GENESIS
"I-I like you!" he stammered, his cheeks flushing bright red as he bowed his head in embarrassment. "P-Please, let me court you, Miss Gen."
I just stared at him, utterly bewildered. He raised his head cautiously, his eyes wide with confusion, as if waiting for some sort of answer. "M-Miss Gen?"
"Dude, you're… fifteen years old," I finally said, my tone heavy with disappointment. "You're practically a child to me."
Oh, God.
The boy sniffled, his face crumpling, and then bolted out of my shop as though I'd just shattered his heart into a thousand pieces. Alexa’s raucous laughter filled the air as she witnessed yet another one of my so-called “headaches” walk out the door.
"Girl, I just flew in from Seattle, thinking you had your life sorted by now, and here you are—still babysitting teenagers!" she said between bursts of laughter. I honestly couldn't fathom what was so amusing about this scenario. I had lost count of the number of kids who’d confessed their feelings to me over the years. And frankly, it was starting to wear me down.
Wasn't this just delightful?
I gave Alexa my signature deadpan stare, the one I reserved for moments like this. "You think this is new to me? I've been putting up with this nonsense for years. Seriously, what is it with kids these days?"
Fourteen—that was the youngest one yet. He got his mother’s approval to get a tattoo from me last month and decided to shoot his shot afterward. FOURTEEN! And me? I'm nearing the age where I’ll soon be off the calendar. It’s ridiculous.
What’s wrong with these kids? Did they all hit their heads or something? I mean, come on, they're like my children! My children! Not siblings—children! You hear that?
Alexa cackled again, but I wasn’t in the mood for her teasing. “Anyway,” I said, slumping onto the couch, “are you finally going to see your parents? I mean, you’re old enough to decide for yourself, especially now that you’re getting married.”
She smirked mischievously. “Says the single woman being courted by literal children.”
I shot her a glare sharp enough to cut steel. “Single? Excuse me, I am married—though I’m divorcing that sorry excuse for a man. It’s better this way. My son deserves better than to grow up in hell.” I exhaled sharply, feeling the weight of my words.
Yes, I have a son. And it seems I’m about to be a single mother. Remember that guy who brought me hot chocolate? I married him. At first, he was sweet, caring, and devoted. But the moment I got pregnant, the bastard cheated on me. If murder were legal, I wouldn’t have hesitated.
Now, I’ve got zero tolerance for bullshit. The moment someone wrongs me, I cut them off, no second chances. He cheated once—just once—but that’s all it takes. If he could do it once, he’d do it again. What do I look like, a fool? He could cry tears of blood—or hot chocolate, for all I care—and I still wouldn’t take him back.
“Mameee?”
I froze at the sound of that little voice. Turning my head toward its source, I saw a sleepy little boy standing in the doorway to my room.
“Oh, Eugene!” Alexa greeted him brightly, but my son’s small face scrunched into a scowl before he dashed toward me, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist.
I chuckled.
"Holy crap, Genesis. Your kid is going to grow up to be a menace," Alexa said, crossing herself dramatically. “Just look at him! He’s adorable, sure, but he’s got that ‘don’t mess with me’ energy.”
I ruffled Eugene’s long hair and kissed the top of his head. “Still sleepy, huh? Don’t worry, I’m not going anywhere.”
He looked up at me with a pout before muttering, “You’re ugly,” and shuffling back to my room.
“Hey! Ugly?!” I called after him. “We look alike!”
“Nooooo!” he hollered, his voice trailing off as he disappeared.
Oh, God.
Alexa and I locked eyes, and she asked, “Where on earth did he get that attitude?”
I shrugged. I had no idea. According to the doctor, he was already glaring at people the moment he came out of the womb. And when he got his first teeth, he bit his father’s finger and wouldn’t let go until I pried him off.
What a grumpy little kid.
“You know,” Alexa said, “your son is cute and all, but with that temper, he’s never getting a girlfriend. You should teach him to be nice while he’s still three.”
I collapsed back onto the sofa. “Oh, I’ve tried. Trust me, I’ve tried. He’s a good kid deep down, but it’s like he’s possessed sometimes.”
Not that he’s all bad. Just yesterday, he saw a crying child at the park and gave them his ice cream. Sure, he was the reason the kid was crying in the first place, but hey, he made it right in the end. That counts for something… right?
The shop’s chime suddenly rang. But wait, we’re closed. Frowning, I propped myself up on my elbows to see who it was.
A tall, handsome man stepped inside. He was dressed simply in jeans, a t-shirt, and sneakers.
“Psst, we’re closed,” I called out, but he barely spared me a glance.
I sat up properly, narrowing my eyes at him. Who was this guy? He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn’t quite place him.
Alexa, however, was acting strange. She was staring at him too, her expression a mix of nervousness and mischief.
“Hey, we’re closed!” I said again, more firmly this time.
“Mom’s looking for you,” the man said, his deep voice commanding attention.
Confused, I glanced at Alexa. She let out an awkward laugh and draped an arm over the man’s shoulder. “Genesis! Don’t you recognize him? This is Luis—my brother!”
Luis?
As in Luis McGregor?
The realization hit me like a truck. “The 17-year-old kid?” I blurted out, standing up abruptly. “You’re Alexa’s little brother?”
Alexa groaned. “Gen, he’s not a kid anymore.”
“Well, he still is to me,” I shot back.
Luis glared at me, clearly unimpressed. “After all these years?”
I rummaged through my desk until I found an old wedding invitation. Waving it at him, I said, “I sent you one of these. You didn’t come to my wedding.”
“Why would I?” he retorted coldly.
Yikes.
“Because you were invited,” I said, tossing the invitation aside.
Alexa quickly stepped between us, laughing nervously. “He couldn’t make it because… school! Exams! You know how it is—”
“I didn’t go because I didn’t want to,” Luis interrupted, his piercing blue eyes boring into mine.
Ouch.
My son chose that moment to return. He looked up at Luis with wide eyes and suddenly exclaimed, “Are you my kuya?!”
Luis froze, his expression somewhere between shock and panic. “I-I… I’m not—”
“Yes, you are!” Eugene declared, clutching my waist. “You’re my mama’s first son!”
“Oh, hell yeah, he is,” I muttered under my breath.
Alexa quickly grabbed Luis and dragged him toward the door. “W-We’ll be going now!” she said, shoving him outside.
Before leaving, she glanced back and said, “Come on, Genesis, he’s in his twenties now! He’s not a kid anymore!”
“Of course, he is,” I replied with a smirk.
As they left, Eugene tugged on my shirt. “Mama?”
“Yes, baby?”
“You’re ugly.”
Oh, for the love of—
I sighed, smoothing down his messy hair. “You really need to learn how to be nicer to people. You’re going to give me a heart attack someday.”
He just grinned.
Argh.
****