JUST LIKE DAD
CHAPTER 50: JUST LIKE DAD
Friday morning arrived under a clear sunrise—Career Day had finally come.
While the apartment was still quiet, Christine woke up early. Throwing on a robe, she stepped into the kitchen to start breakfast. Bacon sizzled on the stove alongside eggs, and she flipped a stack of pancakes on the griddle, setting the dining table with coffee for herself and Jeffrey and milk for Christian.
Wiping her hands on a towel, she walked down the hallway to the master bedroom.
Jeffrey was lying on his side, an arm wrapped protectively around Christian, who had snuggled into his father’s side sometime during the early morning. Both were fast asleep.
Christine leaned down to press a kiss to Jeffrey’s temple, then gently brushed Christian’s hair back. “Wake up, boys,” she murmured. “Big day today.”
Jeffrey stirred first. His dark eyes softened as he looked up at her, an arm sliding around her waist to pull her down into a brief, warm kiss. “Good morning, beautiful,” he rasped softly.
“Good morning, Daddy,” Christine smiled against his lips, tapping his chest. “Up you get. Breakfast is ready.”
At the word breakfast, Christian bolted upright, rubbing his eyes as realization set in. “Career Day!” he gasped. “Suit day! Blue tie today!”
“That’s right, sweetheart,” Christine laughed, scooping him into a hug.
At the table, Christian happily ate his pancake while propping his plush dinosaur against his glass of milk. “Rex gets breakfast too! Rex needs to look good for the program!”
Jeffrey wiped a stray smudge of milk from Christian’s upper lip with a napkin before taking a bite of his eggs. “Rex is going to be the best-dressed assistant in the school, buddy.”
After breakfast, they moved into Christian’s bedroom. Christine unzipped the garment bag hanging from the wardrobe door and held up the white button-down shirt. Christian stood on the bed, giggling as the sleeves slid over his arms.
Once his shirt and navy trousers were on, Jeffrey stepped forward with the royal-blue tie. He crouched in front of his son with mock seriousness. “Now, Christian... every great executive needs to master the tie. Watch closely.”
Jeffrey draped the silk around Christian’s collar, knotting it with practiced ease before smoothing down the lapels of the tiny navy blazer.
Christian stomped his dress shoes on the mattress, puffing out his chest. “I look like Daddy!”
Jeffrey grinned, helping him step down to stand in front of the full-length mirror.
Christian looked like a mini-version of his father—crisp suit, bright blue tie, and dark hair combed neatly to the side. He clutched Rex under one arm, crossing his small arms over his chest to strike a dramatic pose. “I’m the boss! RAWR!”
Christine caught her breath, stepping up behind him in the reflection to wrap her arms around his waist and kiss his cheek. “You look so handsome, Christian.”
Jeffrey stood beside them, resting a hand on Christian’s shoulder and adjusting the tip of the blue tie one last time. “Complete perfection, son. The school isn’t going to know what hit them.”
The high-ceilinged gymnasium was loud and filled with energy. Banners hung from the rafters, and rows of chairs faced a decorated wooden stage. Preschoolers ran around in costumes—miniature doctors with plastic stethoscopes, firefighters in yellow jackets, and small police officers.
When they stepped through the double doors, Christian halted on the polished floor. His bold posture quieted immediately. Clutching Rex under his left arm, he reached out with his right hand to grasp Christine’s fingers, squeezing tightly.
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Christine dropped to one knee in front of him. “You nervous, my boy?” she asked gently, brushing his dark bangs aside.
Christian looked down at his shoes, nodding slightly. “Lots of people, Mommy... What if I forget what to say on the big stage?”
Jeffrey knelt beside them, shielding Christian from the bustling crowd. He adjusted the lapel of the tiny blazer. “Hey. Look at me, big guy.”
Christian looked up into his father’s eyes.
“Do you know who you are today?” Jeffrey asked calmly. “You’re the boss. And do you know what a boss does when things get loud or scary?”
Christian shook his head.
“A boss takes a deep breath, stands tall, and remembers he’s got the best team behind him,” Jeffrey said gently, tapping Christian’s chest, then pointing to Christine and himself. “Mommy and Daddy are sitting right in the front row. Whenever you look out, you’re going to see us.”
