Chapter 695: Chapter 666: The Era of Second Children (Part 5)
The year the twins started kindergarten, Sienna Thornton was promoted from Director of the Economic Committee to Mayor, making her work even busier with greater responsibilities.
Fortunately, the twins were well-behaved, intelligent, and healthy, rarely falling ill. Sylvia Langley also helped diligently with the children, and there were no conflicts between her and her daughter-in-law. Simon Forrester balanced career and family perfectly. All this allowed Sienna Thornton to fully focus on her career.
The year Sienna became mayor, Victor started elementary school. His school was the most expensive international school in the city, offering a seamless transition from kindergarten to middle school.
Old Master Forrester always wanted his great-grandson to study high school abroad, hence the choice of an international school right from kindergarten. However, Sienna and Simon couldn’t bear the thought of their teenage son leaving home alone to study overseas. So, they agreed that after Victor completed his entrance exams, they would enroll him in a public high school.
One mid-October day, Victor’s homeroom teacher unexpectedly called Simon, saying she would like to visit their home the next evening and asked if it was convenient for him.
Simon, who never socialized for business, spent almost every evening at home with the children except for occasionally meeting friends who also had kids. But considering Sienna’s new mayor role required some evening inspections that might delay her return home, he told the teacher he’d check his schedule and get back to her.
In the evening, after coaxing the twins to sleep, Simon returned to the room. Sienna had just finished her shower, her hair wrapped in a dry cap, holding a hair dryer under her arm as she patted skincare products on her face.
He stepped forward, took the hairdryer from her hand, and began to blow-dry her hair.
Since the twins were born, she had been busier and didn’t have time to maintain her once long, black, shiny hair, so she cut it short to a shoulder-length bob.
The handheld cordless hair dryer hummed with a steady white noise as Simon skillfully dried her hair, styling it to her liking with a playful, out-curved look.
"Hasn’t this hairdryer been around for ten years?" Sienna suddenly asked.
Simon glanced down at the white cordless hair dryer in his hand and laughed, "Is this one yours or mine?"
Sienna shook her head, "I don’t know; we’ve been sharing it for so many years."
Eleven years ago, after injuring her leg and moving in with Simon, she first encountered the cordless hair dryer at his place. She found it fascinating and secretly used it several times while he was out.
When her leg healed and she moved out of Simon’s home, she once went on a business trip to the United States and made a point to find a hair dryer like his. She remembered visiting numerous malls in Los Angeles before finding one just like his.
After buying it, whenever Maeve stayed over, she was reluctant to let her use it, always keeping it in the drawer of her dresser.
At that time, her relationship with Simon was ambiguous. He had confessed his feelings for her, but she rejected him twice because it didn’t feel formal enough. After that, Simon disappeared for half a year, yet she found herself often thinking about him.
Purchasing the same hair dryer made her quite happy, and using it gave her a fleeting illusion of living with Simon again.
Later, she and Simon began dating, moving from her small apartment to his larger one, and finally into the villa on Fenmore Hill, with the hair dryer following them all the way to the present.
"Previously, yours was in the bathroom, and mine was on the dresser. Over the years, with moves and shared use, we can’t tell whose is whose anymore," she laughed, "These two hairdryers must be eleven or twelve years old by now, older than Kyle."
"More or less," Simon put the hairdryer to his ear for a moment, then, as he resumed drying her hair, said with a smile, "Judging by the sound, they’ll last another ten years."
"Oh my!" Sienna feigned a wail, "Dyson recently released a new cordless hair dryer in purple with deep space gray, and I love it. But ours aren’t ready to retire yet, so when will I get to buy a Dyson?"
Having been together for so many years, Simon was well accustomed to her being generous and unperturbed with big matters while being frugal in everyday life. He simply suggested with a smile, "I’ll go to the old house in a few days to see if any of the maids’ hairdryers are broken, and give them our two. Then you can buy the Dyson?"
"Sounds good," Sienna laughed, turning to embrace his waist, "Thank you, honey."
Simon put the hairdryer away, ruffling her soft, fragrant hair: "It’s dry now, go lie on the bed, I’ve got something to tell you."
Hearing this, her curiosity piqued, she quickly got into bed, sitting up straight and waiting expectantly for Simon.
Simon went to freshen up, apply skincare products, then returned, turned off the floor lamp, and left only the two small nightlights on the bed.
He climbed into bed, pulled a thin blanket over her legs, which were clad in a short-sleeved nightdress, then pulled her into his arms, holding her halfway: "Kyle’s homeroom teacher said she’d like to visit tomorrow night. Can you get off work on time?"
Sienna glanced at her phone schedule on the bedside table: "I have a meeting in the morning and have to inspect in Linden in the afternoon. I’ll probably be back after seven."
"Then see when you can get off work on time, and I’ll ask the teacher to schedule the visit for that day."
Sienna checked her calendar again, "The day after tomorrow is possible."
"Alright."
Sienna put away her phone and nestled into Simon’s embrace.
"Did the teacher request both parents to be present? If not, you and Mother-in-law could entertain her, right?"
Simon rested one arm behind his head, the other gently stroking her smooth, slender shoulder: "It’d be better if both of us were present."
Sienna nodded, "Okay, then you let the teacher know."
-
Two days later, Sienna left work at half past five and arrived home by half past six.
Simon told her that Victor’s teacher would be arriving at seven, so as soon as she got home, she had a quick meal before heading upstairs to change.
Halfway through changing, Sylvia knocked on the door, "Annie, are you ready? The teacher has arrived."
"Oh, I’m ready, coming down now."
She hurriedly changed out of the somewhat formal suit that kept people at arm’s length and into a sleeveless yellow dress with a white knitted cardigan.
As she descended the stairs, she saw Simon sitting with Victor in the living room, father and son facing two young female teachers.
Sienna noticed there was already fruit on the coffee table and went to the kitchen to fetch the flower tea she had prepared earlier. With a smile, she gracefully walked to the living room.
Simon was talking with the teachers, and upon hearing her approach, he smiled and extended his hand to her.
The man’s warm, slightly calloused hand gently held her slender fair wrist, guiding her to the seat beside him.
She sat down accordingly, placing the flower tea on the coffee table.
Sitting beside her, Sylvia quickly took out the delicate glass cups from the tea tray, placing them in front of everyone, and began pouring tea.
Simon introduced to the teachers, "This is my wife."
Sienna nodded and smiled at the two young female teachers opposite her, "I’m Sienna Thorne, Victor’s mom."
The one with gold-rimmed glasses and a more serious demeanor was probably the homeroom teacher. She looked surprised at Sienna, then turned her head to whisper in the ear of the younger assistant-like teacher beside her.
