True Love Waits

Nonchalantly, Matthew dished food into his bowl from the other platters and bowls on the table. "There were no photos," he said stubbornly. "You must be seeing things." Everyone at the table was silent for a moment.

Debbie tried to ease the tension and chided the man in the seat of honor. "This is your fault. Everyone has secrets. Why did you have to reveal it to everyone? If I were Matthew, I'd pound you to a pulp." Carlos snorted, "I know you would, but do you think he'd try that? He doesn't have the stones for it."

Matthew tried to ignore his taunt.

Debbie rolled her eyes at Carlos. "So if this ends up in a fight, whose side will you take? Mine or your dad's?" she asked her son.

"You're not gonna fight," Matthew answered calmly. He had never seen his father so much as shoot his mother a stern look, but his mother was always pretty emotional. Still, Carlos always kept his cool and never argued with her, no matter how bad she got.

Matthew couldn't blame his dad. If he managed to marry a woman like that, he would be just as stoic. It would save a lot of headaches in the future. Because in his eyes, girls like his mother were the cutest. "So? Let's say we do?" Debbie wouldn't give up and asked again.

With a cunning smile, Matthew looked at Carlos, who was dishing up food for Evelyn. "I'll help Dad," he replied.

His answer surprised everyone at the table, including Carlos.

"Why?" Debbie asked gloomily. It didn't make sense.

After swallowing the food in his mouth, Matthew replied slowly, "We were taught that in school."

"You teachers told you to help your dad?" Debbie was confused.

"No." Father and son looked at each other. With a stony face, Matthew replied, "My teachers told us to protect the weak." "Bwahaha..." Terilynn was the first to laugh out loud.

Then Debbie lost it too, and finally even Evelyn smiled from ear to ear.

Only Carlos was staring at his son coldly. Matthew, however, acted as if he hadn't seen a thing, and continued eating dinner.

He was happy. Finally, he got a dig in. His father was an unrepentant bully, and had it coming for a long time.

it to your brother to beat him up every day. It's a character-building exercise, give him a little

the two girls many times. In the past, Terilynn thought that

you heard? Matthew has been practicing free fighting for a while. You know, a free-for-all without

"Blue belt, red stripe."

was all corded muscle, visible beneath that silky skin. His clothes camouflaged that quite nicely. His son didn't look like a skilled fighter or a taekwondo

red stripe," Terilynn repeated. "In taekwondo, that's a couple belts away from black. Not to mention fighting in a match without rules. Hear that, Dad? He'd probably be a match for many cage fighters too. I'd

"Don't you

meal and said, "It was too exhausting. I stopped. Don't laugh. Hey, Erica started earlier than I did, and quit pretty quick. Uncle Wesley caught

they couldn't imagine

her. "Erica? She's just a kid, but she took those classes all

a bone. "She's fourteen years old now! She's not a kid anymore. Last year, she signed up for classes. Uncle Wesley never knew until the Dojang master called her parents because she skipped lessons

head helplessly. "Wesley

said that a daughter was like a lover from a father's past life. In Carlos' case, yes, it was

Erica a lot in his previous life, so it was payback time in this one. Tough guy Wesley found that Erica was

be sorry for him? Most little girls are naughty. Terilynn was the same. Didn't Dad

worse than I ever was. She practically has 'bad girl' tattooed on her forehead. They call her Miss

mind. "Yeah, I

high. Uncle Wesley told her if she keeps being a bad girl, he'll put her in a boarding school in Y City. I guess she's really hitting the books so that doesn't happen." Terilynn and Erica had a lot to talk about,

his plate around, Matthew said, "If she can keep it up, she'll have a new nickname. I don't think

a while. "You have a point. I've been

but she'd probably had it with nicknames

Carlos called Evelyn to

"Hey, Dad, what's up?"

going well. I'll pick up your grandma next month." He beamed at her. "Don't worry about this. You got this. The only thing is you'll need to give

in charge?" Evelyn had never done this