Lahat ng Kabanata ng Wedcuffed: Kabanata 341 - Kabanata 350

Sarah POVThe same eveningThe house had settled into that quiet stillness after a full and long day comes to pass. Upstairs, Gabriel was asleep. Only sound filled his nursery with his soft even breaths. I had just finished putting away the last few dishes after dinner. The dishwasher's warm hum, a type of white noise, filled the kitchen.Lauren was in my office during this afternoon, she offered a sincere apology; her hands trembled; the memory still lingered.At that moment I had said, “I never want Gabriel to be like Adrian. I never want anyone to suffer what I went through,” I had felt something strengthen inside me. It wasn't just wishing, it was vowing. A boundary deep enough toward carving the rest of my life's guide.I did move to the living room as the glow of a soft lamp pooled in the corner. That is when I did notice Alessandro near the window, and also his silhouette was sharp toward the city lights just beyond. Gabriel stirred a bit so he held him in his arms. Our little b

Sarah POVThe morning began like mornings usually do.Gabriel's warm melodic laughter drifted down the hallway as Ester tried to coax him into his tiny overalls. Alessandro's quiet hum, moving to the rhythm from the sizzling pan, mingled with the faint sweetness from pancakes and freshly brewed coffee.One hand held my belly's swell as I sat at the dining table my other hand tracing circles on my mug. Nine months, almost. Just another few weeks were to be expected before arrival of the baby. However, the baby came early.For urgency was nowhere to be found for today, but my body had grown so heavy in ways unimaginable before now. The home felt alive with ordinary comfort offered. That same comfort was all of that which mattered.There it was, yet even then. A strange, low ache was pulling within my abdomen. It was persistent and not sharp like distant thunder faintly rolling before a storm. I froze then, with my hand pressed softly against the curve of my stomach, and I felt then the

Sarah POVThe room was quiet except around my newborn's soft breaths as it slept in the bassinet beside my bed and the steady rhythm of the monitor. Every motion reminded me of the fight I had just fought to bring him into the world and my body still ached. When I glanced over and saw his tiny chest rose and fell, the exhaustion turned into something else like an ache so full it almost hurt with pride and wonder.Alessandro leaned forward then did put his elbows on his knees as he sat right beside me. He stared at our son with that same intensity that I did see on his face in the delivery room. His dark hair fell right into his eyes, and he just absently brushed it back again. He appeared reluctant to glance elsewhere much. A sudden rush of tears was swallowed back by me at the sight of him like this—unguarded, and also reverent.With Ester and Noah on the couch, Gabriel stacked wooden blocks Noah had brought from home while babbling happily. Every so often, Gabriel would look toward

Sarah POVWednesday AfternoonIt had been only a few days since coming home from the hospital, and the distance between my exhaustion and my amazement looked indefinitely small. I sat in the living room as I adjusted Elias slightly more against my chest and breathed the soft fragrance of his skin, while his short breath heat heated my throat hollow. Every time I saw Elias, and every time Gabriel whispered and whispered "babb" with surprise in his big blue eyes, my heart felt very big for my ribcage.The doorbell startled me.Ester had left half an hour ago after dropping off a basket of soups and herbal teas. Alessandro was at the office, though not without reminding me—twice—to call him if I so much as felt a shadow of discomfort.I wasn't expecting anyone.While balanced in one hand, I knocked on the door and peeped through the peephole.Neil Darell.For a moment, I was standing there, frozen—my father.My pulse stumbled into confusion. We did not talk for a long while - except for

Alessandro's POVAfter finishing talking to Sarah's grandparents for a few hours, we went to sleep in our bedrooms, but I could not sleep. I just locked Sarah in my arms in the dark. She sighs up slowly against me, finally resting after dealing with the mess that Neil Darell had brought earlier.I embraced her more firmly, signalling that I was present for her. Nonetheless, I continued to flip and shift in the darkness.There are moments when restraint feels like virtue. This wasn’t one of them.Neil Darell had crossed a line the moment he decided to stand in front of Sarah and the boys. He has no right to destroy Sarah's peace. I have already tolerated many things; however, I could not let this move.By the time the dawn began to lighten the town beyond the window, I had already determined what had to be executedI moved silently, careful now not to wake Sarah or the boys, and slipped out of bed.The city was waking slowly outside, horns blaring distantly, the hum of birds chirping o