Jay's POV
We were all sitting in the garden, some on benches, some on the grass. I was near the koi pond with Kade on my lap, watching the orange and white fish do their lazy circles.
"See.. fish," I cooed, pointing.
"Ish..."
"YES! Fish!" I bounced him. "You're a genius, baby. Definitely my son."
"Ish! Ish! Ish!"
Keiren came running and plopped down beside me, dipping his feet in the water like he owned the place. "Ate... your mansion is bigger than ours in the Philippines."
I looked at him. "Keiren, it's our mansion. Including you." I cupped his cheek.
His eyes went as wide as the koi pond. "This big castle-like mansion is mine?"
"Of course."
"CAN I BRING MY FRIENDS HERE?"
Before I could answer, a voice from behind us said, "You don't have friends in London." Keigan. He wasn't being mean — just stating facts. Like a robot with a soul.
Keiren's face fell. "Oh.. yeah."
"It's okay, baby. You'll make new friends here."
"But I'll miss them."
"Hmm..." I tapped my chin. "What about you bring them here to London? Your kuya has a huge private jet." I said it casually, like I was offering a ride to the mall.
Keiren's face transformed. "YEAH!"
Kade startled. His whole body jerked. Arms flew up. Eyes went wide.
Then the trembling lip.
Uh-oh.
"Keiren!" I said.
Keiren covered his mouth. "Sorry, sorry—"
Too late.
"Whaaaaaaaaa!"
Kade's cry echoed across the garden like a police siren. Everyone turned.
Keifer stood up from his bench. "What happened?"
"Keiren got excited," I said, rocking Kade. "It's okay, baby. Mama's here. Just a loud noise."
Keigan walked over and knelt down. He patted Kade's back. "Hey, little guy. It's just Keiren. You know how he is."
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "Since when are you the baby whisperer?"
Keigan looked up. "Since someone had to be. You're too busy making heart eyes at your wife."
I snorted. Savage.
Keifer's mouth twitched. "I'll remember that."
"Write it down if you need to," Keigan said.
I looked at my husband. He just got destroyed by a thirteen-year-old.
Kade's cries turned into hiccups. He looked at Keigan with watery eyes. "Ga."
Keigan smiled — actually smiled — and took him from me. Kade grabbed his shirt and buried his face.
He's like a different person with Kade. It's terrifying and adorable.
---
The rest of the group wandered over. Ci-n was eating an apple like a horse. Felix was shoving a sandwich into his face. David had his book glued to his hand.
"What'd we miss?" Ci-n asked, chewing with his mouth open. Disgusting.
"Kade got startled," I said.
"By what?"
Keiren raised his hand. "Me."
Ci-n shrugged. "Eh, he'll survive."
Felix nodded. "Remember when you fell out of that tree? You were fine in five minutes."
Ci-n glared. "I broke my arm."
"Exactly. Fine in five minutes."
"That's not how bones work."
David looked up. "Nobody asked either of you."
Ci-n and Felix shut up. Finally.
Keigan, still holding Kade, looked at Ci-n. "You're eating that apple like a farm animal. Close your mouth."
Ci-n closed his mouth. "You're not the boss of me."
"I'm not. I'm just telling you it's disgusting."
Keifer snorted. "He's not wrong."
Ci-n looked at Keifer. "Whose side are you on?"
"The side that doesn't want to see your chewed-up apple."
Ci-n took a smaller bite. Victory.
---
Keiren looked at Keifer. "Can I still bring my friends here on your private jet?"
Everyone turned to Keifer.
Keifer looked at me. I smiled innocently.
"You offered my private jet to a bunch of eleven-year-olds?" he asked.
"Technically, I offered it to Keiren's friends. Some might be twelve."
"Jay."
"Keifer."
He sighed. "Fine."
Ci-n's jaw dropped. "He just said fine? Just like that?"
Keifer shrugged. "They're kids."
"WE'RE KIDS!" Ci-n pointed at himself.
Keigan glanced at him. "You're sixteen. You're not a kid. You're just immature."
Ci-n clutched his chest. "That hurts, Keigan."
"Good."
