Steps To Join Dots

[PAST]In a stressful world, a day spent with loved ones is a happy pill. Their warm morning wishes, their laughter while cracking jokes, and their eating breakfast together.Roman stood straight, holding his office bag. Amelia quickly ran towards him and embraced him tightly. Roman smiled, embracing his wife. "I'll miss you," Amelia whispered, looking deeply into his eyes. Roman tucks her long strands behind her left ear."I'll return as soon as I can," Roman replied, placing a tender kiss on her forehead. She pecks his lips and giggles."Oh, I forgot to tell. I'll visit my friend." Amelia informs him while he is adjusting his collar.Roman looks at her with confusion. "Friend?"Amelia narrowed her eyes. "Oh, you don't know my friend? your only wife's friend?""You have many friends.""Ok, reasoning accepted."Roman smiled while wearing his shoes. "I was referring to Freya. She is my best friend." Amelia slapped his arm and said, "You better remember her name." She jokingly warns."Ok, text me the names. I'll memorise their most important names." Roman said, earning another slap on his arm and a glare."You are the cutest!" Roman pinched her cheek and heard Ayan crying. "I pinched you, and he's crying." Roman watches Amelia pick up their son and try to calm him."He already picked his favourite," Roman said, cooing at the baby, who yawned and fell asleep in his mother's arms."Of course, I'm his favourite.""Even mine." Roman smiles while stealing a kiss from his blushing wife.Roman was sitting in his cabin and working on the presentation. He had a two-hour meeting. His fingers are typing swiftly over the keyboard, and his furrowed eyebrows are focused on the monitor. He was incredibly focused on his work when he didn't see the name of the person calling and picked up the phone."Hello," He pressed the phone against his ear and shoulder.[Hello, is this Romeo? Your number was on the emergency list of Amelia Carter.]Romeo? Roman widens his eyes. There's only one person who calls him by this name."Wh-what? who is this?"[Sir, I'm a receptionist at the city hospital. A ma'am named Amelia Cater has met with an accident. She has been sent here.]Roman's ground slipped under his feet. He sits immobile in his seat. Even his shoulder didn't have the power to hold the phone as it fell to the floor with the constant hellos from the receptionist. His eyes couldn't focus on one thing. He picks up his phone and calls back while rubbing his face."What kind of prank is this?" He spoke as soon as the call was answered. "This isn't funny, ask my wife to talk with me."[Sir, I understand your pain. But it's true. She is admitted and in a crucial condition.]Roman stood up, shut his laptop, and ran out of his cabin. "How did this happen?"[Her car crashed with a fuel truck.]Roman's eyes waver. He forced himself not to fall to the floor. He held the wall and inhaled. His wife bid him a bye-bye kiss, and they had breakfast together. She smiled with Ayan in her arms. She was giggling and cooing with the baby. He remembers her bright smile as he steps out of the house.[Please reach out here as soon as possible.]Roman widens his eyes. "Ay-ayan? My 10-month-old son. Is he OK?"[Sir, she was the only one in the car.]⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

[PRESENT]

