Deanna and Jonathan's relationship had returned to normal, the only thing that had changed was that the boy now called her “Mom.” It sounded a little strange to her, but at the same time it made her happy to hear it. She just had to get used to it.“Mom, I'm hungry,” said the little boy. They were sitting in the living room reading a book.Now that he was a little older, he was interested in other things besides stories. So Deanna brought him one of her books about music to answer his questions as best she could.“Dad's making dinner. Are you very hungry?”“Yes, my tummy is rumbling,” he replied, and she laughed heartily.“Well, read a little more and I'll go steal something from the kitchen.”But she stopped at the door when she saw Daniel. She leaned against the frame and looked at him.With his back to her, wearing his apron, he was skillfully wielding a knife. She had become so accustomed to these moments they shared together that now he was the one who turned on the radio to list
By the time Deanna returned, Daniel and the children had already come back. Meeting Frank had given her a feeling of well-being despite the past. She entered smiling.“Where were you?“ her husband asked her.“I went out for a drink with a friend... It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time,” she replied happily.For Deanna, it was perfectly normal, but for Daniel, not so much.“What friend?”“Frank. Remember?” she said, sitting down next to him.“The guy from college? The one who cheated on you?”Something in his tone bothered Deanna.“Yes, that one...”“And why?”“He called me this morning, he wanted to talk... He's getting married next month.”“The messages last night were from him. You said you didn't know the number.” And again, that hint of mistrust crept into his voice.“And I didn't know it.”Deanna had honed her patience and temperament. She knew that tone and those mannerisms of Daniel's, and that's why she had put so much of herself into learning to calm him down, to le
Deanna wasn't at all happy with what Harry was proposing. He had to be crazy to come up with such an idea."What you're saying makes zero sense. Did you hit your head before coming here?""I know, but we need your help. I don't know who else to ask."Harry's girlfriend, Laura, wasn't saying anything, but she was getting more nervous by the minute.Their situation wasn't good - they were still in school, they were young, madly in love, but they'd been careless. Laura had confirmed her pregnancy just three days ago."I get where you're coming from, Harry, but no one's going to buy it. Your family doesn't even know me.""But I talked to my brother and he agreed. Please Deanna, help us."Laura finally spoke up, her eyes full of tears."We wouldn't ask this if it wasn't so important to us. Our families are really strict about this stuff. They won't let Harry marry me if his older brother is still single. And my family won't let me keep the baby unless I'm married."Seeing Laura so distress
Daniel Crusher had been a widower for 5 years. His wife had died from a heart condition shortly after giving birth to their youngest son. She left him alone with 3 kids and a deep sadness in a house that suddenly felt too big.He had no intentions of remarrying, even though he was one of the most eligible bachelors and was known to have had a few brief relationships. He could raise his children alone, or at least that's what he thought.And then his younger brother comes along, backs him into a corner with a completely unthinkable proposal. When he found out why, he exploded in fury."How can you be so irresponsible?!"But Daniel couldn't leave his brother and Laura to their fate. Much less abandon the little one on the way. Behind the ice shield he'd built around himself, there was still a warm-hearted man."Who is she?" he had asked.And again, he hit the roof when Harry told him about Deanna."But if she goes to university with you, that means... she's your age?""Yes, she's 25 lik
Daniel was the first to arrive at the apartment. He'd been there a few times over the years, but this time Laura's presence was noticeable in little things throughout the house. It was clear they'd been sharing the place for a while. For some reason, he felt nervous; this situation was very similar to when his mother set him up with her friends' daughters, except this time he came willingly. Maybe because this was the first time he was the one waiting for approval. A few minutes later, the doorbell rang - it was Deanna. The moment he saw her cross the threshold, he knew this would be harder than he'd thought. She entered with a huge smile and within seconds filled the place with her energy, as if radiating some kind of warm light. She wore her hair down, the abundant caramel-colored mane covering her shoulders. Daniel's first reaction was to stand up immediately, as if pushed by an invisible force. Upon seeing him, Deanna didn't hesitate to approach and stand before the tall, dark-h
The next day, Daniel met with his parents. He needed to stay as calm as possible and tell them the news naturally; without wavering while following the story to the letter, or no one would believe the charade."Well, we're here son. What did you want to talk to us about?" his mother asked."I'm getting married.""What do you mean you're getting married? What are you talking about, Daniel?" His father was a bit surprised, it was something he never expected to hear from him again."I'm getting married in a few weeks, Dad, and I want the whole family to meet her.""Wait a moment son, wait... Who exactly are you marrying?""Deanna.""Who? Who is Deanna?"He knew his mother would flood him with questions. She wanted her grandchildren to have a woman's presence while growing up besides herself or Susan, but this was too sudden. Neither of them was prepared to hear what Daniel had to say."Deanna is Harry's university classmate. We've been dating for several months now and I've decided to ma
