It was at that precise moment that Melon got it all. He sprung up in ecstatic elation, rushing into
Holden’s embrace and encircling his arms around his father’s neck. With an affectionate tone, he
exclaimed, “Daddy, I’ve missed you so terribly!”
Having poured out his sentiments, he planted a joyful kiss on Holden’s cheek and commenced an
animated conversation, regaling him with tales of everything under the sun.
Meanwhile, Devin, who had accompanied them, couldn’t be more thrown off.
Both he and Holden had donned leather jackets, but the divergence lay in the fact that Holden had
deliberately disguised himself. His wig replicated the hairstyle Theodore had sported five years prior,
nearly identical. Though he didn’t appear dramatically distinct from his usual self now, the semblance
was convincing enough to deceive a child.
However, Devin hadn’t foreseen the existence of Holden’s illegitimate child in the summer camp!
Initially, he believed Holden had come to evaluate potential investments, but he never imagined that a
child who bore an uncanny likeness to Holden would be their intention for coming. The manner in which
their eyes and features mirrored each other was astonishing.
Even the faint dimples on the child’s cheek reminded those of Holden’s own from his youth, albeit less
pronounced now that he was an adult and only visible when he chuckled.
And to further intensify the intrigue, there was Adele, who also had those same dimples!
A N G E L A ‘s L I B R A R Y
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtThe revelation that they all possessed such striking resemblances left Devin thoroughly astounded.
Melon turned around and found Devin, his face flushed like a summer sunset, bursting with excitement.
Curiosity washed over him, compelling him to ask, “Who might this be?”
“He’s my right-hand man,” Holden responded, playfully tousling Melon’s hair with a warm grin.
Seeing this interaction, Devin, brimming with joy, walked up to Melon.
“Well, hello there!”
His tone radiated excitement and joy while conversing with the young lad.
The chubby boy, driven by insatiable curiosity, followed suit. Seeing the adults in the lecture hall, his
eyes widened like saucers, and he exclaimed in sheer amazement, “Anderson, you’ve got yourself a
dad, huh?”
Devin was momentarily caught off guard by the mention of the Anderson surname. During the earlier
broadcast, he had been uncertain, but now it was as clear as day that the child bore the surname
Anderson. He couldn’t help but find it rather coincidental, though he entertained the notion that the child
could use his mother’s surname.
Melon, clinging to Holden’s neck with a proud expression, replied, “Indeed, my dad is the most
handsome, and he’s nothing short of awesome!”
Holden noticed both kids were fighting, so he turned to Melon and asked, “Tell me, what happened
here?”
That marked the first time Melon had his old man as his wingman. His voice quivered as he recounted,
“He said that my dad was dead, that I was fatherless, so I duked it out with him!”
Melon explained while in Holden’s embrace, growing increasingly vexed with each utterance. Holden’s
countenance turned graver with each word he said.
The chubby kid, sensing the gravity of the situation and daunted by Holden’s stern demeanor, took a
step back and offered a timid defense, saying, “I peeped in the counselor’s records, and it said Max
only had a mom.”
The counselor quickly interjected, “Perhaps there was a glitch during registration. My apologies for any
mix-up.”
The head counselor stepped in, remarking, “Both of you already hashed out your differences earlier,
didn’t you?”
Melon pursed his lips, feeling more emboldened now that he had backup.
“But I can’t just swallow his apology. He slandered my dad, cursed him, and said he’s dead!”
In the presence of Holden, the chubby boy found himself caught between a rock and a hard place, his
face turning as red as a beet.
At this juncture, Holden held Melon and conversed rationally with the boys. It didn’t take long for Melon
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmto feel reassured by his father’s presence.
Melon glanced at the boy and quipped, “Well, in that case, you’ll have to help me give snacks to all and
sing my dad’s praises. Do that, and I’ll let bygones be bygones.”
Holden couldn’t help but smile at Melon’s request and affectionately ruffled his hair.
Realizing the error of his ways, the boy hastily concurred, “Alright.”
With that done, he followed the counselor outside to distribute the snacks.
It was only after he had genuinely sung praises about Max’s dad being as dapper as a daisy to every
single one of their fellow campers that Melon finally forgave him. With that, the incident was finally put
to rest.
Holden and Devin had stayed quite a while at the summer camp, keeping Melon company. Only when
they saw Melon merrily frolicking with the other youngsters could they finally heave a sigh of relief.
Time whizzed, and Holden checked his watch, realizing the hour had grown late. He and Devin had to
hit the road.
Before taking their leave, Holden requested that Devin exit first and then leaned down to talk with
Melon in hushed tones.
“Remember, we’ve got to keep today’s meeting with Daddy on the hush-hush from Mommy, alright?”
Clutching his snacks, Melon looked up at him with a perplexed expression, batting his eyelashes.
“Why? Doesn’t Daddy want to see Mommy? Don’t you long for Mommy?”