"Are they still sleeping?" Frank asked as he sat at the mouth of the tent. Kara turned her head with a gentle gaze. Her smile brightened when she greeted her husband's handsome face. "Yeah, it looks like they're exhausted. Look." Kara looked back at the twins. "Louis is sleeping with opened mouth." While rubbing Kara's arm, Frank joined in observing his children. A faint laugh escaped his mouth. Louis and Emily looked comfortable in their sleeping bags. One was in the shape of a lion. Another one was in the shape of a bear. Both were equally adorable. "It's natural they're tired. They went to sleep at two o'clock. Now, should we wake them up?" Kara nodded slightly. "If we don't wake them up, they'll sulk. They've been waiting for the sunrise here since last week." Frank took a deep breath then exhaled quickly. "Okay, no problem. This is one of my favorite jobs." Frank changed position to rest on both knees. A second later, he began to shower the twins' cheeks with soft kisses.
Jeremy glanced at Ava. "If I leave, you'll be here alone. Can that still be called a honeymoon?" he whispered. Ava stroked Jeremy's arm. "I'm fine. I can wait in the van while relaxing and collecting other names. You just go. Consider it as a survey to accompany our child for a walk later." "Come with us, Uncle. Auntie won't be alone. Mommy will accompany her. The guards are also camping not far behind. Auntie and Mommy will be safe. Besides, we won't be long. At eight o'clock, we have to leave for museum." Jeremy furrowed his brows for a moment. "We go with the campervan?" "No. Daddy has prepared a sophisticated car. What is it called, Louis?" "High clearance vehicle," Louis said proudly. "In a moment, one of the guards will bring the car here." After a moment of silence, Jeremy finally nodded. "Okay, but I have to prepare first." "I'll prepare breakfast." Ava raised her finger. "No need, Auntie. Mommy made lots of sandwiches. Uncle and Auntie can eat that." Hearing the twin
Seeing a huge rattlesnake shaking its tail, Louis gasped. He quickly threw his bag in front of Emily's feet, making it a barrier in case the snake attacked. "Come on, Emily! Get up quickly!" Louis grabbed her's arm. With tears streaming down her cheeks, Emily tried to gather strength in her legs. Just when she managed to get up, Frank picked her up and hugged her tightly. "Are you okay, Princess? The snake didn't bite you, right?" He patted the trembling little back. Wiping her face with the back of her hand, Emily shook her head. "No, but I was very scared. The snake looked angry at me. In fact, I was just looking for the sound." Frank breathed a sigh of relief. "The snake was angry because it felt threatened. Next time, if there's a sound like that, don't come any closer, hmm?" After getting a nod from the princess, Frank turned to Louis who had been pulled back by Jeremy. "Are you okay too, Buddy?" Louis nodded with a serious expression. "Yes, I was very surprised when Emil
"Uncle, have you ever heard of the Mobius Ribbon?" Louis asked as they were on their way to the next location. Jeremy raised an eyebrow. "What's that?" "You haven't heard it? The Mobius strip is a one-sided surface that has no boundaries." Jeremy's eyes opened wider. His forehead was filled with more wrinkles. "Uncle must be confused, Louis. We were also confused the first time we read it," Emily said lightly. Her face was already beaming again. While walking by Louis' side, her tiny hand kept holding on Frank. Jeremy blinked in a daze. He felt like a fool. "Try explaining further, Louis. Make me understand." He patted the boy's shoulder. Louis took the strap of the backpack that was hanging under his arm. His footsteps involuntarily slowed down. "Uncle, pay attention to this. Think of my backpack strap as a ribbon." Jeremy listened. He and the others slowed down in unison, keeping up with Louis' speed. "This is a straight ribbon, right? Now I twist it once, then I connect th
Ava pressed her lips with her chin. "I don't think Jeremy will care too much about that. He'll do what I want. Don't men tend to be like that?" Kara nodded in agreement. "That's right. Frank wouldn't mind either. But still, we have to ask." Suddenly, Kara raised her index finger. Her eyes flashed with enthusiasm. "How about when they come back, we just ask them straight away?" "And the twins?" "No problem. I think they will be very happy to hear about our plan." Ava developed a smile. "Okay." "Okay! I can't wait for them to come back. Now, let's write down what needs to be prepared later." Kara picked up her book and straightened her pen. Seeing that, Ava's lips curved sadly. "You know what? This is the first time I've planned something with a friend." Kara blinked in confusion. "A friend?" Ava nodded awkwardly. "Can I think of you like that? I know our husbands are related, but ... I wonder what it would be like to have a close friend. All this time, I've been busy being al
Not only the Twins, but Frank and Jeremy were also wide-eyed. "Asking what?" While Louis and Emily blinked waiting for an answer, Kara and Ava exchanged glances. "Ava and I are talking about preparing for the birth of our babies. We're having a bit of trouble because we don't know if they’re boys or girls. So ...." Frank matched the swing in Kara's tone with the movement of his head. "Do you want the doctor to announce the gender before they are born?" Kara sighed with a smile. "Yeah, how about we have a gender reveal?" In an instant, the twins' eyes widened like the full moon. Their mouths were also wide open, letting out joy. "Will we find out soon it's Russell or Rylee?" Emily pointed at Kara's bulging stomach. "And also Oscar or Oasis?" Louis pointed at Ava's stomach while glancing at Jeremy. While Ava and Kara were confused, Jeremy put on a lazy look. "Louis? Seriously?" Louis chuckled in amusement. "What's the harm? It's a nice name." Emily shook her head at his joke.
"These are for you guys." Barbara and Philip put hats on the twins' heads. Then, they put t-shirts on the shoulders of the two toddlers. "These too." While the twins were stunned, the newlyweds continued. They gave them sweaters, beanies, socks, books, stickers, posters, tote bags, and also small plush animals in the shape of orcas and bees. The twins' heads were almost covered by the bulging pile of souvenirs. "Thank you, Auntie. We didn't expect the souvenirs we got to be this many." Emily giggled at the end. "Yes, this is a lot, Auntie!" Louis exclaimed without looking at Barbara. The Orca's tail was covering half his face. "This is proof that we have not forgotten you," Barbara said before standing up and approaching the others. "We also brought souvenirs for you, Adults." While the newlyweds were busy sharing what they had bought, Kara laughed amusedly. "Thank you, Barbara, Philip. I think you were very enthusiastic when shopping at the souvenir shop." "Yeah, people might
Starting from Frank, one by one revealed their letters. "E." "L." "R!" "L!" "U." "S." "S." While holding their breath, the twins arranged the letters in their brains. As he found the answer, Louis immediately got out of his chair and ran around the dining table. Both hands punched the air. "Woohoo! That's Russell! Little Baby is Russell! I'm going to have a little brother!" Everyone smiled watching his excitement. But, after one blink, all eyes were on Emily. The little girl looked shrunken with drooping shoulders. Her lips pursed, her brows slightly furrowed. "Little Angel, are you okay?" Kara rubbed her back. Emily turned around with teary eyes. There was no smile on her face. Nevertheless, she still nodded. "I'm fine, Mommy. No matter Russell or Rylee, I still love the baby." Her voice was hoarse. At the end of the sentence, she quickly bit her lips. Kara kissed her head and gave her a hug. "Thank you, Little Angel. You have such a big heart." Then, Louis came to hug
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