"So it's true?" Frank pressed his ear to the phone. His serious expression made the people around the dining table even more curious. "Okay, thank you. Please notify me immediately if there is any other information." As soon as Frank hung up, everyone leaned forward. "How is it?" several people asked in unison. Frank shook his head faintly. "Sophia wasn't lying. She really had an abortion." The other spontaneously leaned back in their chairs, including Kara. "What a poor little baby," she sighed. "Come on, don't be too sad. Try to look at the positive side. Imagine if Sophia kept the fetus. Jeremy might become attached to her. His marriage to Ava could be threatened," Melanie said lightly. Barbara widened her eyes at those words. "Mommy?" "What? I said it as it is. Was what I said wrong?" "Even if that's true, you must respect Mrs. Bell, Mom. After all, that's her grandchild," Barbara whispered with furrowed eyebrows. "I think your mother has a point, Barbara," Vivian said un
Louis and Emily waved with bright smiles. Even though they couldn't join in, they shared in the joy of the new couple. "Bye, Auntie and Uncle Philip! Happy honeymoon! Have fun there." "Let us know when you arrive! And don't forget to send lots of pictures." Barbara chuckled excitedly. "We won't arrive until tomorrow, Emily. But we'll definitely let you know later." "Okay, Auntie." The twins hugged Barbara then Philip. Then, pressing their backs against Frank and Kara, they waved their hands again. Philip and Barbara waved back with happy faces. Then, holding hands, they entered the departure gate. *** "Woohoo!" Barbara spread her arms while facing the ocean. Her face looked up, challenging the bright sky that stretched out above their ship. "It's very beautiful, Philip." Her eyes closed, enjoying the cool breeze on her cheeks. "This will be the best trip I've ever had." Seeing her cheerfulness, Philip smiled slightly. "You're so excited, Babe. I almost thought you were Louis.
As soon as she got out of the ship, Barbara stretched out her arms again. Her face was bright, her smile was cheerful. "This is the perfect combination. Green, blue, and you." She turned to face Philip. "Me?" Philip tilted his head. The corners of his lips twitched, having difficulty hiding his excitement. Barbara nodded. The curve of her lips became sweeter. "Yes, you." "But I'm not a color." Philip shook his head and leaned closer to Barbara. Barbara also shook her head and laughed a little. "You’re not, but your presence has colored my days. You are the most beautiful color in my life, Phil." Philip finally let out a laugh. Biting his lip, he shook his head slightly. "You're lucky we're in an open space. If only we were in a closed room ...." Barbara's eyes narrowed. "You want to tickle me? Slam me like a martial artist?" "You know what I mean." Barbara chuckled. "We can do that later, Phil. Aren't we going to the inn soon?" "Yes, indeed. But I really can't wait. I think
"Look how steep those mountains are, Phil!" Barbara bowed down, peering at the mountain peaks that could be seen through the windshield. "Is the mountain we are going to climb that steep?" Philip glanced at his wife with a faint smile. "Why? Are you scared?" Barbara's lips pursed. "No. I'm with you. Why should I be afraid?" When she returned her gaze to the front, Barbara immediately pointed her index finger. "Look! That house is so cute. And why is it red again? Do all the houses here have red walls?" "Did you know? In ancient times, the paint color of the houses here reflected the social status of the owners." Barbara's eyebrows rose. "Social status?" Philip nodded. "Yes. Red paint is the cheapest compared to other paints. Because of this, many residents such as farmers and fishermen paint their houses red." While Barbara's mouth widened, Philip added, "Apart from that, there is yellow paint which is more expensive, then white paint. From there, the color of paint has become
