Chapter 129: Chapter 129: Law & Heroics (Part 1)
Don quickly settled on a simple yet satisfying breakfast: bacon, eggs, toast, and juice. 'Nothing too extravagant,' he thought, as he moved efficitly a the kitch.
'The message is what's important here, not the complexity of the meal.' He knew that if this little gesture wt over well, it could pave the way for bigger impressions down the line—maybe ev a dinner, though he'd have to carefully time it. 'Don't want them getting used to me doing this regularly. That would defeat the purpose.'
As the smell of bacon filled the kitch, Don began plating the food, starting with Summer's portion. He figured she'd be down soon, and sure ough, about twty minutes later, he heard her footsteps on the stairs. Wh she tered the kitch, she looked a, confusion evidt on her face.
"Where's Mom?" she asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked a.
Don, pretding he hadn't noticed her ter, glanced up from the stove with a casual smile. "Oh, ready for school already?" he teased. "Did you ev bathe?"
Summer's frown deeped, and she oped her mouth to snap back, but the memory of their deal held her back. She simply huffed instead.
'She's learning,' Don thought with satisfaction. 'A bit of self-control goes a long way with her.'
He decided to ease up on the teasing and answered her question. "Mom's still sleeping, I think. Do you need her to give you a ride to school?"
Summer's irritation flared again. "No, by the time mom gets ready, I'll be ev later. "I guess I'll just go with Sylvia and her mom," she added, checking her phone briefly.
Don shrugged. "That's what you get for staying up late on a school night," he said, sliding her a plate of food.
Summer's expression shifted from irritation to mild surprise as she noticed the spread on the counter. "Did Mom ask you to do this?" she asked, suspicious.
"Nope," Don replied, serving up another plate. "I woke up first, so I figured why not make breakfast for everyone while I was at it."
Summer's eyes narrowed at the plate in front of her. "Did you put anything in it?"
"Yeah, rat poison," Don said sarcastically, rolling his eyes as he moved on to his own breakfast—a bowl of oats.
Summer kept her suspicious look, but she was also curious. "Why are you being nice? Are you planning to ask Mom for money or something?"
"Think what you want," Don replied, dismissing her suspicion as he focused on his oats. He wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of knowing his true inttions.
She saw him pour the oats and couldn't help but wrinkle her nose. "Are you really gonna eat that gross stuff instead of the bacon and eggs?"
"Unlike you, I'm a healthy guy who takes care of his body," Don shot back, earning a scoff from Summer. She grumbled something under her breath and started ing on her phone.
A few momts later, she said, "Sylvia and her mom will pick me up in a few," before finally digging into the food. Don slid a glass of juice her way, and she took it, though not without a muttered, "Thanks," as she continued to stuff her cheeks.
"Take it easy before you choke," Don advised, but his words had the unintded consequce of reminding Summer of the fitting room incidt.
She choked on her food, and Don smirked. "Told you so," he said, before his atttion was drawn to the kitch doorway where Amanda appeared, looking groggy.
She stood there, dressed in a loose top and silk nightie shorts, blinking sleepily at the sce before her. "Where's Sam?" she asked, rubbing her eyes as Summer composed herself, washing down her food with juice.
"Still sleeping," Don replied, nodding toward the plate of food on the counter. "I made breakfast. Eat up before it gets cold. I'll take Mom's up after I finish my oats."
Amanda smiled, a bit surprised. "So if I hadn't come down, would you have brought me breakfast in bed?" she asked teasingly.
"Who knows," Don replied, keeping his tone light.
Summer, still nursing her earlier embarrassmt, added, "He's just trying to get something from Mom."
Don shook his head. "If that were the case, I definitely wouldn't waste my time cooking for a grumpy morning person like you." He shrugged, adding, "Guess I'll only be making breakfast wh I actually want something."
Amanda laughed, appreciating the banter. "I didn't say anything, so don't drag me into it. I still want that breakfast in bed."
"Too late," Don said, finishing his bowl of oats. He tossed the empty bowl into the sink and, with a sly grin, told Summer, "Be a dear and wash that for me wh you're done eating, will you?" He th picked up Samantha's plate and put it on a tray, ready to take it upstairs.
Summer, still annoyed, protested. "Why should I?"
