Chapter 20: Do Me a Favor

Amanda Vance coaxed him for a while before he finally calmed down. She carried him to wash his face, but when they came back, he clung to her neck, refusing to let go. He didn’t even want to look at Hayden Grant.

’It’s all his fault. He made me lose face in front of Mom.’

’Mom must think I’m a coward and a crybaby.’

’I’m completely humiliated.’

He sat slumped against Amanda Vance, completely dejected. No matter how she tried to comfort him, his spirits wouldn’t lift.

Hayden Grant glanced at him in the rearview mirror and drawled, "Little guy, do you know why you lost?"

Felix Ford huffed and buried his face in Amanda Vance’s arms, ignoring him. ’He just wants to gloat and laugh at me.’

Hayden Grant said slowly, "It’s not that you’re a coward, you’re just small right now. I was worse than you when I was your age. This is something you train for later."

As the words reached Felix Ford’s ears, he peeked at Amanda Vance. When he saw her nod, he broke into a wide grin. He pulled away from her embrace and sat ramrod straight, back stiff. He huffed, "Just wait until I’m your age! I’ll be way more amazing than you!"

"Right, right," Hayden Grant said, humoring him dismissively.

Felix Ford paid him no mind, deciding he was still pretty awesome after all. He was back to his old self.

Amanda Vance stroked his head, smoothing down his messy hair. She rested her chin in her hand as she watched him. ’Forget it,’ she thought. ’I’d better not tell him Hayden Grant was just spouting nonsense. At his age, Hayden had already dared to go on every ride in the amusement park. He’d end up watching the adults with their wobbly legs, throwing up, and then give the park a bad review for not being thrilling enough.’

For him to endure even a few rides was pretty impressive.

’I just don’t know when Jean started liking such thrilling rides. Didn’t he always say he was going to take the intellectual route?’

’Then again, Jean dared to hack the Security Bureau’s official website when he was just three years old and leave without a trace. Adventure must be in his blood.’

Hayden Grant took them to a restaurant, ordering all their favorite dishes. He barely ate, instead propping his chin on his hand and watching Amanda Vance. "About the car race tomorrow... you want to go?"

"Yeah." Amanda Vance put some vegetables on Felix Ford’s plate. She’d noticed the boy had become a rather picky eater recently, only wanting meat and barely touching his greens.

’She’s not the type to join a crowd just for fun.’

His fingers drummed lightly on the table. Hayden Grant’s gaze flickered as he ventured a guess, "Did someone piss you off?"

Otherwise, he couldn’t think of any other reason. Twirling the ring on his pinky, his eyes darkened, and his voice was laced with danger. "Who?"

"I don’t need your help." Amanda Vance didn’t have to look to know what he was thinking. She shut him down immediately. "I can handle it myself. However, there is actually something I need you to help me with."

Hayden Grant raised an eyebrow. He leaned back lazily, draping an arm over the neighboring chair. "No need to be so polite. Just tell me what it is."

Amanda Vance turned her head to look at Felix Ford, who was engrossed in his food. He seemed to sense something and looked up at her, puzzled. His mouth was stuffed, his cheeks puffed out, making him look uncannily like a little hamster.

She chuckled, taking a napkin to wipe a grain of rice from the corner of his mouth. "I need you to do me a favor tomorrow and watch Jean for the day," Amanda Vance said. "It’ll be inconvenient to bring him along."

"No problem." He was fine with it.

But Felix Ford was not having it. He got anxious and hastily swallowed his food, nearly choking. Forgetting to even drink some water, he grabbed his mother’s arm and refused to let go. "I want to stay with Mom!"

Amanda Vance’s expression softened, but her tone was firm. "Jean, be a good boy and stay with your uncle. Mommy has business to take care of tomorrow. I’ll come get you as soon as I’m finished."

Felix Ford shook his head, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. He didn’t say a word, just stared straight at her.

Seeing her resolve start to waver, Hayden Grant stretched out his arms and pulled the boy onto his lap. "What your mom is doing tomorrow isn’t suitable for kids. She’s just looking out for you. Be good. It’s only for one day. I’ll have you back with her by tonight, I promise. I won’t keep you a single minute longer. Not that I’m dying to have you around, anyway."

Felix Ford glared at him indignantly, smacking his arm with his small hands. WHAP, WHAP. The hits were surprisingly hard.

"Jean." Her tone was stern. Felix Ford turned to her, stunned, then slowly let his head hang low. "Okay, Mom. I understand," he whispered.

His voice was thick with unshed tears.

Amanda Vance felt a headache coming on. She’d never realized he was so sensitive. She slid over and gathered him into her arms.

Felix Ford didn’t fuss. He just buried his head in her chest, saying no more about not letting her leave or demanding to go with her.

’I don’t want to lose Mom. Miss Lynch said Dad doesn’t like me because I’m not a good boy. I don’t want Mom to hate me too.’

’If she doesn’t want me either, then I’ll really be a kid that nobody wants.’

Feeling the damp spot on her chest, Amanda Vance’s heart constricted. She cupped his face and lifted his head, only to see it streaked with tears.

When he saw that she’d noticed, Felix Ford panicked and frantically wiped at his face with his hands. "Mom, I’m okay! I’m not crying! I’ll be good, I promise! Please don’t abandon me!"

This wasn’t the first time he had said such a thing. He’d done the same at the mall. Amanda Vance couldn’t understand why he was always so afraid she would abandon him, and she blamed herself for not giving him a sufficient sense of security.

This was another reason she didn’t want to bring him tomorrow. Those people thought they were so high and mighty; they would surely look down on a boy with his background. There would be no end to the jeers and condescension. He was too young to have to endure all those judgmental stares.

But seeing him so heartbroken now, Amanda Vance began to doubt her decision.

"Alright, you can come with me tomorrow, then."

Felix Ford shook his head. He wiped his eyes, the tears having stopped, and looked up at her with his still-damp face. "If Mom has business to attend to, you should go. I’ll be a good boy. I won’t hold you back."

He was being impossibly well-behaved.

Amanda Vance couldn’t resist pressing her forehead against his.

This was the first time she had ever done that. Felix Ford found it novel. He nuzzled against her and then broke into a wide grin. ’This is fun.’

He puckered his lips and planted a kiss on her cheek. "You can go, Mom. Don’t worry about me. I’ll stick with my uncle and be on my best behavior, I promise."

"Then what about earlier...?"

Remembering his earlier behavior, Felix Ford cringed. ’I’m just finding out I’m such a crybaby,’ he thought. ’Kids who just cry all the time are the most useless. I don’t want to be a crybaby.’

As for what happened earlier, he tilted his chin up and declared, "That’s because I couldn’t bear to be apart from Mom, so I got sad and cried. It’s because I love my mom. I don’t want to be away from her for a single second."

’That’s right, that’s what it is. It’s just a normal part of the mother-son bond. That’s why I couldn’t control it.’

Hearing this explanation, Amanda Vance couldn’t help but chuckle.

Hayden Grant laughed along with her. ’The little guy really knows how to lay it on thick.’

"Don’t worry, I won’t let you have a bad time," he said. "My place has tons of video game consoles. You’ll like it."

Felix Ford shot him a look, then gave a reluctant nod. "Fine."

’I’ll consider it a favor to Mom,’ he thought.