Serenity had no idea that her man had everything sorted out while she was enjoying a good soak. She came out of the bathroom and found Zachary sitting on the bed. Drawing close, she wrapped her arms around the nape of his neck and pressed him onto the mattress. She was on top of him. “Honey, you’re killing me.” Zachary’s voice was raspy when he hinted at his beloved wife. With a smile, Serenity brushed her lips along his face and gave him butterfly kisses before rolling away from him. She gave him a kick. “Off to the showers, you go. You smell of cigarettes.” “I didn’t smoke.” “Well, someone did. You got the cigarette smell on your clothes.” Zachary took a whiff of his clothes. Nothing smelled like tobacco. Nevertheless, it must be true since his wife said so. He went to take a shower and changed into a fresh set of clothes. By the time he came out, Serenity was snoozing away in dreamland. Zachary stared at her serene face, feeling envious of her sometimes. Serenity
Serenity and Zachary were an old married couple now. A while later, Serenity emerged from the bedroom and watched as Grandma May kept up the act of rummaging for her non-existence reading glasses. Serenity uttered, “Never mind if you can’t find them, Nana. I’ll go with you to get another pair of glasses later.” “Alright. I’ll stop looking then. I’m getting old. My memory isn’t as good anymore. I remember putting them here, but I can’t find them now. Maybe the glasses grew a pair of legs and ran off.” Serenity replied with a smile, “Maybe they grew a pair of wings and flew away like a butterfly.” Grandma May thought it was a shame. “Oh, I didn’t get to see them flying away like a butterfly.” Serenity was amused by the old lady’s antics. “When did you come home last night, Nana?” “I was back before you were. I went to bed early last night. I don’t know what time you guys came home last night.” Although Serenity was skeptical of Grandma May’s answer, she left the conversat
Sonny was pretty well-behaved, but he was less than three years old after all. He had a cheeky side to him. Hank took Sonny to a nearby park the other day, and the playful and active child ran everywhere. Sonny would wander off far away if Hank took his eyes off the boy for one second. It frightened Hank as he thought he had lost his child. Since then, Hank did not want to take his son out anymore. In fact, the first time they went to the park together was because Hank ran out of excuses not to go. Sonny sensibly asked, “Oh. Do you need to work?” Hank lied, “Yeah. I need to work and make money.” He still had no luck in the job department. Since it appeared Liberty was doing well with her business, it got Hank into thinking of setting up a business with Jessica after the wedding. They could be their own boss.Without needing to take orders from other people, they could work on their own schedule. Would Zachary come after him if Hank were to set up a business though?
Sonny might not understand that it was a business, but he knew that no one else but Aunt Ser and Uncle Zack were the only exceptions to the paying rule.Hank was dumbstruck for a moment before remarking, “I’m your father, Sonny. How can you compare me with Mr. Lewis? He’s an outsider. Besides, Mr. Lewis isn’t a good man. He’s scary.” Sharing the sentiment, Sonny bobbed his head and replied in his childish voice, “Dunc is scary, but he’s not a bad man!” Hank did not forget the time he told his son to kick a fuss every time Duncan came looking for Liberty. Refusing to dwell on the same topic, Hank took the hint and talked about breakfast again. His son was stubborn. The little man said that Mr. Lewis was scary, but he was not a bad man. Despite Hank’s efforts to change the boy’s mind, Sonny stuck to his guns about Mr. Lewis. “Alright. I’ll pay. Happy now? I feel like it’s all about money for you after the divorce.“You’re so petty. You hold every dime against me. We were once a
Hank admitted that he was a bad man. He wanted to force Liberty to grow disconnected from society with no source of income and become a faded woman in her early thirties.Compared to many housewives who had suffered the same situation, Liberty was a very brave person. She decisively cut off her relationship with Hank.She never compromised just because of her child.Although divorce might be harmful to the child, it would be equally detrimental if they fought all day while remaining together and there would be no peace at home too. It was better to get divorced and raise her son alone. As long as she taught him attentively, she could raise him to be a confident person.Mrs. Lane took a plate of eggs and bacon and placed it in front of Hank.Hank was pulled back from his drifting thoughts. His life now with Jessica was also happy and sweet. Although there were some family conflicts, the husband and wife were still in the break-in period. He would live a better life than with Libe
When Serenity previously lived in his home, she handled all the household chores...“J-Jessica, I-I just came here to have breakfast.”Hank picked up the fallen fork and threw it into the trash can under the table.He stood up and explained to Jessica that he was just here for breakfast.Jessica looked at Sonny.Sonny looked back at her. His face took after Liberty, and his eyes were bright and clear. He was a lovely child.Jessica could not bring herself to continue looking at him.Hank quickly explained, “Liberty was very busy earlier, and there was no one to look after Sonny, so I let him sit next to me and looked after him while I ate. Sonny is still my son, after all.”He knew that Jessica greatly disliked it when his family brought Sonny up in conversations, and she hated it when he visited Sonny.Jessica took a few deep breaths and suppressed her anger. She did not like her husband and his family always coming to visit Sonny and talking about him at all. Her in-laws alw
