CHAPTER SIX

"Daddy can I have more pancwakes pwease?"

Sebastian gave his father his best puppy dog eyes, pushing his lower lip out to a pout. He bats his eyelashes and Owen felt his heart melt as he silently coo at his adorable son. He forks one of the star shaped pancakes and puts it on the child's plate whose eyes lit up and he began dancing on his chair. Owen added the honey syrup and Sebastian began devouring the pancake. The syrup going to his cheeks, hands and even his hair.

Owen made a mental note to give his chubby cheeked baby a bath after breakfast. He then turns his attention to his other kids to check if they needed something. Samuel ate his pancake in a neat way, not a single mess on him or on his plate while Baby Caiden is the complete definition of mess.

The baby sat comfortably in his high chair and he has mash potato all over his face and hands. There are more mash potatoes on his bib than his bowl and some even got to his hair.

Owen couldn't help the smile as the child giggled at his direction, his adorable toothless smile captured in the picture that Owen had just taken. He takes couple of more picture of Caiden then of course his other boys. Samuel gave a sunny bright smile to the camera and then there's Sebastian smiling happily with his chubby cheeks covered in syrup.

Even Ezra joined in on the fun, posing for the camera with the kids then a few photos of just himself and many group shots.

A million pictures later, breakfast was over and Owen brought Sebastian and Caiden to the bathroom for a quick bath while Samuel stayed in the kitchen and being a good boy, he volunteered to help Ezra with the dishes.

Owen fills the tub with warm water for both kids to bathe on, adding a baby friendly bubble soap. He unbuttons Caiden's onesie and carefully slip it off the baby's body with one hand while the other held the baby in place. Sebastian strips his own pajamas and stood next to the tub butt naked, patiently waiting for his baby brother.

When the water reach a nice level and the bubbles have already filled half the tub, Owen turns faucet off and as he careful as he could dip the baby on the tub, Caiden shrieking in joy as he began kicking his little legs on the water making a splash. Sebastian giggled and starts splashing water himself with his arms but he was careful enough not to get any water near the baby's face.

Caiden notices what his older brother was doing and began mimicking him, his giggles filling the room as he splash his stubby arms on the water. If he could, Owen would be filming this moment right now but he was holding the squirmy giggly baby and so he just watch his sons play in the tub, knowing that his heart will never forget the moment.

Sebastian shampooed his own hair while Owen carefully washed baby Caiden's head, making sure no soap gets on the baby's eyes. Then he gently rinsed the baby from head to toe. When both child are clean, Owen lets them play in the water for a while.

When the boys' fingers start to get wrinkly, Owen knew it was time to get out of the tub. Sebastian knew that too as the little boy carefully got out of the tub and wraps himself in his fluffy peach fruit inspired towel and then stood by the door, waiting patiently until Owen has baby Caiden wrap in his own fluffy towel.

The three left the bathroom, Owen went straight to the nursery while Sebastian went to his and Samuel's shared room. Owen laid the baby on the changing table, showers him in baby powder then puts a fresh nappy on the baby. He blew a raspberry kisses on the baby's tummy causing shrieks of giggle from Caiden. He then dressed the baby in a cute dinosaur onesie that has a hoodie with ears and a tiny tail.

Owen takes his phone out and took more pictures, loudly cooing when Caiden tries to nibble at his sock covered toes. The baby was flexible and Owen doesn't know if it’s parental instinct or what but he could sense that Caiden will want to be a dancer when he grows up.

The same goes with Samuel and Sebastian, Owen could sense a great talent within his sons. He has heard Samuel sing before, mostly nursery rhymes but still he sang it beautifully than the other kids.

Then Sebastian, he is a loud child but once Owen heard him singing to a Beyoncé song and the boy was hitting the high notes like a professional, even though he couldn't pronounce the other words right, he also sang it beautifully.

Owen wasn't bad at singing himself. In fact, he had joined a couple of singing competitions in his college days and even won first place. He also became a choir member in Joshua's church a few years back but he stopped because he needed to work and focus on the boys.

Ezra also has a knack for music. He can also sing but he was more into composing songs. At age 17, he already earned the name producer in his high school for having produced most of the songs used in their school plays and talent shows. Joshua already has plans on sending his son to LA to study music there for college. Meanwhile Owen hasn’t planned that far, but what’s for sure is whatever his sons want to pursue, he will give them his utmost support, nothing less of what his sons deserve.

