"Can you please tell me the truth? Where did you go early in the morning, Cosette?"
Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line, sighing in surrender.
"Fine," she said, gripping her phone tightly. "I went to the hospital?"
"Hospital?" Panic instantly shone in Maxen's eyes and face, taking a step closer to her with his hands on her shoulder blades. "Why? Are you hurt anywhere? Are you sick?"
Maxen bombarded her with questions about why she was in the hospital while checking her body. Watching him quietly, Cosette sported a subtle smile.
"It's not like that, Max," she said, making him look up to meet her eyes. "I visited the hospital for a check-up."
"For?"
"Well… I'm a few days delayed, so I wanted to see if… you know?"
Maxen froze for a second, blinking.
"What's with that look? If I don't know better, I'd think that was a look of horror," she humored, clicking her tongue playfully. "The result came back negative. The doctor told me it was too early to know, so I have to come back two weeks later. That is if my period still hadn't come. For now, she told me to watch my diet and health."
"I see…" Maxen rocked his head, obviously surprised at the sudden thought of Cosette being pregnant. It wasn't impossible, though. Since their wedding night, there wasn't a day Maxen failed to show Cosette his intense love.
"For a moment, I thought something happened." He heaved a sigh of relief, cupping her cheek. "You didn't have to lie, though. Wouldn't it be better if we went together?"
"But I want to surprise you if the results were positive."
"Ohh…"
Cosette pouted. "Anyway, it's alright. Even if the results were negative, we can just try again."
"Yes." Maxen smiled, brushing her cheek with his thumb. "But are you really alright?"
"Huh?"
"You were crying when I knocked, weren't you?"
"Oh. Well." Cosette chuckled awkwardly. "I was a little disappointed. That's all. Even if I know it's not the end of the world, I still put my hopes up."
Maxen let out a shallow breath, raising his other hand to cup her other cheek. Her brows rose as he squeezed her cheek until her lips puckered.
"What are you doing?" she asked, almost sounding gibberish.
"Life is so unfair," he remarked randomly. "My wife is still so pretty even if I do this."
Cosette instantly slapped his cheek while he laughed. "Gosh, Mister.."
"Haha. I'm just trying to make you laugh and it somehow worked." He shrugged, taking another step. Without a moment's notice, Maxen circled his arm around her waist and pulled her closer.
"Max!" Cosette clutched his chest on instinct; her phone was still within her hand's grip. "We are on the school ground."
"I know, but it's not like I'm doing anything wrong."
"But this isn't the place to display our affection!" she slapped his shoulder weakly. "I'd be in trouble if a student saw their teacher flirting with her husband."
"Is that a sin?"
"Max…"
"Haha. I know, I know. But no one will come." He grinned, winking at her. "Everyone was in the school gymnasium. Isn't that the reason you don't have to come too early on your first day?"
"Gosh…" Cosette rolled her eyes; she forgot about that.
"So?" Maxen cocked his head to the side. "Should we go to the nearest coffee shop? My wife is upset and I just couldn't send you off to work, knowing she's upset."
His smile stretched broader until his eyes seemed to twinkle. "Shall we buy some ice cream? Maybe plan what position we want the make the baby?"
Cosette pressed her lips into a thin line as her eyes softened.
"You…" she trailed off, staring at this face as if etching it deep into her dysfunctional brain. "... are such a pervert."
And with that, they resolved everything with just a cone of ice cream. Cosette married the most loving, caring, and considerate man she had ever met in this lifetime. And she was grateful for that.
Having Maxen as a company in times she felt lost was comforting. He might not know it, but this wasn't the first time Maxen showed up when she needed him the most.
Therefore, Cosette made a promise that day which he didn't tell him.
Instead of crying quietly or coming up with plans on how to say goodbye to her loved ones, she used that energy to count the blessings in her life. Good thing Cosette had been subconsciously doing this since returning in time, writing it down in a memoir.
*******
Maxen and Cosette agreed to clear their schedule on the weekends to clean their house. The two of them diligently joined forces, moving furniture, cleaning every corner of the house, and playing in between. They were the perfect team. With their understanding of each other, it only took two weekends until they fixed the house and everything.
"Ahh! I'm so tired!" Cosette threw herself on the couch. Her head landed on Maxen's lap, blinking at him curiously. "Max, aren't you tired?"
"We only dealt with the little things that were left." Maxen gazed down at her. "So, I'm not that tired."
"What?" Cosette frowned. "What is the meaning of this? Are you telling me I'm getting old? That's why I feel exhausted? Is this a sign of aging?"
"I'm just saying I'm in a good shape." Maxen poked the tip of her nose mildly. "You should exercise —"
"No, thanks."
Maxen laughed as she rolled her eyes. "All I'm saying is…" he trailed off as the doorbell rang.
DING DONG!
Cosette furrowed her brows, looking at Maxen. "Are you expecting someone?"
"No?" Maxen shook his head. "It's probably Reynold. I'll go check it."
"Tss. Should I scold your assistant for making you work, even during the weekend?" Cosette sat up, frowning.
"Be kind to him." Maxen laughed, pushing himself up. "I'll be back."
Cosette huffed, watching Maxen walk away to see the person outside their house. Reynold was Maxen's chief secretary, and she already guessed Maxen probably had to sign some papers. However, she was wrong because a moment later, cheerful voices came erupted in the living room.
"Surprise!"
Cosette slowly shifted her eyes to the voices, only to see Maxen walking in. Behind him was Sarah, Amie, Fay, Luke, and then Remo. Her eyes dilated as she darted them over their faces.
"I told them we've been cleaning the house since last week and calculated we will finish today," explained Maxen, standing near the couch she was sitting on. "So, I invited them for a housewarming."
Cosette opened and closed her mouth, staring at her husband. She couldn't say anything but smile, but deep in her heart, she had a lot of things to say. One of them was,
'I am so lucky to be loved by you.'
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