Chapter 2: Surprise!?

Hearing the muffled sound of birds chirping outside, Hillary's eyes flutter open and a small head under her nose marveled her sight. A warm smile emerges from her lips as her nostrils welcomed the scent of lavender crisp from the baby shampoo he always uses.

Her little prince had his arm wrap around her neck and his forehead pressed against her warm lips. His leg hovered around her waist, holding unto her firmly.

Looks like someone had a goodnight sleep. She purses her lips, placing a soft kiss on his cold forehead as she pulls the covers from her waist upwards to cover them from the cold morning as the air conditioner was turned on. It always felt too cold for her to like and she's worried Kieran might as well feel the same.

Upon sensing her move from his embrace, Kieran's lips thinned, wearing an upset expression with his eyes still shut close. He move his head away, only for him to nuzzle comfortably towards her neck, his grip had gotten tighter like a baby koala clinging unto its mother for dear life.

Her eyes softened at his small frame against her body. Under the sheets, she caress his back, comforting him back to sleep.

A minute passed she noticed the small movements of his tiny fingers playing against her hair on the back of her head.

Hillary rest her chin on the top of her child's head, a low chuckle emerge from her throat. "Good morning, sweetheart. Did my little prince sleep well?" Her sweet and soft voice in the morning was music to Kieran's ears as he urge closer, leaving no space to meddle between them.

"Good morning mother. Yes, I slept well." He whispers. A small smile forming in his lips, but soon vanishes into thin air when he remembers he has two classes to attend after lunch.

He wouldn't be free until five in the afternoon. This was one of the awful class schedules he has where he'll missed welcoming and greeting his mother home.

The corner of his lips curved into a small frown as he sulks under her embrace. He doesn't want her to get out of bed and go to work. By just thinking of her leaving the house, he had already lost interest to attend his afternoon classes. He decided he will read the textbooks and reviewer alone while he will wait for her.

It will save up more time than listening to his tutors discussing the topics slowly.

"Shall we get ready for breakfast?" She asks him, clueless of what the little devil was thinking as she thought everything was sailing smoothly according to her plan, but she was surprise to find him shaking his head, refusing to get off from bed.

His fingers tug the front neckline of her night wear shirt. No. After breakfast would be her departure for work. He doesn't want that yet. "One more hour, mother." He pleaded while pouting.

Hillary bit her bottom lip, suppressing her laughter. But what about her surprise? She thought of surprising him after breakfast, but how can she when her child refuses to go at the moment?

"Does my baby wouldn't want to eat breakfast with me?" Her arms encircle around her son, carrying him up as she sat from bed, giving him the freedom to hug her freely and more comfortably.

His free arm reach to wrap around the other side of her neck with his hands gripping his opposite elbows, his legs locking her waist, and his head attach to the side of her face. He was like a human size magnet. He's still as clingy as ever just like when he was younger.

She pokes his side, hoping it'll tickle him, but he didn't budge. She knew he was ticklish somewhere but she still couldn't inspect where.

"I'm not hungry yet." He responded with a hint of stubbornness in his voice.

She heavily sighed before encircling her arms back around him, hugging his waist. "Kieran, I won't be going to the office. Mommy's taking you somewhere fun today."

She felt the slight flinch from his body against hers and felt the tightening of his embrace before letting her go, making her sigh in relief. She almost couldn't breathe under his impenetrable power hug.

Kieran gazes straight at her with wide and smiling eyes, barely noticeable, yet with the help of his expressive eyes his mood was always easy for her to read.

"Where?" Gone the sleepiness in his voice.

"Amusement park." She taps the tip of his small, but straight and prominent nose when his eyes grew wider, a slight of excitement could be seen in the depths of his emerald green eyes.

She could see her faint reflection in his eyes up close when the white walls of the room complimented a great lighting to their pale white skin that glowed together with the white comforter around them. Her heart was melting at the sight of his genuine smile. There's nothing more precious in this world than seeing him smile often, far from the sheltered child, like she used to be when she was young as his age.