Amanda laughed again. "Don't worry, I'll do the dishes since he was so kind as to cook for us," she said.
"Thanks," Don replied, already heading out of the kitch. "I just might bring you breakfast in bed sometime—unlike a certain someone who I'm not waking up again."
"Argh!" Summer exclaimed, frustrated. "Fine, I'll wash your stupid plate."
'Gotcha,' Don thought with a smirk as he left the kitch and headed upstairs to deliver Samantha's breakfast.
Don headed up the stairs, balancing the tray of food carefully as he approached Samantha's room. He knocked gtly on the door but received no response.
Remembering that he hadn't locked the door the previous night, he called out softly, "I'm coming in," before pushing the door op.
Samantha was still lying in the same position he had left her in, fast asleep under the sheets. Don walked over to the nightstand and placed the tray of breakfast down. He th gtly shook her shoulder, trying to rouse her from her sleep.
Samantha stirred slightly, mumbling something incohert as she shifted under the covers. He shook her again, a bit more firmly this time, and she finally began to wake up.
"Mmm... Donnie?" she murmured, her voice groggy with sleep. She rubbed her eyes and seemed to be trying to get her bearings. "Is that you?" she asked, her tone filled with confusion as she patted the nightstand blindly, searching for her glasses.
"Yeah, it's me," Don replied, handing her the glasses. As he did, his eyes couldn't help but drift to her chest, where the sheets had slipped down, revealing her large and perky breasts.
Quickly, he averted his gaze before she noticed, keeping his expression neutral.
Samantha put on her glasses, blinking a few times to clear her vision. Wh she finally focused on Don standing by her bed, she looked surprised. "Is it morning already? I don't ev remember falling asleep," she said, her voice still thick with sleep.
Don nodded, keeping his tone casual. "You dozed off during the movie, so I carried you up here."
"Oh," Samantha said, looking down at herself only to realize she was topless. Her cheeks flushed slightly as she instinctively raised an arm to cover her chest. "Oh dear," she muttered, clearly embarrassed.
Don, ssing her discomfort, decided to play it cool and act as though nothing was out of the ordinary. "I brought you some breakfast," he said, nodding toward the tray he had set down earlier.
Samantha's eyes followed his gesture, and she smiled warmly wh she saw the food. "Thank you, Donnie," she said, guinely touched. But th, as if suddly remembering something important, her expression shifted to one of concern. "What time is it? Is Summer awake?"
"Don't worry," Don reassured her. "I woke her up. She's downstairs having breakfast with aunt Amanda, and she'll be leaving soon with Sylvia and her mom."
Samantha sighed in relief, her tsion easing as she realized everything was under control. She ev let her hand drop from her chest, seeming to forget her earlier embarrassmt. "Thank you," she said again.
"No worries," Don replied, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He th shifted to a more serious tone, meeting her gaze directly. "I've be thinking a lot, and I've decided I want to accept Bjamin's offer and join the Elite Hero Program. I think it's the best way to help the family, especially with how dangerous Santos City is getting. I'll feel more confidt knowing that you all are safer."
Samantha's face softed with affection as she reached out to cup Don's face. "If that's what you want, th you should go for it. I'll support you either way," she said, her voice full of warmth.
"Thanks, Mom," Don said, feeling a guine connection in that momt. He leaned in to give her a hug, which she returned, her arms wrapping a him securely.
"I had fun last night, ev if you did decide to doze off,"he added in a joking tone.
Samantha laughed softly, the sound muffled against his shoulder. "I'm sorry about that. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Don pulled back from the hug with a small smile on his lips. "I'll hold you to that." He th remembered the conversation he had with Bjamin about involving a lawyer and decided to bring it up. "By the way, do you know any good lawyers? I told Bjamin that we'd need to have a lawyer go over the documts before I sign anything.
I just want to make sure we don't get caught up in any tricky legal stuff."
Samantha's expression grew serious as she considered his words. "That's a very good idea, Donnie. I have a frid who's a lawyer—she's excellt. I'll give her a call after I take a shower."
"Great," Don said, feeling more reassured. "Just let me know wh you do, I'll be in my room until Bjamin calls."
Samantha nodded, and as Don stood to leave, she offered him one last grateful smile.