Semua Bab Billionaire Romance: Mine Tonight: Bab 71 - Bab 80

Late February, the decision about attending the Oscars had consumed Seraphine for weeks. James was now six months old, old enough to manage one evening without her, young enough that leaving him felt impossible. Charlotte was in intensive therapy three times weekly, showing slow improvement but still fragile. “You should go,” Damien said during one of their countless discussions about it. “You’re a nominated producer. Your film is a frontrunner. You’ve earned the right to be there.” “But James is only six months old. He’s still nursing exclusively. I’d be gone an entire day minimum flight to LA, ceremony, flight back.” Seraphine bounced James on her hip while Charlotte played nearby. “That’s too long to be away from him.” “Your mother will be here. I’ll be here. Patricia will be here. James will have three competent adults caring for him.” Damien took James from her. “And I can give him bottles. You’ve been pumping. We have frozen milk.” “It’s not the same as nursing. He prefers n

April, film Maya called on a Tuesday morning, her voice tight with stress. “Can we meet for coffee? I need to talk to someone who understands.” They met at a café near the park, both bringing their youngest James at eight months, Henry at fifteen months. Charlotte was at preschool, Nathan at daycare. “Elijah and I are fighting,” Film Maya said without preamble. “Constantly. About everything. Division of labor, career priorities, who’s sacrificing more.” “What specifically triggered it?” “I got offered a series regular role. Six months of shooting, significant pay, career-defining opportunity.” Film Maya stirred her coffee mechanically. “But it requires relocating to Vancouver for the shoot. Six months away from home with two kids under three.” “That’s complicated.” “Elijah says we should take it. Move the whole family to Vancouver for six months, he’ll reduce his surgical hours even more, we’ll make it work.” Film Maya’s voice was strained. “But Nathan just started prescho

Late August, James’s first birthday party was significantly more elaborate than Charlotte’s had been at the same age not because he would remember it, but because Seraphine wanted to celebrate what they’d all survived. One year of two children. One year of impossible balances. One year of somehow making it work. The party was at their house chosen family gathering that had become tradition. Marcus and Lizzie with their five, Film Maya and Elijah with their two, Julian and Sophia with Lucas and six month old Amelia. Plus grandparents, Elena and David visiting from Switzerland. Twenty adults and twelve children creating controlled chaos in their brownstone. “This is a lot of humans,” Damien observed, surveying the crowd while holding James now a fully mobile toddler who required constant supervision. “This is family. It’s always a lot.” Seraphine watched Charlotte and Sophie (Marcus’s oldest) organize the younger children into some game that made sense only to them. “But good a lot.”

January, Damien’s first day as primary parent started with chaos. Charlotte refused to wear anything except her princess costume to pre-K, James threw his breakfast on the floor repeatedly, and the carefully color coded schedule Damien had created was immediately abandoned when Charlotte couldn’t find her favorite shoes. “We’re going to be late,” Damien said, slightly panicked while searching for shoes that Charlotte insisted were “the ONLY ones that work.” “They’re all the same shoes. Pick any pair.” Seraphine was dressed for the office, ready to leave for her first full day of intensive work in over a year. “But these ones are SPECIAL! They’re my FAST shoes!” Charlotte was adamant. Seraphine found the “fast shoes” under Charlotte’s bed, helped get both children ready while Damien packed lunches with military precision, and finally got everyone out the door twenty minutes late. “Good luck,” she told Damien, kissing him before heading to her car. “Text me updates.” “I have this

March, The labor movement film began principal photography in March, with Seraphine as lead producer on set most days. The new dynamic Damien as primary parent, her working intensively was being tested for the first time with a demanding production schedule. “I’ll be on set six days a week for the next twelve weeks,” she told Damien while reviewing the shooting schedule. “Twelve-hour days minimum. Can you really manage both kids solo that intensively?” “I’ve been managing them for two months. This is just more of the same.” He was already adjusting calendars, coordinating with Patricia for additional backup. “We’ll make it work.” “But what about your consulting work? You can’t do both.” “I’ll scale back. Take only projects I can do remotely during nap times or evenings. This is your major production. It takes priority.” His voice was firm. “I stepped back from Hale Global so you could pursue opportunities like this. I meant it.” The first week of production tested that commitmen