Hank gave Jessica a sideways glance and joked, “Jessica, did the sun rise from the west today?“I went to Liberty’s diner early in the morning to have breakfast and accompany Sonny. When I saw you, I was afraid that you’d quarrel with me and embarrass me in front of Liberty. I didn’t expect that you’d be willing to let me bring Sonny home to stay for a few days.“You treated Lucas badly, so I thought you hated children.”Jessica hated Lucas since he broke her cosmetics. However, he was Chelsea’s son. As long as Chelsea and Hank did not break off their sibling relationship, they would still come over and meet up.Jessica hated the boy, but the only thing she could do when Lucas came over was to lock their bedroom so that Lucas could not get in.Lucas would make a mess of the place, and his grandparents would not care. They were happy to let the little brat do whatever he wanted.Jessica knew that Chelsea’s three children were raised by her parents-in-law. They treated their three
“It’s conducive to our family’s happiness. I’m not a petty person. When all’s said and done, you’re Sonny’s father and have to pay for his child support, so you have to maintain your bond with him. Otherwise, it’ll be a waste if he isn’t close to you despite him growing up with your money.“We’ve been together for so long, but I haven’t gotten pregnant yet. Maybe I’ll be able to conceive if you bring Sonny over. There are many people who remain childless after years of marriage, but after they adopt a child, they have one of their own after a year or two.”Hank was overjoyed to hear this and praised her. “Jessica, I was right about you. You’re a wise and sensible wife and mother.”“What woman doesn’t think about making a good life for herself when she marries her husband. I was forced to become a shrew because your family bullied me. Your sister, especially, is a troublemaker.“She stirred up your marriage with Liberty, and now she wants to stir us up too. Hank, I’m not trying to s
“A baby’s face changes almost every day. We’ll only know who he takes after when he’s a little older.”Serenity agreed. “I should call Elisa and share this news with her.”Jasmine probably did not have time to tell her friends about her newborn. Serenity also forgot to inform Elisa because she was too worried about Jasmine. Zachary told her to call Elisa only after they were inside the car. There were too many people in the hospital. Serenity held back her excitement and immediately called Elisa when she got in the car. Elisa was extremely busy at the company. She was the only one who could manage their joint company at that moment because Serenity and Jasmine were pregnant. Even if they wanted to return to the company to work, Elisa would not allow them. Rest was of utmost importance for pregnant women. Elisa was unmarried and not pregnant. She did not mind being busier. She only picked up Serenity’s call after some time.“Seren.”Elisa held the phone in her left h
“All that matters is that you’re okay, honey. Let’s not have more children. We’ll just have this one son.”Josh spoke while holding Jasmine’s hand.Women had to experience immense pain when giving birth. It came with many risks as well. Josh had heard other people saying that a woman usually had one foot in the grave during childbirth.He was genuinely shocked after accompanying Jasmine through her labor. He had been terrified and worried that something would happen to Jasmine.Luckily, everything ended well. Jasmine and their son were safe. However, Josh did not want to experience something like that again. Having one child was enough. There was no need for a second or third child. The Buchams were a big family anyway. He did not have to bear the responsibility of expanding the family alone.“Okay. We shall not have another baby.”Although Jasmine was brimming with motherly love and recovery from a vaginal delivery was quicker, she still thought childbirth was too
It was not just Camila. The rest of the people there also had the same thought. Josh and Jasmine had a great relationship. If something happened to Jasmine, Josh would be devastated and lose all hope of living.“Congratulations. The mother has given birth to a boy safely. The baby boy is six pounds and three ounces.”The people who brought Josh out were the anesthetist and nurse.The nurse instinctively reported the good news when she saw the crowd.Then, she explained, “The father probably fainted from shock after the baby was born. Come over and help bring him to the side to rest. The mother won’t be out that quickly.”Upon hearing her words, everyone’s mood brightened up.Camila, whose legs felt weak just now, was immediately filled with strength and stood up. Without Drake's help, she went to the nurse and asked, “Does the baby need to be in the incubator since he was born prematurely?”The nurse replied, “We’ll put the baby in the incubator and observe him for a while. If