“And you have Rex,” Christine added, kissing his cheek. “And the luckiest blue tie in the room.”
Christian let out a small breath, his shoulders dropping as he squeezed Rex tight and puffed out his chest once more. “I’m the boss,” he repeated with a small grin. “And I got the blue tie!”
“That’s my boy,” Jeffrey said, giving him a firm high-five before standing and taking Christine’s hand.
In the front row, Jeffrey and Christine watched as each child took a turn at the microphone, proudly announcing their ambitions to become doctors, firefighters, and astronauts.
When the teacher lowered the microphone, her voice echoed through the speaker: “Christian Jefferson J. Reyes!”
Jeffrey pulled up his camera app, framing his son in the center of the screen as Christian walked out to the stage lights, his dress shoes clicking softly against the floor.
The teacher smiled warmly. “Okay, Christian. What do you want to be when you grow up?”
Christian stood silent for a few seconds, his dark eyes scanning the crowd until he spotted Christine’s smile and Jeffrey behind the phone camera.
A confident grin broke across his face. He leaned into the microphone. “I want to be… a dinosaur.”
Affectionate laughter swept through the gym. Christian waited for the quiet to return before continuing with absolute toddler seriousness.
“But my mom told me that dinos are extinct.” He turned his head, looking straight at his father. “So I just want to be my dad. He is a boss and he always buys me chocolate ice cream.”
The entire gymnasium erupted—parents laughing, cheering, and clapping.
Christine laughed, resting her head against Jeffrey’s shoulder. “You just got called out in front of the whole school.,” she whispered.
Jeffrey lowered his phone. The stoic corporate demeanor completely vanished, replaced by an overwhelming wave of fatherly pride. A broad, genuine smile broke across his face as he watched his four-year-old bow dramatically and trot off the stage to high-five his teacher.
When the program ended, Christian came running down the aisle. “Daddy! Mommy!”
Jeffrey dropped to his knees, opening his arms wide. He scooped Christian up into a tight hug, lifting him into the air before pulling him against his chest. “You were incredible, big guy.”
Christine joined them, wrapping her arms around both of them and smoothing Christian’s tie. “You were so brave today!”
Christian looked between them, eyes bright. “Did I do good, Daddy? Like a real boss?”
“Better than a real boss, son,” Jeffrey smiled warmly, setting him down. He glanced at Christine with a playful glint in his eye. “And I think a speech like that officially earns the biggest bowl of chocolate ice cream in the city.”
Christine shook her head with a soft laugh. “Just for today, Jeff. Just for today.”
A short drive later, they were settled in a booth at a brightly lit artisanal ice cream parlor nearby.
Christian sat proudly in his unbuttoned suit jacket and loosened blue tie, happily digging into a large double-scoop bowl of dark chocolate ice cream. “Best day ever!” he declared.
Sitting beside Christine, Jeffrey opened the video file recorded at the gym and sent it straight to his family group chat.
Within seconds, his phone buzzed repeatedly with incoming texts and emojis from Christian’s grandparents, followed immediately by a video call.
Jeffrey accepted the call, leaning the phone against a water glass so everyone was in the frame.
“There’s the star of the day!” Grandma’s voice beamed through the speaker alongside Grandpa, who was waving enthusiastically. “Christian, you were so handsome!”
Christian held up his ice cream spoon like a microphone. “Grandma! Grandpa! Did you see my blue tie? I picked it myself!”
“We saw it, sweetheart! You looked like the biggest boss in the room,” Grandpa laughed. “And you convinced your dad to get you chocolate ice cream again!”
“Daddy is a boss, so he has to buy ice cream!” Christian explained simple toddler logic.
Christine leaned into the frame, laughing softly. “Don’t encourage them, Mom. Jeffrey is going to use this video as an excuse forever.”
“The public has spoken, Chris,” Jeffrey teased smoothly, wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close as his parents cheered over the phone.
As the call ended, Jeffrey looked over at his son—still happily enjoying his ice cream—and then at Christine. He leaned down to press a quiet kiss to her cheek, holding her hand under the table as they enjoyed the rest of the afternoon together.