Who's coming?
"Mommy, what time is it? Why isn't Daddy home yet?" the boy who was lying on the sofa grumbled. His head was left dangling, while his legs were lifted onto the backrest. Emily's lips immediately pursed. "Be patient, Louis. Soon, Daddy will be home. I'm sure he will successfully complete the mission." With a sluggish expression, Louis reached for the tablet on his right side. "I told you, I should have come along. If I had helped, the mission would have been completed more quickly. I have often trained as a secret agent or spy." Kara chuckled at the mumble. Susan, who was knitting, smiled too. "What can you do?" the grandmother asked, amused. "I can sneak into Grandma Melanie's room and help Ava sedate Gerald. It's easy." "Do you know where Grandma Melanie is being held?" Emily raised her eyebrows. Louis blinked twice. "I can look for it." "Then, if you get caught? Sophia will be angry because she knows Daddy didn't come alone." Louis' eyelids dropped halfway. "Uncle Jeremy is
“Could it be Grandma Melanie? It could be that she doesn't want to stay at Jeremy's house.” Louis glanced at Frank, waiting for an answer. However, Frank shook his head faintly. "I don't think so, Buddy. I don't know who's coming either." Inwardly, he wondered why the guard would allow a foreign car through the gate. Suddenly, Philip and Barbara came running to them. Barbara was breathing hard. She had difficulties to keep up with the speed of the man holding her hand. "Kids!" she called between sighs. Her index finger pointed at the car which was getting closer. "Auntie knows who's coming?" Louis' eyes rounded. Philip widened his smile. "You will definitely be very surprised and happy." The twins blinked, as did Frank and Kara. The couple discussed through their gazes. "Could it be ...." Kara moved to Emily's side, letting her little hand hold her neck. Together, they watched the car stop. As soon as the passenger got off, Frank and his little family gasped in unison. Their m
Frank glanced at Kara briefly. His wife raised an eyebrow and gave a small nod, giving support. "What do you want to do, Grandma?" "I want to apologize." Diana cupped the face that reminded her of Rowan. "I'm sorry about this selfish grandmother of yours, Frank. I shouldn't have taken out my anger on you, dragging you into your grandfather's troubles. You were not at fault. I should have welcomed you warmly at the farm." Swallowing bitterness, Diana turned to Kara. "And you too. I should have welcomed you all warmly, invited you to tour the farm and eat together. Sorry if I have disappointed and saddened you with my treatment." Kara smiled slightly. Diana's sadness was contagious through her eyes. "It's okay, Grandma. I didn't take it to heart." Kara stroked her arm. However, the old woman caught her hand. Her head shook slightly. "I made you walk to the orphanage and shovel the snow there. I ignored your tiredness and coldness. I asked you to prepare dinner when you had a fever.
"Oh, I really went too far. You know when they came to my farm? I wasn't friendly at all. My attitude towards Kara was very rude." Diana looked at Susan regretfully. Susan shook her head gently. "Louis and Emily have already explained it. I don't think it's a problem. Besides, Kara is fine, right?" "Still, I was unreasonable towards your daughter. I'm sorry." Susan patted the back of Diana's hand. "It's okay, Ma'am. It's okay." While Susan calmed Diana, Emily looked up and widened her eyes. "So, Mommy and Grandma Diana have met before?" Kara nodded while stroking her chubby cheek. "Yeah. It's just that Mommy and Grandma Diana don't know each other." "Woohoo! This is so great. Shouldn't we celebrate it? How about we ask Nora to make juice or warm up some milk? We can high-five and chat for a while." Frank glanced at Kara with a faint smile. "I told you." Chuckling, Kara put her hand on Louis' shoulder. "It's already late at night, Little Bee. Let's save the party for tomorrow.
"What's wrong, Madam?" Ava's eyebrows rose. Her eyes blinked firmly. "I just remembered that I haven't officially introduced myself." Vivian stepped forward and held out her hand. Her smile, which was usually graceful, now seemed sweet. "I'm Vivian Bell. Jeremy's mother." Ava shook her hand with awkward movements. "I'm Ava Connor." "Have you been a nurse long?" Vivian hadn't let go of Ava's hand. The girl grew stiffer. "Four years. Is that long?" "No wonder you look so experienced. I'm lucky you're here to look after Melanie." Vivian patted the back of Ava's hand. The girl almost frowned, uncomfortable. "I'm just doing my job, Ma'am." Ava tried to pull her hand away, but Vivian held back. Jeremy noticed that. He also wondered how long his mother would hold Ava's hand. "So," Jeremy cleared his throat, "shall we go now? I have to talk to Sean before he leaves." "The man who escorted my mother?" Ava raised an eyebrow. “He wants to leave?” Jeremy nodded. "He has to go home soon.
"Why are you so strange? Earlier you showed compulsion, but now you are forcing me to come with you. Are you afraid that your brother will be angry if he finds out that you have abandoned me in the middle of the road?" This time, Jeremy didn't let Ava off the hook. He caught her other wrist, then stared at her intensely. "Yes. I don't want to argue with my brother because of your problematic behavior. Now let's get in the car." Ava snorted in amusement. "If you argue with your brother, it's your fault. It's your personality that's causing the problem, not mine." Jeremy snorted tiredly. Without further ado, he lifted Ava onto his shoulders. The girl could not help but gasp. "Hey! Put me down! I don't want to share the car with you! I'd rather wait for a taxi than have to deal with your arrogance and accusations." Ava pushed Jeremy's back, trying to separate her body from the man. However, Jeremy's arm was too strong. He brought her to the car door. When she was about to run away,
Ben opened the door and swung his hand inside. "Please come in, Mr. Harper." Jeremy stepped in accompanied by Ava. "Thank you." Ben's eyes were now focused on Ava. "So, are you here to introduce your future wife? You came to deliver invitations?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow, not smiling at all. "You're interested in her?" Ben raised his hands. "I don't dare mess with the Harper’s women anymore. I got enough lessons." Jeremy nodded. "Good." His response confused Ava. However, the girl did not change expression. She just blinked, trying to read Jeremy's movements. "Is your offer still valid?" Ben's eyes widened. "You guys want to work with me?" Jeremy nodded. "I can persuade the twins to become models for your product, but ... I need your help. I didn't choose the wrong partner, right?" Ben spread his hands and sneered. "You can rely on me at any time." "Then, may I borrow your car?" Ben's expression turned confused. "What for?" "Several people are following me. I need privacy
"Did Grandma ever come up with such a clever strategy?" Louis asked, whispering. Diana blinked her eyes. "That is a secret." Suddenly, Emily laughed. Her eyes sparkled with admiration. "When I’ve grown up, I want to be as cool as Grandma Diana. I will be an expert at strategizing and defeating all opponents." "Then, study properly. So later, you can develop strategies more easily." While Louis and Emily gave a small nod, Jeremy entered the dining room. "Good morning, Harper Family." Everyone looked over. In an instant, the twins' eyes widened. "Uncle Jeremy!" Their necks were elongated, their voices were shrill. Jeremy smiled slightly. "Hello, Louis, Emily." "Why did you come so early? Do you want to join us for breakfast?" Emily tilted her head and scratched her cheek. "No. I've finished breakfast. I came because I had something to discuss with your father." When Frank caught Jeremy's gaze, the curve of his lips twitched. His brows furrowed to guess whether something had hap
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