Laura knocked on her apartment door; Deanna wasn't expecting her. Classes had been canceled that day, and she'd taken advantage of it to organize and do some cleaning; otherwise, she wouldn't be back until late afternoon. She was supposed to finish her degree with Harry this year; now she'd have to wait a bit longer."Sorry to bother you today.""Not at all, Laura, come in... It's a bit messy because I was cleaning up.""Thanks. I'm here on a mission.""A mission?""Yes, my brother-in-law gave me his credit card and today we're going shopping together.""I guess the family meeting is already planned.""Yes.""Well, I'll do my best.""Really, Deanna, I don't know how to thank you for what you're doing. I know you didn't get a good impression of Daniel the other night, and you'll have to postpone your studies for us. But you don't know what this means to me." She placed both hands on her belly."I'm more than happy to help, don't be silly. That little seed growing inside you will have t
But before the family meeting, Daniel needed to make sure his future wife passed "quality control." He was very aware that Deanna wasn't used to moving in his social circles, and although he cared little about that, he knew his family would notice the smallest detail.So he talked to Harry and asked him to let Deanna know they'd be having dinner alone."Why don't you call her yourself?""Because I don't have her number.""You should have asked for it when you took her home, brother.""I didn't think it necessary. Call her for me and tell her I'll pick her up at 8."It wasn't the first time he'd gone to dinner with a woman, nor the first time he'd picked one up at her home. However, like the day he met her, Daniel again had this strange feeling in the pit of his stomach. But this time, since they were going to a nice restaurant, he went back to his usual three-piece suit. The vest was always a must in his suits, which set him apart from other businessmen with his elegance.Deanna had t
By the time Deanna returned, Daniel and the children had already come back. Meeting Frank had given her a feeling of well-being despite the past. She entered smiling.“Where were you?“ her husband asked her.“I went out for a drink with a friend... It was nice, I hadn't done that in a long time,” she replied happily.For Deanna, it was perfectly normal, but for Daniel, not so much.“What friend?”“Frank. Remember?” she said, sitting down next to him.“The guy from college? The one who cheated on you?”Something in his tone bothered Deanna.“Yes, that one...”“And why?”“He called me this morning, he wanted to talk... He's getting married next month.”“The messages last night were from him. You said you didn't know the number.” And again, that hint of mistrust crept into his voice.“And I didn't know it.”Deanna had honed her patience and temperament. She knew that tone and those mannerisms of Daniel's, and that's why she had put so much of herself into learning to calm him down, to le
Deanna and Jonathan's relationship had returned to normal, the only thing that had changed was that the boy now called her “Mom.” It sounded a little strange to her, but at the same time it made her happy to hear it. She just had to get used to it.“Mom, I'm hungry,” said the little boy. They were sitting in the living room reading a book.Now that he was a little older, he was interested in other things besides stories. So Deanna brought him one of her books about music to answer his questions as best she could.“Dad's making dinner. Are you very hungry?”“Yes, my tummy is rumbling,” he replied, and she laughed heartily.“Well, read a little more and I'll go steal something from the kitchen.”But she stopped at the door when she saw Daniel. She leaned against the frame and looked at him.With his back to her, wearing his apron, he was skillfully wielding a knife. She had become so accustomed to these moments they shared together that now he was the one who turned on the radio to list
“But of course it's nonsense!” Camila exclaimed indignantly, rushing out into the courtyard.Susan held her breath and Amanda just watched her. She knew what Harry's mother was like: very traditional, very attached to customs, and relentless. She knew how resistant she had been to Deanna and how difficult it was to please her.“Mom...“ Susan tried.“It's nonsense, Amanda. Ridiculous!” she said, raising her arms.Susan's face tensed, and she looked at her as if to warn her.“What? Why are you looking at me like that?” she asked her daughter, then looked Amanda in the eyes.“Didn't you just give him a son? Doesn't Emma call you Mom? What rights don't you have? Of course you have all of them! For God's sake!”She sat down next to her and touched Ryan's little hand as it slipped out from under the blanket.“You gave my son the chance to love and have a family. You were there for him when none of us could be, and you supported him and made him feel safe. I don't even want to think about wh
