woman’s heart?”
“Even without being taught, I’m sure many women will bend their knees to our son. Cayden’s charm is the same as his father’s when he was younger.”
“Is that true? Then, is his father still charming?” Gabriella replied while tilting her head.
“Of course he’s still. It’s just, the man has been owned by an extraordinary woman. So, he just need to exude the charms in front of his very special wife.”
With a warm gaze, Gabriella caressed her husband’s cheek. “Remember your status as the father of one child. You don’t have to seduce me like this anymore, Max.”
“But, that’s my hobby.”
After one laugh, Gabriella went back into his arms, causing Cayden to look around with an even face. As if he did not wanting to be left behind, the tiny baby inched his way between his parents. His chatter sounded like a protest because he was not invited to the hug. In just an instant, Max and Gaby laughed even more.
***
“Wow, Cayden is eating really well,” Max said when he saw his wife clearing the bowl of porridge from in front of the son and replacing it with snacks. “Looks like Little Prince is really not traumatized, Gaby. He looks normal, like any other day.”
“Yes. Our child is really great,” Gabriella said before turning back to face the little food that was left. “I think, I have to buy some ice cream as a reward for Cayden’s bravery.”
“Ice cream?”
While devouring her meal, the woman nodded. “The ice cream I bought yesterday was left in the park. Cayden hasn’t gotten what he wants yet.”
“Then, let me order it. This afternoon, Little Prince can enjoy it.”
Suddenly, the baby who had just put a piece of biscuit in his mouth, laughed. He seemed to understand that his father would soon fulfill his wish.
“Are you happy, Cayden? Are you happy?” Max asked, pinching his son’s cheek affectionately.
The Little Prince’s laughter was suddenly shrill. Pounding the table, he jumped up and down with joy. The little human really didn’t have any trauma from what happened yesterday. He was strong and tough, exactly like his parents wanted him to be.