Reason To Stay

Chapter Three

"Mommy, when will daddy be here?". Pierce asked jumping up and down as they waited outside the school's compound for his dad. "I can't wait to show him off to my friends. They were so jealous when I told them my daddy made me the paper telephone. Do you think he can make one for them too? They are just twelve in number". He rambled, giving her the puppy dog look.

Elizabeth laughed silently at her husband. Good luck trying to get out of this one. She thought."Save that look for your daddy when he comes". She giggled, bending to fix the collar of his uniform. "And for the hundredth time today, your daddy will be here soon. He went for a job interview remember?" She reminded him as she ran her hands through his Mohawk hair cut, the same as her husband's.

"Stop". He groaned, jumping away from her. "You are going to ruin my hair, I have to look like daddy remember?". Pierce hated the fact that he looked nothing like his father. While he got his mother's thick black hair, his father's hair was brown. His eyes color, facial structure as well as his skin tone was just exactly like his mother's.

"But you already look like me, where else did you think you got your intelligence from". Xan called, earning a scoff and a smile from his wife and a loud "daddy" from Pierce.

Pierce ran to meet his father, jumping on him and Xan picked him up. "What took you so long daddy? The event has started and mommy has to go back to the hospital". Pierce scolded his father.

Kings Villa Primary school, an all boys school which Pierce attended, holds a father and son event every father's day in the school's building. Elizabeth, who was in her final year in a medical school had to get away from the hospital for a while because Pierce's class teacher had called saying he was throwing a tantrum at his father's absence.

"Goodness son, there were a lot a applicants vying for the same position. It was late before it got to my turn". He explained.

"Oh, but I'm sure you kicked them in their butt". Pierce giggled and freed himself from his father's grasp.

"Of course I did. They've got nothing on me". He replied cheerfully, and gave him a high five. But Elizabeth could see past the cheerfulness of her husband and judging by the look on his face, she had guessed that the interview had gone otherwise. "Your mother told me you were throwing a tantrum".

He looked at his mother as if she had burst his cover."No way". He denied. "Come on, I'm eight, I'm too big to throw a tantrum". He justified.

"Oh, so eight years olds don't throw tantrum?". His mother interjected, raising her brows.

He shrugged his shoulder and answered. "I wouldn't know, since I didn't throw one". "Come on let's go". He said tugging his father's hand.

"But I want to see your father's expression when you give him his present". Elizabeth said.

"Oh, so I get a gift". Xan said crouching down to his level. He hadn't bent much because he was a short man.

Pierce held out a wrapped gift Xan hadn't noticed him holding and handed it over to his father. "I hope you like it daddy. Let me tell you that the concept behind the gift was my idea and I withdrew from my savings to buy you that". He boasted. " I took a loan from mom too, which of course I intend to payback".

Xan tore the wrapper as if it didn't take Pierce a life time to wrap it and was met with a white tea mug. It wasn't until he saw what was imprinted on it that his mouth stretched into a wide grin. "World best dad, huh?' He looked up at Pierce.

Pierce matched his excitement and answered. "Of course! You are the world's best dad!".

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