CEO's Runaway Mate and Her Cubs

Having two twins call him grandpa was wonderful. Especially because they called Melanie grandma. It made Luther feel close to the woman he loved.

If they were to take a stroll in the city, everyone would think they were a married couple with their grandchildren.

That thought was enough to make Luther forget about how she had baited him to her residence without telling him they wouldn't be alone. It had been completely useless because he would have come even knowing they were going to babysit the two angels.

Jaden had left the puzzle on the table and was focused on Luther - in silence without making questions, even though Luther didn't know what kind of novelty it was. Scarlet was still observing the flower, wondering what use could it have.

It was pretty, but she knew it would become ugly very soon. It happened with all the flowers her daddy bought for her mommy, even though her mommy would try keeping them for as long as possible and would be sad when throwing them away.

«It's the first time someone gives me a flower,» she said, her eyes shiny. «No one has done it before. Not even daddy!»

She knew that flowers and shiny gems were was men would give to women. While women would give men warm clothes - seemed like her daddy couldn't choose alone for his good. And food.

«Oh, I feel honoured now,» Luther chuckled. «You will remember your grandpa forever now.»

She nodded, her cheeks rosy with happiness. She even swung her feet as she would every time she received a new picture of her mommy or a shiny stone.

«But it will become ugly,» she exclaimed, at some point. That thought made her almost sob.

She didn't want her flower to wither. Was there a way to save it? Also, she had seen how a flower alone would die even faster as if feeling alone made it more difficult to survive.

Just like the poor little wolf from her daddy's tales. He would suffer alone every single time, be it against pigs or that girl with a red mantle - that girl was so annoying, truly! - but everything would turn out right when the wolf went home to his family and pack.

«Do flowers also like living in packs?» she asked Luther. «If I put it together with grandma's flowers, will it live longer?»

Luther blinked, confused. His ears were really playing pranks. He was old. And, also, he already couldn't understand fully what young people would say.

Even worse could it get, when talking was a little girl a whole two generations younger than him.

He had been locked for twenty years. No surprise he wasn't up to date with youngsters' slang.

No, pack was quite a particular word. Did it have a specific meaning, or was Scarlet just trying to say bunch? Indeed, saying flowers lived longer in bunches didn't sound lovely.

«Everyone is stronger together,» Melanie said, giving him no time to come up with a smart reply.

If he didn't know her well, he wouldn't have noticed the slight trace of anxiety in her expression. She looked calm on the outside, her lips curled in a smile. However, even though her eyes were moving just like usual, he could read through them.

He had known her for decades. He knew when she was hiding something.

And, at that moment, she seemed to be hiding a whole world from him. But what reason was there to be nervous?

«Wait,» he said.

Melanie almost winced, but he was talking with Scarlet. He could insist, investigate until finding out what made her so nervous. Knowing her secret meant being closer.

But it was also dangerous. What if she decided not to meet him ever again if he started asking questions but didn't find out anything?

Also, he wasn't ready to not meet the twins ever again!

He noticed Melanie's straight back, but he ignored it. He wasn't going to do anything dangerous. He didn't even want to see her so uncomfortable in her own home.

«There's a way to keep the flower forever,» he said.

Melanie relaxed, and he also sighed in relief. Everything would turn out well, in the end. Whatever the cause of that small crisis.

«Forever?» Scarlet asked.

«Yes,» Luther said. «You can make it dry and press it on paper. It will last forever. You can use it to keep the page of the books you read. Or just as a decoration, I guess... Do you want to try it?

I'll tell you how, but you have to be careful. I'm sure your mommy will help you if you ask her, though.»

«Mommy is always sad when she throws away the flowers daddy brings home,» Scarlet said. «I'm sure my mommy will be happy if we make the flowers last forever. Can I tell my mommy to do so with hers?»

«Sure! It's not a secret.»

«How do you do it?»

«You just press the flower and glue it on some paper. Or you can let it dry without pressing it, it depends what you want to do with it afterwards.»

«I don't know what I want to do, grandpa.»

«Then, let's just glue it pressed for now. It's easier and takes less time.»

«Oh, daddy taught me to glue mommy's pictures on papers too. He says they won't break. The first time, I broke my daddy.»
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«You broke him?»

«Yes,» she sighed. «And I was so unhappy to have my daddy broken. He was handsome, so I wanted his picture too. So daddy showed me how to glue it. I can still see the crack, but it's better than having two pieces of daddy.»

«I see,» Luther chuckled. «It's very similar with flowers. Just, you don't want them to break so you glue them and they last forever. You can even write on the paper what kind of flower it is.»

«What kind?»

«The name of the flower.»

Scarlet's eyes widened so much that Luther feared they would pop out. Her astonished expression was simply too cute. Her big, blue eyes got even bigger every time she was surprised.

«Flowers have names?» she said as if the world was opening up in front of her.