Lilian watched her mother-in-law showering Aiden with lots of kisses, cooing and squishing him. She talked to him in some code language and their eyes communicated for some secrets. It was a delightful bond to see and the little guy seemed quite fond of his grandma. While the little one sucked on his scrumptious meal, his eyes watched the diamond sparkling thing around the neck of the elderly lady. It was very captivating to his new soul who still had to discover this petty world.
"He looks much calmer now. The last time I recall, he wouldn't stop crying no matter what we did," Helena Tucker stated as she smiled with wrinkles forming around her eyes.Dressed up in straight brown pants and a white shirt, she was looking fresh and elegant. She had minimum premium accessories despite the huge stock loading in her bank account and her face was still glowing despite her growing age. Lilian's womanly instincts wondered about the beauty products resulting in this magic. Her mother-in-law was still full of energy, competing in the dangerous age of exhaustion and she was still working in the company, maintaining her position in the family business."Yeah, he's just picky. He often gets cranky when he dislikes things," Lilian said while she exchanged a smile.The elderly woman nodded in acknowledgement and said, "So it seems like you have adjusted quite well. Any problems?""Not at all. I am doing very well." The young woman stated, smiling at the baby who seemed to stare at her now, maybe wondering what his mother was complaining about him.Helena adjusted the baby's head for support while she conversed, "Good to hear that and by the way, I was looking at the wedding photos the other night. You were looking so pretty dear.""Thank you," Lilian noted the compliment, "Actually I didn't go through it yet.""You should then. Should I ask Robert to send you the files again?" Her mother-in-law asked, maybe thinking she didn't get access yet.The young woman remembered a link to the drive sent to her email. 'Wedding photos' being the title of the document, she felt thrilled to open that up. The reality still felt like a dream, she couldn't imagine standing next to Richard Tucker in a wedding gown."That's fine Mother. I have it. It's just Aiden doesn't like it if he is given a little less attention but I will check it real soon." She informed.The grandmother's soul chuckled and pinched the nose of the baby playfully, "What a naughty baby! Aren't you, my little monster?"Lilian noticed the lady beside her changing her expression to the serious one in a second. The elderly looked at her surroundings and shifted closer to the wife of his son, passing a hesitant smile as she pressed her lips together, "About Rich, how's your relationship with him? Do you get along?"Taken aback by the sudden unexpected question, the newly married woman felt puzzled to answer the question. Their parents knew what this marriage was all about then why would she ask something like that?"Mother, actually..." She was uncertain of what to say.Lilian watched Helena clasp her hand gently, giving it a light squeeze, "I know it's shameless of me to ask but as a mother, I can't see my son like that. He is becoming so workaholic that all he cares about is his business. He doesn't talk to us, doesn't visit us, doesn't agree to dinners and he looks so worn out these days."The heart of the aged mother ached. Helena looked into her daughter-in-law's eyes warmly with a paint of sadness, "He wasn't like that before at all. I tried a lot but it's just like he had shut all the doors. I can't see him like that."She paused a little, taking a deep breath, "Lilian, can you warm up to him a little bit? My Rich is a very sweet child, he is just not that expressible. I will be grateful if you could help him a little."The young woman was stunned, hard to digest all the words spit at her face. She was indirectly asked to form a romantic relationship with Richard Tucker by his mother despite knowing all the circumstances. Their relationship was beyond the edges of boundaries and Lilian knew how hard her husband had loved his first wife. Well, everybody did.Nia and Richard were like the best couple of forever who would make you feel jealous at a glance. Both of them were always pulling each other's leg, hugging, kissing and laughing... They were like the perfect pieces of people with the finest chemistry between them. Richard was always there by Nia's side, be it a happy one or a hard one. Even when Nia got pregnant, he was the one who had suggested the marriage, not wanting to abort the beautiful symbol of their love. His overprotectiveness towards her, his caring, his soft side, his love, the efforts he took to please her even in little moments... Everybody knew how much he adored Nia. It was like a first and last love. And after all this, his mother wants them to be in an actual relationship? Was that even possible?"Mother," Lilian called out softly, her face tensed up