James almost had a heart attack when he came back home to find it empty. He wandered from one room to another while calling for Bo. It was his mistake that he forgot to tie his son when he left home in a hurry this morning. Fear began to haunt him as a series of unpleasant scenes flashed before his eyes, like a car accident or other life-threatening events.

As he checked every room and confirmed that the house was utterly empty, James rushed outside while screaming for his son's name. However, with just a few shouts, he stopped short when headlights of an unfamiliar black Audi A7 pulled into his driveway.

The car came to a stop next to him, and James could make out two of the men inside the vehicle, yet he could not identify the faces since it was dark outside. The door to the driver's seat opened first, revealing a tall, handsome guy he had never seen. He was about to ask who he was when the passenger's door opened later, revealing Bo stepping out of the car.

"Bo?" the man hesitantly asked, unable to believe that it was his son who came out of the stranger's car. However, the hesitancy vanished when Bo stepped to the light and let it illuminated his face.

"My son!"

The older man ran towards Bo and pulled the younger into his embrace. "Where were you? I was so worried. Please don't do this to me again. You don't know how scared I was!"

James's voice and shoulders shook due to his crying, bringing along Bo's body to undergo the same thing as he was being wrapped in a tight embrace. Sean's words immediately occurred inside Bo's head when he saw his father's reaction.

If Sean didn't save me, dad would have taken a big emotional blow. He would be suffering, burying himself deep within layers of grief. How could I be this thoughtless? Bo innerly scolded himself.

The emotional distress made a throbbing pain attacking his head once again, and before he knew it, his body went weak inside his father's arms as consciousness was slipping away from him.

James was having tea with Sean in the kitchen after they tucked Bo into bed. The latter then introduced himself and started to tell the older man everything that had happened except the part where he had stolen a kiss from the older man's son.

"He tried to commit suicide?" asked James. The hand holding the mug was trembling so hard that the tea was spilling out on the table.

"Yes, I was driving on the bridge when I saw him climbing up the reeling. Of course, I couldn't stop the car right away in the middle of the road, so I hurried to cross it and pulled over. When I rushed back to the spot, he was nowhere to be found. I looked down at the stream and saw the splashing water, to which I assumed he jumped, so I followed him into the water and fished him out."

"Oh gosh," James was still trembling, inside and out. The scene of his son jumping off the bridge to kill himself kept haunting his old, vulnerable mind. "I-I...don't know what to say. I knew he'd react like this; that was why I didn't tell him. I'd never thought things would go this way. If I'd known, I'd have told him that all of this wouldn't have happened when he asked."

James finally put down the spilled mug of tea that had grown cold without sipping it and dropped his face into his palms.

"Please, Mr. James, you don't have to feel this way. No one can predict a person's mind. You have your reasons," said Sean reassuringly, "besides, if Bo sees you in this condition, he would be more heartbroken than he already is."

With a sigh, James nodded and lifted his head. Putting up a smile with effort, he turned to look at Sean and said, "thank you, Dr. Sean, for saving my Bo's life."

"Please, just call me Sean."

"But how could I? Didn't you tell me you're a doctor?"

"I'm a psychiatrist."

"Isn't it the same as a doctor?"

"Yes. Somehow," answered Sean shyly, "but please, regardless of my profession, just call me by the name."

James was about to protest once again when Sean implored, "I insist, Mr. James."

"Okay," the older man nodded and gave up.

Sean breathed an inner sigh of relief.

How could I let my future father-in-law address me, his soon-to-be-son-in-law, so formally? Sean thought to himself.

A silly smile crawled up his face at his own thinking, an action that James overlooked, for the older man had no idea what was going on.

When James was about to ask what was Sean's business for his visit from the capital to such a small countryside, the sounds of glass breaking resonated from Bo's room. The two men shot up to their feet and rushed to the source of the noise to find things scattered all over the floor, broken and turned upside down. Sean stood with his hands covered his mouth, eyes widened while James dashed to where Bo stood, moving his face away just in time before a flying bed lamp hitting him. The older man hurried to grab Bo's hand 一who was picking up broken glass to cut his wrist一 and slapped the shard, making it drop to the floor. He usually managed to deal with the three-year-old Bo skillfully, restraining the younger while grabbing a rope under the bed to tie his son up.

"What just...?" mumbled Sean as he watched the ropes wrapped around the smaller soft flesh and smooth skin. That explained the scars on Bo's wrists. When the latter was narrating him about the event, he did not mention this.

James wiped the beads of sweat, forming on his forehead when he finished his job. With a deep exhalation, he turned to look at Sean, his eyes oscillating between guilt and sadness.

"I had to do this, or else I wouldn't be able to control him," said James as he watched Bo struggling with the knots on the bed. The blood on his palm, pierced by the shard of glasses from before, ran in rivulets down his wrist.

