All too late for his love

Aaron squirmed out from the nanny's grasp and bolted forward. But with his leg already crippled and throbbing with agony, he stumbled and crashed back down to the This time, the impact was even harsher. His face smacked against the ground.

The tears he fought to hold back now flowed silently down his cheeks as he lay there.

Watching Aaron take another fall, Tommy couldn't help but burst into laughter. He collapsed onto the ground with amusement.

He turned toward Jenny. "Hey, cripple! Always tripping over yourself! Girls shouldn't hitch themselves to cripples! It's bad luck!"

"Only fools would tie the knot with a cripple! I'm no foul" Jenny shot back, tossing her head with disdain and pointedly turning away, showing her contempt for the disal In truth, even at such a tender age, kids already grasp gender roles.

At that age, they might not understand love and such, but instinctively, they care more about how the opposite sex would view them than how their peers do.

Jenny's rejection only reinforced Aaron's belief that he was a hopeless cripple, doomed to remain unwed.

Aaron stubbornly sniffed and was about to fight to get up when Zayn scooped him into his arms.

"Let me go!" Aaron bit his lip hard. He wanted to call Zayn a jerk, but the words wouldn't come out.

It was the first time Zayn had ever hugged him, Despite his faults, his embrace felt oddly warm and comforting.

His dad was holding him.

Aaron squirmed awkwardly in Zayn's arms but ultimately didn't manage to wriggle free.

"What's one plus one?" Zayn held Aaron firmly, casually addressing Tommy nearby.

Tommy, who had been swaggering just moments before, suddenly felt uneasy in the presence of the poised Zayn.

Despite being four and a half years old, his expertise lay primarily in eating, and the concept of addition eluded him.

Feeling a bit embarrassed as the self-proclaimed little tough guy, Tommy scratched his head. "I don't know."

Seemingly itching to prove he wasn't dumb, he quickly pointed at Aaron and said, "That idiot cripple probably doesn't have a clue either!

"Hey, lame-o, you know what one plus one is?Such a brain teaser, a cripple like you wouldn't stand a chancel"

Aaron wasn't one to seek the spotlight, but under Zayn's encouraging look, he reluctantly replied, "One plus one equals two."

Zayn smiled with satisfaction, unknowingly wearing the genuine pride of a father.

"What's 15 plus 100?" Zayn kept quizzing Tommy,

"What's 50 plus 108?

"What's 600 plus 909?"

As expected, chubby Tommy came up empty-handed, while Aaron answered each question correctly.

By the end, Zayn was somewhat surprised. He hadn't anticipated that Aaron, at such a tender age, was capable of handling slightly more complex math.

He couldn't help but feel a swell of pride. Indeed, Aaron was his son.

Listening to Aaron's confident responses, Jenny couldn't help but admire him she handed her handkerchief to Aaron.

"Aaron, you're incredible! You're the most amazing boy I've ever met! This handkerchief is for you!"Copyright Nôv/el/Dra/ma.Org.

"Jenny, didn't you say you hate cripples the most? Are you planning on marving one when you grow up? Tommy remained defiant as he spoke.