Love me, regardless

Cyrill's POV “Mom! Mom!” A smile instantly spread across my face as I knelt down to welcome the warm embrace of Aries, my five-year-old son. “Did you enjoy today?” I asked gently. “Yes! Yes! Tito Dadi and I went to lots of places and played so many games!” he answered excitedly, stumbling over his words because he was talking so fast. “Your son is exhausting, Cyrill!” Kaizer complained as he stepped into the house. “Mom, you know Tito Dadi runs so slow, just like a Grandpa!” Aries said innocently. I couldn't help but laugh. “See what you're teaching your kid, Cyrill? He just called me an old man!” Kaizer grumbled dramatically, pretending to be hurt. “You're so dramatic. Come on, dinner's ready,” I said, taking Aries' hand as we headed to the dining room. Throughout dinner, Aries happily told us everything he and Kaizer had done that day. My coffee shop had been short on staff, so I had to cover a shift myself. Whenever I got busy with the café, Kaizer was always the one who stayed with Aries. After dinner, Aries insisted that Kaizer give him his bath, so I let them while I cleaned up the kitchen. By the time I went upstairs, they were already finished, so I tucked Aries into bed. “I should get going, Cy. I still have to pick Yuri up,” Kaizer said before leaving. “Alright. Thanks again.” I stayed upstairs since I still had to put Aries to sleep. “Mom... milk,” he mumbled sleepily while rubbing his eyes. He wasn't used to going to bed without drinking a glass of milk first. “Here you go, baby.” I handed him the glass and helped him drink it. Unlike other kids, Aries never really liked having bedtime stories read to him. He's too smart for his age, and sometimes I feel like his maturity is of an adult rather than a kid. Once he finished his milk, I laid him down, tucked him in, and gently stroked his hair until he drifted off to sleep. I still had to prepare everything downstairs because I had a large pastry order due early the next morning. After making sure he was asleep, I adjusted the bed rail I had installed. Aries tossed and turned in his sleep, and after he had fallen off the bed once before, I decided to put up a safety barrier. I went downstairs and started preparing cookie and brownie batter. The recipes themselves were simple, but I had accepted so many orders that it became difficult. I am the only one preparing all the things, and it's just my luck that I have two big ovens at home which make the work a little bearable. All of these privileges wouldn't be possible without the help of my friends, Kaizer and Yuri. They are like the siblings I longed and wished for. They never abandoned me or Aries, especially after I ran away while pregnant with him. They even gave me the money I needed to start my business. Thank God it had flourished, and now we were living comfortably in our own home. I honestly didn't know where Aries and I would have ended up without them. They gave me hope that I could overcome everything I'd been through, and I would forever be grateful for how they cared for Aries—especially during the days after I gave birth. There was once a time when I couldn't even bear to look at Aries. Back then, I blamed him for everything that had happened to me, and those thoughts still haunt me to this day. No matter how many times Yuri told me the past was over, I couldn't stop crying whenever I remembered how I had refused to hold my own son... how I didn't even want him near me. It's like I never wanted him. All the love and gentleness I felt when he was still in my womb vanished. After what we've gone through to survive that hell of a house with my husband. Maybe that's also the reason why I try so hard now to make up for everything. Even though it's not my fault or Aries', I still try to be the best Papa he could ever wish for. I didn't realize how late it had gotten. By the time I finished preparing all the batter, it was already midnight. After cleaning the kitchen, I went upstairs to shower before climbing into bed beside Aries. It's been a long day and I still have to wake up early again tomorrow to finish all the pastry order.