Jay pov.
After we reached home Percy excused himself and went somewhere. Maybe company or home.
Keifer is now in the living room with Kade on his lap. Both watching coco melon.
I was telling our chef keifer's diet plan according to doctor.
I was talking to Mrs blackwood (our chef) when I heard kade's cry follow by keifer's voice.
"No buddy it's not for you"
I went to them to see Kade crying pointing towards his hand which was slightly behind keifer's back.
"What happened?" I asked waking towards them.
"I took medicine and he wants it too" keifer said blankly.
I giggled.
"Baby, it's for dada" I said sitting beside them and took Kade toy lap.
"Ma..." He said like he's complaining.
"Forget that medicine, it's bitter." I tried to reason.
He shook his head.
*Sighed*
"What about I give you something sweet" I tried to bribe him
He again shook his head.
I heard keifer laughed and my head snapped towards him and his laughter converted into cough. He pretend like he was coughing.
idiot.
"Lara" I called one of our maids who was about to go to the kitchen.
"Yes, ma'am" she came to us and asked with a bow.
"Bring me a chocolate" I said.
She nodded and left.
She came back with a bar of chocolate 🍫
My eyes lit up.
She gave me the chocolate and left while Kade was still fussing over medicine.
I held up the chocolate bar and waved it gently in front of Kade's tear-streaked face.
"Look, baby. Chocolate."
He paused his crying for half a second. His little eyes tracked the wrapper. Then he remembered his mission and pointed angrily at Keifer's hand again.
"Ma... ma...!"
Keifer raised an eyebrow. "He's persistent."
"He gets that from you."
"I'm not persistent. I'm determined."
"There's a difference?"
He opened his mouth to argue, then closed it. "...Fair point."
I unwrapped the chocolate and broke off a small piece. Kade watched every movement like a hawk. His lower lip was still trembling, but the tears had slowed.
I held the piece toward him. "Try this first. If you don't like it, we can talk about the medicine."
He looked at the chocolate. Then at Keifer. Then back at the chocolate.
His little hand reached out slowly.
He took it.
Put it in his mouth.
His eyes widened.
The fussing stopped immediately.
I bit my lip to keep from laughing. Keifer let out a quiet breath of relief.
Kade smacked his lips, clearly enjoying the sweetness. Then he turned to Keifer and pointed at his mouth.
"Da. Da."
Keifer blinked. "What?"
"He wants more," I translated.
"He just had some."
"He doesn't care."
Kade pointed again. More insistent this time. "Da!"
Keifer looked at me helplessly. "This is your fault."
"My fault? You're the one who took medicine in front of him."
"I didn't think he'd want it."
"He wants everything you have. He's your son."
Keifer stared at Kade, who was now making grabby hands toward his face. The little traitor had completely forgotten about the medicine and was now laser-focused on getting another bite of chocolate.
I broke off another small piece and handed it to Keifer. "Here. You give it to him."
"Why me?"
"Because you're the one he's imitating."
Keifer took the piece with a resigned sigh. He held it out to Kade, who snatched it immediately and stuffed it into his mouth with the speed of a tiny raccoon.
"Slow down," Keifer said gently. "You'll choke."
Kade chewed happily, chocolate smearing across his cheeks.
I reached over and wiped his face with my sleeve. He didn't even notice. He was too busy staring at Keifer's lap, probably wondering if any more chocolate was hiding there.
"No more," I said firmly. "That's enough for now."
Kade looked at me. His eyes welled up again.
I pointed a finger at him. "Don't you dare."
He blinked.
The tears retreated.
Keifer snorted. "He already knows who's in charge."
"Of course he does. He's smart."
Keifer's hand found mine on the couch cushion. He squeezed gently. "You're good at this."
"At what?"
"Being a mom."
I looked down at our intertwined fingers. Then at Kade, who had given up on the chocolate and was now trying to grab Keifer's nose.
"I'm learning," I said softly. "Every day."
Keifer tilted his head toward me. His voice dropped lower. "You're doing better than learning. You're natural."
