Robbie’s eyes dipped as he went silent, as though deep in contemplation.
Jamie was conversely anxious. “That’s right. Grandpa really likes us, so I’m sure he would be more than happy to learn that we are his grandson’s children.”
“Does that mean we can’t call him Grandpa anymore? Ellie asked.
“Seems like it,” Jamie said while he tilted his head. “The kindergarten books mentioned that Daddy’s grandpa is called great-grandfather.”
“Ah, are we to address Grandpa as Great-Grandpa then?” Ellie’s eyes widened in curiosity. “That doesn’t have the same ring to it.”
“Yeah, it doesn’t.” Jamie was all business when he expounded upon that, “Grandpa’s Daddy’s Grandpa, not ours…”
“Oh.” Ellie nodded, unsure as to whether she actually understood.
“Is there anything else you would like to know?” Zachary asked Robbie.
“Would you be marrying Mommy?” the boy asked as he raised his head.
“Of course I will,” Zachary replied without hesitancy. “I’ll start preparation as soon as Grandpa comes to.”
“Hooray!” Ellie cheered with her hands raised high. “I want to be the flower girl.”
“Me too, me too.” Jamie chimed in. “I want to invite my friends from kindergarten to attend Daddy and Mommy’s wedding.”
“That’s wonderful. I’d like to extend invitations to some of our old neighbors,” Mrs. Berry spoke excitedly. “And a few of Mr. Windt’s former bodyguards who had taken care of us, as well as Fergie and the others…”
“No problem. We’ll invite all of them.” Jamie thumped upon his own chest. “Let me make the arrangements.”
“Me too. I want to invite a few friends too…” Ellie added as she did not want to be left out. “There’s Ms. Longman and Ms. Cheney…”
“Yes, that’s right. And my Ms. Wiklund too…”
The children went back and forth to no end as they fervently started getting into details about the wedding already.
Mrs. Berry uninhibitedly partook in it. Even the dozing Fifi had been jolted to wakefulness. “Me too. Me too.”
That put a smile on Charlotte’s face. She extended her hands towards Robbie when she saw the boy looking worrisome. “Come here, you!”
Robbie slid off the couch and approached.
Charlotte pulled him into her embrace and kissed his forehead. “Do you have any other concerns, Robbie?”
“Go ahead and speak your mind.” Zachary looked upon him with gentle eyes.
Robbie took a moment to think. “Marriage seems like a complicated affair. Marriage into a wealthy family, even more so. There are some things that I don’t understand and cannot predict, so I keep having this feeling that things won’t go swimmingly… Should you encounter any difficulty, would you give up on Mommy and on us?”
“I won’t.” Zachary ran his fingers through the boy’s slight wavy curls. “There’s no quitting in my books! Come what may, I’ll let nothing stand in my way.”
Robbie’s eyes sparkled. Such awe-inspiring confidence really resonated with him. That had him nodding furiously. “Yes, I believe you!”
“Let’s shake on it.” Zachary had learned how to communicate with children. He heard that to them, a pinky promise held the same validity as a legal agreement.
Robbie immediately linked fingers with him. “Pinky, pinky, a hundred years to test. Whoever turns is a bastard’s ass!”
“I want to do it too.” Ellie ran over to join in when she saw Zachary and Robbie at it. “I want a thumb seal!”
“Me too…” Jamie limped over as well.
“Done!” Zachary did the pinky promise sealed with their thumbs and swore to marry Charlotte against all odds and give them all a blissful and warm place to call home.
The sight of this family of five reduced Mrs. Berry to a sobbing mess. In her heart, she thought: Miss has finally found herself a good man she could lean on, Mr. Windt. You can finally rest easy now.
