"Look at you. Your cheeks might hurt if you'll keep smiling like that", Richard said in amusement with a shake of his head. Stella giggle from the dressing table she was at. "Are you that happy?"
"Of course. I can't believe we're really here and Amy is here too."
"You know someone else who would have been happy too? Nora! She says she's disowning you for leaving her behind", Richard said as he put his phone on his nightstand.
Stella got up from the stool and limped towards him. As it was a short distance to the bed, she preferred not using the crutches as some sort of exercise though she was slightly in pain. She scoffed when she heard her daughter's message.
"And risk her ruining Amy's marriage with her weird fantasies? You do know she quit her job because of her? She should be job hunting instead of sulking about this."
Richard laughed when he heard this. "Didn't you do the same by following me around to my trips?"
"You were not a married man", she pointed out with a groan as she got under the covers. "So, how do you find this place?"
"It's great. But Henry and I just went back to his place to catch a game."
"Men! Well, my day was fun and there was drama. Especially with the music compilation."
"Oh! That was Henry's message to his wife. He's trying to win her back. He didn't know it was for the baby shower", he chuckled in amusement.
"Really?" Her eyes lit up and her gossip mode was activated. "What's their story?"
"Why would I ask that?" He asked with a frown.
"Ugh! You're no fun!" She sulked as she leaned back on the headboard. Then something came to mind in that moment as they were talking about the baby shower. "Amy mentioned something interesting today. She's actually from West village. Born and raised."
"I thought you said she's an orphan?" Richard's interest was piqued.
"She is. She came here for her college education. But if she's from West Village, it could only mean she grew up in Good Hope orphanage."
"That's the only orphanage we have. How..... How old is she?"
"Twenty three", Stella answered. "And- and she had previously told me that someone left her at the gates and no one knows who...."
Richard fell quiet. His brows were furrowed as he fell into a contemplative gaze. Stella grew worried. She could practically read his mind after she broke this news. Now that they were talking about it, she also dared to have the same thought.
"Richard.....", She started with fear and uncertainty. "The timing... It's..... It can't be, right?"
"Could be just a coincidence. Amy is not the first child to have such a back story. Let's not think too much about it."
He didn't want his wife to have hope only for it to be extinguished. He knew she wanted to alleviate her guilt but he wanted to believe it was all really a coincidence.
Sometimes he wishes his wife could leave the past where it belongs, in the past. But she was too good a person to do that. Meanwhile, the person being discussed was running her mouth to her husband about the wonderful day she had.
"It was crazy. At some point I thought those two would actually fight!" She was seated in bed talking to Zach who was dressing up in the walk-in wardrobe after a shower.
"They never do", Zach commented.
"They are an odd bunch. Anyway, so the ladies from the book club sent me gifts too. And they wrote messages wishing me the best and all. But what got me was Emma who summarized the latest scandals in her little card", Amy chuckled at this. "Somehow, she always brought the latest stories to the table."
"Was it a book club or a gossip club?" Zach asked as he walked back in.
Amy was about to answer when she caught sight of his naked torso. She felt her throat go dry seeing him walk to the bed in his boxers. Now that she thought about the pajama set she received, would he even wear them when he was used to sleeping half naked?
"My eyes are up here", he teased.
"I wasn't- I wasn't looking at.... that", she stuttered as she looked away with a heated face.
Zach chuckled in amusement as he got under the covers. "You still can't say it's name?"
"It's embarrassing", Amy grumbled.
"But it's not embarrassing when you put it in your mouth?" He arched a brow.
"Oh! My gosh! Good night!" She wished she could quickly get under the covers but it was currently impossible.
Zach laughed in amusement when he saw this. He helped her arrange the pillows before kissing her goodnight. She sung for cupcake with him rubbing her stomach before they retired for the night. From her breathing, he could tell she was still awake. He could only sleep once she falls asleep. Unfortunately, that never came.
"What's wrong?" He asked, worried.
"Cupcake is very active, I can't sleep", she whined.
"Just how much cake did you have?" He asked as he sat up. She glared at him. Did he really not know whose side he was supposed to be on? Guessing her line of thought, he changed his tactic.
"I'm talking to cupcake", he looked down at her belly and caressed it, where he felt a kick. "Don't you want mommy to sleep?"
Little cupcake had been active since the afternoon. Amy may or may not have gotten carried away with eating the cake that now her child had been showing her the consequences.
"You really can't sleep?" He asked.
"Not with all the movement", Amy whined.
Zach felt sorry for her. If he could switch places with her, he could. This was not the first time cupcake moved around or three a kick or two at night but she slept through it. But now, for some reason, Amy could not sleep with cupcake being active too. Then he thought of something.
"How about a movie? Maybe it will help", he suggested.
"Really?" She hoped to fall asleep soon.
"Mm. Is there something you want to watch?" He asked as he got a remote and pressed a button to activate their UST projector.
"Mmmm...... Pride and Prejudice!" She remembered it after Stella talked about their book club earlier. "I've never watched it."
Zach felt like facepalming himself. He remembered her telling him about this and he had planned to watch it with her one day. Now that they're together, there's a lot he forgot to do. Amy noticed the frown on his face and touched his arm earning his attention.
"Everything okay?" She asked.
"Mm. Nothing to worry about", he assured her with a kiss before looking for the movie.
As the movie started, Zach stacked up pillows against the headboard and let her lean on it as they both sat watching it. She leaned into his embrace as she watched the movie.
"Snacks would be perfect right now", she said in a small voice.
"Do you want to remain awake all night?" Zach scolded.
"No, sir."
He kissed the top of her head. "Good girl."
One movie turned into two. Cupcake had long calmed down but the two had lost their sleep. They simply enjoyed being in each other's company as they watched the movie. Zach especially enjoyed the comments Amy made in between the movies. She had turned into a movie critic and would point out things that didn't make sense.
It was very late into the night that they finally fell asleep. That led to them sleeping in when the next day arrived. Even Zach skipped his training with his men. Amy was also enjoying the sleep when their phones started to ring, one after the other.
The ringing was an irritating sound to Amy that she grumbled in her sleep. "Zachery.."
"I've got it", he answered with a groan, reaching out to his nightstand.
The call ended just when he had picked up the phone. Sleep quickly disappeared when he saw more than ten missed calls from Xavier and George. He suddenly started to have a bad feeling when George called again.
"George", he acknowledged.
"Sir, it's Xavier. Something happened."
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