I felt warmth spread through my chest.
Then Kade successfully grabbed Keifer's nose and yanked.
"Ow—buddy!"
Kade giggled.
I laughed. "See? Natural."
Keifer rubbed his nose, looking utterly defeated by a one-year-old. "I've faced boardroom battles. Hostile takeovers. Ruthless competitors."
"And now you've met your match."
He looked down at Kade, who was now patting his cheek with sticky chocolate fingers.
"Yeah," he murmured, a soft smile tugging at his lips. "I really have."
I leaned my head against his shoulder—carefully, so I didn't jostle his ribs.
For a moment, we just sat there. Kade babbling nonsense. Coco Melon still playing on the TV. The afternoon sun streaming through the windows.
The staff was working quietly in the background. No hospital beeps. No anxious nurses. No fear.
Just... this.
Home.
Keifer pressed a kiss to the top of my head. "Thank you."
"For what?"
"For bringing him into my life." His voice was barely above a whisper. "Both of you."
I didn't answer with words.
I just squeezed his hand tighter.
Kade looked up at both of us, chocolate smeared across his entire face, and let out a happy screech.
Keifer winced. "He's loud."
"He's yours."
"Unfortunately."
I laughed. "You love it."
He looked down at our son, who was now trying to eat his own foot.
"...Yeah," he said quietly. "I really do."
I smiled at his words, letting them settle somewhere deep in my chest.
Kade had finally abandoned his foot and was now trying to climb off Keifer's lap. His little legs kicked, and he squirmed like a tiny worm.
"Whoa, whoa." Keifer grabbed him before he could tumble onto the floor. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Down," I said, reaching over. "He wants down. He's done sitting."
I scooped Kade up and placed him on the carpet. He immediately crawled toward his toy basket, pulled out a plastic dinosaur, and began hitting it against the floor.
Keifer winced. "That's... loud."
"He's expressing himself."
"He's committing assault on a dinosaur."
I laughed and stood up. "Are you hungry? It's almost lunchtime. I should check on Mrs. Blackwood."
Keifer leaned back against the couch, his hand instinctively pressing against his ribs. "I could eat."
"Good. The doctor said small meals, frequent. No heavy stuff."
"I know."
"And you're not allowed to drink coffee."
He froze. "...What?"
I turned and looked at him with raised eyebrows. "Doctor's orders. Caffeine affects your healing."
"That's not true."
"It is true. I asked."
"You asked on purpose."
"Of course I did."
Keifer stared at me like I had just betrayed him in the worst possible way. "Jay."
"Keifer."
"That's cruel."
"It's medical."
He opened his mouth, closed it, then looked at Kade, who was now chewing on the dinosaur's tail. "Son. Your mother is a tyrant."
Kade looked up briefly, made a gurgling sound, then went back to his dinosaur.
"He agrees with me," Keifer said flatly.
"He has no idea what you said."
"He knows."
I shook my head, still smiling, and walked toward the kitchen.
Mrs. Blackwood was already pulling out pots and pans when I entered. She was a round woman in her fifties with silver-streaked hair and the kind of warm face that made you feel like everything was going to be okay.
"Mrs. Blackwood?"
She turned, wiping her hands on her apron. "Ah, Mrs. Watson. I've already started prepping. Grilled fish, steamed vegetables, light broth. Nothing too heavy on the stomach."
"That sounds perfect."
"And for the little one?" She smiled. "I made some mashed sweet potatoes. He loved them last time."
"Thank you. You're a lifesaver."
She waved a hand. "Nonsense. It's my job. Now go sit down. You've been running around all morning."
I opened my mouth to protest, but she gave me a look that reminded me of my own mother.
"...Okay."
"Good."
I walked back toward the living room, but paused at the hallway entrance.
Keifer had moved. He was now sitting on the floor with Kade, the dinosaur abandoned between them. He was stacking colorful plastic rings onto a pole—one of those baby toys—while Kade watched with intense concentration.
Except Keifer wasn't stacking them the right way. He was putting them on in random order, colors mismatched, sizes all wrong.