"I'll be back, Mr. James," said Sean, leaving the room and heading to his car. When he came back, he carried a brown leather doctor bag in his hand. Placing it on the nightstand that had several objects in disorder due to Bo's tantrum from before, Sean unzipped his bag and took out a small box that contained a syringe and a mini bottle of injection, "can you please hold his arm still?"

James did not know what Sean was doing, but he put his trust in the younger man, given the latter profession. As he was told, James stepped closer to sit next to his son while pinning the violently thrashing arm down to the mattress. Sean prepared the injection, testing the syringe and watching as the liquid disgorged from the tip of the needle, kneeling on the ground, on the side of the bed, and injecting the tip into Bo's arm.

Once the injection took effect, Bo's began to calm down and closed his eyes, drifting off to sleep. Then, Sean began to untie the rope and pulled the blanket up to the chest, making sure Bo was adequately tucked in and warm enough.

Every action did not escape James' eyes, and he could not feel any happier. To have someone other than him taking care of his son like this, what was more that he needed? His lips curved up into a smile as he watched Sean in contentment. The physiatrist was now cleaning the wound on his son's hand and tenderly wrapped bondage around it.

"I've given him a shot to calm him down. He should be fine," said Sean once he finished caring for Bo and began putting his medical supplies back into the bag.

"Thank you, Sean, for your help," said James.

"Please, don't mention it."

"I'm glad for what you did today, both earlier and now. It always weighs a heavy pain on me having to watch him wriggling under the knot that I tied. Even though it's just for tonight, I'm glad that I don't have to witness it."

"Then you should be feeling glad longer, Mr. James because you won't be witnessing this just for tonight?" said Sean with a smile.

"Excuse me?" The older man was slightly confused at the vague sentence.

"I'll be taking care of him whenever he throws up his tantrum. I'll be the one to inject him and to look after him starting this moment," he paused, his face serious as he looked at James, "well, that's if you don't mind."

James gaped at Sean's words, for he could not believe his ears, "of course, I don't mind. I'm beyond elated to hear such a thing. But Sean, don't you have to get back to work in the capital city?"

The young physiatrist chuckled and said, "I feel like it's the fate I've applied for two weeks of vacation leave to come here. My times are free for the days ahead."

"But...," James trailed off, looking at Sean with his shoulders slumped, "Since you're from the city, I'm afraid I won't be able to afford your medical bill. But please," he took steps toward the younger man and grabbed his hand.

"I'll pay you little by little. I promise."

"Mr. James," Sean moved his hand, so he held the older man's hand instead, "I won't charge even a penny. I don't want anything from you. The only thing I need is your trust. A trust in leaving Bo within my care."

James did not know what to say, which must be the happiest day ever in his life. Not only did Bo come back unharmed, but he also brought back a living angel with him. It seemed James would be to rest in peace in the future.

"You have my complete trust, Sean," James swallowed back the lump in his throat and looked up at the doctor with a smile full of joy from deep within, "please take good care of my Bo."

Sean bowed his head in respect as he said in a firm, resolute voice.

"I will, Mr. James. I promise with my life."

Spring, summer, autumn, and winter had come, then gone, repetitively, making three years passed by in just the blink of an eye. To some people, there might not be any noticeable changes going on; but to Wang's family, those three years were like thirty years.

Bo sat on the chair in the middle of his old villa's garden, looking at a bunch of red leaves that danced along with the wind and scattered all around the green grass. He closed his eyes and breathed in the fresh air of the familiar house, which gave him joy and sorrow. However, what past was past. There was no need to reminiscing on what had been done.

"How could one lead a complete life without going through some bad times?" he murmured to himself; his eyes still closed.

Then, Bo felt a slithering movement coming from behind his back, crossing his shoulders and moving downwards to a stop on his chest. Without turning around, he knew the scent and body's heat of the owner so well. Nevertheless, he still titled his head back, hoping that there would be a reward waiting for him.

And there really was one.

*smooch*

A wet sensation greeted his rosy, plump lips the moment he turned his head.

"Reminiscing again, my angel?" Sean asked, his lips were still placing a top Bo's, refusing to move away.

"Hmm," answered Bo with a smile. And this time, he was the one who initiated the kiss as he puckered the cherry lips after answering and continuing to nibble the soft flesh there satisfactorily.

The two cut off their talk for a short while, giving their lips a chance to make a conversation instead. Landing one last pucker on the slightly swollen plump lips that seemed to regain a healthy shade, Sean moved to sit on the nearby chair.

"I don't want you to keep doing that often. You just recovered. Be careful of a relapse," said Sean with his brows furrowed in worry.

"As long as my doctor is right by my side, I don't think a relapse dare come and disturb me," said Bo as wriggled his eyebrows and smiled widely.

