: The Son's Father

2.

In my book, a scene this awkward was practically a dramatic showdown from hell.

I instinctively took my son's hand.

After all, my son getting into a fight that brought my police-officer ex into the picture was already the stuff of a bad soap opera.

But the real kicker was—

This police officer ex was my son's biological father.

Aiden Thorne.

Thankfully, I have strong genes; my son takes after me in the looks department.

Otherwise, I'd be terrified of a dramatic father-son reunion playing out right here and now.

The woman with the wavy hair lit up when she saw the police, as if she'd just found her savior. She immediately rushed over to plead her case.

"I barely touched him! This kid is vicious..."

The words tumbled out of her mouth like machine-gun fire, a chaotic mix of accusations and self-pity.

It was a textbook case of the guilty party playing the victim.

The officers behind Aiden Thorne were getting headaches from her screeching, taking turns trying to get her to calm down.

Aiden Thorne, however, merely let his detached gaze flicker over my son and me.

Then, a smirk touched his lips. "He gets his fighting skills from you."

'What a joke. Was he just trying to pin this on me?'

I bristled at the accusation and retorted without thinking, "Oh, I can't take all the credit. He gets half of it from you."

The once-chaotic Westbridge Police Department fell instantly silent.

Not a sound could be heard.

Dozens of eyes swiveled in unison to stare at me.

I felt their stares like needles on my back.

'My mouth really does fly ahead while my brain scrambles to catch up.'

I forced myself to backpedal. "Um... what I meant was, his fighting skills are only half as good as yours, Officer."

The woman's voice shot up an octave. "If your son had half the fighting skills of a cop, I'd be dead on the floor right now!"

*Tsk.*

'Did they only teach her hyperbole in elementary school?'

'I know exactly what my son is capable of.'

'And he wouldn't do that unless he was pushed to his absolute limit!'

Aiden Thorne calmly pulled up the surveillance footage.

His voice was neutral, neither cold nor warm, but it was enough to make the woman fall silent instantly.

"The footage shows you laid a hand on the child first."

It had started as a simple squabble between kids.

While I was at work, my son had gone out to play in our complex and gotten into an argument with another kid over a slide.

But the wavy-haired woman, determined to back her own son up, marched over and slapped my boy without a second thought.

Of course, my son isn't the type to take things lying down.

When she wasn't looking, he launched himself at her, grabbing onto her arm and unleashing a flurry of scratches and bites.

For a moment, she couldn't push him off.

Seeing this, the other people there had hurriedly called the police.

And that's what led to the scene I'd walked in on.

I just never expected...

that my son would end up right in Aiden Thorne's hands.

: So Handsome It's Tragic

3.

Aiden Thorne had already pulled the surveillance footage, so the woman naturally had nothing more to say.

In the end, we signed a mediation agreement, and the matter was considered closed.

The woman, knowing she was in the wrong, made herself scarce, scurrying off faster than anyone.

My son, on the other hand, was clever and cute, acting like a little adult.

He was surrounded by a group of young police officers, clearly a crowd favorite.

As his 'old mother', I couldn't just rudely drag him away.

Besides, he was in the middle of a grand, impassioned speech about his kindergarten exploits, his voice rising and falling with dramatic flair.

He was enjoying his moment in the spotlight, which, of course, was torture for me, his mom.

My heart was in my throat, terrified that Aiden Thorne would notice something was off.

After a long while, my son talked himself thirsty and finally took a break.

Aiden Thorne thoughtfully filled a disposable paper cup with warm water and handed it to him.

Then, he asked casually, "So, kid, why didn't your dad come?"

My heart rate shot up to 180, and I felt the same panic I did back in middle school when I was about to get caught cheating.

Fortunately, Leo Shaw was smart and remembered what I'd taught him before.

'A single mother and her son are easy targets for bullies, so from now on, whenever anyone asks, you tell them you have a dad.'

Leo Shaw didn't even blink his big eyes as he spun a tale out of thin air.

"My dad didn't come. He's swamped with work."

A young officer nearby pinched Leo Shaw's cheek. "You know, this kid is really good-looking. If his dad knew, his heart would probably break."

Leo Shaw, not one for modesty, accepted all the compliments without reservation.

"Oh, stop. I get it from my dad."

*Hah.*

'That's my boy.'

Aiden Thorne's indifferent gaze swept over me. Then, the corner of his lip curled up as he spoke with a hint of mockery.

"Is that so? Julia Shaw, that old man you found must be quite the looker, huh?"

I was left speechless.

But my son couldn't stand hearing his own father's digs.

"Mister, don't talk nonsense! My dad is young and handsome, six-foot-two, big and strong, and inhumanly good-looking!"

As he spoke, he gave me a little push. "Otherwise, he wouldn't be good enough for my mom!"

I was truly impressed by Leo Shaw's ability to conjure a father out of thin air.

As Leo Shaw continued his fabrication, it seemed he was starting to believe it himself.

He was getting more and more excited as he spoke.

But for some reason, Aiden Thorne's face grew colder and colder.

So cold it made my scalp tingle.

I didn't dare let Leo Shaw interact with Aiden Thorne any longer.

Otherwise, sharp as he was, if he noticed something was off, there was no telling what kind of trouble he'd stir up.

I put on an awkward smile and led Leo Shaw out of the Westbridge Police Department.

As we reached the car, for some reason, I instinctively glanced back.

Aiden Thorne was standing at the glass window, watching us with that same indifferent expression.

I instinctively moved to block his view of my son.

: My Dream Daddy

4.

On the way back, my son was leaning against the window, looking uncharacteristically melancholy.

I thought he was upset because of the whole ordeal at the Westbridge Police Department—after all, he's only a five-year-old kid.

I was just about to say something to comfort him.

But then, my son said something that left me completely stunned:

"Mom, I think Officer Thorne from today perfectly fits my fantasy of a future daddy."

I was so shocked I nearly slammed on the brakes.

'Is this what they call "blood is thicker than water"?'

'To think Leo Shaw had such a high opinion of Aiden Thorne.'

I composed myself. "Why would you suddenly say that?"

My son looked dead serious. "Tall, powerful, and devastatingly handsome!"

'That much was true.'

'With a face like his, Aiden Thorne could take the entertainment industry by storm.'

'As for tall and powerful...'

The "tall" part was plain to see. Aiden Thorne really was 6'2".

'Powerful—'

'He was definitely powerful, too.'

'Otherwise, Leo Shaw wouldn't exist.'

My mind started running wild, and the tips of my ears began to turn red.

My son, however, didn't notice.

He sighed. "But I guess there's no chance of that uncle becoming my dad."

'It's not that there's no chance.'

'He *is* your real dad. That's a cold, hard fact.'

But I was curious why he'd reached that conclusion.

I pouted. "Are you underestimating my charm?"

'If I hadn't snagged Aiden Thorne back in the day, this little pipsqueak wouldn't even be here.'

My son shook his head. "I think that uncle was pretty cold to us."

'He had a point.'

'But I felt—'

'After being apart for so long, him not throwing us out of the Westbridge Police Department was already a gentlemanly act.'

'After all, my breakup with Aiden Thorne was really ugly.'