Chapter 53.1

 Jason held Alice and Maple while leading Elizabeth and Emily towards his car. This time, he did not bring his hovercar, but a regular and inconspicuous 4x4, a Jeep Cherokee. Both Alice and Maple straightened themselves while studying the car with interest.

"Sheep Cherry-kee?" Alice tried reading the car's name out loud and Maple shook her head.

"No, it's a Jeep Karaoke," she tried correcting Alice, all the while Jason, Emily, and Elizabeth tried not to laugh.

"Pfft - you're both right," Elizabeth said between her suppressed bell-like laughter. "It's definitely a Sheep Karaoke!"

"Ooh."

Both Alina and Maple awed at the same time and Jason chuckled while patting their heads. He unlocked the car and opened one door for Alice while Elizabeth moved to sit in the front passenger seat. Emily opened the opposite rear door and picked Maple up before seating herself in the middle; this way, she was in between Alice and Maple and could look after both of them. Jason tucked Alice in before helping Emily to tuck Maple, securing both of them with car seats that automatically compressed itself to become booster seats. Finally, Jason moved to the driver's seat and drove off after giving Melanie one last glance.

Alice watched the lights pass by in a blur as Jason speedily drove through the highway. Despite the bright city lights, the darkness of the night seemed to sleep in and devour the flickering lights, pushing closer to the car and she shuddered before huddling closer to Emily. The latter felt Alice's discomfort and wrapped an arm around her in an effort to comfort her. She understood that Alice, despite acting normal earlier, was still in shock.

None of this escaped Jason, as he repeatedly gazed at Alice through the rearview mirror, his heart aching with guilt. He wanted to say something, anything, to comfort Alice but words failed him and he fell silent.

I need to think of something to get her mind off of things, he thought when a flash of inspiration hit him. Maybe I can find out what she wants?

"Hey, Alice. Do you know what I had in mind, what I was thinking of?" Jason asked Alice while focusing on the road ahead.

Alice wrinkled her nose, her brows furrowed together as she almost instinctively said "no", but paused with her mouth open. She had no idea what her father was thinking of, but she felt this was a chance to extort him for something. Thinking long and hard, as fast as she could, Alice came to a conclusion with a smile.

"Ice cream?" She suggested cheekily and Maple gasped in agreement.

"What? No, no. That's not what I had in mind-" Jason replied but Alice and Maple cut him off.

"Iccee cccrrreeaammm," both said slowly in their most convincing voice.

"It's a little too late in the night for -"

"Ice creeeam, ice cream!" The two continued chanting.

"I -" Jason turned to an amused Elizabeth and Emily. "See, look at this. This right here? Brainwashing. Absolute, honest to God, brainwashing. I had no plans for ice cream -"

Jason emphasized the last two words loudly, causing Alice and Maple to pause and wait in anticipation.

"- But now, I can't stop thinking of Baskin Robbins strawberry cheesecake sundae," Jason continued, ending in a lower voice that was tantalizingly tempting and both children squealed with joy.

Maple gasped with an open mouth, her bright green eyes dazzling in disbelief that Jason agreed while Alice giggled with glee before wiping a trail of saliva that leaked from the edge of her mouth with her hand.

"You two don't mind, do you?" Jason smilingly asked Elizabeth and Emily, but both shook their heads wryly.

Emily listened to both children's prattle about which flavour they would want to get while Elizabeth turned her face and gazed at Jason with a small smile; she watched the hazy, smoke-like figure of his with mixed emotions. She knew very well that Jason had used reverse psychology to figure what Alice had wanted and it impressed her. At the same time, she thought ruefully on just how much Jason had grown since she left him.

He'd never have thought about this before, Elizabeth thought. In fact, ay don' think ay woulda have thought of this. Goes to show just how terrible ay was at raising him.

"Something wrong?" Jason noticed Elizabeth staring at him blankly and he asked casually before teasing her. "Am I that irresistible?"

"Definitely," Elizabeth answered instantaneously. "But that's not it. I was just thinking."

"Oh?"

"It's nothing," Elizabeth shook her head and turned to look out the window of her seat instead.

Jason mulled over her reply for a second before shrugging and focusing on the three at the back. His eyes turned gentle as he saw Emily laugh and joke with Alice, grateful that she was able to cheer up the latter. Emily felt his smouldering gaze and instinctively turned to look at him. The two gazed at each other through the rearview mirror, each with their own small smile and it was only after Elizabeth cough did Jason break away and focus on driving.

Clever lassie, Elizabeth thought, unaware that Emily was not intentionally using Alice to get closer to Jason.

After recalling how injured Alice was, Emily only felt it was natural to pay more attention to her than Jason. It was for this reason that she sat at the back talking, comforting Alice, unaware of just how attractive that made her to Jason.

The relatively awkward atmosphere between the three adults continued without Alice and Maple noticing until they arrived at Baskin Robbins.

"I'll find a seat," Emily said as Jason took Alice and Maple to the counter.

"Sure. Oh, and ice cream flavour?" Jason asked Emily while gearing at the menu floating above the counter.

"I'll go with anything."

Anything you choose, Emily added in her mind. Jason understood what she meant and the two gazed at each other for a while before Elizabeth cleared her throat, a tad bit longer than last time.

"I'll go with you," Elizabeth said while holding her hand out for Emily. "What? You can't expect a blind person to stand in line. Also, I need your help. I can't navigate in tight spots. Oh, and baby? I want rum raisin."

Elizabeth turned to Jason as she added her request below holding a hand out to Emily.

Of course, she'd choose rum, Jason shook his head wryly.

Emily hesitated, staring at Elizabeth with a hint of doubt, before taking her hand and walking her over to a table.