He felt his shoulder being shaken. He snaps out of his daze. He looks at his son, throwing his teddy bear on the bed and climbing on it."Papa," Ayan says, snuggling up to his father's shoulder. Roman smiled, caressing his head, and embraced him tightly."Why is my baby still awake?" Roman asked, looking at the pouting boy. "I wanted to sleep with Papa," Ayan said as he hugged his father and closed his eyes. Roman placed him next to him and dimmed the lights."Papa, will maa hug me like you?" Ayan asked, looking at his dad with expectation. Roman came to a halt in his patting motion on the boy's back. He looked out of the window and smiled at his son."Of course, she would always hug you. Your mother was also your favourite. You couldn't stay away from her even for a minute." Roman made a crying face, mimicking infant Ayan. "Always crying,""No, I don't cry like that," Ayan whined and crossed his arms, showing he was upset. Roman tickled his tummy, earning a hearty laugh. Ayan continues to giggle and hug his dad.Ayan looks at his dad. "I love you, papa.""I love you too, champ." Roman pressed a tender kiss on his hair. "Your hair has grown long, dear," Roman says, checking Ayan's hair, which has grown long enough to cover his earlobe."This Sunday, we'll get you a new hairstyle.""I know, it's the mushroom cut," Ayan whines, shaking his head no. Roman, on the other hand, chuckled while tightly embracing his son."My cutie pie,"⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　"Brother, I saw the doctor today," Dean told his brother, who sat beside him."What exactly did she say?""The doctor is a good friend of my donor. My donor's name is Amelia Carter. She is a good person who died early." Dean ends his explanation.Ethan raised his eyebrows, saying, "That's all? I mean, where does your donor live? How many people were related to her?""Doc said her husband would not like my visit. He loves his wife very much and probably would not like to see me. Most likely, he would remember his wife and hate me. After all, I own his wife's heart.""Don't you think you are assuming too much? What if he is a good person and understands your point too." Ethan shakes his head. "Anyways, if the doctor is Amelia's good friend, that means she would know many things about your donor." Dean nods his head at Ethan's words. "Also, you just wanted to know about your donor, so this chapter ends here, right?" Dean looked down at the question and had a debate in his mind. He stood up and walked toward the other end.Of course, he wanted to know about his donor's name. He saw her grave and her picture with a bright smile. He got confirmation that she was married. Her husband still loves her. He didn't take any money for her donation. As far as he knows, this is just a grain of information."Brother, I want to know more about her. I want to know how she died. What was her profession? What was her situation? and many more things.""Do whatever you want," Ethan sighed and nodded. "But don't overstep. when you believe you know more than you previously thought. Stop it right there." Dean nods at his brother's advice."You have grown up now." Ethan stood next to his brother and patted his head. "You are working now." Dean smiled, happiness blooming in his heart. "You have become a responsible man." Dean felt his ears burning."I'm so proud of you." Ethan hugs his brother, who immediately hugs him back. Dean held a content smile.He remembers the time, from his brother shaking his head in disappointment to now nodding his head with pride. He has come a long way from being someone with no ambition to someone who has meaning in life."I'm envious too," Ethan said.Dean narrowed his eyes, looking at his brother. "What exactly, brother?""You are a teacher of such cute children. It's just a great profession; I mean, you just wake up and think of today's plan, and the kids compile it without any delay. Their innocent smiles hold no fake smiles. There is no office politics either.""Brother, you just know one side of the coin. They can go out of control too. Sometimes they will not eat their lunch or drink water. They won't remember the rhymes or the alphabet, will get mixed up between animals and will want something new to do every day. Or else they will fall asleep during class time. I need to be creative, or else they will not listen to my class. Some of them are way too honest. They will say directly that it's boring; they don't feel like reading, and other kids will tag along. As for office politics, we have different classes to handle just like a company having different departments."Ethan laughs and says, "After a long time, you are whining like this.""Bro, I am trying to change.""In the process, don't lose yourself and become someone else, ok?" Dean nods his head.Ethan's face lights up as he remembers something. "Hey, are there any cultural events coming up?""Christmas is coming soon, right? maybe kids will have some event related to that." Dean said, remembering a discussion with his colleagues."That's nice. I remember you singing in the choir with other kids. You looked so cute and had a loud voice, among others. Also, when you sneezed loudly." Ethan laughs, throwing his head back. "It echoed in the auditorium." Dean buried his head in his palm and shook his head in denial."My nose was itchy." Dean's ears turned redder with his brother's laugh.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　Roman groggily shuts the alarm and hugs his son, who is snugged on his chest, throwing his leg over his dad's waist. Roman blinks his eyes and looks down at his son, who is sleeping with pouty lips."Good morning, dear one." Roman brushed Ayan's hair. "Baby, wake up. You have school."Roman tries to sit up. However, Ayan fisted his dad's shirt. "Sleep," Ayan whines, pulling Roman's shirt."All right," Roman says as he hugs Ayan and places him on his lap."Just five minutes," Roman whispered, cradling his son. He pats his head and closes his eyes too, placing his head over Ayan's head.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