“I feel like a hippopotamus,“ Deanna said, taking off her robe.“But a very cute one,” Daniel replied, doing the same.The pain in her body was getting worse every day. It was difficult for her to move, change position in bed, and even walking was sometimes torture. But the doctor had recommended that when she felt tense, she should relax with hot water. And he was right; it helped her a lot.The shower was quick and improvised, but what really relaxed her was the bathtub. The huge bathtub her husband had installed for her and her belly. But it was too high for her to get in by herself, so Daniel always helped her. He had already told her and emphasized, waving a finger, that she should never even think of using it alone; she could slip or hit herself.During those months, he went to the office less often. He delegated many things to Harry, and his brother complied, so he could spend more time with his family. It seemed like he didn't want to miss a thing.The water was hot, and she c
Susan was sitting between Amanda and the restless Emma, who wanted to climb over her to get to her little brother. She looked up and saw him approaching with a serious expression and a slightly furrowed brow. Amanda also saw him and stood up. Deanna had already told her what her father was going to do.“Come on, Emma, would you like some dessert?“ he asked, and the little girl took his hand.Susan, a little surprised by his sudden departure, was about to say something when he stopped in front of her.“Sit down with me,” she invited him, but Leonard didn't move. Something about his face was strange.“Leonard? What's wrong?”Without saying a word, old Leonard Reed, madly in love, knelt down on one knee in front of Susan Crusher. Daniel's jaw dropped, Charles gripped the armrests of his chair tightly, and Camila sat down suddenly as if something had pushed her.Susan didn't understand for a few seconds, but then she froze. The whole place fell silent, creating an atmosphere of anticipati
Alice also left the hospital around that time. The strain she had put on Leonard, the demands and reproaches of his daughters, and his own guilt were taking their toll on his relationship with Susan. Although she tried to contain him, Reed sometimes became a volcano spewing nothing but filth.He was often unstable, capable of going from the sweetest love to a fit of rage in a matter of seconds, triggered by the most insignificant things. And Susan was getting fed up.“You're just going to make her leave you,” Marcus said, looking at him with a grim expression.He listened to their argument; Leonard was on the phone, Susan was in the gallery, and their shouting carried from the back rows of the theater to the stage.Leonard looked at him in disbelief.“That won't happen,” he said with conviction.“I don't know, Leonard... No woman likes to be treated like that. You're turning into an unbearable old man. I won't blame her when she tells you to get lost.”“Nonsense.”But deep down, he kn
“Why are you doing this to me?“ he asked, tears already streaming down his face.“So you can have a heart attack and I can inherit your money?” she replied with a faint smile.Deanna opened her arms wide and he automatically moved away from the wall. He walked until she could hug him, and there, feeling her again, feeling her warmth and breathing, Daniel was finally able to release all his fear. He hadn't cried like that since he said goodbye to Emily for the last time, alone with her in a hospital room, without the sound of machines.“We're okay...” she whispered in his ear.But his face was hidden in her neck, his hand on her belly, and a desperation that was leaving him breathless. He cried with relief, but also with fear and helplessness. Just like that, like a breeze, someone could have taken everything away from him in a second, and he wouldn't have been able to do anything.Deanna kissed the part of his face she could reach and felt his body tremble, so she held him tighter.“L
Daniel's heart was in his mouth and his chest felt tight. The elevator wasn't coming, and in desperation, he ran down the 15 floors to the ground floor; the car was waiting for him at the door, the engine running as he had shouted from his office.He drove at breakneck speed, knowing he was going to kill himself. He prayed to the heavens that everyone was okay, begging Emily to protect them; he had never felt so afraid in his life. It was a cold, sharp fear that was consuming his soul. Something was pressing down on him from inside, closing his throat and making it difficult to breathe. He had started to sweat.Naomi had called him crying hysterically. He couldn't understand what she was saying. She was choking as she tried to explain, and the words wouldn't come out. Just hearing her made his hair stand on end. He tried to calm her down, to speak softly, but his daughter just screamed incoherent sentences. He had to scream himself because she was driving him crazy.He didn't hang up
Just as Leonard struggled with bitter memories, Daniel was about to experience the same thing. Another anniversary of Emily's death was approaching, and when that happened, the days leading up to it were usually very quiet. Now her memory was not a source of sadness, but the longing was still there.Daniel would take his children to visit her and leave flowers; he didn't go as often as he did in the first few months, when he would spend the day sitting in front of her grave, talking to her in his thoughts and crying. It was a very difficult time to get through because he felt abandoned and scared, even though he didn't admit it.Since Deanna joined the family, the ritual had changed only slightly. Now she was the one who looked for the prettiest flowers to give to the children to take to their mother. It was a way of thanking her, in her heart, for the beautiful children she had given Daniel and for being his strength in many difficult moments.Blue and pink lisianthus, a huge bouquet