"Daddy there is pewson looking fow you" Sebastian walks into the nursery, dressed in a white onesie that has tangerines on it. He looks really adorable.

Owen adjusts the baby on his arms as he left the room with Sebastian happily skipping in front of him. They arrive at the living room, Sebastian went straight to his toy bin as Owen carefully placed Caiden inside his playpen, laid him on the soft comforter then turned the mobile on. He watched as the baby tries reaching for the spinning toys attached on the mobile with cute baby noises coming out from his tiny mouth. Owen couldn’t resist taking a picture.

"A messenger brought this, I think it’s an invitation of some sort," Ezra entered the living room and handed a small red envelope to his uncle.

Owen had a small frown as he sat on the couch beside the mobile and opened the envelope. Inside the envelope was an elegant and shining gold piece of paper. The paper smelled like expensive wine and roses.

It read:

Greetings Neighbors!

We would like to invite you and your family to our house this weekend for a post-holiday dinner. Happening at 7 in the evening. It's a casual dinner so no need to fuss. We will be expecting to see you soon.

Have a good day.

Xu-Wen residence

The Xu-Wen residence is only a couple of blocks away from Owen's house and if he's not mistaken, Its one of the bigger houses in the neighborhood. It was a freaking mansion. Owen remembers driving pass by there a few days ago when he took a shortcut from the store to their house.

The house was really big and the couple that lives there were known to have come from a very wealthy family in China. The couple moved into the house a year ago and owns the biggest chain of stores in the town. The Xu-Wen stores, the same store where Owen almost lost his son yesterday.

No one has really seen the couple in person because both were always busy with their line of work. The other was famous designer who leaves the country most of the time working and promoting his fashion line while also attending prestigious fashion shows all around the world while the other is the one who manages the stores 24/7 and he is also rarely seen coming Home to the Xu-Wen mansion. Owen could only wonder how much of the couple’s hectic work affects their relationship. Long distance is no joke.

Because of the Xu-Wen absence, not one of their neighbor actually knows what the couple looks like but that will change soon as the said couple finally invites their neighbors to their humble abode. They haven't done that since they moved into the neighborhood and to say Owen's excited is an understatement.

"Dad just texted me, he also received an invitation. Guess that means I'm going too. Great."

Other than pineapples on pizza, another thing that Ezra greatly disliked are fancy dinners and just being social in general. But he knows better than to complain to his father because Joshua will surely and literally drag his arse to the dinner himself if he has too.

Joshua is naturally a kind person inside out but when Ezra pushes a wrong button, unintentionally or not, he changes into a person whose middle name is mischief. Must be all the time he had spent with Owen, the king of mischiefs and tricks himself. They've been best friends since high school and they had the habit of getting their selves into trouble. Nonetheless, those two had a tightknit bond with each other.

"Finally, I have an excuse to dress my sons in matching outfits." Owen grinned as Caiden lets out a loud shriek of joy as Sebastian now sat outside his playpen and is making cute silly faces at him while Samuel is nowhere to be found.

"Where's Sammy?" Owen asked, frowning as he didn't see his son anywhere in the room.

Ezra just shrugs his shoulders. "Last time I saw him, he was in the garden"

Just then, the familiar voice of Sammy shouting was heard and he sounded like he was in distress.

"Daddy! Help!"

Owen let out a worry filled gasp and practically rushed out of the room. He ran to the back door that lead straight to their backyard. He looks around frantically as he hears his son call for him again. There were a lot of places where his son could be at because the yard was massive and had a lot of places to play in.

Owen checks those places one by one but didn't find his son anywhere. He checked the tree house next but it was also empty. He was losing places to check but as he walks past the rose bush, he remembers the new hiding place that his son found a couple of days ago and he didn't waste another second as he rushed to the place, silently hoping his son would be there.

The hiding place wasn't really a hiding place but is a place that was hidden in plain view and Samuel loved that place because it was surrounded with towering moonwalkers.

Moonwalkers are a type of sunflower. Moonwalker sunflowers are tall branching variety with multiple large heads and beautiful pale yellow petals with contrasting dark centers. They are about 5 to 7 feet tall and is perfect to go in the back of a border or used for screening. Those flowers were already there way before Owen and his family moved into the house three years ago.

