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
The 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 to 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?”