Mr Bodyguard, Protect Your Heart!
Chapter 52: WHERE IS MY FATHER?

Lisa giggled and she reached out to ruffle his hairs and said, "Don’t worry little one. Not all kids will annoy you like Andy."

But Gavriel was not convinced and he looked at Lisa with doubtful eyes and asked, "And what if they did?"

And at this question, Lisa pressed her lips wondering what would be the perfect way to answer this little child, when Dove said, "Then you should learn to tolerate them, dear." Gavriel looked at his mother with his eyes blinking, and then Dove continued saying, "See, you know that you are a smart one. But you cannot ignore others, and treat them like they are annoying to you, or like they are inferior to you. You must learn how to get along with everyone. If they do not know something that you are aware about then, teach them.

Then they will see you in a new light, they are going to look up to you. Just like Andy. Though, he always stuck to you, which you did not like very much. But wasn’t it a good thing that he saw you in a good light, and wanted to be like you? So, wherever you go, try to set and example among others, rather then ignoring others and avoiding everyone. Did you understand, Gavi?"

Gavriel who was listening to his mother, very attentively nodded his head after a few seconds, and said, "Yes Momma! I understand." He still had a little reluctance in his eyes, but it there was also a resolve in his eyes, showing that he understood what his mother was trying to tell him.

But then Dove looked at Lisa and said, "But I am not going to admit or enrol Gavi at any kindergarten or playschool here for now." Lisa and Gavi, both looked up at Dove in question.

"Huh? But why?" Lisa asked. Gavriel was quite, but he too had the same question in his mind. Did his momma not just tell him that he should learn how to get along with other kids of his age?

But he kept quite.

Dove nodded her head and said, "The four years are over, Lisa." And what followed Dove’s words were silence. Gavriel did not understand why his mother and Aunty went serious all of a sudden, but the little kid was smart enough to understand that it was a serious topic.

Dove looked at Lisa and after a while said, "My degree is completed, Gavi is three years old now and," She took another pause before saying, "Grandfather’s health is not doing well at all. I don’t think his health can hold on taking the responsibilities of the company any longer. I think, it is time for us to go back."

Lisa stared at Dove’s face, as she remembered the talk that had happened four years back. She was asked to prove herself, whether she was capable to handling such big responsibilities, as she had taken a decision of not aborting the child. And Dove had proved her self capable.

Even Lisa knew that Senior Sterling’s heart would bleed to see Dove having so much no her plate, but there were also other reasons.

And Senior Sterling, after a year of then settling in his country, Senior Sterling would fly here to visit them frequently after three or four months. But since last year, he could no longer force his body to do so.

After all, Senior Sterling was quite agedly.

Dove kept quite for a moment, and then said, "It is time to go back and take over what I have to." And at that, Lisa extended her hand, before holding holding Dove’s hand and said, "Hm, and you are going to do that all fine too."

"Thank you," Dove whispered. She stared at her friend who was sitting opposite to her. The woman who had immense amount to help over her. From the day they became friends, Lisa always continued to stand beside her, in any trouble she faced. And Dove was very grateful to her for that.

When it was almost time for Gavi’s birth, Dove was stuck from all sides. They had their exams at the time, while the company was also facing some trouble there. But Lisa, she was the one to be beside her, providing her constant mental support.

But finally Dove was able to overcome the main issues at the time. Though, a few things of the problems, specially those related to company, just got resolved, and she too could not give an exact explanation how. But she was thankful.

And even after Gavi was born, Lisa had always been by her side taking care of everything she could.

The two woman did not exchange words, but their eyes were enough to convey what was going on in their minds. Dove held Lisa’s hands, too and in a soft voice said, "Lisa, thank you so much for everything."

Lisa chuckled, and said, "Dove, in one hand you call me your best friend, and on the other side, you don’t miss out any chance on thanking me at whatever thoughts you get."

Gavriel quietly looked at his mother’s and Aunty’s interaction. And then she quietly lowered his head. They shared not main topic, but Gavriel already had something going on in his head.

***

Late at night, Dove was patting Gavriel’s chest softly coaxing him to sleep, telling him a short story.

"...and the king and the queen finally lived happily ever after."

Gavriel looked at his mother’s beautiful face, as she told him the story. Though, Gavriel honestly feels that these little bed time story’s were really very silly, yet he just loved to listen them when his mother would say them while coaxing him to sleep. And he would even wait patiently for her to finish all her work, before she came over and tell him these stories and pat him asleep.

Yet today, Gavriel was having some thing else going on in his mind.

"Hm? Gavi? You are not sleep yet?" Dove asked as he caressed his head. At other times, Gavriel would be drowsing to sleep by the time she finishes a story. But today, he was wide awake.

Gavriel shook his head and said, "I am not feeling very sleep today, momma." Dove blinked her eyes and asked, "And why is it so, my dear?"

Gavriel scooted near her, before wrapping his little hands around her arm and said, "Momma, I am thinking about something."

Hearing that, Dove’s eyebrows raised slightly, and she asked in curiosity, "And what is it, Gavi? You can tell Momma about it."

Gavriel kept quite for a while more, and said, "Momma, will we be going to live at Great Grandpa’s place forever?" Dove looked at him for a second. She wasn’t surprised, since they were talking about it downstairs during dinner. And Gavi was smart enough to catch it.

"Yes, Gavi. That is our home. We will be going back. Momma was just here to complete her studies and while I did that I used to take care of the company that we had here. But now that Momma’s studies are completed, we will be going back."

"Oh." Gavi nodded.

Dove stared at her son for a while, before she asked, "Gavi, dear. What else is going on in this little head of yours? You know that you can tell anything to momma, isn’t it?"

Gavriel, this time stared at Dove, and after a little while, he asked, "Momma, can I ask you anything?" to which, Dove caressed his head once more, before saying, "Of course, my dear. You can ask Momma about anything that is going on in your mind."

Gavriel blinked and asked, "Momma, where is my Papa?"

"..." Dove went quiet. When she told him that he could ask her anything that was going on in his mind, she did not think that this was what was going on in his mind.

After all, Gavriel was only three. And though, Dove knew that Gavriel was very smart for his age, yet he never said anything about his father ever.

Dove couldn’t lie that she had never thought about her son raising this question to her. And it would even be a lie if she were to tell that, this question did not scare her. But she did not think that he would ask her about it so soon.

"Momma, do I not have a father?"