The rose bushes came to an end and the tall moonwalkers came to view. Owen walks down the stone path that leads to an old gazebo that was almost unnoticeable because of the tall moonwalkers surrounding it.

Relief washed over Owen as he finally found his son, he rushed to him and immediately checked if he was hurt anywhere. There was not a single scratch nor anything broken much to Owen's relief but the child was in tears making his father frown in worry.

"Sunshine what's wrong? Are you hurt? Did you fall? Sunshine talk to me please," Owen spoke calmly, gently wiping his son's tears away.

"Daddy.......the bunny...” Samuel sniffled

"Bunny? Sunshine what bunny are you talking about?" Owen asked confused, looking around and seeing no sign of said fluffy creature.

"I saw a bunny under the rose bush and it looked hurt so I tried to help it but it ran away so I chased after it until we got here," the child explains in between sniffles.

"Then why are you crying? Is it gone?" Owen asked and the child shook his head no,

"It’s over there Daddy, " Samuel pointed to a toppled pile of old troughs, "Its foot got stuck and I tried to save it but it only tried to bit me."

"It bit you!? Where!?" Owen once again checks every part of his son, worry filling his mind as he checks his son's fingers one by one.

"No Daddy, It didn't bit me." Samuel said pulling his hands away from his over-worried father. "It’s only a baby. Its teeth are very tiny."

Owen bit his lower lip. He wanted to believe his son but at the same time he was scared to risk it. What if his son was really bitten and the child was only denying it? What if the bunny has rabies? He didn't want something bad happening to his eldest.

"Sunshine how about we ask Ezra to get the bunny for you then I'll call your Uncle Josh to check if you're hurt or not. Daddy is really worried Sunshine." Owen bargained, silently hoping his son would understand.

Samuel was silent for a while, passing glances between the toppled pile of troughs and his father before sighing, he bit his lower lip before finally nodding his head.

"Okay Daddy, I'll go." Samuel smiled.

Owen affectionately ruffled the child's hair with a smile before lifting the child onto his hip. Samuel wraps his arms around his father's neck and nuzzles his head on his father's neck.

Owen pressed a kiss on the child's head and began making his way back to their house where he went straight to the living room where he knows Ezra will be. And there the teen was, fully laid on the couch with his eyes glued to his phone. Without placing the child down, Owen flicks the teen's ear, successfully catching the latter's attention.

Ezra glared up at the older but his eyes softens when he noticed a now sleeping Samuel in the older's arms.

"Is he okay?" Ezra asked with genuine concern.

"I'm not sure. Please do me a favor and call your dad, tell him to come here. Samuel needs a checkup fast."

And the small male didn't need to be told twice as he got up from the couch and dialed his father's number as Owen left to the boys' room to change Samuel's dirtied shirt and pajamas. They came back to the living room minutes later with Samuel barely awake.

Owen laid him next to Sebastian who had also fallen asleep on their play mat. The baby was also lulled to sleep by the mobile's music so the living room was pretty much silent besides Ezra who’s still talking on the phone.

"Okay, we'll wait for you. Thanks Dad." The call ends and the teen lets out sigh. A look of concern on his face when he looks at Samuel's sleeping form.

"What happened?" Ezra asked as the older sat down beside him with a look of worry on his face.

Owen lets out a sigh and told the teen everything, including the little bargain he made with the child. To say that Ezra was not happy about the bargain was an understatement but he only takes one look on Samuel and he didn't complain anymore. Instead he promised to do his best to catch the bunny for Samuel.

Ezra may be mean to the boys sometimes but he can't deny the fact that he will always have a soft spot for the boys no matter how ridiculous and annoying they can be.

Half an hour passed when Joshua finally arrives at the house and didn't waste any more time as he went on doctor mode to check on Samuel who unfortunately has to be woken up from his nap because the doctor needed to ask some questions.

Joshua was a Doctor in two different fields. First as a pediatrician and second as an Oncologist. He's a resident Doctor at Seoul Medical Center and has been Owen's children's doctor since they were born. He was also the one who took care of Samuel when he had leukemia. Owen is very grateful to have a friend like Joshua.

Owen and Joshua met during middle school and they actually started as enemies, being members of debate clubs in two different teams, they would clash together and butthead. Come pass middle school and they became classmates again at High school. This time things were different. They learned that they had a lot in common, and even had the same dislikes, and a strong taste for mischief. They were immediately called the devilish twins by their classmates and since then they were inseparable.