Poppy hummed a little while doing her nails. Occasionally, she looked out the window. Her gesture seemed relaxed. Only when she saw that the window in the next cabin was tightly closed did she straighten her back. "Shania, I think they went out." The girl who was lying down with a beauty mask on her face instantly sat up on the bed. "What did you say?" "Your prince is out of his cabin." Without having time to take off her mask, she walked over to her friend. Seeing that the window in the next cabin no longer had a gap, she turned to the front window. Philip and Barbara turned out to be walking hand in hand. "Where are they going?" Shania furrowed her eyebrows. A moment later, she patted her friend's shoulder. "Poppy, this is the time. Let's get ready. We can't lose track of them." "Now?" Poppy raised her eyebrows. Her nail polish hadn't even dried completely. While rushing to change clothes, Shania glanced over. "Of course. Come on!" Still with straightened fingers, Poppy too
Barbara's breath had been heavy. Feeling tired, she raised her hands and paddles up. "Woohoo! I won!" Philip stopped right next to Barbara's kayak. The curve of his lips was sweet. His eyes were full of love. "Where’s the finish line anyway?" Barbara turned her head with bright sparkling eyes. "Didn't you see it? It was back there." She pointed her finger behind her back. Philip let out an amused laugh. "Okay, I admit I lost. My wife is good at rowing now." Barbara laughed too. She felt silly for being happy about her victory. Even though it was clear, Philip deliberately gave in. "It's such a beautiful day, Phil. So is this view. Look at the water. How could it be so clear? It feels like I'm skating on crystal." Barbara ruffled the water with her paddle. "Look! The water is like crystal drops." Philip tilted his head, watching how his wife admired the ocean. "Yes, there is no rubbish and no pollution. There is only you here with me. That’s what makes this view beautiful." Ba
Philip jumped into the water. As fast as lightning, he swam and hugged his wife. “Baby? You okay?”Barbara coughed as her head came out of the water. After scooping her face, her red eyes trembled at Philip. "Sharks .... There are sharks near us, Phil. Why are you going into the water? Come on, get out of here." Barbara tried to turn the kayak over with her little strength. Instead of helping, Philip cupped her cheek with one hand. "Hey, look at me. Don't panic, okay?" "How can you not panic? We're swimming with sharks, Philip!" Barbara's eyes were full of horror. When a fin appeared again, she immediately hugged him tightly. She broke down sobbing. "Philip, I don't want us to die. We just got married. There are still many things we have to do." Philip rubbed Barbara's back. He whispered like a mother comforting her child. "Don't cry, Babe. Don't be afraid. It's not a shark." Holding back a sob, Barbara looked at Philip. "Not a shark?" "Yeah, didn't you see it when it jumped o
Half an hour passed, Barbara was panting. Her face was red, covered in beads of sweat. "Are you tired?" Philip rubbed her forehead again. "No." "Why don't we rest for a while? With those red cheeks and that sigh, you look like you've had a night's exercise. I don't want any other men to see you like this." Barbara laughed faintly. "But we can't rest in the middle of the stairs like this. We could disturb other climbers." Philip pointed at a point, not far above them. "There's a place to rest." "Okay, let’s have a seat there for a moment." Barbara quickened her pace even though her knees were shaking. She couldn't wait to rest her feet. As soon as she sat on a large rock, Barbara closed her eyes and let out a long sigh. Her hands were clenched into fists, hitting her thighs which felt sore and itchy. "Please don't do that if there are other people around," Philip said, handing her a bottle of water. "Why?" Barbara opened her eyes again. "Those sounds and expressions you usua
Philip rushed in and grabbed Barbara's hand. Before he could say anything, Barbara was pushing again. After Briony came out, Barbara breathed a sigh of relief. “Philip .... Our child has been born.”Even though his head was nodding, Philip blinked in confusion. His mouth was agape, not knowing how to respond. "Yes ...," he sighed after a few moments. Briony's cries helped him regain his senses. "Wow," Philip blinked. He bent down, stroking his wife's hair with mixed feelings. "You're so great, Babe. You can give birth that fast." Barbara smiled proudly. "Our efforts weren't in vain, Phil. I was actually scared earlier. Briony's urge was very strong. But Louis and Emily forbade me to push. I tried to hold it in until finally, I gave in." Philip sighed in amazement and disbelief. Still looking stiff, he kissed Barbara's temple. "You're amazing, Babe. I'm glad you didn't encounter any major difficulties." Philip wiped the tears from her face. "I'm happy too. But where were you? I to
