**LIA** The meal Jasper prepared was not only delicious but also a rare treat for me. Long hours at work had turned my home into a place I barely spent time in. Instead, I relied on takeout or dining out, and my kitchen rarely saw the presence of groceries. The only cooking I did at home was for Angel, carefully preparing her baby food. I expressed my heartfelt gratitude to Jasper for the meal, emphasizing how it had been so long since I had the pleasure of a home-cooked meal. When I entered my house, I was met with a less than welcoming sight – Drex, seated on the couch with a deep frown etched across his face. His posture conveyed his disapproval, and it was evident that he had been waiting for my return. Arms were folded, and he looked as if he had something important to discuss. Not wanting to let him know that I was aware of his presence, I feigned ignorance and gently placed Angel on the floor. "Come on, Angel, let's go play in our room," I cooed, helping her take her wobbly f
**DREX** Thud! A loud noise reverberated through Lia’s room, Distracting me from what I was doing on my phone and amidst the echoes, the baby began crying, I'd thought it should stop by now, assuming Lia was attending to her but the cries of the baby intensified. Though I'd been somewhat nonchalant about the baby, preoccupied with school and thoughts of Jesse, the escalating cries drew my attention. Anticipating Lia to have attended to the baby's needs, the persistent screams suggested otherwise. Worry gnawed at me, prompting me to rise from the couch and rush into Lia’s room. To my dismay, I discovered the baby lying on the floor, having fallen from the bed. Lia, engrossed in the shower, seemed oblivious to the incident. Without hesitation, I scooped up the distraught infant, attempting to soothe her distressed cries. “There, there, baby girl. It’s okay, I got you,” I murmured, cradling her gently. As I wiped away her tears, she gazed at me with an odd intensity. A sudden warmth
**LIA** “Come on, Angel, let's give mommy some space to get ready.” Drex said. It sounded weird hearing that come from him. I think he realized how weird it sounded given our situation, because he didn’t bother looking up anymore, he practically ran out of the room. I almost bust into laughter because of how cute that was. After my shower, I didn't bother to lotion my body, it was already night so I didn't want to have to stress, I decided to go for comfort, I went for black shorts and a big grey T-shirt as my outfit, after drying my hair I packed it up in a rough bun. Took my phone from my bed and headed to the living room. As I observed Drex holding our child, it struck me that this might be the first time he had ever held her in nearly two years since her birth. The thought brought a pang of sadness as I recalled that my own father had never held me; he had passed away long before I came into the world. Despite the pretense of our situation, I felt grateful that Angel could expe
**DREX** The warm morning light gently streamed through the curtains, casting a golden hue across the room. I lay there, still and contemplative, trying to piece together the events of the previous night. Did anything happen between Lia and me? The memory was hazy, blurred by the fog of sleep and the remnants of alcohol from the night before. Reluctantly, I opened my eyes to the brightness of the day, relieved to find myself fully clothed. A soft movement beside me caught my attention, and I turned my gaze to Lia, nestled against me on the floor. My arms instinctively tightened around her, pulling her closer as if to reassure myself of her presence. Her peaceful sleeping form, with her hair cascading over her face, filled me with a sense of warmth and comfort. Gently, I reached out with a trembling hand to brush a stray strand of hair away from her face, revealing her delicate features. She looked so serene, so beautiful in her slumber. I truly meant what I said on our first night t
**LIA**As I glanced down at Angel, cradling her gently to coax her back into slumber, a whirlwind of thoughts raced through my mind. The intensity of the moment we shared was undeniable, but rationality prevailed as I dismissed any notion of an impromptu rendezvous. It was just a fleeting moment, I reassured myself, albeit a tempting one. Trying to get rid of Drex that was in my thoughts, I tried thinking about the bulky work I would have to do today, catching up in school today. But somehow he stayed in my thoughts. With Angel stirring in her sleep, I knew I had a limited window of opportunity to get everything prepared for the day ahead. Today was Angel's first day at preschool and I wanted to prepare as much as possible for her. As I carefully laid her back in to her crib, I couldn't help but feel a swell of pride mixed with a hint of apprehension for what the day would bring.After completing my own morning routine, I tended to Angel's needs, bathing her and dressing her in a ch
**LIA** My first day so far wasn't really bad, all thanks to Jasper. Only thing stopping me from having much fun right now is because I am aware about the bulky work load I've got coming. Being a transferred student is not as easy as the Kings thinks, but at this point I've got no choice. At the end of the day, I ended being swamped with coursework at school, desperate to catch up on missed classes. I knew Drex would understand if I just ask him of this favor. I hastily dialed his number, thinking about how I was going to ask him to pick Angel up. I clearly told him already she was my responsibility, so bothering him would be going out of it right? But at this point, doesn't seem like I have any choice. "Hey" he answered the called. "Um...hey" I replied. "What's going on?" He asked. He was bound to ask like that, I mean it's not like we normally call ourselves. I took a breath out and tried my luck. "Um...I need a favor from you..." My thumb nail in my mouth as I started talkin
**LIA**As I emerged from my room, the tension in the air was suffocating. All I could think about was grabbing a beer to numb the stress pulsating through my veins. Striding purposefully to the kitchen, I swung open the fridge door, hoping for a glimmer of relief. But alas, only one lone can greeted my searching gaze, mocking my desperate craving.Frustration clawed at my insides as I closed the fridge, resigned to my dwindling supply. Retreating back to my room, I shed the constraints of the day, I needed to get more cans, slipping into the comforting embrace of a grey sweat pant and hoodie. Tying my unruly hair into a messy bun, I tried to contain the chaos raging within. Taking my phone with me and coming back out of my room, Drex was already in the living room, he was watching the whatever was on TV. I didn't even want to see him right now, I was beyond pissed! I just wanted to quietly leave the house unfortunately he notices my presence. "Hey where are you going to?" He asked.
**DREX**After dropping Lia at school, I went straight to mine. I am almost done with school, I just have few months left and I'm off to the sky! No litrally, I don't Know why but the love I have for being up there is so huge. Ever since I was little, I have always enjoyed flying so much I decided to be a pilot so it would be a regular thing for me to fly. When I told my dad, he made sure I got the best education, hired the best tutor and looked for the best college for me. He has always tried to help me, but somehow I was always disappointing him, not in my studies, just in everything else, like making any decisions. And something I thought was the biggest disappointment was somehow his happiness. Anyways, I have decided to make him proud by being the best pilot there is. After all that's what he expects from me after giving me the best. Didn't have much classes to do today, so I was done with classes by 2. Since I am in my final year it's mostly just projects and assignments. I w