JAY JAY POV
Since the park was just a short distance away, we decided to skip the car and enjoy the fresh air. Keifer insisted on being the one to carry the baby, so he strapped on the front-facing baby carrier.
It was such a sight—this tall, powerful man with a tiny, wiggly seven-month-old strapped to his chest. Kevin was absolutely loving the view; he was full of energy, his little legs kicking and jumping against Keifer's torso in a rhythmic "happy dance" that made Keifer grunt with every bounce.
I couldn't help but smile as I finished packing the diaper bag with the essentials—sunscreen, extra wipes, and plenty of water. I grabbed my sunglasses and looked over at my two favorite boys.
"You realize he's using you as a trampoline, right?" I teased, adjusting the strap of the bag over my shoulder.
"I'm aware," Keifer grumbled, though the wide grin on his face told a different story. He placed his large hands protectively over Kevin's back to steady him. "He's got a lot of leg strength. He's probably practicing for his first marathon. Right, bud?"
Kevin let out a high-pitched, excited squeal and flapped his arms, his eyes wide as he took in the hallway. He looked like a tiny explorer ready to conquer the neighborhood.
"Okay, team, we're ready," I announced, reaching out to take Keifer's free hand.
We stepped out of the front door and onto the sun-drenched sidewalk. The afternoon was perfect, with a light breeze that caught the stray hairs on Kevin's head. As we walked, I kept glancing over at them. Kevin was staring at the trees and the passing cars with pure wonder, his mouth hanging open in a tiny 'O' of surprise.
"Look, Kevin! Look at the birds," I said, pointing toward a group of sparrows in a nearby bush. I leaned in close to his ear. "Can you say... Ma-ma?"
Keifer let out a dry laugh. "We're barely ten feet from the house, Jay Jay. Give the guy a break. He's processing the 'Great Outdoors' right now."
"I'm just keeping the goal in sight," I countered, squeezing his hand. "And look at him! He's so focused. He's definitely thinking about saying it."
In reality, Kevin was currently trying to chew on the strap of the baby carrier, but I wasn't going to let that ruin my momentum.
"Just watch," Keifer said, looking down at our son with that soft, brown-eyed gaze that always made my heart melt. "He's going to surprise us both. But for now, I think he's just happy being the tallest person in the family for once."
Once we reached the park, we found the perfect spot under the sprawling branches of a massive oak tree. The shade was cool and dappled, with bits of sunlight dancing on the grass. I spread out the oversized quilted mat, weighing down the corners with the diaper bag and my shoes.
I sat down, stretching my legs out and finally catching my breath. Keifer unbuckled the carrier and carefully released Kevin onto the mat
The second his knees hit the fabric, Kevin was off. He wasn't even hesitant—he started crawling toward the edge of the mat, his little hands patting the texture of the quilt before he reached out to try and grab a stray blade of grass. He looked back at us, letting out a series of happy, babbling sounds as he explored his new kingdom.
"Look at him go," Keifer whispered. Instead of sitting down right away, he pulled out his phone. "Stay right there, Jay. Don't move."
I looked up, squinting against the light, and realized Keifer was already in 'paparazzi mode.' He was hovering nearby, angling the camera to capture the way the sunlight hit the two of us.
"Keifer, I'm probably a mess," I laughed, trying to smooth down my hair and leaning back on my elbows.
"You look perfect," he murmured, his thumb clicking away. "The light, the tree, the way Kevin is looking at you... this is the shot."
Kevin stopped his crawling mission and sat back on his diaper-clad butt, looking up at me with a wide, gummy grin. He reached out his chubby arms toward me. I leaned forward, catching his hands and pulling him into a little seated hug.
"Did you get that one?" I asked, kissing the top of Kevin's head.
"Got it," Keifer said, a look of pure satisfaction on his face as he scrolled through the burst of photos. He finally sat down beside us, showing me the screen. "Look at this one. He's looking at you like you're the only person in the world."
I looked at the photo. It was beautiful—raw and happy, capturing a moment of pure peace.
