Taming Demi's Mom (ONGOING)

Chapter 34

{VICTORIA}

"WHAT a perfect timing!" Liam said under his breath. I secretly laughed at his reaction. He immediately moved away from me. Meanwhile, I settled comfortably on the side of the bed. Liam went straight to the door and opened it for our child.

"Hello there, little Demi," Liam said affectionately to Demi before lifting her up.

He closed the door again, carrying Demi as he walked towards me. He carefully placed Demi on my side. I looked at her face, and she was almost half asleep, her two eyes slightly closed. And she kept yawning.

"I don't want to sleep alone in my room," she said, pouting, while looking at the two of us.

Crap! I almost forgot that she was alone in her room. It's Liam's fault. He was seducing me, and here I am, getting caught up in it. I just want to laugh at the situation we've gotten ourselves into. Liam and I exchanged glances, and we both laughed at our antics.

Liam then pinched both sides of Demi's cheeks. "I'm sorry, you're Mom and I was just talking about things," Liam explained to Demi, giving me a meaningful look afterward, causing me to avert my gaze.

"Let's go, Demi. We'll go back to our room so you can go back to sleep," I said to Demi shortly after.

However, she totally climbed up to Liam's bed and positioned herself in the middle.

"I want both of you to sleep with me now," she said with a smiling face to both of us.

Liam and I exchanged glances again. His eyes pleaded with me to agree to Demi's request, and I had no choice. Both of them wanted it to happen. Who am I to refuse their happiness? And maybe this is the right moment for the three of us to sleep together in one bed. After all, we are family. This is what a family does.

"Alright. Let's go to sleep," I said with a smile to Demi.

I took my place beside her, while Liam rotated around the bed to lie down on the opposite side of Demi. I glanced at the ceiling. It feels so weird, being in this kind of situation. Maybe its because this is our first time together in one room and one bed. And I find myself wearing a broad smile.

"Dad, can you tell me a story before I sleep?" Demi requested. I shifted to lie on my side, facing Demi.

My eyes immediately met with Liam's. He was lying on his side as well, giving me a smile that I couldn't help but reciprocate.

"Alright, here it goes. Once upon a time, there was a country girl whom the prince admired from a distance. And then, one day, the prince had the courage to introduce himself by ordering a coffee at the fast-food restaurant where she worked. Years later, they got married," Liam narrated the story.

I raised an eyebrow. It seemed like he was sharing our love story with our child. However, he just smiled at me.

"Did they live happily ever after, Dad?" Demi asked curiously, making Liam chuckle.

"The story doesn't end there. There was an evil woman who was head over heels for the prince and did everything to separate him from his wife, and she succeeded. The prince continued with his miserable life, unaware that his wife had borne their daughter. But one day, at a grand ball, they were reunited, and that's when they had their happily ever after," Liam continued the story.

I paused for a moment upon hearing this. I just stared at Liam's face. My smile instantly faded, and I felt a sense of sadness about the story. I don't know. Am I missing something? Here I am again with this feeling.

"Are you okay? Why do you suddenly look sad?" Liam noticed, prompting me to quickly smile to deflect any further inquiry.

"Nothing, just lost in thought, but I'm not sad," I reassured him.

I glanced at Demi who is now peacefully asleep. I slowly closed my eyes, even though I didn't feel sleepy. I just didn't want to see Liam's face right now.

"BE careful with the stairs," I reminded Demi as she hurriedly descended.

She was wearing slightly high sandals and a little dress that Liam had bought for her the other day. I quickly followed her, dressed in a simple white jumpsuit and flat sandals.

We found Liam downstairs, ready and waiting. He was dressed casually in a polo shirt and tight jeans. When he saw us, a smile spread across his face. He immediately welcomed Demi, lifting her up and planting kisses on both her cheeks. Demi giggled at Liam's playful actions.

Today, we are going to attend church. It's the first time the three of us will do this, an idea that Liam came up with. He wants us to have a family bonding every week. Honestly, I'm starting to appreciate every little thing he does for us. I try my best to set aside my other feelings. I don't want to be unfair to him. And this is the right thing to do. And I hope I am thinking the right thing.

"Take care on your trip, all three of you," Mrs. Siobel reminded us.

She approached Demi and playfully pinched both her cheeks.

"You're such a beautiful child," she praised.

Demi kissed Mrs. Siobel on her cheeks, making the elderly woman laugh at the sweetness of my daughter.

We also bid farewell to Mrs. Siobel, Terrence, and Sabel, informing them that we're leaving and will be back later in the afternoon. Liam brought his car, and he's the one driving. Demi and I sat in the passenger seat. Throughout the trip, Demi kept glancing out the window, noticing everything unusual. We don't go out much, so she's excited about everything she sees.

AFTER attending the church mass, we headed straight to the park just in front of the church, with Demi between us. Some people glanced at us, and I knew why. Liam was quite popular, and almost everyone knew him.

Liam always carried his pocket knife just in case of danger, being well aware of the risks in his profession. We both understood the potential danger of being in public. I hope nothing bad happens to us. Liam is a skilled fighter, and I know he can defend us, but I don't want him to get hurt because of us. I also don't want Demi to see such violence at an early age.

"I want those ice cream!" Demi exclaimed, pointing towards the vendor man selling dirty ice cream.

The three of us walked towards the vendor. I've missed eating this. Honestly, dirty ice cream tastes better than the branded ones in supermarkets with fancy names and labels. And this was a lot cheaper than those.

The vendor looked at Liam, and it seemed like he recognized him. The old man immediately grasped Liam's right hand.

"It's you, Prosecutor Liam. Thank you for bringing justice to the death of my daughter," he expressed his gratitude to Liam warmly.

"It's nothing. I'm just fulfilling my duty as a public prosecutor," Liam replied with a smile. He then gently tap the old man's shoulder.

I glanced at Liam's face. I wonder, if he was the prosecutor who handled Mom's case, could justice also be served for her death? I've moved forward from that painful past, but I haven't moved on completely. I might not be pursuing the case anymore, but I still hope that maybe one day, we will get the justice we deserve.

"Can we get three ice creams, Mister?" Demi innocently asked the vendor.

The vendor looked at her and smiled, charmed by Demi's cuteness. "Your daughter is so beautiful, Prosecutor. Takes after your wife," he complimented and then glanced at me.

We exchanged smiles. His smile was very genuine. I'm glad he seemed happy despite the loss of his daughter.

He began scooping ice cream into three cones—mango and ube flavors. Demi watched him, bouncing with excitement.

Liam offered to pay, but Mr. Samuel, as Liam introduced him to us, declined. He insisted that it's his simple way of repaying Liam's help. Liam didn't insist further and thanked him. We left after a while to find an empty bench where we could sit and pass our time here.

Only Liam and I sat together on the bench as Demi found a playmate who was also enjoying her ice cream. They were just in front of us, so I felt at ease. I couldn't take my eyes off my daughter.

I was surprised when I felt Liam's hand on the side of my lips, gently wiping the ice cream off the corner of my mouth. We locked eyes. Our faces were so close. A little more, and he could have kissed me.

But Demi interrupted us again. "Mom, Dad, I want those balloons!" she shouted, pointing to a middle-aged woman selling various balloons that were floating in the air.