"Louis, Auntie is about to give birth!" Emily rose with a high arch of her eyebrows. "You’re right! We have to take her to the hospital!" Wasting no time, Louis grabbed Barbara's hand, pulling her to turn around. "Come on, Auntie. Let's go back to the car." However, Barbara shook her head. Her face was pale, her body tense. Her feet seemed to be glued to the earth. "What's wrong, Auntie?" "Call Philip," she muttered softly. "What?" "Call Philip!" The twins flinched. After one nod, they ran towards Philip. "Uncle Philip! Uncle Philip!" "Hey, where are you guys going?" Barbara exclaimed again. The twins braked. When they looked back, Barbara was waving. "Why did you leave me here alone?" Her voice was shrill. "You told us to call Uncle Philip!" Louis shook his head, not understanding. "Yeah, but don't leave me here." While limping, she inched closer to Louis and Emily. "One person calls him. One more person, hold me!" The twins blinked. Not because they didn't understand, b
"Hello, Orion," Emily whispered as the tiny baby in the box opened his eyes. Her hand reached out, trying to reach his chubby cheek. From the other side of the box, Louis also looked inside. "Hello, Oscar." "Louis?" Emily scolded with round eyes. "Why do you call him Oscar? This is our first meeting with him. Don't make a bad impression." Louis pursed his lips. "Okay, sorry. I'm used to it. Let me repeat." After clearing his throat, he looked down again. "Hello, Orion. It's me, Louis. I'm your cousin." Emily smiled slightly and nodded. "That's just right." After giving Louis thumbs up, she waved her hand downwards. "And I'm Emily. Nice to meet you, Orion." For a few moments, the two toddlers were busy observing Orion. Philip and Barbara were amused by their comments. "It turns out that Uncle Philip was right. Orion looks like both of his parents. His eyes are like Auntie's, while his nose and mouth are like Uncle's." "His chin also looks like Uncle’s, but his hair looks like
A nurse tried to calm Ava. However, the woman still shook her head, rejecting all the words directed at her. She was very weak. The pain seemed to knock out all the bones in her body. Her brain could no longer function normally. "No. I have no strength anymore. I can't continue." After taking a heavy breath, Jeremy bowed. The nurse had shifted. Jeremy had more freedom to stroke Ava's hair which was wet with sweat and her face which was flooded with tears. "Ava, can you hear me? Ava?" Their gazes finally met. Jeremy could see the desperation in those brown eyes. "I can't take it anymore, Jeremy. I can't. Let the doctor take it out. I can't take it anymore." Jeremy's chest felt like it had been torn apart. He almost choked with pain. Stroking Ava's shoulder, he shook his head. "No, I know you. You're not someone who never gives up, Ava. You can do it." "But I don't have the energy anymore, Jeremy." "There is. There definitely is." Jeremy grabbed Ava's shaking fingers. "This is f
"Look at this, Brandon." Louis placed a stack of photo paper on the table. Then, he showed them one by one to his friend. "This is a picture of Russell crying. This is a picture of him laughing. And this is a picture of Russell being angry." "Can babies get angry? Isn't he still too young to understand anything?" Brandon shook his head faintly. Louis shrugged. "I don't know about that. But when Russell sees something he doesn't like, his hands keep flapping and his mouth makes sounds ...." Louis imitated a baby's moan which made the librarian glance. "Russell also has sharp eyes, Brandon. If he feels annoyed by us, he will glare while furrowing his eyebrows." Emily touched the base of her eyebrows, checking to see if they were the same shape as Russell's eyebrows in the picture. Brandon smiled at Emily's expression. "I think he must be really cute when he's angry." "Yes!" Emily nodded quickly. "He's always cute, all the time. Louis, show him a picture of Russell in the shower."