David looked up. "He's not wrong, Ci-n."
Ci-n opened his mouth, then closed it. "I was going to say something clever, but I forgot."
David went back to his book. "It's better this way."
I love this chaotic family.
---
Percy walked over with his phone. Taking pictures again. Of course.
"Smile, baby sistah."
"I am smiling."
Percy lowered his phone. "That's not a smile. That's a grimace."
"THIS IS MY FACE."
"Then your face needs practice."
I threw a blade of grass at him. He dodged. Show-off.
"Ha!"
"Percy."
"Jay."
Keigan looked at Percy. "How many photos do you have of that same angle?"
Percy checked his phone. "Not enough."
"You have a problem."
"I have a passion."
"You have too much storage."
Percy gasped. "That's rude."
Keigan shrugged. "It's true."
He's on fire today.
---
Aries walked over and stood beside me. Silent. Staring at the pond.
"You okay?" I asked.
"The fish are staring at me."
I blinked. "They're koi, Aries. They don't stare."
"They're staring."
I give up.
Keifer looked at Aries. "Your brother is weird."
I laughed. "He's your best friend."
"Unfortunately."
Keigan, still holding Kade, looked at Keifer. "You called him your best friend. That's cute."
Keifer glared. "Don't start."
"I'm just saying. It's nice that you have feelings."
"I will take your phone."
"It's in my pocket. Come get it."
Keifer didn't move.
"That's what I thought," Keigan said.
Keiren giggled. "Keigan won."
Keifer sighed. "Everyone's a comedian today."
I married into this madness.
---
Kade wiggled in Keigan's arms. "Ma."
I took him. "Mama's here, baby."
He pointed at the pond. "Ish."
"Yes. Fish."
He pointed at Keifer. "Dada."
"Yes."
He pointed at Keigan. "Ga."
"Yes."
He pointed at Keiren. "Kei."
Keiren beamed.
Then Kade pointed at Ci-n. "Ba."
Ci-n sighed dramatically. "I'm still Ba."
"You're always going to be Ba," Keigan said. "Accept it."
"I will not accept it."
"Then suffer."
Ci-n threw his hands up. "This family is impossible."
David looked up. "You're the one who chose to stay."
"I'm questioning my choices."
"Good," David said, and went back to his book.
I can't breathe.
---
Yuri was sitting on a bench across the garden. Watching. Not with us. Not alone either.
David was beside him, reading. They weren't talking, but they weren't ignoring each other.
Keifer followed my gaze. "He's still here."
"He said he'd stay a few more days."
"That's good."
"Yeah."
"You still worried about him?"
I watched Yuri for a moment. "Less than before."
"Progress."
I nodded.
---
The sun was setting. The garden turned gold. The koi pond reflected the orange sky.
People stretched. Yawned. Slowly gathered their things.
Keiren was leaning against Keigan, half asleep. Keigan let him. Softie.
Percy was finally done taking pictures — scrolling through his phone with a satisfied grin.
Aries was still watching the fish. I think he's having a moment.
Ci-n was sitting on the grass, eating another apple.
Felix and Rory were arguing about skipping stones. Again.
David was still reading. Does that man ever stop?
Yuri was still on the bench.
And Kade was in my lap, sucking his thumb, fighting sleep like it was his mortal enemy.
"Today was good," Keifer said, sitting beside me.
"It was."
"Even with the screaming."
"Especially with the screaming."
He put his arm around me. I leaned into him.
"Keifer."
"Hmm?"
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For this. For them. For not giving up."
He kissed my head. "Never."
Kade pulled his thumb out and looked up at us.
"Ma. Da."
"Yeah, baby. Mama and Dada."
He smiled. Then he put his thumb back in and closed his eyes.
The garden was quiet. Not silent. Just... peaceful.
I leaned my head on Keifer's shoulder.
"This is nice," I whispered.
He squeezed my shoulder. "Yeah. It is."
I could get used to this.
---
Jay's POV — The Great London Outing (Finally!)
A few days after the garden chaos, I was going stir-crazy. Like, actually climbing-the-walls crazy. Kade was climbing me. I was climbing Keifer. Someone needed to see sunlight that wasn't filtered through mansion windows.
