Chapter 156 A Family Of
Three
Renee exchanged a quick glance with Ryder, her eyes flickering with a silent plea for him to do something. Much to her disbelief, Ryder’s smile radiated warmth as he turned to Felix, his voice gentle but firm. “Of course, Felix. I’ll be here with you tonight. You mean more to me than any job ever
could.”
Renee stood dumbfounded, her mind reeling from Ryder’s unexpected
declaration.
Felix’s squeal of delight echoed through the room, vibrant as a victorious cheer. “Mommy, Mommy! Daddy said he’ll stay! Let’s hurry to bed! This is the best!”
Lost for words, Renee felt a mix of surprise and confusion swirl inside her.
With the enthusiastic tug of his tiny hands, Felix pulled both adults along, bounding towards his little bed.
“Slow down, Felix! You might trip yourself,” Renee cautioned him, her voice a mixture of admonishment and affection, still stunned by Ryder’s
agreement.
Under Felix’s eager guidance, the three of them settled onto the bed, creating a cozy sandwich with Felix snugly tucked between them. He planted a tender kiss on Ryder’s cheek and then on Renee’s, his joy
uncontained.
“Daddy, Mommy, can you tell me a story?” Felix’s voice bubbled with anticipation.
Renee’s heart tightened. She was tempted to persuade him to drift off
without a story, yearning for a quick end to the day. Yet, witnessing the sparkle of hope in Felix’s eyes, she found herself relenting to his simple wish. For most children, scenes like this are just everyday comforts–but Felix had never experienced one.
Drifting off to sleep with his parents nearby, hearing a bedtime story— these were just dreams for Felix.
Her voice faltered slightly, caught in the emotional gravity of the moment. “But I don’t know any stories, sweetie.”
She wasn’t making it up. Having never heard a bedtime story as a child, it
was no surprise she didn’t know any.
Felix’s face fell for a moment before brightening again with a hopeful solution. “Then how about singing? Mommy, sing a song for me.”
Once more, Renee couldn’t find the words, her heart caught off guard by Felix’s genuine request.
She was consumed by the crushing feeling of being a worthless mom who couldn’t do anything right.
Her troubled gaze didn’t go unnoticed; however, Felix, with his large, bright eyes sparkling with innocent excitement, seemed unfazed.
“Daddy, how about you?”
Ryder, usually unflappable, was visibly taken aback. His brows furrowed in a rare display of confusion. This unusual sight almost coaxed a laugh out
of Renee.
It was a peculiar joy to see the usually composed captain of the Night Wolf Special Forces caught off guard.
“Daddy, can you sing for me?” Felix’s voice, filled with childlike insistence, cut through the moment.
Renee blinked in astonishment.
مم
Imagining Ryder, with his stern demeanor, singing was almost comical.
“Come on, Daddy, sing for me,” Felix insisted, refusing to give up.
Ryder’s face contorted as if he were deciphering a complex code. A pause hung in the air as he sorted through familiar tunes in his head, and then slowly began, singing the only song he knew. “Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!”
Renee blinked in disbelief, torn between the shock that he could really sing and his strange choice of song.
Meanwhile, Felix furrowed his brow, puzzled. “Daddy, why are you singing the birthday song? That’s only for birthdays, and today isn’t mine.”
Ryder cleared his throat with a sheepish grin, while Renee bit her lip to stifle a giggle.
“Honestly… it’s the only song I actually know,” Ryder admitted sheepishly.
Felix clapped his hands with glee, his voice bubbling with excitement. “That was great! Daddy, you’re such a good singer!”
Ryder’s face lit up with a proud smile. “Guess what? I think I know one more song. I’ll sing it for you now.”
“Woohoo! Daddy, you’re awesome! That’s fantastic!” Felix cheered, his eyes sparkling with admiration.
Ryder launched into the next song with enthusiasm. “A BCDEFGHIJK L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z! Now you know your ABCs, everybody sing
with me.”
Renee pressed her hands against her mouth, barely containing her laughter. Seriously? The Alphabet Song? Ryder was definitely down to his
last resort.
Yet, Felix clapped joyously, utterly enchanted. Encouraged by the little boy’s enthusiastic applause, Ryder repeated the songs, his voice more
confident with each rendition, until Felix’s eyelids finally drooped and he drifted off to sleep.
With Felix now asleep, Ryder and Renee exchanged a glance, their smiles tinged with a hint of sheepishness.
Sensing Renee might be uncomfortable, Ryder broke the silence. “I have some work to catch up on. You stay with Felix; I’ll head to the guest room to finish up.”
After a brief pause, she nodded. “Alright. Try to get some rest soon, okay?”
Ryder stood and made his way to the door, but then paused and turned back, concern creasing his brow. “By the way, are your injuries… feeling any better?”
