No One Calls Benjamin Daddy
Ethen carried Jesse downstairs, and she kept looking around.
The moment she saw Arissa in the kitchen, she struggled to get down.
“Mr. Frank, put me down. I want to go to Mommy!”
Ethen pinched her cheek in adoration before doing as she said.
The instant her feet touched the ground, she made a dash for the kitchen.
“Mommy! Mommy!”
When Arissa heard her daughter’s voice, she stuck her head out and saw her child running toward her
in her pajamas.
Laughing, Arissa questioned, “Have you washed your face yet?”
“Mommy, I have! Gavin cleaned my face for me!”
Jesse gave a toothy grin and threw herself into her mother’s arms.
Arissa pinched her tiny face.
“Did you thank Gavin?”
“What?” Jesse was taken aback. “I did! But I forgot to kiss him. I’ll make it up to him later.”
Arissa nodded with a smile. “That’s better. Go out and play first. I’m not done with cooking yet.”
Edwin looked at Jesse longingly.
“My dear boy, shall I make you some milk?” Edwin asked Jesse as he leaned toward her.
Jesse blinked and smiled.
Looking at her innocent and spirited face, Edwin’s heart melted.
If only he was a girl.
“Thank you, Mr. Whitley!” replied Jesse sweetly.
Edwin ruffled her hair and went to make her milk.
Arissa looked at her daughter and smiled.
“Get out of here. You are blocking the way in the kitchen. Go and see if your brothers are down
already.”
“Okay!”
With that, Jesse ran out.
From a distance, she saw her four brothers coming down the stairs and yelled, “Mommy! All of them
are here! Hurry up!”
Arissa was not in a hurry because she saw Edwin making milk for the children.
It was still early.
Benjamin walked in with Ethen and Jack behind him.
When Gavin, Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper saw Benjamin, they kept their eyes on him.
As Benjamin was clad in a bathrobe, it was hard to tell if he still had the allergy symptoms.
“Good morning, Mr. Graham!” greeted Zachary, Oliver, and Jasper.
“Good morning!” shouted Gavin, but he did not address Benjamin as “Daddy.”
Benjamin swept his eyes across the children and paused at Gavin.
“Good morning,” he greeted in return. “Go and have your breakfast. Your mommy is in the kitchen.”
As Benjamin was going up the stairs, the four boys eyed him before running toward the kitchen.
Both Jack and Ethen followed suit as well.
“Good morning, Mommy!”
The four boys greeted their mother as they ran toward her.
Arissa quickly put the food down on the table and embraced her sons with a smile.
“Sweethearts, take a seat and have your breakfast.”
The four boys were thrilled.
Jesse was already seated at the dining table and drinking her milk.
She called out to her brothers, “Guys, come quick!”
The four boys went over and squirmed into their seats.
“Good morning, Mr. Whitley!”
“Good morning, boys!”
Edwin acknowledged them and gave each one of them a glass of milk.
Arissa served the children bowls of oatmeal porridge.
“After you finish the milk, eat your oatmeal porridge. Be careful. It’s hot!”
After attending to her children, she called out to Jack and Ethen.
“Have you guys had your breakfast yet? If you haven’t, join them.”
“Mrs. Graham, I haven’t eaten yet,” said Jack gleefully.
Ethen chimed in, “Mrs. Graham, I haven’t eaten either.”
Arissa invited them to take a seat and served each of them a bowl of oatmeal porridge too. She could
not be bothered to correct their way of addressing her.
“All of you eat first. I’ll bring out some snacks.”
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