"No, you can't possibly go alone to our Open House, dad. It's clearly stated that both parents should accompany their wards," pointed out a distraught nine-year old Maddox Prescott to his twenty-eight year old single parent, Gilbert Ashton Prescott.

"I stand by him, dad. Everyone would turn up with both their parents. Then they would make fun of us," supported his twin, Melania Prescott. The year-end Open House at their school was coming up in a week's time where they would need to pick up their term end report cards as well as meet the various teachers who had given them  appointments. It seemed that their dad didn't realize the importance of it all.

"Fine then, we can take your granny along, " said an exhausted Gilbert, giving up.

"No way, dad. Granny would invite everyone to her yard sale," said Melania with a horrified expression on her face.

Gilbert sighed. He was successful in his career and had a solution to everything but what solution could he provide for this now? At the age of twenty-eight, he had built an empire in the world of fashion designing with his college friends and partners, Jaxon Craddock and Ralph Van Halen. Their fashion house, Jaxon Craddock displayed it's trademark JC on all their products since Jaxon was their celebrity designer. The brand was known for it's large range of clothing, footwear, sunglasses and also created footwear, jewelry. Their brand name became iconic amongst the younger generation for their products that followed modern lines and embraced the culture of youth and promoted gender fluidity. With exclusive outlets all over the world, they were too busy to have a personal life. While Jaxon looked after the designing aspect, Ralph was the overall production head and Gilbert looked into marketing, finances, HR, PR amongst others.He had too much on his plate and as such work was life for him and life was work.

Based in New York, he had just returned from a visit to their Las Vegas office for an important meeting with the Las Vegas Fashion Council and the upcoming International Fashion Week conference. He had hardly kept his luggage down when the twins cornered him. He loved them immensely but sometimes he was at a loss with their weird questions. Their mother, Madeline Garner had divorced him a month after they were born, leaving the sole responsibility of the kids upon his young shoulders. If his parents, Jake Prescott and Amy Prescott hadn't helped him out, he would never have achieved what he had today.

He had to marry Madeline after a drunken mishap at a college party. They were eighteen, too young to think about the consequences. When Madeline announced her pregnancy, their parents forced them to marry. However, Madeline went into clinical depression after the birth of the twins and divorced him and went her way. It had been ten years already and she never asked after the kids. She had just disappeared from their lives forever. No one missed her though. Gilbert had never felt a thing for her and they were just strangers living under one roof.

"What else can be done, children? From where will I get you a mom?" Asked a frustrated and tired Gilbert.

"We don't know, dad. You have a week to look for a mom for us. We're not going to Open House without both parents, " stated Maddox with finality in his tone. At nine  he was quite a dictator. His dad's eyes widened at what he just heard.

"Yes dad and please don't bring Amanda Faulkner along. She doesn't look like she could be anyone's mom," stated Melania with an eye roll.

Gilbert glared at the two. "Is that how you talk to your father?" He asked sternly. Amanda Faulkner was a thirty year old divorced woman whom he had met five years back. On many occasions she had helped him release his s*xual frustration in return for material benefits. The children hated her since she was always bitchy to them. They failed to understand how she could take away loads of goodies just for kissing their dad.

"You're forcing us to, dad. We love you but you don't know how the other kids make fun of us. They ask how we can so worthless that our mom too left us," wailed Melania leaving Gilbert speechless.

"Children, don't torture your dad like this. Let him freshen up at least. You can discuss this later in a civil manner, " said Gilbert's mom, Amy Prescott. Gilbert nodded to his mom to thank her for saving him. He dragged his luggage to his room but the nagging thought of what Melania said kept ringing inside his head. He couldn't blame them though. Since birth, they never knew what a mother's love was. Although their grandparents loved them a lot, yet a mother's love was something overwhelming, it was different. He sighed. Where would he find a mom for them, that too in a week?

"You shouldn't have spoken to your dad in that manner, Maddox, " scolded his granny.

"What choice did I have, granny? He's twenty-eight already. In another ten years, we'd be adults and gone for further studies. You and grandpa too won't be with him forever. Don't you think it's high time that he should be settled in life?" Asked a worried Maddox.

"Exactly. And unless we force him, he's not going to make any effort to look for anyone," said Melania. Granny stared at the two children. At nine, they had said words which maybe she should have thought about a long time back and taken some action on it. But she never believed in force. Gilbert was her only son and had gone through a lot. She didn't want to make things difficult for him. She was diagnosed with breast cancer twenty years back and had battled and won against the malignant disease. It was Margaret, their trusted housekeeper who had brought up Gilbert like her own. Only last year did she and her husband and the twins shift to New York from their ancestral house in New Jersey where they used to live. Gilbert based in New York, used to visit them during the weekends but as the days passed by and with more work, he was finding it very difficult to take out time.

"You kids are right but you cannot find a good woman in a week's time.  It's impossible, " said their granny.

"At least dad will try. He stopped looking since he doesn't even trust anyone," said Melania.

"We don't want him to be stuck with that Amanda for life," said Maddox. Their granny had nothing to answer. It was true. Gilbert needed a good woman who would really give him the love he so deserved. But after Madeline, he was scared of even looking at any woman and even more scared of commitments and relationships.

Gilbert showered at changed into a pair of sweatpants and a tee shirt and went to the dining room of his luxurious mansion. His parents and his kids were already there at the table while Margaret served them their dinner.

"Giles, sit and eat a good home cooked meal. Did you eat properly at Vegas?" Asked Margaret. She was very attached to Gilbert having brought him up when his mom was ill.

"I ate what I could, Maggie but nothing compares to your cooking," said Gilbert with a smile.

"Thank you dear boy," said a happy Margaret.

Gilbert sat down to eat while the kids gave him discreet glances. Thankfully they didn't pester him for a mom with his dad sitting at the head of the table. He asked Gilbert about his work at Las Vegas and they got busy discussing it.  After dinner, he sat sipping wine with his mom whole his dad ushered the children to the games room at the basement. Before going, Maddox pushed a piece of paper into his hands.

"What's this?" Asked Gilbert, looking at the note.

"The deed," said Maddox and Gilbert looked with disbelief.

"What does it contain?" He asked curiously.

"See for yourself dad. We've signed it already. You need to do it now, " said Maddox, dashing off. His mom chuckled.

Gilbert opened the note and read.

This deed of agreement is made on 11.2.19 between Maddox Prescott, Melania Prescott and Gilbert Prescott and states that in a period of one week, Gilbert Prescott would select a woman to marry who would agree to be a mother to his children and accompany them to all public events thereafter. Failing to do so, Gilbert Prescott would face dire consequences. This is a formal agreement duly signed and holds true just as any legal document.

It was signed by the two chipmunks with space for Gilbert's signature on it. It was written on a print out of a stamped A4 Sheet. Gilbert chuckled at the two geniuses in the making and handed it to his mom. He was at a loss actually. You don't get ready-made mom's in a factory. Where would he go hunting for a mom for them?