Zachary was also worried that Serenity would go into premature labor out of shock. He also persuaded her to go for her checkup in a gentle voice. They could not do anything but wait anyway.Serenity finally decided to conduct her prenatal checkup first. Zachary accompanied her. Just moments after they left, the door to the delivery suite opened. A nurse stood there and shouted, “Is Jasmine Sox’s husband here?”“Yes. I’m her husband,” replied Josh quickly. He dashed to the nurse. “You must save Jas, doctor. Save the mother no matter what.”His family members behind him also echoed, “That’s right. No matter what happens, you have to save Jasmine.”The nurse said, “The mother is fine. It’s just that she wants her husband to accompany her as she’s in a lot of pain.”Everyone breathed a sigh of relief.Josh was about to rush inside but was stopped by the nurse.She asked him to change his clothes before taking him inside the delivery suite.Jasmine was wailing in pain. When
With advanced medical technology, a premature baby could still be healthy if taken good care of in the incubator. Serenity said, “Jasmine should be at thirty-five weeks. I just don’t understand why she would suddenly go into labor. Did she fall at home?“Or did she eat something that made her go into labor?”Zachary said, “That’s most likely not the case. Josh’s cousin is Jasmine’s dietician and keeps an eye on her food every day. There’s no way Jasmine would’ve eaten something bad unless she ate it secretly.”Serenity and Zachary suddenly went silent. Pregnant women had weird appetites. Once they had a craving, they could not go unsatisfied. Sometimes, they would even crave fruits that were not in season. Serenity herself was one of them. Once, she woke up in the middle of the night craving mac and cheese. Of course, Zachary, the ever-doting husband, had to satisfy her request. However, where could he find mac and cheese at that hour?Ultimately, he had to drive to the
People would reap what they had sown. They would have to bear the consequences of their actions. Sometimes, interfering in another person’s fate would backfire. After chatting for some time, Serenity said, “I have to go for my checkup now, Liberty. Let’s talk again when you’re free another day.“By the way, I’ll get someone to bring Sonny to you this weekend. He misses you.”“Okay,” said Liberty. After the call ended, Serenity put her phone into her bag and stood up. She told the man behind the office desk, “It’s almost time, babe. Let’s go.”“Okay. I’m almost done.”Zachary quickly signed and stamped a document before closing it. He walked over with the document in hand. Serenity and Zachary left the office together. He handed the document to his secretary. The secretary did not expect him to pass the document to him personally. He had thought of entering Zachary’s office to request it later. The secretary watched Zachary and Serenity leave. He could not believe
Lilian often messed with the medicinal herbs her master cultivated, which led to her being chased and scolded by him.It seemed her son had inherited her restless nature.“How’s Sonny been lately?”Liberty had been on edge these past few days because Caroline had been preparing to lure her three brothers into a trap and had not had time to call her son.“Same as usual, but it seems like things have soured again with the Browns.”Serenity added, “Sonny still answers when Hank calls him, but he doesn’t seem happy when his grandparents visit. He doesn’t like going to the Browns’ place, and he doesn’t want to take their calls either.“Hank’s mother and sister are truly incorrigible. They must have been badmouthing you and Duncan in front of Sonny again, which is why he’s upset with them.”During the holidays, Sonny had stayed with the Browns for a few days and started to warm up to them.However, who would have thought that the mother and daughter would start spouting nonsense in f
Once the baby was born, he would apply the knowledge he had learned over the past few months to care for the baby. He was determined to be a competent and responsible father.Serenity released her arms from around him and shifted to her side.Zachary let go, too, allowing her to turn.Then, she planted countless gentle kisses on his face.“Babe, with you here, the baby and I will be just fine. Don’t worry too much,” Serenity comforted softly after kissing him.“You are my rock. If even you are nervous, I’ll start feeling anxious too, and that won’t be good.”Hearing this, Zachary immediately said, “Seren, don’t worry. I’ll protect both of you. Alright, I won’t be so nervous anymore.”He gently touched her rounded belly again. “Lil’ Bun should be a calm kid. He’s not that mischievous.”He felt that the baby’s movements were not too intense.Serenity wanted to tell him that there were times when the baby kicked more vigorously, but she decided against it, knowing it would only m
“Just hit the gym a few more times. Lately, you’ve been spending less time there.”Every day after work, he would come home and orbit around her. As a result, he had less time to work out.It was normal to gain a few pounds eating well and exercising less. Did he really think he could eat anything without gaining weight?The reason he could maintain a model-like physique before was that he exercised daily.“Ow.” Serenity suddenly cried out in pain.This startled Zachary so much that he nearly jumped up, asking anxiously, “Is it stomach pain? Are you going into labor? Let’s go to the hospital right away.”He was about to pick her up, but Serenity stopped him by pressing his hand.“Don’t be so nervous, Zachary. It's not time yet. It’s not happening so soon. It’s just the baby kicking again. His kicks are getting stronger.”As she entered the later stages of pregnancy, the little one inside her was growing stronger. Sometimes, a couple of kicks from the baby could actually hurt.