The Indifference of a Man Forgotten (BOOK I)

Chapter 40- The Brightest Future

--Marcos POV--

"How old do I need to be before you retire?"

"Just because I have a child, doesn't mean I'm old... Why are you already sending me into retirement? You've barely just turned three?" I glared down at my child.

Giovanni Romano is the name my wife and I decided on for our little boy, and that seems like it was only a few weeks ago, but somehow, we've just celebrated his third birthday and he's already sending me off to retirement so that he could take over the company.

"Because I want to work."

"Why? You're a child, be a child."

"Mama said that I'm smarter than a child,"

"Your mama is always saying things like that to fuel your egoism, isn't she?" I almost laughed aloud, running a hand down my face.

"Mama's not wrong."

"I wish she was." I muttered under my breath.

"Papa." Gio called.

"Yes." I answered.

"My feet hurt. Pick me up, please," We stopped walking as I looked down at him outstretching his arms towards me. He's a child with better fashion sense than his father, and it didn't help that he was so adorable; He's always getting what he wanted, and he had his whole family wrapped around his finger, taking full advantage of it.

Black hair, grey eyes, he's the picture of me, his father. But the personality? I'm trying to figure out where that came from.

"I thought you were smarter than a child?" I asked, a smile playing at my lips. He frowned, glaring up at me with his arms still outstretched.

"I'm still a child," He called out my name as I laughed, squatting down in front of him as he got on my back for a piggyback. The only person whose arms he allowed himself to be in was his mother, a piggyback ride had to suffice for everyone else. Something along the lines of it was embarrassing to be picked up in other people's arms; He baffles me sometimes.

"Come on, let's go home. Your mama's waiting," I chuckled as we walked the rest of the way home. He brought up my retirement plan three more times on the said journey, but I diverted it as I've gotten used to doing so.

"We're home," I called out as we entered the foyer. "And somehow, I feel ten years older than I did compared to when I left this house a few hours ago." I quietly added under my breath.

"Does that mean you're closer to retirement-"

"-No." It was my fault for even saying that, I dug my own grave there. 

"I don't plan on retiring for another 20 or so years, Gio. Accept that," He huffed, slouching forward on my shoulder in defeat just as his mother was seen strolling down the marble steps, dressed to go outside.

"Did you have fun at the park?" She asked, coming to stand in front of us as I leaned down, asking for a kiss which she happily gave.

"He sat on the swing for about half a minute, and then deemed himself bored. I bought him a lollipop, and he only had half of it before giving the rest to me because he didn't want cavities. So, I told him to go and play with the other children, but they were too intimidated."

She laughed, pinching his cheeks, not in the least surprised by my words.

"Good thing you took that book to read with you, right?" She spoke to him as I felt him nod his head before outstretching his arms out for her.

"It was a good book, but I wanted to read a bigger one." He explained as she took him off my back and into her arms, taking the opportunity to brush his hair out of his face, planting a loving kiss on his cheek as she did.