36. A New Day

The following day, early morning, Alpha Callum can be seen dozing on the chair. He opened his eyes wide, refusing to sleep. A few minutes more and everyone will be awake. He can finally go to sleep. He gently rubs his eyes with his hands, trying to stay awake. He started yawning while glancing at the window. The first rays of the sunrise had already penetrated the room. A new day has just begun. A few minutes later, Clarice stirred in her sleep and opened her eyes. She looked at her son still sleeping soundly beside her. She placed her hand on his forehead. His body temperature is already normal to her touch. It looks like the fever has gone for good. She felt immense relief. She glanced at Callum sitting in a chair nearby. "Good morning," she said softly. "Good morning, babe," he replied, yawning. She got out of bed. "Get up and sleep on the bed beside our son, so when he opens his eyes, you will be the first person he sees upon waking up." Alpha Callum smiled. "Brilliant idea!" He stood up and lay on the bed beside his son. He planted a kiss on Caden's forehead and closed his eyes to sleep. He fell asleep fast. Clarice walked to the closet and grabbed some clothes, then entered the bathroom to splash water on her face and start her day. A few minutes later she left the room and headed downstairs to get some coffee. She was thinking about what to prepare for breakfast. Caden loves waffles, so she will prepare waffles for breakfast. Lorey was already awake and preparing breakfast in the kitchen. "Good morning Luna!" "Morning, Lorey. What's for breakfast?" she asked. "Waffle, ham and scrambled egg. I hope Caden loves waffles," Lorey said, mixing the waffle batter in the mixer bowl and adding two eggs to the mix. "He loves waffles, especially with strawberry and chocolate syrup on top," Clarice replied. "Fantastic! I'm making a waffle with strawberry syrup for the little one," Lorey said cheerily. "I'll help you with the cooking preparation," she said, and got to work. They become busy in the kitchen. A few minutes later, Grandpa Eliezer barged into the kitchen. "Good morning, girls," he greeted them cheerfully. "Good morning, Grandpa!" the women replied in unison. Grandpa Eliezer grabbed a cup and spoon and made himself a cup of coffee. "How's Caden today?" he asked. "His body temperature is normal now. Callum was currently sleeping on the bed beside our son. He's been awake the whole night observing Caden's body temperature," Clarice answered. "I'm glad our little boy is better now," Grandpa Eliezer said, sipping his coffee. He left the kitchen and went upstairs to check on his adorable patient. When he arrived in Clarice's room, the father and son were sleeping on the bed. He looked at them with tenderness shimmering in his eyes. Callum finally had his son and his fated mate back in his life. His family is now complete. Unfortunately, Luna Viviana can't be discarded easily. She will surely put up a big fight to ensure she remains Callum's only wife and Luna. It's going to be a messy love triangle when Luna Viviana finally returns from her vacation abroad. He can't stop feeling anxious about what the future holds for Clarice and Caden. They can't continue living in the shadows like this. Sooner or later, Luna Viviana would know the secret her husband was trying to hide behind her back. He lowered himself into the chair and continued sipping his coffee, worrying about the storm brewing in the distance. A few minutes later, he finished his coffee and stood up about to leave the room. When out of the corner of his eyes he saw Caden slowly opening his eyes and seeing a stranger sleeping beside him on the bed. The boy's eyes widened in great surprise. Grandpa Eliezer rushed to bed, so the boy wouldn't get startled. "Good morning, little one." "Good morning, Grandpa," Caden responded with a smile. He pointed his hand at the guy sleeping beside him. "And who is this man?" he asked innocently. Grandpa Eliezer smiled. "He is your father, your daddy. His name is Callum. From now on, you can call him daddy or dad, okay?" "OK." Caden nodded his head. "Daddy..." he said, poking at Callum's arms repeatedly. Alpha Callum stirred in his sleep and continued sleeping. "Why is Daddy not waking up, Grandpa?" Caden asked curiously. "Because he didn't sleep last night to watch over you, he made sure the fever would go away so you could sleep peacefully at night," Grandpa Eliezer explained. "Ah, okay, I got it." Caden nodded his head. "Just behave, will you? Don't disturb your father while he is sleeping," Grandpa Eliezer warned him. "Okay. Can I play with my toys now?" Caden asked. "Later, after you finish eating breakfast," Grandpa Eliezer responded with a nod of his head. Caden sat upright and was about to leave the bed when Alpha Callum suddenly opened his eyes and grabbed his son. "Where are you going, little guy?" he asked, hugging him affectionately, showering his face with kisses. Caden shrieked in delight and amazement, then looked at him. His face turned serious. "Are you really my father? My daddy?" he asked in wonderment. "Yes, my son," Alpha Callum replied with tears in his eyes. It felt so good when he finally heard his son call him daddy. He can't describe the feeling he felt at that very moment. Fatherhood certainly made his life meaningful and wonderful. He hugged his son tightly, letting him know that from that moment onward he would take care of him, and he would always be there for him. The door opened and Clarice entered the room. She smiled at witnessing such tender moments between father and son. They bonded beautifully. "Breakfast is ready, guys. Let's head now to the dining table to eat," she announced merrily. "Mommy, I want to see my toys!" Caden demanded. Clarice shook her head. "Later, son. You have to eat first. Nanny Lorey cooked your favorite waffles with strawberry syrup." Caden's face lit up. "Wow! I love waffles with strawberry syrup! My favorite!" he shouted ecstatically. "Alright, let's have breakfast now, guys," Grandpa Eliezer said, heading to the door. Alpha Callum picked up his son in his arms and left the room, followed by Clarice. They gathered in the dining room and started eating their delicious breakfast. "Yummy waffle!" Caden beamed joyfully. "All the waffles are yours, baby boy!" Lorey giggled. The adults smiled and continued eating their meals. Caden ate four waffles and the rest was eaten by Grandpa Eliezer. After the meal was over, they left the dining table and went to the living room. Alpha Callum retrieved the toys from the trunk of the vehicle and brought them to the living room. "Son, these are the toys we bought for you. I hope you like them," he said. One by one, he removed the toys from the shopping bags. Caden's eyes lit up with happiness as he grabbed his toys. "Wow, I have so many toys!" He gushed, elated beyond words. "Mommy, Daddy, let's play!" Clarice and Alpha Callum smiled at each other. "Sure, son," they replied in chorus. Grandpa Eliezer joined in the fun. For the next three hours, their merry laughter filled the living room.