At college, despite pursuing different paths, the two stayed together, they both met their wives in college. Owen married his right after graduation while Joshua waited until he graduated medical school. Joshua’s wife soon revealed she was pregnant months after the wedding and November that year she gave birth to a healthy baby boy that they later on named Ezra, the first of the Hudson household and unfortunately the only one. When Ezra was just three, his mother and Joshua’s wife, died on a car accident involving a drunk driver. With Owen staying by his side, Joshua and Ezra got through their grief, and eventually moved on.

Owen, on the other hand, his wife refused to bear a child with the reasoning that she wanted to maintain her figure as she dreamt of becoming a renowned super model. Then they suddenly had Samuel and it took a lot, like a lot, of convincing for his wife to finally keep the baby. When Samuel was born, they were actually happy and spent their days like a real family. Which didn’t last long she wanted to pursue her dream again. Owen let her but it didn’t work out. No agency would take his wife which later on resulted to his wife’s depression. Owen worked hard to provide for his family then when Samuel was two, they had Sebastian and his wife was starting to get better. She took a job as a magazine editor and everything seemed well again.

But they were not. When Samuel just turned three, he was diagnosed with Leukemia. The devastation of this news caused Owen’s wife to relapse. And as if things couldn’t be already worse, they started drowning in debt, not just from Samuel’s treatments but his wife’s too. But despite all the hardships that came, Owen did not let any of it bring him down, and just like what he did when his best friend’s wife, Joshua stayed at his side and helped him get through it. Joshua took on Samuel’s case and did everything he could to help cure his best friend’s son while also helping Owen shoulder the debts. Owen’s wife slightly got better and was soon back to her work, helping with the debts the best she could.

It was the most tiring year for everyone but they pulled through by supporting each other every step of the way. And finally, things started to look up for the Hayes household. Joshua finally declared little Samuel cancer free and the boy finally got to go home to his parents and baby brother. Once again, everything was fine and Owen was eternally grateful of Joshua. The next three years, the Hayes household led a peaceful life. With Samuel finally starting school and Sebastian growing into sassy little three year old, the family was happy. But In the blink of an eye, things started going downhill again and this time it’s their marriage sitting on the line. His wife cheated on him, and the worst part, she got pregnant. Long story short, they got divorced and all the kids’ custody was given to Owen and she didn’t put up a fight about it. She birthed to a healthy baby boy months later and she gave him up, giving Owen full custody. Then after that she disappeared. Gone with the wind. And Owen never heard from her ever again. Owen later on named the baby, Caiden, whom he loves dearly as his own.

That all happened 10, almost 11, months ago. Owen is living a peaceful life with his three lovely boys in a child friendly neighborhood.

"So how is he?" Owen asked once the checkup was done.

Joshua sighs and slung the stethoscope around his neck.

"Well the good news is there are no bite marks anywhere in Samuel nor any sign of a rabies reaction."

That made Owen let out a breath of relief as he hugs the sleeping child closer to him and pressed a kiss on the child's forehead.

Joshua smiled at the sight, feeling a little envious and sad because he missed having someone to baby. Ezra is an only child and the teen was far too stubborn and his hate for acting cute was beyond his father.

Sighing from tiredness, Joshua began packing his stuff in his medical bag, making sure to leave a new bottle of paracetamol for Samuel. He forgot to give a new one and when he found out what happened the other day, he apologized profusely and promised to never forget again.

"But I still have to check the bunny because if that does have rabies then it has to be brought to the nearest vet for a checkup and to get a series of vaccine." Joshua said after a while and from the corner of his eyes he saw his son visibly cringed and groaned outloud.

"Ezzie go get the bunny please," Owen ordered and Joshua just watches in amusement as his son stomps out of the room with a full on pout.

Joshua sat down on the extra chair and he turned to Owen with a smile. "I never really thanked you for taking Ezra in. I know you already have your hands full with your boys, so thank you for taking care of my son too. I owe you one Owen."

"Nonsense," Owen chuckled, adjusting on his seat as Samuel squirms in his arms, "It's me who owes you. I would never forget how you did everything to save Samuel."

"It's part of my job as an oncologist to do everything in my power to help save a child in need. So there's no need to thank me." Joshua said, frowning in confusion when Owen shook his head no.

"If it weren't for you Josh, My son would not be here with us today. So thank you. I owe you everything."