"Oh, look at Russell, Louis. Isn't he very handsome? He's clean and smells good." Emily put her nose closer to Russell's face. When she managed to kiss that very soft cheek, she giggled holding back her laughter. She didn't want to disturb Kara who was sleeping in Frank's arms. "Yes, he is very handsome. He looks like me. Isn't that right, Grandma?" Louis raised his gaze towards the woman holding Russell. Susan smiled amusedly. "Yes, he looks like you. Only his nose is a little sharper." Louis' lips immediately pursed. His forefinger pointed at his own nose. "How sharp do you want Russell's nose to be? My nose is already very sharp." Susan chuckled at Louis' answer. "I’m just joking, Louis. It doesn't matter whose nose is sharper. What's important is that you're both healthy." Louis nodded in agreement. His hands then rose to touch the baby's feet. "Grandma, is Russell heavy?" Susan raised her eyebrows. "Do you want to carry him?" Louis glanced at Emily. "How about you try fir
"Hello, Good Boy," Kara held Russell carefully, as if the little creature was a very fragile pearl. Tears could not stop running down her face. After kissing the baby who was covered in a towel, Kara whispered again, "This is Mommy, Russell. I'm happy that I can finally hug you like this." While biting his lips, Frank also bowed. He stroked the tiny back then kissed his head. "And this is Daddy, Russell. Daddy is also happy that you are finally here." Still with a wide smile and red eyes, Frank looked at Kara gently. Before the pool of emotion dripped again, he quickly kissed her forehead. Kara closed her eyes accepting the warmth. "Thank you for giving birth to our son, Queen Bee," Frank whispered hoarsely. Kara smiled wider and nodded faintly. "Thank you for accompanying me here." "That's what I should have done a long time ago." Frank stroked her cheek before kissing her again. "Daddy, we want to see Russell too! Can we come closer?" Emily asked, jumping a little on the chai
Kara was sitting on the bed. Her head rested on the broad shoulder next to her. Closing her eyes, she tried to catch her breath."Is there any news from the Twins?" she asked quietly. Frank shook his head. His hands kept to massage Kara's fingers. "You don't need to worry about them, Queen Bee. They are independent and intelligent children. They will understand that you have to give birth soon. Let's celebrate their birthday after Russell is born, hmm?" After a short nod, Kara turned her head further. "Are you crying?" Frank's eyebrows pulled together. Moving his head away so that it would be easier to see her, he shook his head. "Why do you think I'm crying?" "Your voice is shaky, Frank." Pursing his lips, Frank took a deep breath. "I'm not crying." "Then why are your eyes red and watery?" Frank blinked firmly. "I'm not crying," he repeated with more emphasis. Still out of breath, Kara let out a laugh. Her head tilted slightly, waiting for his tears to fall. "Are you sure?"
"Hello, Brandon. Welcome to our event," Louis shook his classmate's hand. "Hello, Louis. Happy birthday. I hope you live a long and healthy life," the blonde boy said, occasionally glancing at Emily. "Thank you, Brandon. Did you come alone?" Brandon nodded. "Yes, my parents had to attend another event. So, only the driver took me here." After one blink, Brandon offered his hand to Emily. "Happy birthday too, Emily. You're so beautiful tonight." Emily shook Brandon's hand with a sweet smile. "Thanks, Brandon. You also look cool tonight. The jacket suits you." Brandon blushed. His lips twitched to suppress the excitement in his chest. "Thank you, Emily. I deliberately asked my mother to look for the best outfit. I want to look cool at this event." "Your mom has a good sense of fashion," Emily nodded before glancing to the side. "Louis, I think you should try a regular tie like Brandon. You're five years old. It's time for you to leave that bow tie behind. You should try somethin