"I'm going to print this one for the office," Keifer decided, leaning over to ruffle Kevin's hair. "So everyone knows why I'm always in such a rush to leave meetings."
Kevin suddenly lunged for Keifer's phone, his little fingers grasping at the screen.
"Ah, no. This is a work-free zone, bud," Keifer chuckled, sliding the phone into his pocket and picking Kevin up to fly him through the air. "Now, show me that crawl again. I think you can make it all the way to that dandelion over there."
"Wait, I want a picture with all three of us," I told Keifer, looking at the beautiful scenery. It felt like such a waste not to have one of the whole family together.
As if on cue, Kevin bobbed his head up and down in an enthusiastic nod, his little face lighting up.
"See? Even he understood it!" I laughed, pointing at our son.
Keifer chuckled, "He's a smart negotiator. Fine, let me try." He extended his arm as far as it would go, trying to fit all of us into a selfie. He was tall, but even with his long reach, the angles were awkward. In one shot, his arm took up half the frame; in another, Kevin's forehead was cut off because he wouldn't stop bouncing.
"My arms are long, Jay, but they aren't tripod-long," Keifer joked, frowning at the screen as he reviewed a photo that was mostly just his bicep and my ear.
"Hey!"
A young girl, probably around sixteen or seventeen, walked over with a friendly smile. She was wearing a casual summer dress and had a camera of her own hanging around her neck.
"I'm so sorry to interrupt, I just noticed how you guys were struggling to get everyone in the frame. Do you want me to take a couple for you?" she asked.
"That would be great! Thank you so much," I said, feeling relieved.
Keifer handed her his phone, giving her a polite, professional nod. "I appreciate it. Just try to get the tree in the background if you can."
I pulled Kevin into my lap, and Keifer sat close beside me, wrapping one heavy, protective arm around my shoulders and resting his other hand on Kevin's leg. We all looked up at the girl.
"Okay, look here! 1, 2, 3... Cheese!" she chirped.
Kevin, surprisingly, looked right at the lens and let out a bright "Gah!" while I beamed at the camera. I could feel Keifer's gaze linger on me for a second before he turned to smile for the photo.
"One more!" the girl encouraged. "Let's do a silly one!"
Keifer immediately made a funny face, puffing out his cheeks, while I tickled Kevin's tummy to make him scrunch up his face in a giggle.
The girl handed the phone back to Keifer with a grin. "You guys have a beautiful family."
"Thank you," Keifer said softly, his voice full of a sincerity he usually saved only for home. He looked down at the photos and his face softened. "These are perfect, Jay. She really caught it."
"Bye guys!" she said, giving us a final cheerful wave as she started to step away.
"Thank you again!" I called out, but before she could get more than two steps, Kevin—who had been using my knee for leverage—suddenly lunged forward on his wobbly legs. He reached out and planted a very wet, very uncoordinated baby kiss right on her cheeks
"Aww! He's so cute!" she squealed, her face lighting up as she instinctively reached out to steady him. She looked completely charmed by our little flirt.
"Miss, we didn't get your name," I asked, smiling at her kindness.
"Jessica," she replied, tucking a stray hair behind her ear.
"Such a nice and cute name," I said, and Keifer nodded in agreement, leaning his hand on my shoulder as he watched the interaction.
"Thank you! But I really have to get going," Jessica said, checking her watch and then looking toward the horizon where the sky was starting to turn a pale, dusty orange. "The sunset here is awesome. I have to get it on the camera before the light changes. Good luck with the little guy!"
"Go, get your shot!" Keifer encouraged her with a polite tip of his head. "And thanks for the help, Jessica."
We watched her jog off toward a higher ridge in the park, her camera bouncing against her hip.
"Well," Keifer murmured, picking Kevin up and sitting him back on the mat. "It seems the Watson charm isn't just for business. You're already out there kissing strangers, huh, buddy?"
Kevin just let out a loud, proud bubble of spit and started trying to crawl toward a dandelion again, completely unfazed by his own boldness.
