Chapter 146 - Call Me Daddy

The next morning, Halia and her father woke up early to meet Natalie for yum cha in the old town. When they arrived, Natalie and Pumpkin were already sitting inside waiting for them.

As soon as Little Pumpkin saw Halia, he ran up and pounced into her arms. It had been almost a year since he last saw her. "Auntie Haili, I've missed you," he said.

Halia laughed and patted the little boy on the head. "I've missed you too," she said.

She then carried him over to the table and sat him next to his mother. 

"Mommy, is Uncle Sean coming too?" Pumpkin asked as everyone sat down.

Halia looked at Natalie with curiosity. Uncle Sean? Sean? Was it the Sean she knew? No way!!

Natalie saw Halia's gaze and blushed a little.

Just as she was about to open her mouth to explain, a man's voice suddenly said, "Sorry, I'm a little late."

Halia quickly turned around and came face-to-face with her handler. She stared at the man in surprise and he looked back at her with a warm smile.

"Sean? It's really you?" Halia gasped in surprise. She never knew he was so close to Natalie. In fact, she didn't know they kept in contact.

"Sorry for not telling you earlier. Natalie and I kept in contact after Hong Kong and we gradually became good friends," Sean explained. "We realized we have a lot in common." 

Halia watched as Natalie glanced shyly at the man. It had been a long time since she saw her best friend act this way. Ever since her husband died almost 6 years ago, she had never been seen with a man again, let alone date.

"Are you two dating?" Halia's father suddenly asked nosily.

Natalie quickly looked at the man in surprise before she glanced at her son. Nothing was official yet. Plus, her son still thought Sean was just a friend. Did the little boy understand what dating was?

But, just as she was worried about what her son thought, Pumpkin grabbed Sean's hand and said, "They're not dating. Uncle Sean is my future Daddy."

Halia and her father quickly covered their mouths and chuckled. The little boy obviously liked Sean. It seemed, children were much more straightforward.

Natalie looked at Sean apologetically and said, "I'm sorry, I don't think he completely understands what that means." She then said to Halia and her father, "Sean and I are just friends..."

But, Sean suddenly grabbed her hand and cleared his throat. "Pumpkin's a smart boy. He's not misunderstanding anything."

Natalie stared at the man in confusion. What was he trying to say?

"Pumpkin and I had a good chat yesterday, didn't we?" Sean said as he winked at the little boy.

Pumpkin quickly nodded his head.

The previous day, while Natalie was fetching the photo at the gift shop and the two boys were lining up for cotton candy, Pumpkin asked Sean something that he would never forget, "Uncle Sean, are you in love with Mommy?"

Sean looked at Pumpkin with curiosity. Did this little boy understand what 'love' was?

"My friends at pre-school said that their Daddies love their Mommies, but I don't have a Daddy. Does that mean no one loves my Mommy?" the little boy frowned.

Sean looked down at the little boy and patted him on the head. 

"You love her, don't you?" he asked.

The little boy nodded his head, "But that's a different kind of love."

Sean smiled. This child was much too smart for his age.

As he thought about what the little boy said, he noticed Natalie walk out of the gift shop smiling at the photo they took with Mickey. She was dressed in a short flowy floral dress, her hair was tied up in a ponytail and her smile was dazzling

Sean felt his heart race as he looked at her. This woman brightened his world. How could he spend a day without her in his life?

So, he knelt down and whispered to the little boy, "Yes, I love your Mommy, just like a Daddy does."

Thus, he was right when he said the little boy did not misunderstand. Pumpkin knew exactly what was happening. 

At that moment, Sean pulled a little box out of his pocket and knelt down on one knee, "Time is an unpredictable thing. Most people live like they've got unlimited time in their hands when, in reality, their time could be up at any moment. Both of us have been tricked by time. We both lost loved ones unexpectedly and never truly got the chance to cherish the time we spent with them. That's why, from now on, I want to cherish every second I have with you. Natalie, I don't want to waste time playing mind games or being ambiguous. You've already told me how you feel, so I want you to know that I feel the same. Natalie Shu, I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you. Will you marry me?"

Sean opened the box in his hand to reveal a beautiful diamond ring.

This was so sudden, yet it felt so right.

Natalie glanced at her son and the little boy nodded his head excitedly.

She then looked at Halia and she also nodded her head. Halia knew that Sean was a great guy and was confident that he would take good care of her best friend.

So, Natalie stretched out her hand and took a deep breath as the man placed the ring on her finger. "Yes, I will marry you," she said.

After placing the ring on Natalie's finger, Sean stood up and pulled the woman in for a kiss. He had always been a passionate person and Natalie responded just as passionately.

Halia looked away shyly. This was a public space, weren't they embarrassed?

At that moment, Little Pumpkin ran over and tugged on Sean's sleeve, "Uncle Sean, does that mean you're my Daddy now?"

Sean smiled at the little boy and replied, "Yes, call me Daddy from now on."