as she pulled away her hand, "Let's keep this marriage simple and let's not complicate things. I understand your worry but it's not even much time since Nia passed away. Give him some time to adjust, I am sure he will get better eventually."The elderly woman sighed, about to say something when a voice interrupted her."She is right Mom, don't even think of hooking us up. It's out of the league!"Lilian's eyes diverted to the owner of the voice. Richard was there with a napkin around the nape of his neck while the grey shirt had wet patches of sweat, showing the intensive calories he had burnt. The guy just commented and passed off the lane without actually involving himself in the conversation but engraving a big impact.Helena shook her side to side before looking at the time, smiling at her grandson who was now gently sucking on the nipple of the bottle, his eyes getting heavy. He surely looked more adorable in his sleepy mode. She kissed his forehead before passing him to Lilian's authority."I am sorry to pop like this without any prior notice but I am happy that you are taking good care of my grandson." She said as she got up from the couch, taking her purse in her hand, "I know I have said this a lot of times but really, thank you so much, honey. You are very sweet to agree to all this stuff. I am grateful."She added gratitude.Getting up as Lilian put the bottle of milk away and held the baby against her chest while she smiled at the old lady, "Please don't say that Mother. Aiden is my son now and I love to be with him. He is a lovely child.""Of course he is", The mother-in-law added, leaning in to kiss her grandson for one last time."Bye baby, grandma loves you." She said after kissing the back of his head and leaning in to give a short hug to her daughter-in-law."I still hope that you and Richard will progress a little." She whispered in her ear before, separating herself while her eyes mischievously looked at her son standing at the top of the stairs.Lilian looked at herself in the mirror. With the white knee-length apparel she wore with her black hair falling off her shoulders, she wondered if she looked presentable to go out with the future heir of Tuckers. A simple and sober look she preferred felt inferior after seeing the gigantic fashionable people at her wedding. The prestigious Tucker clan had high status and it was her responsibility to maintain herself properly as she was now a member of this house. She didn't want people to point at her as a disgraceful daughter-in-law of a multi-billionaire established family. In the large field of roses, a small jasmine felt hard to fit in but it was still trying. "Does Mama look okay, baby?" Lilian asked the 3-month-old lying on the comfy mattress of her bed as she was done getting ready. The baby was dressed in a black romper which had a white lily flower in the right corner at the level of his chest. Somehow the colour suited him as much as his father and the little guy looked fa
Lilian followed Richard as he entered the pediatric clinic room. Aiden was still relishing being with his father, not leaving the comfy embrace he was cited. The naughty baby teased her about how he could take all the attention of the man she dreamed of without much effort when she was a helpless hard worker aiming for a no signboard. She had walked behind that handsome fella, everybody gaped at but he refused to even skim at her for a mere couple of seconds, dissolving all her yearnings she held unconsciously. She was stupidly wishful to harbour him to check on her if she was still accompanying him and not lost somewhere in a magical way. But to be awakened, he never even once looked back. It was a quick realization of the certitude, Lilian didn't know she craved his attention this densely. Was it just a crush or something more than that? She was puzzled, her brain becoming retarded every time she tried to sort her way out.The hospital procedures were so simple. Richard had filled o
Lilian's finger caressed the baby's soft skin, sleeping peacefully in her lap with his hands curled in a tight fist. Her hands held the human of a few kilograms to safeguard him from each bump the car felt. The wailing that left a scar in her heart still scared her, and she didn't want to intrude on the endearing sleep he attained after lots of drudgery. Her baby adopted a porcelain colour in contrast to his usual warm ivory pale skin, and she still had the dried stains of tears on her cheeks, a flimsy heart attack she suffered when she saw her infant in ache. Is being a mother arduous, or was she having a tough time because she wasn't the biological mother? This baby in her arms was precious; she had promised to devote herself to this tiny soul without a mother. She didn't want him to grow up without a mother and be in despair, where he would sob over for not having a mother. 'Mommy loves you a lot baby.' She said in a subtle whisper and leaned in to kiss his forehead while patting