"Keifer," I said, flopping onto the bed beside him like a sad fish. "We need to go out."
He didn't look up from his phone. "We go out."
"To the grocery store doesn't count."
"The park?"
"With Kade's stroller and three bodyguards standing by the trees like secret agents?" I rolled onto my stomach and kicked my feet in the air. "That's not an outing. That's a presidential parade. I want to be a normal tourist. I want to take embarrassing photos. I want to buy overpriced souvenirs that we'll never look at again."
Keifer finally looked at me. His mouth twitched. "You're pouting."
"I'm not pouting. This is my serious face."
"You're literally kicking your feet like a child."
"I'm expressing myself."
He sighed — the long one he does when he knows he's going to lose. "Fine. Tomorrow. We'll go out."
I sat up so fast I almost fell off the bed. "REALLY?"
"Really."
"Like... real outing? With the group? With ice cream and tourist traps and everything?"
"With everything."
I launched myself at him. He caught me. "Thank you thank you thank you—"
"You're going to break my ribs."
"You deserve it for making me wait two months."
He kissed my head. "Tomorrow."
I grinned so wide my cheeks hurt.
---
The Next Morning — Total Chaos
I woke up at 5 AM because Kade decided my hair was a chew toy. After wrestling him back to sleep (and losing a chunk of hair), I tiptoed downstairs to find the living room already buzzing.
Ci-n was standing by the window, bouncing on his heels. "Are we leaving yet?"
"It's 6 in the morning," I said.
"So? London isn't going to see itself."
Felix was eating cereal from a mug. "I've never seen Buckingham Palace in real life."
"Felix, we drove past it yesterday."
"That was a building."
"It's a palace."
"Same thing."
David looked up from his book — how does he do that? — "It's not the same thing."
Felix shrugged. "Close enough."
Rory was tying his shoes. "I want to see the big clock."
"Big Ben," Edrix corrected.
"That's what I said."
"You said big clock."
"SAME THING."
Eren was already at the door. "Can we go now? I'm bored."
Mayo nodded silently. He never talks much, but he was wearing a hoodie that said "LONDON" in big letters. He was ready.
Keiren ran past me, nearly taking out a lamp. "I want to see everything!"
"You'll see everything," Keigan said, following at a normal pace.
"You promise?"
"I promise."
Keiren hugged his arm. Keigan didn't push him away.
Percy appeared from the kitchen with a cup of tea and his camera around his neck. "Where's Keifer?"
"On the phone," I said. "Something about work."
"Always work," Percy muttered.
I walked toward Keifer's office. The door was slightly open. He was standing by the window, phone pressed to his ear. His voice was low. Calm.
"Just keep your distance. I don't want anyone near her."
A pause.
"She doesn't need to know. Just do your job quietly."
Another pause.
"I know. Thanks."
He hung up and turned. Saw me. His expression didn't change.
"Ready?" he asked.
I wanted to ask who he was talking to. But his face said don't. So I didn't.
"Ready," I said instead.
---
The Outing — Finally!
We took two cars. Not a convoy. Just two. Keifer's black SUV and another one for the rest of the group. Kade was on my lap in the backseat, pointing at everything.
"Ba!"
"Bus, baby."
"BUH!"
"Close enough."
Keifer was driving. One hand on the wheel, one hand on my knee. Normal. Relaxed.
I didn't see any bodyguards. But I knew they were there. Somewhere. Watching from a distance. Keifer was good at making things look normal.
"Where to first?" I asked.
Keiren's voice came from the car behind us — through the phone on speaker. "BIG BEN!"
"Big Ben it is," Keifer said.
I bounced in my seat. "I'm so excited. I've never seen it in person."
"You've seen pictures."
"Pictures don't count. It's like saying you've eaten cake because you looked at a menu."
"That's not the same."
"It's the same energy."
He shook his head. But he was smiling.
---
Big Ben — Or Whatever It's Called
We parked and walked toward Parliament. The crowd was thick. Tourists everywhere. Cameras clicking. People speaking different languages.