[PAST]

"You guys don't know to sit quietly. Behave yourself." A lady chided through her teeth while she wiped a four-year-old boy's white shirt."You will not scold our son," Amelia warns."If our child behaves like them, then surely they deserve a good scolding." Roman points it out while he eats his food as they sit in a diner to enjoy their dinner date.Amelia gasped, pointing her spoon at her husband. "No way, not in my presence.""Then I'll take him to a corner and scold him," Roman said, shrugging his shoulders. Amelia threw a tissue on Roman's face, surprising him."You will not--""Unless we punish him for his wrongdoing. In the future, he might cross his boundaries and do something very shameful."Amelia nods her head. "You are right if we don't stop him because he is a kid. He might do something over that," She said, caressing her womb. "Which would lead to him hating us for not teaching him to distinguish between good and bad qualities.""Good, you understood.""I want our son to be a carbon copy of his dad,"⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　

[PRESENT]

"Baby, up now." Roman pats Ayan's head, waking the boy. Roman freshened up with a crisp white shirt, tucked into grey pants."Papa," Ayan says, wrapping his arms around his father's shoulder and closing his eyes once more. Roman chuckled and stood up carefully with Ayan in his arms.Roman placed Ayan next to the basin and squeezed a pea-sized paste onto his Avenger toothbrush. "Open your mouth," Roman said, and Ayan yawns loudly, opening his eyes now. Roman placed the toothbrush over Ayan's teeth and gently brushed them."Ayan will brush his teeth," Roman said, and Ayan held his brush as he followed his dad's gesture to correct the way of brushing. His droopy eyes opened only after splashing water on his face."You take a bath right now. Papa will make a yummy breakfast, alright." Ayan nods his head, takes his towel, and runs towards the shower. On his way, he removed his shirt and threw it in the basket.Roman hurriedly prepared their breakfast and packed their lunch. He kept looking at the watch and then back at his cooking."Papa," Ayan says, struggling to put on his uniform."I'll be there, one second." Roman keeps Ayan's water bottle and lunch box in his bag. He dashes into the room. He fixed Ayan's shirt and buttoned it, helping his son to wear the pants and combing his hair. He applied moisturiser to his face, arms, and legs. Later, he made him wear his socks and tied his shoelaces."Let's eat breakfast now," Roman said, keeping the towel to dry outside with other clothes. Ayan jumps from the bed and runs to the dining table.Ayan sat in front of his dad as his father drove towards his school. The cold wind brushed his cheeks, chilling them. He rubbed his fingers together in an attempt to warm them."I told you to wear gloves, didn't I?" Roman spoke, stopping his bike in front of the school.Ayan pulls out his helmet, and Roman immediately combs his hair with his fingers. "However, even Papa does not wear.""I don't need it, dear. Your hands are delicate, just like your nature." Roman whispered, rubbing his son's palm."Keep your hands inside your pocket," Roman said, picking his son off the bike and placing him on the ground."Perfect landing." Ayan giggles, skimming around in search of his friends."Wear your school bag." He helps him wear it and cups his face. "Finish your lunch, and I want the water bottle to be empty." Ayan nods his head."Bye, papa." Ayan kissed his cheek and ran inside the gate. "Bye, son." Roman waves while watching his son run inside his school.⋇⋆✦⋆⋇　"As we all know, Christmas is nearing. Kids will long to see Santa Claus." The principal spoke in a meeting with all the teachers.Teachers looked at each other and nodded. The principal takes a paper and forwards it to the teacher sitting next to him."Who would like to be Santa for kids?" Teachers look at each other."I will be." Dean raised his hand in the air. The principal nodded and gestured for the teacher to write the names."Who would be the treasurer? They need to make good use of the money from buying cupcakes and decorations."Daniel raised his hand. "I'll take care of those things." The principal nodded and noted his name too."Who would like to volunteer as head of this project?"The process resumed, with different teachers taking on different tasks. They all had smiles plastered on their faces, already envisioning the happy faces of their students."Let's hope this Christmas brings tremendous happiness in everyone's life."