Pretty Eyes, Delicate Smile

Her son didn't have her eyes.

That was the only difference between the mother-son pair.

Both of them had an adoration for boba tea, a penchant for bursting out into song, and, to Ryan's detriment, the same stubborn personality.

She tried to suppress her smile at Cas's pouty face.

"Mommy, that's not fair." He whined.

Ryan could almost see the words 'have you no shame' flash through his eyes. She merely shrugged.

"Sorry, baby. Sometimes the world isn't fair."

Was it bad for her to bully her own child? Probably.

But watching the aggrieved look flash on her son's little face washed away any guilt she might have felt.

A door banged loudly against the wall, startling the two.

"You despicable woman!" A roar echoed through the house. Both Ryan and Cas sighed and rolled their eyes; the actions perfectly mirrored each other.

"How dare you try to take advantage of my poor little darling!" A handsome man with dyed blond hair bust into the room; immediately wrapping his arms around Cassian.

The younger of the two sent his mother a pleading look.

"Drew, let go of my baby." Ryan sighed, hoping her brother would comply for once in his life.

He didn't.

"No! My poor innocent little darling has been separated from his favorite uncle for so long–"

"You were here yesterday."

"–and so he definitely missed me. Didn't you, Cassian?"

Instead of looking like he had been kissed and hugged, the little boy looked like he had gone through a traumatic event.

Ryan stifled a grin.

Yeah, she was a bad mom.

In a quick maneuver, she had her son settled snuggly within her arms. Her brother looked at her with betrayal in his eyes.

She didn't understand why he was her manager. He could have been an actor by his own right, provided that he stared in those melodramatic telenovelas. He would make for a wonderful spurned love interest.

"Mommy," Cassian whispered against her neck.

Ryan hummed in response, kissing his chubby little cheek.

"Since I endured so much trauma today, can I please get a large boba and not a small one?"

Drew started screeching, "My darling, uncle will get you all the milk tea you want! What does overweight mean? Is that real? I've never heard that term in all my life!"

The two ignored him.

There was no other time than now when Drew felt the most unloved.

"It's either you get a large or you get a double order of boba. Pick one." Ryan repeated her condition from earlier.

Cassian wanted to cry. Am I really your child? So mean!

But even faced at a disadvantage, he wouldn't accept his uncle's proposition. Mommy couldn't spend as much time with him as she used to. He wanted to spend all the time he could with her.

"Fine." He said in a small voice. All who heard it would feel a tug on their heartstrings.

The corners of Ryan's lips tugged up. She pressed a kiss on his forehead, holding him close to her chest.

She didn't have to say three words to express the feelings in her heart, and the little one didn't have to either.

Ryan wanted to keep that moment on pause for a lifetime.