Kade frowned. His little brow furrowed.
Then he reached out, grabbed the rings, and started taking them off.
Keifer looked offended. "I was building something."
Kade ignored him and neatly placed the rings back in the correct order—biggest to smallest, colors matching perfectly.
Keifer blinked. "Did he just..."
I couldn't help it. I laughed out loud.
Keifer's head snapped toward me. "Did you teach him that?"
"No." I walked over and sat on the floor beside them. "He's just smarter than you."
"He's not even one."
"He's your son."
Keifer stared at Kade, who was now clapping his hands proudly at his completed tower. "I'm not sure if I should be proud or terrified."
"Both," I said. "Definitely both."
Kade looked up at me and held out the tower. "Mama."
My heart melted. "Oh, baby, that's beautiful."
He smiled, then promptly knocked it over.
Keifer sighed. "And there it goes."
"He's exploring cause and effect."
"He's a menace."
"A cute menace."
Kade grabbed one of the rings and threw it at Keifer's chest.
Keifer caught it, but the movement made him wince. His hand went to his ribs.
My smile faded instantly. "Keifer."
"I'm fine."
"You're not fine."
"It was just a twinge."
I reached over and gently pushed his hand away, carefully lifting the hem of his shirt. The bandage was still there, clean and white, but I could see the faint bruising spreading around the edges.
"You need to rest," I said quietly. "Not sit on the floor playing ring toss."
"I was spending time with my son."
"You can spend time with him on the couch. With pillows. Like a normal recovering person."
Keifer looked at me with those dark eyes, and I saw the exhaustion he was trying to hide. The shadows under his eyes. The slight pallor that still lingered beneath his tan.
"Fine," he said softly. "You win."
"I always win."
"Don't push it."
I helped him stand, keeping a hand on his back as he straightened. He didn't complain, but I felt the slight tremor in his arm as he leaned on me.
We made it back to the couch. I fluffed a pillow and tucked it behind his back. Kade had crawled over to the coffee table and was now trying to pull himself up using the edge.
"He's going to walk soon," Keifer observed.
"Any day now."
"Then we're in trouble."
"Always have been."
Keifer smiled—a real one, soft and tired. "Yeah."
I sat beside him, close enough that our shoulders touched. Kade babbled happily at the table, completely absorbed in his own world.
The kitchen hummed with the sounds of cooking. Sunlight spilled across the floor.
It was ordinary.
Perfect.
Keifer's hand found mine again. His thumb traced lazy circles over my knuckles.
"Jay."
"Hm?"
"Thank you for staying."
I turned to look at him. His eyes were serious, vulnerable in a way he only ever showed me.
"For keeping me together," he continued. "For being there. For not giving up."
I squeezed his hand. "You don't have to thank me."
"I know." He lifted my hand and pressed a kiss to my palm. "But I want to."
My throat tightened. I blinked back the sudden warmth in my eyes.
"Then you're welcome," I managed. "But you owe me. Big time."
His lips curved against my skin. "I'll spend the rest of my life paying you back."
"You better."
"I will."
Suddenly Kade screamed. Both of our heads snapped towards him.
His dinosaur was somehow stuck beneath the small coffee table and his was using all his strength to pull it.
I walked towards him and push the table up a little and the little menace pulled the toy with so much force that he fall back ward with a soft thud.
My eyes widened.
Kades lower lip wobbled and he started crying and dramatically trow his dinosaur towards the table with frustration.
"No no no.." I run towards him and scooped him up.
I rocked him gently.
"I'm so sorry baby. Are you hurt somewhere?" I said checking of he got hurt
"Give him here" keifer said and carried him. I didn't even realize when he came beside me.
"It's okay champ. You're a brave boy. Brave boy don't cry over small fall" keifer said rocking him gently. Kade put his head on his father's shoulder and his cry soften.
We walked towards the couch and sat while Kade still on keifer's lap.
Mrs. Blackwood appeared at the doorway. "Lunch is ready."
I stood, brushing off my jeans. "Coming."