She would trade thousands of her gold in exchange for this wonderful view to not disappear.

'So beautiful and so rare' she pondered, referring to his eye color and his smile.

"Let's go!" Kieran said, detaching himself from her and jolting out of the bed in hurry, making her laugh towards his frantic behavior. She had never seen him this excited ever since his class schedules started to be hectic in the past few weeks.

At first she was worried that they might end up pressuring him, but it wasn't hard for him to cope up which he earned praises from his private tutors. He was already jumping to three grade levels in advance.  She, too as his mother couldn't be more proud at how bright and smart he had become, but as they say the more knowledge one gained the more easily he can look down on others, which was a trait he's starting to have.

She shakes her negative thoughts away and decided to bobbed her head to the other side, faking her innocence to test his temper, "Where?"

"To eat breakfast mother." He told her, nonetheless his voice remained sweet as dew honey, clueless of her stunt as he walk back towards the edge of the bed, reaching out to her hand, tugging her to get off.

"I thought you weren't hungry? I suppose we'll postpone going." Before she could even finish her sentence, Kieran was already shaking his head side to side, eyebrows knitted.

"I'm always hungry mother." He purse his lips while looking away as he gulps before continue speaking. "I feel like eating broccoli." There was a heavy lump on his throat as the words escape his lips.

He has no choice but to say it in hopes to boost the interest of his mother to get off from bed and head towards the dining area with him. It's too late to take back his words now that he caught his mother's attention, but at some point he felt ecstatic seeing her smile.

"Really now?" Hillary pauses for a moment, as if thinking about his statement before she push the comforter away and got off the bed. She then bends down to carry her son in her arms. "Let's go." She added, slipping on her comfy slippers before striding towards the door.

Kieran bent down with his other arm clinging around her, unlocking and opening one of the doors, causing the maids to flinch in surprise before they all bow down in respect.

"We greet our masters a pleasant morning." The servants said in unison.

Hillary greets them back with a simple 'good morning' while her snob child didn't respond to their formalities, not even sparing them a glance. For he thought they were unimportant and his life will go on without them.

"Young miss should we prepare your bath?" Butler Yang lends her Kieran's wool coat to keep him warm in the morning.

She didn't spare efforts getting the coat when her son put it on himself before clinging unto her again.

"Just warm the Jacuzzi for me. Then we'll be heading downstairs to eat breakfast." She looks at her loyal butler in the eyes. "Kieran's in the mood to eat broccoli, so inform the head chef beforehand, Butler Yang." She sweetly said, brushing the back of her quiet son before putting him down for the other maids to assist him in his morning routine. As odd as it can be Kieran despises warm baths he prefers cold showers.

The maids gave each other the 'look' as the heiress walks down the hallway hand in hand with their young master. The servants who followed her in tow couldn't stay still as they were anxious and uneasy. They stopped in front of the staircase leading to the bottom floor and it was time for them to clarify the heiress's command when their heads couldn't process it right. It feels wrong.

"Pardon me young miss. I apologize, I seem to have misheard something from your command." Butler Yang utter, a little nervous. He was indeed growing old and maybe he did misheard it.

"Broccoli. Kieran wants broccoli for breakfast." The kind heiress beams back at him.

But his heart fell in the pit of doom. "A-Ah, I see. Very well." He couldn't process the unexpected turn of events. Their young master wanting broccoli for breakfast was a miracle. No . . . It was like a casting a curse to the peaceful house to ruin the lovely morning they prepared. The maids held their breaths, in the verge of tears as they have just summarized the black notebook early this morning and the word B-R-O-C-C-O-L-I was on majority list. It rather serves as a heavy warning instead of a reminder.

Did they really heard if right?

The heavens must have punished them today as they can already see the end of this peaceful path was a bumpy road waiting for them ahead.

A terrible road to cross.

If they were to choose, they would rather hide in the darkest cave in the mountains than standing somewhere the child's eye sight could reach.