Did anyone bully you?

There was a long pause between them. Clara was sure her words had made Mello ponder on it. Just when she thought, he wouldn't urge anymore she heard him reply.

"Then, how about I bring Aunt Abby along? In that way, she won't be alone and we both can stay there with you. What say Mama" Mello's chirpy voice beamed from the other side shutting Clara entirely.

Clara forgot Mello was way more smarter and sensible for his age. He was just four but had the mind of an adult thinking wisely and considering everyone's feelings.

Sometimes she doubted if she was the adult or her son.

"Mello give me back my phone..." she heard Abby's voice coming from the background and Clara finally calmed.

She found it hard to reject Mello's wish because she couldn't see him getting upset. He was her only source of happiness that helped her move on with life after whatever she had been through.

"Clara..." Abby's anxious voice broke her trance and she pulled out of her thoughts.

"Hmm... hmm Abby it's me" Clara mumbled composing herself and answering back to Abby.

"I am so... sorry... I didn't know when Mello took my cellphone and made a call to you" Abby tried to explain.

After she picked Mello from the playgroup, he told her that he wanted to talk with Clara. She tried to tell him that Clara was busy with some work and wouldn't be able to answer his calls still he kept whining back home.

She tried to coax him, trying to divert his mind from that topic, telling him different stories, and found him slowly immersing in it. She thought that had finally succeeded, but who would've thought that it was Mello who was playing along?

Asking her to make his favorite paste, he shoved her into the kitchen only to snatch her phone away and make a call to his mother secretly.

"It's okay Abby. I know Mello has fooled you" Clara was aware of her son's naughty tricks and it wasn't the first time Abby was whipped by his cute sugary words.

"Ya, he always does that" Abby smiled at her stupor but it was very hard not to fall for Mello's cute charms. He was the apple of her eye, her godson and she would go to any extent in fulfilling his wish.

"By the way don't you have any work," she asked bringing Clara back to reality and she gasped.

"Oh my god... I need to go Abby. I will FaceTime you in the evening" Clara said in haste and ended the call before dashing back towards the cabin.

After ending the call, Abby smiled shaking her head at Clara's reaction. She was 100 percent sure that the girl had left everything and ran to answer her phone.

Busy in her thoughts, Abby suddenly found a dark pair of eyes glaring at her and she suddenly felt a chill run down her spine.

"Mello" she mumbled and slowly turned back to face the little devil who threw a sharp gaze at her.

"Hehe... Mello. Didn't I say your mom is busy? Look she ended the call" she said showing him the blank screen hoping the little man wouldn't get pissed by her.

"I heard it already" Rolling his eyes skyward Mello turned and walked out of Abby's room.

Finding his reaction a little dry, Abby followed him to the living hall where he sat on the couch carrying a grumpy look all over his face.

Abby too joined the kid and ruffed his hair getting a glare in return," Don't mess with my hair Aunt Abby. I am angry with you" he whined keeping a straight face.

He was just like Clara when it came to throwing tantrums. Clara was just like this when they were in high school, always grumpy and reserved barely making any friends. She never liked kids who troubled her or tried to befriend her because she was the high ranker of the class.

Abby counts herself as one of the luckiest people to be friends with Clara, as she is the only one who knows the girl inside out. Behind that grumpy and reserved look hide an innocent girl who feared being targeted by anyone, leading them to break her heart.

"Oh, my cute little Mello. You know your aunt doesn't like it when you are upset with her. So come on drop that sullen look and smile for me" Abby talked just like him with a baby voice and pinched his cheeks stretching them into a smile.

"See just like this," she said playfully, trying to break the boy into a smile.

Mello being Mello tried to keep up the act but soon burst into laughter when Abby started to tickle him.

"No.. no aunty no tickling.. please... hahaha"

Mello loved his aunt just as much as he loved his mother. If Clara was his biological mother, Abby was his godmother who loved and pampered him just like her own kid.

"Finally..." heaving out a sigh of relief Abby picked up Mello and made him sit on her lap.

"You should stop behaving like a naughty kid when you are not" tapping the tip on his nose, she exclaimed.

Mello was a very obedient boy but there were times when he would be out of his character when something upsets him. And from today's behavior, she was certain that something might happen with him in the playgroup.

Pursing his lips into a thin line, Mello lowered his head. He didn't want anyone to notice it but he was too bad at hiding and the one who would catch it was none other than Abby.

"Now come tell me. Did anyone bully you in the school?" she asked, the mother inside her awakening, ready to charge whoever tried to bother her child.

Mello chewed his lower lip with his palms joined together as he tried to suppress his nervousness.

"No, no one bullied me" he denied with his head still lowered as he began fidgeting his fingers. He knew if he happened to tell her anything, she would go and fight with his teacher for being irresponsible towards their students.

"I know you are lying" Upset with his negligence Abby cupped his face and made him look at her.

"I know something happened in the school or else you wouldn't have behaved this way and this" Showing him the back of his hand with his knuckles bruised, she now confirmed that he fought back there.

"Now tell me what happened" This time her voice had a gleam of warning within that made Mello gulp.