Second Chances

Extras #1: "Daddy"

A/N: So this is a deleted scene from Chapter 16, plus some extras.

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"Okay, that's enough, children," Morten finally interrupted. "Come, Michelle... Nee prepared some lunch especially for you."

Michelle nodded politely and followed the old man into the house, Anntonia automatically reaching for her hand in reassurance and walking by her side.

"You good?" Anntonia whispered.

"Perfect," Michelle answered, squeezing her hand back.

...

Morten led them past the living room and into a spacious dining room, with massive windows letting the natural light come through and setting a homey ambiance to the place.

Nee greeted Anntonia first, before welcoming Michelle with—you guessed it—a motherly hug. "Welcome, Michelle," she greeted. "Come, I prepared lunch. I hope you like Thai food."

Michelle grinned widely, "I love Thai food! You have a lovely home, by the way."

"Thank you," Anntonia's mother replied. "Please, sit."

The Filipina nodded and walked closer to the table. She pulled a chair back for Anntonia, before sitting down on the one next to it.

"Awww," Chris cooed.

"Chris! Are you seriously recording right now??" Anntonia yelled.

"Of course! I gotta have content for when your children asks me for it later!"

Anntonia rolled her eyes and sat down, too jet-lagged to have the energy to fight.

"It's fine, babe," Michelle said, "All he'll capture is me being sweet to you, anyway. I don't mind the world knowing that."

"Ugh, fine," the businesswoman relented. "But if he posts something embarrassing, that's on you."

"Yes, ma'am."

...

Lunch was going fairly well.

Michelle was, of course, being her charming self. And Anntonia loved the fact that her girlfriend was taking the time and effort to get to know her parents and brother. God knows her previous exes never gave them the time of day, and they weren't even that famous.

Anntonia just observed as she savored eating her mother's home-cooked food. She was so engrossed in watching Michelle, she hadn't noticed that she'd just put a huge chunk of chili peppers in her mouth. And while she has a good tolerance for spicy foods—she was Thai, for crying out loud—she just wasn't expecting it.

She felt the heat bite her in the back of her throat.

Her eyes suddenly searched the table for water and saw it in near her father.

"Daddy, can you pass me the water please?"

And what happened next was like straight out of a cheesy Netflix romcom or a Wattpad fic.

Morten reached for the water pitcher, only to be beaten to it by Michelle. She had stood up slightly and reached out her arm across the table.

Oh darling, you sweet fool...

The table fell silent as Anntonia and her parents stared with widened eyes—Chris was grinning like a hyena, biting his lip to stop from laughing.

It completely went over Michelle's head—she's oblivious, which tells the other three how often she must be called 'Daddy' by Anntonia.

"Here you go, baby," Michelle had said, even pouring the water into her empty glass.