Keiren pressed his face against the railing. "IT'S SO BIG!"
"That's what she said," Felix muttered.
David smacked the back of his head. "There are children."
"I'm a child."
"You're sixteen."
"THAT'S STILL A CHILD."
Rory was already taking photos. Edrix was pointing out details. Eren was trying to climb something. Mayo was just standing there, taking it all in.
Kade, on my hip, pointed at the clock tower. "Ish."
"No, baby, that's a clock."
"Ish."
"Not a fish."
"Ish."
I gave up. "Fine. Clock-fish."
Kade nodded. Satisfied.
Ci-n ran in circles. "This is the best day of my life."
"You said that yesterday when we had pizza."
"PIZZA IS ALSO THE BEST DAY OF MY LIFE."
Keifer stood beside me, his hand on my lower back. He wasn't tense. He was just... there. Watching the crowd casually. Like any other tourist.
But I knew he was watching.
I leaned into him. "Thank you for this."
He kissed my head. "You're welcome."
---
The London Eye — My Turn to Be Scared
"I want to ride the Eye," I announced.
Everyone looked at me.
"The giant Ferris wheel?" Ci-n asked.
"It's not a Ferris wheel. It's an observation wheel. Very fancy."
"It's a giant circle that goes up and down," Felix said.
"Romantic," I corrected.
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "You're scared of heights."
"I'm not scared. I'm cautious."
"You cried on the escalator at the mall."
"THAT ESCALATOR WAS STEEP."
Keiren tugged my sleeve. "Ate, it's okay to be scared. I'll hold your hand."
I melted. "Thank you, baby."
We got in a capsule. Just our group. Keifer had arranged a private one — probably because he didn't want strangers witnessing my potential meltdown.
As we rose higher, London spread out beneath us. The river. The buildings. The tiny cars.
"Wow," Keiren whispered.
"Yeah," Keigan said. "Wow."
Percy took approximately nine million photos. Ci-n pretended not to be scared of heights. He was definitely scared. Felix pointed at everything. "What's that? What's that? What's THAT?"
David answered each question without looking up from his book.
And I was holding onto Keifer's arm like my life depended on it.
"You're crushing my circulation," he said.
"I'm not crushing anything."
"Your nails are in my skin."
"Oh." I loosened my grip. "Sorry."
He pulled me closer. "Just look at the view."
I looked. The city was beautiful. The river sparkled. The buildings looked like toys.
"Okay," I admitted. "This is nice."
"Just nice?"
"Really nice."
He kissed my forehead. "Worth the escalator trauma?"
"Don't push it."
Kade, on Keifer's other hip, pressed his hands against the glass. "Ba! Ba!"
"Yes, baby. Everything is 'ba.'"
---
Lunch — Or Feeding the Chaos
We found a restaurant near the river. Outdoor seating. Keifer chose a table in the corner. I didn't question it.
Everyone ordered different things. Ci-n wanted pasta. Felix wanted pizza. Rory wanted a burger. Edrix wanted salad (weirdo). Eren wanted fish and chips. Mayo pointed at the first thing on the menu. Keiren ordered chicken nuggets because he's eleven. Keigan ordered the same thing as Keifer without admitting it.
Percy took photos of his food before eating.
David ordered water and read his book.
Kade was in a high chair, smashing a piece of bread into tiny pieces. He was happy. Oblivious.
I looked around. No obvious guards. Just normal people eating lunch. But I knew they were there. Somewhere. Having their own lunch. Watching.
I decided not to think about it.
"Jay," Keifer said.
"Hmm?"
"You're staring at nothing."
"I'm admiring the architecture."
"The building behind you is a parking garage."
"Parking garages have architecture."
He shook his head. But he was smiling.
---
The Ice Cream Incident — My Finest Moment
After lunch, we found an ice cream cart. I wanted two scoops. Keifer said one.
"One is not enough," I argued.
"One is plenty."
"But I want chocolate AND strawberry."
"Then get one scoop of each."
"That's two scoops."
"That's what I said."
"YOU SAID ONE."
He rubbed his forehead. "You're impossible."