I leaned my head against Keifer's shoulder, watching the colors of the sky deepen. "He's definitely going to be in trouble when he's older, Keifer. He's already got the ladies in the park wrapped around his finger."
"He gets it from me," Keifer teased, pulling me closer. "But don't worry. I'll make sure he knows only the really special ones deserve a kiss like that."
"Idiot, what do you mean by 'he gets it from you'?" I laughed, shaking my head as I reached into the picnic basket. I pulled out a fresh croissant, the buttery pastry flaking off in my fingers as I took a bite.
I kept my gaze fixed on Kevin, who was currently occupied with trying to have a very serious conversation with a moth that had landed on the edge of our mat. His little hands were frozen in mid-air as he watched the wings flutter.
"I mean, you're the perfect example of it," Keifer teased, his voice dropping into that low, playful tone he used when he was about to get under my skin. "You were always around me in high school, always demanding my attention. Kevin is just following the playbook you wrote."
I felt the heat rush to my face and I immediately hit his shoulder, the blush spreading down my neck. "Keifer! That is a total lie and you know it. I was just... friendly! You were the one who wouldn't stop following me to my locker."
"Friendly?" He barked a laugh, catching my hand before I could hit him again. He pulled my hand to his lips, kissing my knuckles while looking at me with those dark, knowing eyes. "Jay, you used to find any excuse to talk to me. If I was in the library, you were there. If I was at the bleachers, you were there. You were obsessed."
"I was not obsessed," I stammered, frantically chewing a piece of my croissant to hide the massive smile tugging at my lips. "The library is a public space for everyone, Mr. CEO. Besides, my grades were just as good as yours—I didn't need to follow you there."
"Mm-hmm," he hummed, shifting his weight to lean his shoulder firmly against mine. He stretched out on the mat, propping his head up on his elbow and looking at me with a look of pure, concentrated mischief. "Then what about the time you used to ask me for 'study motivation'? You said, and I quote: 'For every math problem I solve, I need two kisses in return.'"
He burst out laughing, the sound echoing under the tall tree as he looked back on those high school days.
"Keifer! I did not!" I shrieked, my face turning a shade of red that probably matched the sunset. I swatted at his arm, but he didn't even flinch, his eyes dancing with delight at my embarrassment.
"Oh, you absolutely did," he insisted, his voice thick with amusement. "You'd slide that calculus textbook toward me, look me dead in the eye with those big, innocent eyes, and set the terms of the contract. I was basically running a high-stakes kissing booth just to get you through derivatives."
"I was an entrepreneur!" I defended, hiding my face behind my hand while Kevin stopped his crawling to stare at us, wondering why his mom was making such high-pitched noises. "And if I recall, you were a very willing participant. You never once complained about the 'payment plan.'"
"I'm a man of integrity, Jay Jay. I couldn't let a lady suffer through math without proper compensation," Keifer teased, reaching out to poke my side. He looked down at Kevin, who was now trying to climb over his father's legs like he was a human jungle gym. "See? The boy comes by it honestly. He's already learned that a Watson smile gets you whatever you want—whether it's extra crackers or a kiss from a girl in the park."
I looked at the two of them—the boy who used to help me with my homework and the little boy we'd made together. Even though Keifer was making fun of me, I couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth.
"Well, at least my negotiation tactics worked," I murmured, leaning down to tickle Kevin's tummy. "I got the smartest guy in school and a pretty cute kid out of the deal."
Keifer's laughter softened, and he reached out, snagging the last bit of my croissant. "Actually," he said softly, his brown eyes locking onto mine with that intense look that always made my heart skip, "I'm the one who won that deal. Kisses for math? Best investment I ever made."
Kevin, sensing the moment, decided he wanted in on the affection. He lunged forward, landing a wet, open-mouthed 'kiss' right on Keifer's nose, making us both laugh.
"See?" Keifer grumbled, wiping his face. "Total pro. He's definitely a student of the Jay Jay Academy of Charm."
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