Chapter 68: Is It About Mom?
Starting each day with a bouquet of flowers was something he learned from Milo Morgan.
As for why he learned it from Milo Morgan? He was the only married man in their group.
For the first time, Adrian Grant felt there was a vast gap between theory and practice.
"No."
He paused. His behavior today had been rather sudden, he realized. Not wanting to scare her, he tried a different tack:
"I saw we had empty vases at home but no flowers. I was passing a flower shop, so I bought a bouquet."
"Daddy, I like roses too."
Just then, Ryan Grant dropped the toy in his hands and ran over to Caroline Whitman. He looked up, holding out his chubby little hands, wanting to take the flowers and look at them. Seeing this, Caroline bent down and gave the bouquet to him.
Caroline accepted his explanation for the moment. "So why did you only buy one kind? It’s a little plain."
Adrian Grant said, "I didn’t know what you and the little one like, or if either of you have allergies, so I only bought one type."
"Daddy, Mommy and I aren’t allergic to flowers. I like all kinds of flowers," Ryan Grant said in his sweet, childish voice, hugging the bouquet.
"Okay, I understand now." Adrian Grant lowered his gaze, reached out his large hand, and ruffled the little guy’s hair.
Then, he looked up at Caroline Whitman. "What about you?"
Caroline answered honestly, "I’m the same as Ryan. As long as the scent isn’t too strong, anything is fine."
Then, she made sure to add, "Is it the same for you?"
Adrian Grant nodded. He didn’t really have a favorite flower; his preference was simply for whatever Caroline Whitman liked.
Caroline Whitman was thinking the same thing.
「That evening.」
After Adrian Grant took the little guy for a bath, he brought him back to his small room and coaxed him to sleep, to prevent him from clamoring to sleep with them again later.
Of course, putting the child to bed himself tonight served another purpose.
"Daddy wants to ask you something."
Ryan Grant blinked obediently. "Is it about Mommy?"
"Smart boy." Adrian Grant pinched his little cheek.
"What are Mommy’s usual hobbies?"
As soon as he asked, Adrian Grant suddenly realized his question might only give him information about the Caroline Whitman from the parallel world.
He still didn’t know if their personalities and hobbies were the same in both worlds.
He just wanted to get to know this world’s Caroline.
So, he rephrased the question. "Do you know what Mommy’s hobbies have been for the past few months?"
Ryan didn’t understand the difference between "the last few months" and "before." He thought for a moment before relaying what he knew. "Mommy says that whatever Daddy likes, Mommy likes too."
"..."
’That was definitely a brush-off, wasn’t it?’
’Forget it. I’ll just have to find out for myself.’
And so, Adrian Grant coaxed his son into going to bed.
「The next day, after work.」
Caroline Whitman arrived home just moments after Adrian Grant.
Unlike usual, she was also carrying a bouquet of roses when she got home today.
She had left work early specifically to buy them at a flower shop.
"For you."
Caroline closed the door, entered the foyer, and stiffly handed the bouquet to Adrian, who had just finished changing his shoes.
Forced to take the bouquet, Adrian Grant stared at the flowers in his hand, pondered for a moment, then slowly raised his eyes. "For me?"
Caroline nodded and said with a straight face, "For you to arrange. Don’t you like roses?"
Her gaze drifted over to a brand new bouquet placed on the foyer cabinet.
Unlike yesterday’s roses, that bouquet contained a mix of many different varieties.
You could tell at a glance that this was a professionally arranged bouquet.
Noticing her gaze, Adrian picked up his bouquet and thrust it into her hands as well, explaining flatly, "I just bought these."
Caroline looked at the fresh flowers in both their hands and fell silent.
’Somehow, giving flowers had turned into a mutual exchange for flower arranging.’
’This isn’t how I imagined courting someone would go.’
’Where exactly did things go wrong?’
During dinner, Caroline looked at the roses she had given him, now personally arranged in a vase by Adrian.
The flowers he had given her yesterday were in the living room.
And the other bouquet he had brought today was on the round table, along with the roses she had given him.
...
「Wednesday.」
Ryan Grant’s vacation officially started today.
Since they both had to go to work, their son was left at home, so they had asked Miss King to look after him.
Watching his parents leave, the little guy made a valiant attempt to secure his own right to leave the house.
"Mommy, take me to your company, please? I promise I’ll be good and won’t run around."
"No, we won’t be able to look after you when we’re working. You be a good boy and stay home with Miss King for one day. Mommy will be on vacation tomorrow."
I still have some handover work to do today, otherwise I could have started my vacation today.
Disappointed, Ryan Grant turned his head to look at Adrian Grant, who was tying his tie. His eyes suddenly lit up. "Daddyyyyy..."
Before he could finish, Adrian had already cut him off, dashing his hopes. "Don’t even think about it. You’re staying home today. Wait for me to get back tonight."
"Young Master, I’ll play with you today. If you keep delaying your parents, they’re going to be late for work."
"Alright then." The little guy reluctantly gave in, watching them close the door.
He had no choice but to go to his playroom, bring out some toys to the living room for a while, and then return to his room to write and draw.
After playing for a good while, he lifted his small arm, and his chubby little hand tapped his kid’s watch a few times, dialing Franklin Whitman’s number.
The line rang twice.
Franklin Whitman, who was about to leave for a chess appointment, saw the caller ID.
It was Ryan Grant.
’Huh, isn’t the kid supposed to be in school right now? Why is he calling me?’
’Could something have happened to the little guy?’
He answered, "Hello, Ryan?"
"Grandpa."
Franklin Whitman said, "What’s wrong? What happened? Aren’t you supposed to be at school today? Where are your parents?"
He fired off a series of questions, afraid that if something really had happened, the child’s fragmented answers would waste precious time.
"Dad and Mom went to work. I’m on vacation today! Grandpa, it’s no fun being home by myself. Can you come play with me?"
"You’re home all by yourself?" Franklin Whitman was slightly surprised.
’His parents are far too relaxed about this.’
"Miss King is home with me. Grandpa, come pick me up and take me to the old house."
"Alright, alright, alright, I’m on my way." Franklin Whitman was about to hang up when he suddenly realized something. "Oh, wait. Where’s your house?"
"I’m living in Golden Crest Manor now, Building 8, Unit 1301."
"Okay, okay, okay, I’ll be right there."
’So, the couple was living in Golden Crest Manor, huh?’
Before going to pick up the child, Franklin Whitman made a call to Gavin Grant. "Old brother, I might be a little late today. My god-grandson is home by himself, and I have to go pick him up and look after him."
Gavin Grant replied, "Your god-grandson again? If you’re in a pinch, just bring him over."
It wasn’t that Franklin Whitman hadn’t considered it, but going to Jonathan Grant’s house and going to Gavin Grant’s manor were two completely different things.
The large Grant Family manor was always full of people, with dignitaries often visiting, and various collateral branches of the Grant Family also lived there. If they saw the child’s face and word got out, Caroline Whitman would definitely come after him first.
So, Franklin Whitman suggested, "I’m not going to that big manor of yours. How about you come over to my place, old brother?"