"Your impossible."
He paid for two scoops.
I ate my ice cream happily. Kade reached for it.
"No, baby, this is Mama's."
"Ma!"
"Mama's."
He grabbed the cone. It tipped. Ice cream fell on my shirt.
"KADE!"
He laughed.
Everyone turned to look.
Keifer was trying not to laugh. "Karma."
"THIS IS NOT FUNNY."
"It's a little funny."
"My shirt is ruined."
"It's vanilla. It'll wash out."
"IT'S THE PRINCIPLE."
Ci-n handed me a napkin. "Here, mom."
"I'm not your mom."
"You're everyone's mom."
I took the napkin. "Thank you."
"You're welcome, mom."
I threw the napkin at his face.
---
We walked along the river. The group spread out. Ci-n and Felix ran ahead. Rory and Edrix argued about something stupid. Eren and Mayo walked together in comfortable silence.
Percy took photos of pigeons. Aries walked alone, which was his brand.
Keiren held Keigan's hand. Keigan let him.
And Keifer walked beside me, Kade on his shoulders now, holding onto his hair.
"Da," Kade said, pulling.
"Ow—"
"Da."
"Yes, I'm Dada. Now let go."
Kade pulled harder.
I laughed. "He's winning."
"He's trying to make me bald."
"He's adding character."
"You're enjoying this."
"Immensely."
A street musician was playing guitar. Ci-n stopped to listen. Felix threw a coin in the case. The musician nodded.
"This is nice," I said.
"It is," Keifer said.
"No bodyguards in sight."
He was quiet for a second. Then, "They're there."
"I know. But I can't see them."
"That's the point."
I looped my arm through his. "Then I'll pretend we're normal."
He kissed my head. "We're not normal."
"I know. But we can pretend."
He didn't argue.
---
We found a souvenir shop. Tiny. Overpriced. Perfect.
I went crazy.
"I want this magnet. And this keychain. And this snow globe. And this T-shirt that says 'I ❤️ LONDON.' And this hat. And—"
"Jay," Keifer said.
"What?"
"You have ten things in your arms."
"Eleven. I want the mug too."
"You don't drink coffee."
"I'll drink tea."
"You hate tea."
"I'll learn to love it."
He sighed and took half of my items. "Fine."
I beamed. "You're the best husband."
"I know."
"Don't let it go to your head."
"Too late."
Kade grabbed a stuffed bear from a shelf and hugged it. "Ba!"
"Yes, baby. You can have the bear."
He hugged it tighter. His new best friend.
Keiren bought a miniature Big Ben. Keigan bought nothing but carried Keiren's bag. Percy bought a postcard and mailed it to himself. Ci-n bought a rubber duck wearing a crown. Felix bought candy. Rory bought a scarf even though it wasn't cold. Edrix bought a book about British history (nerd). Eren bought a keychain. Mayo bought a magnet.
David bought nothing. He just read his book.
Aries stood by the door, waiting.
"Are you not getting anything?" I asked.
"I don't need things."
"Everyone needs a souvenir."
He thought for a moment. Then he picked up a small coin with the Queen's face on it.
"This," he said.
"A coin?"
"It's practical."
I gave up.
---
The Ride Home — Tired but Happy
The sun was setting. Everyone was exhausted. Keiren fell asleep on Keigan's shoulder. Felix was scrolling through his photos. Ci-n was hugging his rubber duck.
Kade was asleep in my arms, his new bear tucked under his arm.
Keifer's hand was on my knee.
"Today was good," I said.
"It was."
"You didn't hate it?"
"I didn't hate it."
"That's the most romantic thing you've ever said."
He laughed. "Don't push it."
I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Thank you. For real."
"For what?"
"For taking us. For making it normal. For pretending with me."
He was quiet for a moment. Then he kissed my head.
"I'd do anything for you," he said.
"I know."
"Even ice cream."
"Even ice cream."
Kade snored softly.
I closed my eyes.
Today was perfect.
---
END OF CHAPTER.
----
Hey guys!
I'm so sorry for late update but target was also not completed.
Target 🎯.
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