Chapter 60
Chapter 60- My Shoulders
Marissa swallowed hard and turned to Sophie who was hurriedly fixing her disheveled hair and that reminded Marissa of her own hair.
She started brushing her fingers through her tangles and tried to smile, "Oh, Rafael. I … we…. weren't expecting you…" she said with a shrug and realized that he was staring towards her shoulder.
She followed his gaze and found that the oversized t-shirt she was wearing was slipping off, exposing her smooth shoulder.
With a faltered smile she quickly covered it, but that sleeve fell down again. "P… please sit down," she left the stool abruptly, "Oh, you can sit in the living room too…" She looked at Sophie in panic who was now nodding her head like an obedient student.
"Can I go and wake up kids?" he asked raising a brow and she quickly nodded.
"Yes. Yes. Why not. Come," the plan was to let Rafael deal with kids, and she would need just five minutes to wear something decent.
Thankfully he was walking ahead because God! She wasn't wearing a bra.
She was so busy in her thoughts that she didn't realize he had stopped walking, and as a result, she bumped into his back.
"Ouch!" she held her nose tip.
"I'm sorry," he started stroking her nose, "I… just wanted to apologize for last night's behavior…"
She blinked and looked at him, "Last night?" and then she remembered about Gerard. "I know… it's personal a…and" He stammered, "I … I don't have any right to… ask this… b… but …are you two romantically… involved?"
Marissa who was waiting for him to get done with his long query with a frown at last gave her head a subtle shake, "No. He is… just a friend."
The way his green orbs were focused on her face, she felt her cheeks heating up. She needed to move her attention to something else so in her haste, she went ahead, almost gluing him with the doorframe to open the door to the kids' room.
Rafael gave her a tight-lipped smile, gesturing toward her chest with his eyes, "That's great. I'll be hell jealous if someone like your friend witnesses this."
Marissa looked down and found her assets jiggling during the movement. She quickly covered her chest with one arm and her eyes got to his face where she could see amusement dancing in his eyes.
Before she could say anything, he had gotten inside the kids' room with a chuckle.
***
When she came out of her room after dressing up decently, she found commotion in the living room. Rafael and the kids were placing plates and cutlery on the dining table.
Rafael was playfully giving them directions.
Abi and Ariel were still clad in their pajamas while Alex had changed into shorts and a t-shirt. He wasn't as chirpy but was equally helping his father and sisters.
"Mom!" Abigail squealed and came running to her.
"Watch out, Abi!" Marissa panicked when saw her speed and quickly crouched down to hug her. The girls were beaming due to Rafael's unexpected presence.
"Now tell me one thing, Daddy!" Ariel asked after arranging ice cream spoons near every seat, "Did you come early morning, or you didn't leave last night at all?" Abigail also turned with questioning eyes to Rafael. Rafael took a long breath to think for a second when Ariel asked the unexpected question.
"Did you kiss mom last night?" Everyone who was there in the living room went still for a minute, including Rafael and Marissa. Marissa tried to clear her throat with a chuckle but then Ariel spoke again, "I saw you pulling mommy on you. But I was so sleepy that I couldn't see if you two kissed or not…"
Flint and Sophie gave Marissa that wounded look for hiding this kind of detail from them. Rafael came over and took Abi from her arms,
"Come on, you all. We need to have breakfast. I'm starving!"
He was aware that Marissa was getting uncomfortable by these shocking questions, and he couldn't hold his kids' tongues, but he could try to shift their attention to ice cream.
"Now whoever arrives late at the table, will get melted ice cream," After the announcement Ariel and Alex ran to their respective chairs while Rafael hurriedly carried Abi in his arms making her squeal with delight. Marissa felt relieved when she saw kids busy scooping ice cream from the tub. Flint and Sophie also took their seats and Rafael served them Waffles.
"How is it?" Rafael asked Abigail when she took the first spoon.
"It's delicious!" she showed him a thumbs up.
"Yes, Daddy," Ariel agreed, "This is the best breakfast I ever had. You are the best."
Marissa felt a little hurt but didn't let it show on her face. She had been feeding them homemade meals for most of the days up till now and they never appreciated it.
"Dad. Someday you should take us to the park. My friends' daddies bring them…" Abi trailed off with a mouth full of waffles.
"Yeah. She is right," Ariel nodded and took a spoonful of ice cream, "they even kiss their moms in the park."
"No, they don't!" Abigail argued and the topic of discussion was again kissing!
Marissa wanted to roll her eyes. Her children never behaved this way in front of anyone.
"Ariel! Abi! Finish your food!" she tried to sound a little stern, but they didn't even bother to acknowledge her.
"James father does kiss his mother in the park!" Ariel said loudly.
Abigail dropped her spoon on her plate, "James father once kissed Sheldon's mom too in the park!" Marissa couldn't take it anymore and left the living room covering her mouth with her palm as if she was choking. Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org exclusive © material.
She wanted to hide in the kitchen. Holding the sink, she at last took a sigh of relief and started laughing without making any sound.
However, she frowned when felt a presence right behind her. She spun around only to find Rafael standing there so closely that her face almost bumped into his chest.
"I'm so sorry," she rolled her lips between her teeth, "I don't know what got into them!"
Without a word, Rafael's arms were wrapping around her waist pulling her to him, "It's ok. They are only kids. But I guess we need to inform James mom that her husband kisses Sheldon's mom in the park."
Clutching his t-shirt in her fists, Marissa laughed hard and hid her face in his chest. For a moment Rafael looked down on her shaking shoulders and then smiled.
You just need to stay happy, Marissa. I swear I will take every trouble of yours on my shoulders.