Dean and Bryana walked toward Sofia, who had left the classroom. At that time, Lily also walked over to Sofia and could see Bryana getting closer.
"Dean," said Lily when she was near Sofia, who immediately scattered to hug her father. she also glanced at Bryana, who seemed to be smiling wryly at Sofia.
"I came to pick you up on purpose, Mom," said Dean while carrying Sofia spoiled. He smiled kissing his slightly chubby daughter's cheek.
"Papa, who is she?" Sofia asked, glancing at Bryana, who was standing next to her father.
Bryana smiled as she glanced at the adorable Sofia. "I'm Bryana, your dad's friend," Bryana replied, claiming to be a friend, not an employer.
"Aren't you the employer?" asked Lily, smiling awkwardly at Bryana.
"Am, yes, ma'am. But I consider Dean also a friend," Bryana explained with a friendly smile, then shook his bodyguard's mother.
Dean, who was still carrying Sofia, glanced at his mother as if giving a gesture to behave normally to Bryana such as with Kareen.
"Ah, yes. Dean once told me that his mistress was a good woman. No wonder you are friends." Lily tried to get rid of her worries. She looked at Bryana so gently and realized that her beauty was not much different from the late Clarissa, who had an Indo-European crossbreed face.
"Ah, that's normal because Dean is also doing well, Ma'am." Bryana continued to smile at Dean's mother, then turned to glancing at Sofia and holding her cheek. "She is very beautiful."
"We'd better go home now because there's a lot to do," Dean said.
Lily and Bryana nodded in agreement. they immediately walked towards the exit of the gate following Dean who walked first while carrying Sofia.
Bryana couldn't stop smiling warmly at how much Dean spoiled his daughter. Suddenly pity surfaced in her mind. She imagined the man who raised his daughter without a wife, had to work as a bodyguard who would risk his life, while the mother and daughter were very dependent on him.
"Dean loves Sofia," Bryana muttered as she walked casually.
"Yes, he loves Sofia. Only Sofia is the spirit of his life," said Lily a little sad. She could not cover her sadness when she saw Dean and Sofia chatting without a wife.
"I have heard the kick of Sofia's mother who has died. I'm sorry to hear that," Bryana said occasionally glancing at Lily, who looked a little like Dean. The middle-aged woman wore a black dress with calf lengths and gray long-sleeved tops and curled her long hair."Yes, it's really sad, but all has been a long time ago and we try to accept that fact gracefully," said Lily with a grin.
Arriving at the car, Dean immediately sat at the steering wheel with Bryana beside him, while Lily and Sofia sat in the passenger seat. for a moment Sofia glanced around the inside of the luxury car she was driving, then she glanced at her father, ready to drive.
"Daddy," Sofia called.
"Yes, Dear. Why?" asked Dean looking back. Bryana also looked back.
"I want to sit down with daddy," Sofia replied spoiled, but immediately bent her face when she realized Bryana was also watching her.
"Darl, daddy will drive. You sit with grandma," said Dean, because it would be uncomfortable to drive while holding a kid.
"Let her sit with me," Bryana said with a smile glancing at Sofia. "Here, sit with aunty," she exclaimed, holding out her hand.
"No, Jill. She can swoop if she is too indulgent. It's rude anyways," said Dean, feeling bad for Bryana. Lily also looked at Bryana with an uncomfortable look. Of course, she did not want her son's employer to be inconvenienced in carrying her granddaughter.
"It's okay. I often do that with Calvin. Our kids are the same age and I understand their character as a kid." Bryana smiled reassuringly, then extended her hand to Sofia again.
Dean sighed in a huff, then looked back at the front. Sofia, who was shy at first, finally moved up to the front by sitting on Bryana's lap, while Lily sat in the back alone.
During the trip, there was only silence between Dean and Lily. Because the ones chatting in the car were Bryana and Sofia. Dean and Lily could hear exactly what they were talking about and they were close in an instant.
"Sofia, how many friends do you want to invite later?" Bryana asked.
"Um, there are lots of aunties. I have to write them all down," Sofia replied as she looked to the side at Bryana who was holding her.
"Oh okay. we'll write it at home later," Bryana said and then asked again, "does Sofia like the animated Frozen? "
"Like it," Sofia said briefly. "Yesterday I bought a blue dress like Elsa's. It was Aunty Kareen who chose it.""Ohh." Bryana nodded in understanding. somehow, she felt unwilling that the girl in her lap would like Kareen more than her. Wow, that young mother feels jealousy not only with her father but also with her daughter. Then when will Dean confess?
"Aunty has ordered a big Frozen themed birthday cake for you. Tomorrow it will be delivered and you will like it," Bryana said while confirming the ties in Sofia's slightly loose hair.
"Really?" Sofia immediately looked up at Bryana.
Bryana smiled grimly. "Of course. aunty and your Dad have prepared a lot of items for tomorrow's celebration. We'll decorate the room together," she later explained.
"Aunty is very kind. Why can't Aunty just be my mom? I wanted to have a mom from a long time ago ... but daddy doesn't want to find a mommy for me." at once Sofia looked gloomy.
Dean glanced at Sofia and said, "don't be like that, Dear. Daddy doesn't teach you to spoil someone you just met."
Dean turned to look at Bryana. "Sorry for Sofia's attitude."
Bryana ignored Dean's words. instead, he tightened a hug to Sofia from behind, then looked down at her face. "Think of me as your mommy, Sofia."
"Jill…" Dean gave Bryana an uncomfortable look.
"It's okay, Dean. You have to understand your daughter's feelings," Bryana exclaimed as she glanced at Dean curtly. To her, Sofia was just a child who missed a mother who even died before she tasted her milk. It was very sad and only natural that the little girl wanted a mother figure.
"It's very kind of Aunty to be my mother." Sofia moved to her seat, then hugged Bryana.
"Call me 'mommy' and think of me like the mommy you always imagined," Bryana exclaimed, rubbing Sofia's back. Do not feel the tears just dripping. she could feel how sad her bodyguard daughter was, moreover she had lost her mother a few years ago.
In silence, Lily was touched by Sofia's wish. She was also touched by Bryana's gentleness, who was even willing to be called "mommy" by her granddaughter. Even the middle-aged woman could not hold back her tears from falling and wetting her wrinkled cheeks but immediately rubbed them.
Dean could only surrender because he could not yet give a mother to Sofia. And he didn't expect Bryana to volunteer. 'Is that a sign that she is willing to become the mother of my daughter? Do I deserve to propose to her? But with what I propose to her, my money is also from her salary, this is ridiculous and maybe I'll just fantasize about being side by side with her.'
___
After a few minutes of driving, Dean finally arrived at the yard of his house which was not too wide. He immediately stopped Bryana's car, then got off with the mother and daughter who were still with Bryana.
Bryana looked at Dean's house, which looked simple and minimalist, but very diligent. there is a small terrace with flowers planted in pots, neatly lined around the terrace.
"Mommy, come on in," Sofia exclaimed in her cute voice, pulling Bryana into the house with her grandmother who was taking the keys from the pocket of the dress.
"Ah, yes." Bryana immediately walked hand in hand with Sofia's small steps.
Dean smiled as he glanced at Sofia, who was not shy about calling Bryana "mommy".. He immediately opened the trunk of the car and took out the groceries that Bryana had bought earlier.