"Got it!" Lena responded cheerfully. She washed her hands before sitting back down, picking up the utensils Aaron had prepared for her, and diving into her dumpling-and-dipping-sauce breakfast combo. "Uncle, why arenât you eating?" She had already eaten two dumplings before realizing he hadnât touched any. "Iâm not hungry." Three words. Which meant he hadnât eaten yet. "Thereâs too much food. I canât finish it all by myself. Eat some too," Lena said casually as she picked up a dumpling with her chopsticks and held it up to his mouth. She did it so naturallyâuntil she realized what she had just done. Aaron froze for a second, surprised by her gesture. The moment of hesitation made her realize tooâwasnât this kind of inappropriate? She was just about to pull her hand back whenâ He leaned in and took the dumpling straight into his mouth. Lenaâs face flushed red in an instant. She hurriedly withdrew her hand, lowered her head, and focused on eating. Meanwhile, Aar
She was shocked to see him here so early. Especially todayâa day when everyone was celebrating the new year, spending time with their loved onesâand yet, he was here. With her. Lena wasnât made of stone. She felt it. A warmth, an unspoken emotion that settled deep in her chest. "Uncle, why are you here so early?" She walked over, hands casually tucked into her coat pockets. "I didnât want you to go hungry," Aaron replied simply, lifting the bag of food in his hand. He glanced at her break room. "Open the door." She unlocked the door and stepped inside, with him following close behind. Her break room was smallâa single desk and chair, a narrow bed, and a tiny wardrobe. Nothing extra, nothing unnecessary. "Sit down, Uncle," she said naturally, settling onto the bed while motioning for him to take the chair. Aaron placed the food down and asked, "Did you sleep at all?" "I did," Lena replied. But as soon as the words left her mouth, she thought of that dreamâand let o
"If it werenât for my goddaughter, I wouldnât even bother with you," Lena said, gently rocking the baby in her arms. "Right, little Aurora? Your godmother just adores you." "Come on, Aurora, itâs time to eat," Lena said as she carefully placed the baby in Keira's arms. Although it was her first time, Keira wasnât embarrassed. She followed Lenaâs instructions, trying to breastfeed for the first time. But the process was⌠painful. And since her posture was incorrect, neither of them got it rightâKeira ended up covered in sweat from struggling, and her baby still hadnât eaten properly. Panic set in. Anxiety crept up her spine. "What do I do?" Keira asked, her voice tight with unease. "Itâs okay. This happens at first. Letâs transition with formula for now," Lena reassured Keira before glancing at Hayden, who had been standing there the whole time, watching anxiouslyâand sweating just as much as Keira was. "Go make your daughter a bottle," she told him. Hayden, the man wh
That conversation⌠Lena shuddered. Yeah, she had definitely come back too early. It was best to leave now before she ruined the mood for those two inside. Not wanting to hear any more, she quickly turned to leaveâonly to smack her leg against a nearby chair. The pain was real, but worse was the noise it made, drawing attention to her presence. Inside the room, Haydenâalready feeling awkward from Keira's teasingâfroze. The sound from outside made him even more uncomfortable. Keira couldnât hold back her laughter. The moment Keira burst out laughing, however, pain shot through her lower abdomen. "Ahâow!" Keira gasped. Hayden immediately panicked. "Whatâs wrong? Where does it hurt?" Hearing her cry, Lena rushed in as well. "What happened?" "I laughed too hard and pulled my stitches," Keira explained, gripping Haydenâs hand tightly. Lena glared at Keira. "Youâre a mother now, and yet youâre still acting like a child. Do you have any idea what condition youâre in?"
"Itâs fine. I can do it," Hayden said naturally as he picked up the basin and went to fetch warm water. The moment he stepped out, Lena turned to scold Keira. "You went through so much pain to give birth to his child. Why would you feel bad about letting him do something for you?" "Itâs not that I feel badâI just feel embarrassed," Keira whispered in defense. Lena rolled her eyes. "So dramatic." Keira shot her a glare in return. "Just wait until itâs your turn. When your husband has to handle your private matters, youâll understand how awkward it is." The moment the words left Keira's mouth, she saw Lenaâs face turn red. Lena quickly hugged the baby and turned away. But Keira caught it. Something was off. "Wait⌠why are you blushing?" Keira asked suspiciously. "I am not blushing," she denied immediately. What Keira didnât know was that her words had triggered the memory of Lena's ridiculous dreamâwhere she had been lying on the delivery bed, cursing Aaron while gi
The moment she finished cursing, Lena jolted awake. She sat there, dazed. What kind of ridiculous dream was that? She had assisted in delivering countless babies before, but this was the first time she had ever dreamed of giving birth herself. And not only thatâshe had dreamed of giving birth to Aaronâs child? That was beyond outrageous. Absolutely absurd! What a way to start the new year. That dream was anything but beautiful. Lena ran a hand down her face, shaking off the lingering unease. She quickly got up, poured herself a glass of water to calm down, and then left the break room. Back in the hospital room, Hayden was feeding Keira. Keira was perfectly capable of eating on her own, but he insisted on feeding her, saying that she was in a special period and should be treated like a queen. That this was the time to learn how to be spoiled properly. Fine. If this was how he wanted to make up for the suffering she endured giving birth to their daughter, sheâd give