"Of course, I'll be by your side for a long, long time. In case you forget, I'm not just your doctor anymore, Bo. I'm your husband, remember? You're going to stuck with me for the rest of your life, whether you want it or not," Sean wiggled his eyebrows back at Bo while lifting his left hand to reveal a gold band circling his ring finger.

Bo got up from his seat and moved to sit on Sean's laps; his arms engirdled his husband's neck. He lowered his head, so the two foreheads were resting on each other, sharing the body's warmth.

"There is no need for a 'whether,' hubby," Bo outlined Sean's lips with the tip of his tongue, "I'll only need one choice. And that is...' I like it.' I'll be more than happy to get stuck with you for the rest of my life."

Once he finished his words, the naughty tongue began to poke the cherry lips persistently as if it was commanding the latter to open up. Complying to his spouse's request, Sean parted his lips, and the two newly-wed couples lost themselves within the sweet makeout session in the middle of the garden, surrounded by the breath-taking nature of foliage and flowers.

The country song was playing inside the stereo of a black van that carried five people inside. A little boy was singing, or rather, shouting, the lyrics that no one could understand. Still, it caused a row of laughers all along until the car reached its destination. 

Under a big tree with full branches to shield from the sunlight, Sean was preparing the sandwiches on the picnic mat while occasionally having to call for the chauffeur help to deal with a two-year-old boy who kept messing around nonstop, preventing him from getting his work done. James stood with his hands folded behind his lower back; his face tilted up to face the cool breeze that occasionally blew.

"Enjoying the air, dad?" asked Bo. 

James turned to smile at his son and nodded, "I can't believe you have all your memories back. Even the memory of this place."

Bo smiled back before looking to the distance, watching his adoptive son playing around with his chauffeur, "I also can't believe that I'm able to recover. I guess because I have both you and Sean by my side to help me cope with them all. It seems to be me that the primary healer of emotional distress is to keep feeling optimistic."

James nodded; his smile got broader as the thought of a distressed Bo would never come to haunt him again.

"Back then, because of my memory loss, you decided to hide the past from me. You told me that mom was dead and that I was born in the countryside. Even to these days, I still can't believe that you had to undergo a lot of hardships way earlier than that because of my careless mistake, dad. I destroyed your luxurious life and made you lead a hard life you'd never been before."

The older man quickly turned to look at his son; his hand lifted to rest on Bo's back, patting it gently, "Don't say that, Bo. Didn't we agree that what passed is past? Besides, we've already got back everything that is ours; the company, the house, and more. Also, the people that deserved to be punished are currently paying for their crimes in prison. Everything falls back into place. So stop blaming yourself, okay? If sons-in-law hear about this, he'll be upset again."

Bo sighed and directed his eyes to where Sean was. The latter was busy making another sandwich that Bo knew was for him, given how Sean was adding more vegetables than the others.

"It's all thanks to Sean. I recovered well because he and his best friend took the utmost care of me. The two years that I spent in England weren't all that pretty, yet he refused to give up and stubbornly continued to stay right by my side until I fully recuperated. Even more than that, he even sought out help from his cousins, who are the chief of police and an attorney, so Ben's crime was exposed. I don't know what I've done to deserve such a person like Sean."

James chuckled and gripped his son's shoulder in a firm yet gentle grasp, "You've always been a kind-hearted boy since young, Bo, so it is a given how an angel as Sean is coming to you. You both are a match made from heaven. As for an old man like me, I'm more than contented to have two handsome men accompanying me on my remaining days."

Bo turned to look at his father and joined him in the soft laughter. Once the sound of the chuckling subsided, Bo cleared this throat and said, "You've once told me that separation is inevitable and things will leave me when the time comes, just like the leaves that fall from the trees. But you know what? There is a kind of tree which leaves never fall regardless of the season." 

He picked up his father's wrinkled hand to sandwich between his own and grinned, "You're just like that kind of tree, dad. Notwithstanding the difficulties, you're always here by my side, just like those leaves that never fall from their trees."

"Oh? A tree that leaves never fall?" asked James.

"The Evergreen." 

"The Evergreen?"

"Yes. Despite the season, fall included, the leaves of the evergreen are still attached to its branches. It's just like how you always stick with me regardless of what. I wish to say this to you, dad. Thank you for being an evergreen father to me."

The father and son exchanged smiles in silence, letting their eyes do the talk since no choices of words in the world seemed to be able to express how grateful they were to have each other.

"Dad! Sweetie! The sandwiches are ready!"Sean's loud voice echoed from behind their backs, calling them to come over.

"We're coming, darling!" Bo shouted back before turning to his dad, "Shall we, dad?"

"Of course, son."

Bo and James turned on their heels, walking side by side to where the love of their lives was waiting; their faces depicted pure joy and happiness that no amount of money was able to buy. 

~ THE END ~

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