Yvonne was busy marking her students' attendance when her phone beeped, indicating a new message had arrived. She paused, picked up her phone, and saw that the message was from Micheal.Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. Yvonne had no idea why Micheal always tried to stay as far away from her as possible whenever his children were not present.He emphasized boundaries in their relationship, which Yvonne respected. Things would have been awkward if Micheal acted as close as his children tried to make them. She doubted she would have been as free to interact with the children as she had been. Still, his coldness was sometimes concerning.He often sounded frustrated during their conversations and always ended them quickly. However, now that he had sent her a message of his own accord, Yvonne was suddenly curious about its content.Opening the message, Yvonne’s mind froze for a few seconds. It read: *When was the last time you went to the theater? Would you like to watch a movie with me t
Sitting quietly in his office, Micheal’s mind was a whirlwind of thoughts. He had just texted Yvonne, asking her out on a date—a gesture driven more by pity for how her life had unraveled than by genuine interest. However, when Yvonne responded by asking if he was hitting on her, Micheal felt an unexpected thrill. He had scoffed at her message but found it difficult to dismiss the idea. For some reason, the notion of keeping her in suspense intrigued him, so he replied, asking if it was a bad idea.Before he knew it, he had spent two hours scrolling through lists of movies showing in the cinemas, searching for something decent enough for their outing. They eventually settled on a romantic comedy that had garnered great reviews.Once the movie was decided, the reality of actually taking her out hit him. How should he treat her without causing a misunderstanding? Could he be kind without scaring her away? Micheal wanted to show Yvonne she was more than just David’s neglected fiancée, b
“Daddy, what does 'rosmantic' mean?” Lily suddenly asked, her face scrunched up in deep thought.“It’s ‘ro-man-tic,’” Jack corrected her with a slight emphasis on each syllable. “And you don’t need to know what it means, Lily. You’re still too young.”Micheal burst out laughing, a sound that was rare to outsiders. “And you’re old?” he teased, raising an eyebrow at his son.“Daddy, tell me!” Lily insisted, her voice taking on a playful, exaggerated whine. She was now more curious than ever after Jack’s refusal.“I said no,” Jack repeated, more firmly this time.Micheal shook his head with a smile. “Jack, you should know better. Where did you even learn that word?” he asked.“I Googled it,” Jack replied innocently.“Googled it? What are you, twelve years old?” Micheal asked, incredulous.“I’m four years old,” Jack corrected.“Almost four, Jack,” Micheal chuckled.“Daddyyy!” Lily pouted, her curiosity now at its peak.“No, Lily. You’re a girl, and you’re still too young,” Jack insisted,
The evening air was crisp as Yvonne stood outside her apartment, waiting for Micheal. She had spent more time than she’d like to admit preparing for this date, despite telling herself it wasn’t anything serious. Her nerves had been on edge all day, and even now, as she stood in the cool twilight, she could feel her heartbeat quickening.She couldn’t help but ponder how the night would unfold. Why had she agreed to this? Her heart raced with nervousness and uncertainty. Was she doing something she shouldn’t?Waiting for another man who wasn’t David—was that wrong? Thoughts tumbled through Yvonne’s mind, but it was too late to turn back now. Curiosity about what Micheal had planned had trapped her in this evening, leaving her no choice but to go along with it.When Micheal pulled up, Yvonne let herself relax, pushing her wandering thoughts to the back of her mind. He stepped out of the car, dressed casually in a navy-blue shirt and dark jeans, yet managing to look effortlessly put toget
Micheal appeared relaxed, as if enjoying his own movie playing out in the form of Yvonne's expressions. Her laughter was electric, sending a jolt of energy straight to his soul.But appearances can be deceiving. Micheal was anything but relaxed. His thoughts raced—about Yvonne, about David, about the delicate balance he needed to maintain tonight. He had promised himself to keep things light, to enjoy the evening without overthinking it. But now that they were here, he couldn’t ignore the weight of the situation.It was spiraling out of his control. Yvonne’s presence was affecting him more than he had anticipated. He had been right to keep his distance all along; spending too much time with her was clearly not a good idea.About halfway through the movie, a particularly sad scene caused Yvonne’s expression to drop. It was the first time Micheal tore his eyes away from her, forcing himself to focus on the screen instead.From then on, he willed himself not to look back at her. He didn’
Yvonne’s chest heaved, her lips slightly parted as if to speak, but the words refused to come. Micheal’s intense gaze locked her in place. “If you’re not ready to be my woman, don’t make me fall in love with you,” he said, his voice low and firm. “There will be no escape if that happens. Absolutely none.”Yvonne blinked rapidly, her lashes trembling as she processed his words. “I’ll… keep that in mind. But we’re too close. Could you step back, please?” she stammered, unable to control the pounding of her heart.Like a true gentleman, Micheal took a few steps back, his expression returning to its usual calm. But Yvonne was far from composed; she looked flustered, almost as if she had just run a marathon.“We could have talked without… all that closeness,” she managed to say, her voice a bit shaky.Micheal’s response was cool and straightforward. “That’s the consequence of all your teasing. I’ve controlled my urges to avoid making things uncomfortable between you and my children.”“Ur
The ride to Yvonne's home was steeped in an eerie silence. Yvonne, lost in her thoughts, stared out the window, refusing to process the whirlwind of emotions swirling within her.Micheal, on the other hand, mentally chastised himself. Why had he let things go so far?He had planned to make her feel special, to help her see how much more she was beyond the shackles of her emotions with David. Yet, in a moment of vulnerability, he’d spilled his own bottled-up feelings.He hadn’t intended to warn her about teasing him along with his children, but his words had spiraled out of control. Now, he feared she might distance herself from him and his children—a thought that filled him with dread.If she pulled away, his children would regress, transforming from the mature, smart kids they were into emotional wrecks. They would throw tantrums, banding together to worry him to death, especially with Lily's fragile heart. The stress could easily land her in the hospital.What had he been thinking?
A few days later, Yvonne happily trotted alongside Lily and Jack as they sorted their toys in their new home. The twins, accustomed to sharing a room due to Lilian's health, were delighted to arrange their belongings in their new, smaller room. Although it was cozier compared to the spacious master bedroom they had in their main home, their eyes sparkled with appreciation as Yvonne assisted with the placement of everything, eagerly offering suggestions that the children immediately accepted.Micheal had given up his room for the children, opting instead for a luxurious inflatable bed in a corner of the large living room. The rest of the space was thoughtfully arranged to accommodate the children’s studies, with a comfortable sofa at the center, facing a large plasma screen for their cartoon time with their father. Despite everything looking good, Micheal felt a pang of embarrassment at the thought of inflating and deflating his bed every day.As the men helping with the furniture bega