Serenity smiled and said, “That’s how kids are. Childhood is the happiest and most carefree time in a person's life. When they grow older and start schooling, and face academic pressures, they won’t be as carefree as they are now.”Jane agreed. “Yes, I sometimes wish I could return to my childhood. Being a little kid was the happiest time.”As a child, she was the family’s little darling. She was pampered by everyone and was even more carefree than her adopted son Laurence. After all, Laurence had to study medicine and self-defense. Before she started elementary school, her time was purely spent playing.Serenity said, “Keep your voice down—don’t let Ben hear you. Otherwise, he might think you’re unhappy with him and start wracking his brain to figure out how to make you happy.”Jane instinctively turned to look at Ben. As if sensing her gaze, Ben looked up and smiled at her. Jane smiled back. Turning her head, she affectionately linked arms with Serenity.“I’ve always been happy.
Sonny, feeling satisfied, said, “I’m so cute. I just knew everyone would miss me.”“This kid’s becoming more shameless by the day,” Serenity commented about her nephew’s growing arrogance.Jane laughed as she took Connor from Antonia's arms. “Sonny is speaking the truth. He’s as adorable as my Laurence.”This was a double entendre. Both kids were clever and cute, but they were also becoming quite thick-skinned, especially Laurence. Jane felt that her adopted son had grown up a lot in his recent time away. He was very perceptive. With a few unconventional old-timers around raising him, they could not judge Laurence by conventional standards.“I’m good friends with Laurence—we’re like brothers. My uncle says that Laurence and I have been playing together since we were little, so we’ll be childhood friends, and that we’ll always be best buddies.”Sonny and Laurence were sitting on either side of Lilian, who was still holding Chloe. The adults in the room laughed. It would be delightf
Lilian was “scolded” by Doc and was only left off the hook after she promised to never bite Oliver again. When baby Oliver returned to Lilian’s arms, he still gave her a huge smile that melted her heart. No wonder her master loved the baby so dearly. Oliver was truly adorable.The Johnson family had breakfast prepared. Everyone took their seats and together they had breakfast at the dining table. After eating, Jane and Lilian accompanied Serenity on a stroll in the garden. Serenity often felt too full after a meal and needed to move around. However, she would get hungry as soon as everything was digested. Jane smiled. “The fetus is growing rapidly at this stage. It needs a lot of nutrients. That’s why you get hungry quickly. Most pregnant women eat small but frequent meals.“I used to eat more than you when I was pregnant. My appetite returned to normal after I gave birth.”Jane had twins. Naturally, more nutrients were required for two fetuses.She felt herself stuff
After two years, Liberty had become a better version of herself. Her style was also more similar to Aunt Audrey’s.Jane did not know what to say. Serenity turned to look at Lilian. She asked, “When are you going to Wiltspoon, Lilian? Is it tonight or tomorrow?”Lilian replied openly, “Tonight. Mr. Patrick is eager to return to Jensburg. He’s been waiting for this day for decades. It has been the sole motivation that’s been keeping him going.”After speaking, she smiled. “How did you know I’d be going over?”“Doc is back, and he can’t possibly leave so soon. Mr. Patrick is old and is plagued by many ailments. He needs a doctor at all times. If your teacher won’t be with him, then it must be you. It’s easy to guess.“The masters will most likely leave tomorrow. Going home was an excuse. They are simply taking a detour to go to Jensburg.”No one had revealed anything to Serenity. She had guessed and analyzed everything herself. Lilian praised, “You’re clever, Serenity. You also
“Children don’t have to be worried about gaining weight. They’re physically active, which burns a lot of calories.”Jane added, “There was a period when Laurence gained weight but lost it soon after.“Since Sonny is also practicing martial arts, he won’t gain too much weight if he doesn’t overeat.“Lilian’s also right, Serenity. My brother and sister-in-law are nosy people. Even if I don’t tell them, they’ll go over themselves. You don’t have to feel like you owe me a favor.”Jane reassured Serenity and told her not to be too worried about the situation in Jensburg. She also convinced Serenity that getting her brother and sister-in-law to go to Jensburg was no big deal. It would be nothing but entertainment to them. “I’m not worried. I’ll wait for my sister to return and celebrate Christmas.”Serenity nodded gratefully. Zachary bringing her over and linking her up with Jane and Lilian back then had been really helpful. Jane and Lilian had powerful families backing them.
“Spot on. He learned the tricks from his friends.”“Aunt Ser.”“Mommy Jane.”The two boys came running over. “Where did your pinwheels come from, Laurence?” Jane asked despite knowing the answer. “This is one of Sonny’s presents for me. Don’t you think this pinwheel is pretty, Mommy Jane? It’s fun. The wind is strong today. It’s a perfect day to play with pinwheels. It’ll be better if we have kites.”Laurence was happy that he had received gifts from his friend. He told Jane eagerly, “Sonny gave me many presents, Mommy Jane. There are toys, snacks, and even books.”Jane patted his head and asked, “Have you said your thanks? Did you get something for Sonny too?”“I thanked him and gave him presents. He liked them a lot.”Sonny chimed in, “I love the present Laurence gave me, Aunt Jane.”The items Laurence had given him were something Aunt Ser could not buy. Laurence said his teacher’s teacher made them. The carved animal figurines looked like they could come alive any seco
The day passed by quickly and evening came around.After a short rest in the afternoon, Serenity was glued to Lilian the entire evening. She got nervous as she watched Lilian stuff many bottles of medicine into her luggage. “These are the medicines I usually bring around with me. Don’t overthink.”Lilian had no choice but to tell Serenity. “There’s also the medication Mr. Patrick has to take daily. I’m bringing it over because his supply is running low.”Serenity kept quiet. Lilian stood and patted her shoulder, saying, “You can follow me to Jensburg if you’re really worried.”“Lilian,” said Jane. Although Serenity was physically there with them, her heart was in Jensburg. How could Lilian even mention bringing Serenity along?It would only distract Zachary and the rest. The situation would get messier too. “I’m not worried. I don’t have to follow you to Jensburg either.”Serenity denied and said, “I’m watching you pack because I’m bored. Oh, by the way, please rela
No matter how close Serenity was with Camryn, it could never surpass her friendship with Jasmine. She knew everything about Jasmine.After all, they had been best friends for over a decade. They were two peas in a pod.“I know. My teacher had examined Camryn as well. I don’t know if he gave her any other medications. I didn’t ask him about it.“It’s okay. I’ll just bring some medicine over for her based on my last prescription.”Camryn’s eyes had almost fully recovered. However, it would take some time for her body to be completely cleared of toxins. Lilian would pity Camryn whenever she prepared her medicine.Paige Newman was utterly cruel. Even if she did not love her ex-husband, Camryn was her biological daughter. Lilian heard that Camryn and Paige looked alike. Even Carrie resembled little of Paige.Nevertheless, Paige disliked and even resented Camryn. She wanted to kill her to ensure her ex-husband, Abel, did not have any offspring. Abel was not to be blamed for
“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.