Lilian ambled across the hallway as she entered the laundry room in the backside of the garden with an undersized laundry basket holding dozens of baby's clothing. Three maids were working there as usual, and noticing the madam of the house, they bowed quickly and stood attentively. The superior of three of them, Clara, a young girl in her mid-twenties with her long blonde hair braided beautifully and a relatively healthy build, approached the sovereignty to take the essentials they were assigned. "Madam, you don't have to come here every day," Clara said as she passed the basket to one of her subordinates, signing them to continue the work. "Just inform someone, and we will pick up the laundry." She added. Lilian smiled warmly, shaking her head at the responsible girl. This lass was youthful yet mature, and Lilian appreciated her hard work and determination."That's fine. I also need to burn some calories for the day, so please, don't burden yourself with that."The maid smiled, pl
"What are you doing here?" Lilian felt a sharp pierce through her body, the sudden electrification making her unstable to drop the laundry basket and scatter the garments to disorganize the systematic place. Her eyes wavered to keep up with that killer gaze, making her feel like some kind of an extensive criminal who was unforgivable. She skimmed through his eyes, trying to find the graveness of the matter she unfolded. Unfortunately, the amber pair of pearls was much colder than she ever encountered. The man standing in an ebony office suit was the source of all the trepidation threatening her heart. There was a sudden decline in the temperature of the surroundings, colder than the north pole embedded in ice. "I asked what are you doing here?" The sound echoed again. The coldness kept escalating, and the ambience felt tense.Lilian's throat went dry, the pharynx feeling sore without any moisture to retain the utility. The premature paralysis of her vocal cords couldn't defend her p
Lilian stared blankly at the greenery. The crimson sky was waving at the setting sun, bidding goodbye after a long, tiresome day where it shined dazzlingly to provide vitality to this world. The air danced unhurriedly in cadence, with the leaves of the trees singing a soothing, rugged song in the background. The two big dogs of the Tucker household, Charlie and Cooper, were playing on the soft, big lawn prospered so beautifully, entertaining the infant sitting in his mother's lap. The little one enjoyed the variety of stunts the canines showed. To her surprise, he was so calm compared to the typical cranky composition he displayed in the sundowns.Despite these exquisite and heavenly surroundings, Lilian's mind was still cloudy, with the scene in the afternoon. It was hurtfully running over again and again in the screen of her mind. Even after numerous trials, she couldn't shoo away the distasteful thoughts and not feel hurt anymore. His cold utterances, that displeasing stare of deni
"You are unbelievable!" Richard commented, his voice echoing in the surroundings with a sudden gush of cold air freezing the place. Lilian could feel her heart entrapped in chaos as she gaped at his furious amber eyes, feeling a weight of thousands of pounds clamped to her legs. Not a word left her mouth until she saw him taking some giant steps toward her and snatching the crying baby from her authority. The father held his son close, checking his precious person for signs of injury with worry. His eyebrows furrowed in worry after seeing an alarming redness of the baby's forearm and wrist, and he looked at the culprit with bitterness.Aiden's cries were getting strong enough to denote his pain, and Lilian felt sick for the poor baby. She lengthened her hand to take back the infant, touching his arms to carry him."Let me help him," she pleaded, begging the man who held more authority over that kid than her. Richard stepped back, increasing the distance. Lilian leaned over unconscious
Lilian looked at the mobile screen shining brightly, popping the name 'mom' with a red heart she had set affectionately. Her eyes moistened at the thought of the warmest person in this world whose embrace could hide her from all the tragedies and hurricanes. The girl felt herself reaching out, wanting to pour all her heart out in front of this magical individual called Mother, but she restrained herself from being weaker. Things were already exceedingly stressful after Nia passed away, and even her marriage, where they didn't give in entirely, had complicated things. The daughter didn't want to make things more troublesome for them than it already was. Lilian exhaled all the air in her lungs and forced a smile to formulate herself as the happiest soul. She picked up the device and skated the green circle on the mobile screen."Lily..."She heard her mother's tender voice, almost relinquishing in insanity to complain about this unfair and frigid world. But she knew she couldn't. She di