Chapter 9-Uncle Liam
1472 Words
I had almost drifted off to sleep when my phone suddenly rang.
Zayn and Zarra had just fallen asleep for their usual noon nap, and the house had finally settled into silence.
I glanced at the screen.
Liam.
"Hey, what's up?"
"I'm coming in fifteen. My meeting ended earlier than expected."
"Oh, nice. Have you had lunch?"
"Yeah. Do you need anything?"
"Nope, thanks. See you in a bit."
He hung up before I could say anything else.
Typical Liam.
I smiled to myself.
Great.
The kids were going to be ecstatic when they woke up later.
And knowing Liam, he would not come empty-handed. He would probably arrive with snacks, toys, and whatever random thing he decided Zayn and Zarra absolutely needed.
When Liam said he brought "a few things," it usually meant half a shopping mall had followed him home.
My thoughts were interrupted by another vibration from my phone.
This time, it was Adam.
I rolled my eyes.
He had probably just woken up before work.
Hi.
What are you doing?
I stared at the message for a moment before replying.
Nothing much.
Just resting and waiting for my cousin.
His reply came a few seconds later.
The one you met for coffee?
I raised an eyebrow.
His memory was impressive.
Yes.
He's sleeping over tonight.
Before Adam could reply, a honk sounded from outside.
Liam.
I pressed the remote to open the gate and walked to the front door.
Sure enough, Liam stepped out of his Hilux with two large shopping bags in one hand and his backpack slung over one shoulder.
I crossed my arms, staring at him.
"Are you sleeping over or camping here?"
He grinned as he handed me one of the bags.
"Both, maybe."
I shook my head and stepped aside.
"Come in. The kids are napping."
"Perfect. That means I still have time to survive before they attack me."
I laughed softly as he entered the house and dropped onto the couch with a tired sigh.
He looked exhausted.
"How was the meeting?" I asked, walking to the kitchen.
"Okay, I guess. Mostly discussion about raw materials and project timelines."
I returned with a glass of iced sparkling water and handed it to him.
He took a long sip before placing the glass on the coffee table.
"You look tired."
"I am tired."
"Why don't you get some rest first while the little munchkins are still asleep?"
He leaned his head back against the couch.
"That sounds like the best idea you've had all day."
"Excuse me?"
He smirked.
"I said what I said."
I rolled my eyes.
"Guest room is ready. Go before I change my mind."
He stood with a low groan and grabbed his backpack.
"Wake me up when the tiny bosses are awake."
"They'll do that themselves."
"Even better."
He disappeared down the hallway toward the guest room, leaving the shopping bags on the floor like evidence of his usual overindulgence.
I peeked into the shopping bags.
As expected, one bag was filled with snacks, while the other contained toys and books.
Of course.
That was Liam.
I carried the bag of snacks into the kitchen and placed it on the counter before returning to the living room.
The house was still quiet.
Zayn and Zarra were asleep.
Liam was in the guest room.
For once, nobody needed me.
I lowered myself onto the couch and let out a tired sigh.
My phone vibrated again.
Some notifications were from suppliers.
A few were from friends.
And one was from him.
Sleep over?
I frowned.
What was wrong with my cousin sleeping over?
Still, I replied.
Yes.
Liam is like a brother to me.
And he's very close to my kids.
I didn't wait for his response.
Placing the phone face down on the coffee table, I closed my eyes and tried to let my body rest.
I needed it.
After a long week of school runs, orders, house chores, and pretending I was fine, even a short nap felt like a luxury.
I must have fallen asleep for a while.
The next thing I knew, Zarra's excited scream tore through the quiet house.
"UNCLE LIAM!"
I jolted awake on the couch.
There went my peaceful nap.
Before I could even sit up properly, Zarra had already sprinted down the hallway like a tiny hurricane. Zayn followed behind her, trying to look calm but failing miserably because even he could not hide his excitement.
Liam appeared from the guest room, hair slightly messy from his nap, just in time for Zarra to crash into him.
"Oof." He caught her with both arms. "Careful, tiny boss. I'm old."
"You're not old!" Zarra giggled.
"He is," Zayn said seriously.
I burst out laughing.
Liam narrowed his eyes at him. "Traitor."
Zayn only smiled.
Within minutes, the house was alive again. Snacks were opened, toys were inspected, and Zarra had already demanded Liam to sit on the floor while she showed him every single thing she had done at school that week.
I leaned against the wall, watching them.
There was something about seeing my children happy around him that softened a part of me I rarely spoke about.
Liam was not their father.
He never tried to be.
But he showed up.
And sometimes, that alone meant more than any title.
After a while, Liam glanced at me from where he sat cross-legged on the floor.
"Any dinner plans?"
I shook my head. "Not really. I was thinking of cooking something simple."
"Good. Don't."
I raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean, don't?"
He grinned. "Let's go out. Korean barbecue. Unlimited. My treat."
Zarra gasped as if he had just announced a royal ball.
"Can we go, Mama?"
Zayn looked at me too, eyes already shining with quiet hope.
I pretended to think about it.
"Hmm..."
"Please?" Zarra clasped her hands together dramatically.
Liam copied her expression. "Please?"
I rolled my eyes.
"Fine. But everyone has to behave."
"Yes!" Zarra cheered.
Zayn simply smiled, but I could tell he was just as excited.
A little later, we were seated inside a Korean barbecue restaurant, the grill sizzling in the middle of the table while Liam took his unofficial role as chef far too seriously.
"Nobody touches the meat until I say it's ready," he declared.
"Yes, chef," I said dryly.
He pointed the tongs at me. "Respect the process."
Zarra giggled while Zayn carefully arranged lettuce on his plate.
Dinner was loud.
Messy.
Warm.
The kind of evening I did not know I needed.
After dinner, Liam insisted we stop by the small fun park nearby. I almost refused, but one look at Zarra's face and I lost the battle before it even began.
So we went.
Zarra rode the carousel twice.
Zayn tried the mini train.
Liam somehow ended up buying cotton candy bigger than Zarra's head, and I had to pretend I was not laughing when she struggled to hold it properly.
By the time we returned to the car, both children were completely worn out.
They fell asleep in the back seat before we even reached the first traffic light.
Liam glanced at them through the rearview mirror and smiled.
"Mission accomplished."
I looked back at my sleeping children, their faces peaceful under the soft glow of the streetlights passing by.
"Thank you," I said quietly.
"For what?"
"For today."
He shrugged, keeping his eyes on the road.
"They're my kids too, in some way."
I said nothing.
Because if I did, I might cry.
By the time we reached home, Liam carried Zarra inside while I gently woke Zayn enough for him to walk to his room. After changing them into their pajamas, I tucked them in and kissed their foreheads.
The house fell quiet again.
Liam and I ended up in the living room with a random romantic comedy playing on the television and two cups of instant noodles between us.
"This is peak adulthood," I said, breaking the wooden chopsticks apart.
"Rom-com and cup noodles after exhausting two children?" Liam leaned back against the sofa. "Luxury."
I laughed.
For a while, we watched the movie in comfortable silence, occasionally commenting on how ridiculous the characters were.
Near midnight, Liam finally stood and stretched.
"I'm done. My body is no longer twenty."
"It hasn't been twenty for two decades."
"Rude."
"Accurate."
He pointed at me before heading toward the guest room. "Good night, Cupcake."
"Good night, old man."
Once he disappeared down the hallway, I cleaned up the cups and turned off the television.
My phone buzzed just as I was about to head to my bedroom.
Adam.
Did you have fun?
I stared at the message.
Then at the quiet hallway where Liam had disappeared.
For some reason, the question felt heavier than it should have.
- Writer
