Stuck in you

Jack recognized the little boy. He realized that he looked familiar because they had already met each other twice.

"Who is this little fella?" asked Jack. Even though he was confused, he still tried to sound kind and genuine.

"Why don't you introduce yourself to this uncle?" said Rachel.

Mendes was not usually this shy. He sat closer to Rachel in the back seat for comfort. Perhaps he was intimidated by Jack. "My name is Mendes Xu," he said.

Mendes' voice was so soft it was almost inaudible. Rachel couldn't even believe that the voice was from him. He was usually loud and outspoken. She never expected the child was hiding an effeminate side.

Seeing Mendes' reaction reminded Rachel how shy he was when he met Jack in the past. She couldn't help but wonder if Jack was the problem. 'Is he really that intimidating?' she thought.

"Nice to meet you again, Mendes. You can call me Uncle Jack," replied Jack as he tried to keep his eyes on the road.

"Uncle Jack!" Mendes said in a clear and loud voice.

Rachel noticed that Mendes might be trying to please Jack on purpose. Maybe Mendes was trying to get on his good side.

Jack never asked why she was bringing the child with her, nor did he ask where the child came from. He just focused solely on driving and the occasional small talk.

Rachel had planned to ask Jack about Wendy, but she realized that it was not the appropriate time to ask him. Mendes might not be able to completely understand that conversation, Rachel still decided to hold off on the question. It was not healthy for the boy to hear that kind of conversation.

Mendes was usually curious and full of energy, but right now he was behaving himself and wouldn't say a word.

Rachel had no idea why he was behaving this way. What could have made him so afraid of Jack?

She ruffled the child's hair but said nothing. There was an abject silence in the car. Jack found that it was especially quiet. He looked at them from the rearview mirror, and found that neither of them were interested in talking.

Jack saw that Mendes was resting his head on Rachel's shoulder. He stared at her with a pair of bright black eyes.

When the three of them arrived at the Fu family's house, Jonathan was waiting by the gate. He didn't expect that Rachel and Jack would arrive with a child in tow.

The old man glared at Jack. "Who is this boy?" he grunted. Mendes stared at Jonathan with his beady little eyes.

He wondered why the old man was angry and hid behind Rachel. She held Mendes close and stroked the boy's head to comfort him. "This is my friend's child. He's out of town for a couple of days so he asked me to take care of the kid while he's gone. I had no choice but to bring him here with me," she said.

The old man's scary expression became gentle. He gestured for the boy to come closer and smiled. "Come over here, little boy. Let me have a closer look at you," said Jonathan as he crouched down to Mendes' level.

Mendes took a glance at Jonathan and stepped closer towards him.

"Young man, I'm Jonathan," said Jonathan. He wore a gentle smile.

"Nice to meet you, Grandpa Jonathan," Mendes replied in a loud and clear voice. He seemed to like Jonathan. Whenever he had taken a liking to someone, he would always be this cheerful when talking to them.

Rachel was surprised at what she saw. No matter how she looked at the two of them, she couldn't quite think of anything to say.

and Mendes when he heard them talking. Even Jack found it strange that Jonathan would act this way around a child he just

old man was overjoyed to meet Mendes. He could not keep himself from smiling. He spread his arms to try and hug Mendes so that he might carry the boy in his arms, but after realizing that Mendes was too heavy for him to carry, he decided to

behind his back. "Jack! Come over here and bring the boy inside the

saying a word. Then

know what

at Mendes from head to toe. "Really?" she

does seem fatter. I should try to control his diet. I have to tell Lucas to

to Mendes'

gaze and opened his arms

already inside the house. He opened the door for the three of them and urged them to come inside. The old man seemed rather excited to say the least. "What

He pouted at

was asking for. 'Why couldn't he

was pleading otherwise. But she was indifferent to his pleas.

them. When she looked up, she saw the plump face of Mendes

get a little fatter. Rachel grew

heard them talking and checked who it was. She saw her

clapped his hands to call Mendes over.

to Jonathan with a wide grin on his face. Tracy felt like she was going to faint while

in the palm of her hand. She tried to control her

Jonathan replied as he was musing the

you say?" answered Tracy. She turned her

thinking based on her expression. Before she could explain herself, Jack did it for her. "It's not Rachel's child, it's her friend's. Her friend's out of town for a

face lightened. She was obviously relieved. "And

halfway

had

could she think like that? They

and pointed at Tracy. "Mendes, go

beady little eyes. "Hello, Grandma! Nice to

was going on. She smiled at Mendes and held out her hand. "It's

after his

his leisure time traveling around the world. Oftentimes he would play chess with several old men in his spare time and enjoyed

Among his circle of friends, his son was

naughty child, but he behaved politely in front of the elders. He knew how to be sweet

aloof; now she couldn't keep her hands off

Mendes had subdued the two most difficult people in his family. It

It was like Jonathan and Tracy had forgotten they were

He wasn't sure why his father wanted him

it a while, Jack figured it out. "Rachel, come over here. I have something to tell

"Okay, I have something to

"Go upstairs,"