Lily and Liam were just staring at each other as dust slowly lightened by the sun through the glass on the top of the mall, and everything was muted; children's laughter, everyone's voices, as if they were the only two inside the mall. Lily saw Liam walking in slow-motion as if something was shining around him.
"Are you crazy, Lily?"
"You've got to be kidding me."
Lily was telling herself as she was looking at Liam, who was in front of them, and then she finally snapped out of it when Liam snapped his finger in front of her.
"Earth to Lily?"
Liam said, furrowing his brows and looking really furious, and Lily stood up as she held Steve in her arms and was looking at Liam intensely.
"Don't you know that I saw him wondering around? What if I wasn't the one who found him? What if someone kidnapped him and asked for a ransom? Wha--" Liam stopped as Lily placed her index finger in front of Liam's face, and he stopped and looked confused.
"Did you stalk us here?" Lily asked with her resting face.
"What? Me? Stalk you?"
Lily clicked her tongue and looked at Liam with no conviction at all and decided to walk away, but Liam just rolled his eyes and still followed them.
"Do you think I'm that shallow to follow you two? I'm not a lunatic." Liam said hysterically.Lily
Lily didn't mind him and just engaged the people walking to meet her direction, and not minding every one, even Steve was silent. As Lily was about to talk to the baby she was holding, she was surprised that it was already holding ice cream, and she looked back and glared at Liam while he pulled her because he was about to collide with a man because she wasn't looking at the road.
"What? Giving Steve ice cream is now a big deal?" Liam said, and Lily just rolled her eyes at him, and he sighed.
"So that's how you say thank you. Okay! " Liam said, shrugging his shoulders.
"You're most welcome." Liam said, complaining.
But Lily still ignored him and just went straight to where the shopping carts were and got one and placed Steve in the seat for babies. Then she turned to Liam and placed her fingers on her eyes and held them tight to compose her mind. But Liam just looked at her as if he was enjoying himself as a child because of what was happening.
"Alright..."
"This is how I'll pay you," said Lily, and she pushed Steve's cart towards Liam, and the kid smiled happily.
"Follow me and don't ask about anything," Lily said.
"Daddy!" Steve said, and Liam looked at Lily for approval; Lily grunted, and Liam lowered his head and said, "Yes."
And Lily went ahead and put everything she needed in her head, and Liam did nothing but play with Steve and follow Lily wherever she went. Liam smiled as he looked at the lady in front of him and carefully examined her list of goods to be purchased. Liam was so happy that Lily was a responsible mother to Steve. But as Liam thought, he was very fit to complete their family.
And he just silently followed Lily to the counter area, as she ordered. Everyone was staring at them, and Lily blamed herself for losing Steve and not paying attention to Liam, even accusing him of stalking them. In Lily's eyes, she was so handsome, and she was doing her best to ignore it.
Everyone was curious how one father could be hot like Liam, in his tuxedo for work, as if he's the one who puts family before work. And Lily despised being the center of attention.
Then, as they reached the counter, the same thing happened, and then
"A family shopping for things, huh?" The middle-aged woman said to them as Lily was placing all the goods she took on the counter.
"Yes," Liam joyfully said.
"No," she said emphatically.
The lady on the counter was so confused as she was scanning all of the goods that Lily was placing on the counter, and the lady shook her head as she thought that they were a family but a confidential one because the man seemed to be an idol like the ones in some action movies. When Lily finished placing all of the goods on the cashier's rolling mat, Steve and Liam walked out as he placed the shopping cart where it belonged.
"Are you sure you're not family?"
"There's no shame in denying it, but why are you denying it?"
"It's not all the time a man would make time for you, especially if he has work," said the lady as she was packing the goods.
Lily paid with cash and placed it on top of the scanner. She didn't answer anything to the woman's question and just patiently waited for the paper bags she would pick up. As she was reaching for the 3rd bag, Liam's hand got it and took it from her and everything she was holding.
"Just carry Steve," said Liam to her.
And she was dumbfounded, thinking that she didn't know what was going on, and she thought that "is this making up for something he's been doing?"
Lily was so focused on her thoughts that she forgot they were already outside the mall.
"I can take you home if you want to." Liam said
Lily was just looking at him and hadn't decided her thoughts, so she hadn't answered yet. But Liam just smiled, and he called a taxi right away.
"I know you don't want to be with me, so that's why."
"Have a safe trip back home. " Liam said.
And when Liam assisted them with their things and closed the door, Lily couldn't complain any longer and told the taxi driver at their address, and she sighed as she was confused as to why Liam didn't force her, and why did he go like that, and maybe because her actions were like that because she was hurting the man's ego and feelings so much, she felt as if she was guilty, but she just hugged Steve, who later slept soundly.