Dad's Padded Jacket.

Leo drove the car slowly and called Snow once they were on the road. The young lady accepted the call, and worriedly asked, "Leo, is everything alright?" 

Leo replied with a smile, "Yes, I am fine, can't I call you if I have nothing to do?" 

Snow smiled on the other side and questioned, "What nonsense are you spewing now? What is going on?" 

Leo said, "Well, I have picked up Lily from her new school, and this place is closer to your office as well. So, we thought we would come and go back home together. What do you think?" 

Snow was surprised and then said, "Yes, yes, I will be free in a few minutes, I will wait for you at gate number two. Okay?" 

Leo agreed and told her to wait for him. Then he drove the car through the traffic, and arrived at the place where Snow worked. This was a school operated by the government and Snow was a maths teacher for the middle grader. Leo slowly parked the car before Snow, who was standing around and looking for them to arrive. Leo said, "Lily, open the door and get down. Surprise her." 

Lily giggled and said, "Baba, you are so naughty." 

Snow saw a moonshine blue car before her and she frowned. She was about to push the door open and walk away when the rear door was pushed open and a crisp voice rang in her ears, "Ma, where are you going?" 

Snow was stunned as she turned around quickly, and then she found Leo getting off the driver's seat. The young man looked at her with a smile on his face and cheered softly, "Surprise!" 

Lily also cheered and said, "Surprise!" 

Leo smiled and walked over to her and said, "This is Queen Lily's new chariot." 

Snow took a deep breath and asked, "Tell me what is going on?" 

Leo smiled and replied, "Let's go home and talk then?" 

Snow nodded and then the family got inside the car and drove away. Lily began to look outside, and Snow asked, "Now, tell me." 

Leo smiled at her and said, "You remember the money that you could not take out from the bank the last time?" 

Snow nodded, and Leo said, "So, the bank had invested it in a few places that assured profits. One such investment was made in the Wagoner group and today when I encashed the scheme, my investment was worth five percent equity in the company. After the authorization signature, I got this car as a gift. There will be two more, but they will be sent home later." 

The lady was surprised and then she took a few minutes to calm down and said, "Do we need those two cars?" 

Leo said, "They are SUVs so they can be used for my official work in the future. You can use this one to drive to work and drop Lily to school." 

Snow looked at him and the young man said, "Leo, are you sure that it is safe?"

Leo nodded and replied, "It will be fine, I will make it so." 

Snow fell silent and then said, "Okay, I will follow you." 

Leo smiled and reached out to grab her palm. They drove home, and suddenly, Leo said, "I came across Alina today, she is married to Jimmy Shelby now." 

Snow was shocked, and asked, "What the heck!!!"

Lily raised her head and said, "Ma, language, we have kids on board." 

Leo chuckled and said, "Yes, Ma, be good, it is bad to cuss." 

Snow glared at him and then Leo told her about what happened, however, Snow was not impressed, she said, "I don't want to say anything bad, but those people, they deserve what happened to them for being the way they acted, as for Jimmy, I expected better from him and so it is my fault. I won't mind what you do with them, but if they try to get cozy with me or Lily, I will beat them up." 

Leo nodded and said, "I respect that you are so honest about it and those are my thoughts exactly, if they want to have goodwill they have to earn it or just take a hike." 

Snow nodded and then she led Lily inside. Leo changed his clothes and then he went to the garage, because he had to stream. He made a promise that he would be holding a giveaway, so he engaged in a conversation with the viewers after they joined in. 

"Hello, everyone, we reached the mark of a thousand subscribers. I am very grateful to you all, and so, I will be holding a giveaway as I promised earlier. We have nine items, and today I will be making the tenth item for the give away. 

It will be a big piece, life size, and it will take two weeks to dry before I can put it inside the kiln for bisque firing. So, let us begin." 

Leo chatted with the viewers as he kneaded the clay and described it to them. The old subscribers, like Ting and Mel, were asking the questions mostly while the old professor in the viewers was just listening silently. Leo molded a big fish and then used a fine needle tool to carve details on it. 

He made scales, and then he made fins with such a gentle touch that the details did not even seem to be there but they were all so fine that once he was done with the work it would all come out nicely. 

The old professor suddenly said, "Host, if you someday wish to hold an auction tell me about it, I will be the first one to bid. Your work is class apart." 

Leo thanked the person, but he did not think much about it because he did not know if he was really worth it at all. He said, "Well, that would be all for today. I apologize because I was late, had to pick Lily from school. Also, if any of you have children who are in schools, please make sure that the school faculty has all the necessary licenses required to teach a child." 

Then he briefly told the people about what Lily suffered at school, and closed the channel after thanking the viewers who cussed the school organization and the people behind it. 

…

Inside the house, the family finished their dinner, and Lily was lying on Leo's tummy pestering him to tell her a story. 

Leo thought about it and opened a light novel application on his phone and began to read her a story of a young man who won a lottery and then became one of the biggest tech giants in the nation, and then the world. 

After the story finished it's fist arc, Lily said, "Baba, is that guy in the story you?" 

Leo shook his head and asked, "I am here, how can I be there?" 

Lily thought for a bit and said, "Ma told me once that Grandpa had a big computer company?" 

Leo nodded with a tinge of sadness sparking in his eyes, and Lily asked, "Where did that company go?" 

Her innocent question almost made Leo laugh but then he said, "It was taken away by bad guys." 

Lily frowned and said, "When Lily grows up, I will take that company back from the villains for you, Baba." 

Leo smiled dotingly as he embraced the little one in his arms, and the next moment, the system's voice sounded, 'Ping: Host, the daughter wishes to win back the company and so, the system rewards you with a entrepreneur kit box. Please check to see the content. Keep striving hard to excel at fatherhood.' 

Leo looked at the little figure in his arms and said, "Lily, you are baba's little padded jacket." 

Lily giggled and looked at him as she said, "Baba is Lily's big blanket." 

The room echoed with laughter and Snow sighed from the side, "You two, do I have any place in this family?"