She smiled at the scene before disappearing back to the kitchen.
Keifer shifted Kade on his lap. The little guy was still sniffling from his earlier frustration, but he'd already forgotten why he was upset. He was now trying to grab Keifer's watch.
"Alright, buddy," Keifer said, gently prying his tiny fingers away. "That's not a toy."
Kade made an unhappy sound and tried again.
Keifer looked at me with pleading eyes. "Help."
"You're the one holding him."
"He's aggressive."
"He's curious. There's a difference."
I walked over and scooped Kade up. He immediately relaxed against my shoulder, his chubby hand finding my necklace.
"Let's go eat," I said. "And you"—I pointed at Keifer—"take it slow. No sudden movements. No lifting anything."
"I wasn't planning to."
"You were planning to walk to the dining room like you're fine. I can see it in your eyes."
He opened his mouth. Closed it. "...Maybe."
"Keifer."
"I'm just walking. It's not a marathon."
I gave him The Look—the one that usually made him back down.
He sighed dramatically. "Fine. I'll walk slowly. Like an old man."
"Good."
"I'm not old."
"Your ribs disagree."
He muttered something under his breath as he pushed himself up from the couch. I watched him carefully. He tried to stand without any support, but I caught the slight grimace he tried to hide.
I didn't say anything. I just moved closer, letting him lean on me if he needed to.
He didn't, of course. Too stubborn.
But he didn't pull away either.
We walked to the dining room together. Kade babbled happily on my hip, reaching for the chandelier as we passed under it.
"Almost there," I murmured.
"I'm fine," Keifer said. "I could run if I wanted to."
"You absolutely could not."
"I could."
"Your body disagrees."
"My body is dramatic."
I snorted. "You're impossible."
"You married me."
"Remind me why?"
He shot me a crooked grin. "Because I'm charming."
"Delusional."
"Same thing."
We reached the table. Mrs. Blackwood had set out a beautiful spread—grilled fish, steamed vegetables, a light broth, and a small bowl of mashed sweet potatoes for Kade.
I settled Kade into his high chair and strapped him in. He immediately grabbed the tray and started banging his hands against it.
"Excited, huh?" I said, kissing his head.
"Ba-ba-ba!"
"Yes, yes, I know. Food is coming."
Keifer lowered himself into his chair with exaggerated care—half for show, half because it actually hurt. I noticed the way his jaw tightened, but he forced a smile when he caught me looking.
"See? Perfectly fine."
"You're pale."
"I'm always pale."
"You're not. You have a tan."
"I'm... naturally pale."
"You're lying."
"I'm deflecting."
I shook my head and sat beside him, pulling my own plate closer. "Eat. And don't skip the vegetables."
He looked at the broccoli like it had personally offended him. "The doctor said I could eat what I want."
"The doctor said you need nutrients. Broccoli has nutrients."
"It also has bitterness."
"Life is bitter. Eat it."
Kade let out a screech, demanding attention. I broke off a small piece of sweet potato and placed it on his tray. He grabbed it with both hands and shoved it into his mouth.
"See?" I said to Keifer. "He's more mature than you."
Keifer stared at Kade, who now had sweet potato smeared across his entire face. "Mature. Right."
"He's eating his vegetables."
"He's wearing them."
"Same thing."
Keifer sighed, picked up his fork, and stabbed a piece of broccoli. He looked at it. Then at me. Then back at the broccoli.
"You're watching me," he said.
"Of course I am."
"Stop watching me."
"No."
He muttered something under his breath and took a bite. His expression suggested he was chewing on cardboard.
"Satisfied?" he asked.
"Very."
Kade babbled happily, pounding his tray. Sweet potato flew everywhere.
Keifer looked at the mess. Then at me. "Who's cleaning that up?"
"Not me. I'm busy supervising you."
"You're enjoying this."
"Immensely."
He shook his head, but I caught the small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
____
Hey guys 👋
I hope you like the chapter and I've read all your comments so I'll try keep this book longer.
Give me interesting idias guys.
Byeeeee.