"Hi, baby boy. I'm happy you're awake, and I can hold you. Your mother must feel the same way. But she's resting now, so let's not disturb her and play with me instead." His voice was laced with happiness as his eyes flitted the same feeling. There was nothing happier than this moment when he finally held baby Zach. And the fact that he was born healthy was wonderful. It could be perfect if his wife's recovery went well.Baby Zach wriggled his tiny hands and managed to capture Dave's finger. He gripped it though his eyes were still closed. Baby Zach might sense familiar and safe, so baby Zach didn't cry, which made Dave's heart swell with pride and warmth. Only his touch could do that, and he couldn't be more proud of that."What do you think about this world? It's amazing, isn't it? You have me, your mother, and your entire family by your side. And in the future, you will find your own friends."Baby Zach was just quiet, and if his grip was not still on his finger, Dave might have th
Three years later.She watched everything. Their every move, laugh, giggle, scream, and more. She couldn't help but grace a wide smile over that. It was too good to be true. But it was what that was as it was the reality.Baby Zach was now three years old and in his active days. He had run on every corner of the house and was always excited to run outside.Although it tired their body from following him around, she didn't complain, especially Dave. He always had the energy to play with him and never ran out of ideas. He raised their child with all his heart.She shook her head to force herself back to her place. She couldn't only observe them all the time, as she needed to finish the cookie dough.Zach had the exact liking as hers for sweets. So she tried to be the best mom by baking them instead of buying them outside or ordering chefs to make them. It was cheaper and could adjust to her family preferences, which she wanted, not too much sugar.As Dave said, sugar was a killer.She
Anna peered through the common bathroom door on the first floor before stepping out casually as if nothing had happened. She walked past Dave, who was sitting on the couch in their living room and reading a report on his tablet, with Zach crawling on the floor."Zach, baby, come here." She called for Zach's attention, which was never hard to get. "Let's play outside."And his reaction was predictable. He was running toward his mother excitedly. His smile was so big that it was going to explode.Being a child seemed fun, didn't it?She followed him, running out of the house to their yard barefoot. She couldn't help her own smile from forming on her face at seeing him and another happiness she had just found out about today.She was pregnant with their second child.But be quiet. Anna wanted to make a surprise for her husband.Oh, she couldn't wait to see his reaction!"Zach, come here. Mommy wants to say something to you."Zach halted his running to look at his mother with an indescrib
Was this really what it felt to be a broken heart?She felt endless sadness, and the will to live a day was nothing. Not to mention her tears like rain, unable to stop falling from her eyes. However, it was nothing compared to the reality that forced her to continue meeting the source of her pain. It felt like she wanted to disappear right away.If she could, she would definitely do it. Unfortunately, she couldn't just do it. Giving up only for a guy seemed not right. In fact, she could have been enduring it all this time. This gonna be merely another part of her broken heart phase.But was that true? Why did this hurt so much?"You're not eating?"A faint voice entered her ears. She heard it, or she thought she heard it. It was kinda confusing because her brain and body were out of sync. She wasn't even sure she really heard it. The surrounding voices sounded the same. Not clear."Anna."If the first one was a male voice, the second was a female voice. The two people sitting next to
Anna didn't come home right away.She decided to head to a nearby bar after refusing to join in their car. Of course. They planned to take her to the cinema, and it was clear she didn't want to be a nuisance. To be precise, she couldn't see their affection anymore. It would be too much for her. She had to prepare her heart for the real broken heart.So, she lied to want to go straight home. She wanted to enjoy her time off before a heap of schedules ruined her life. One more thing. She needed to take care of her body for their happy day. Yes, she would be the bridesmaid of the bride. And as Rebecca's best friend, she also had to give a speech. What a challenging task.Luckily, they didn't force her. Anna had to thank Matt for preventing her from accompanying the bride before the wedding. But, unfortunately, it resulted terribly for her. His action warmed her heart even more instead of turning it off.So, here she was, in the Byrne hotel lounge, which was a block away from the restaura
Anna felt a hand slip under her body, then another hand rested on top of her. Next, she felt her body move as if pulled towards the hand's owner, bringing their bodies back in close. Although her eyes were still closed, his movement managed to wake her up and acknowledge where Anna was. She was in Dave's arms, the man she had only met last night.She smiled faintly as the memory of last night entered her mind. Long chats accompanied by whiskey ended with sex. Yeah, not a weird ending, indeed. A convenient interaction brought the desire. This was normal for adults.Anna moved her body back to be closer to the muscular body behind her. But, as the comfort was just got, suddenly, the door opened."What the hell are you doing?"Like a thunderclap, it startled the two people who were still on the bed and forced their eyes wide open. They automatically got up, and it was the wrong decision. The blanket covering their bodies fell off, revealing Anna's naked upper body. Her reflex brought it
That day might be her busiest day. How came? It was her wedding day!Who was not busy preparing for the special day? No exception for her. Moreover, the marriage was held suddenly. Oh, she was great at still being able to keep her sanity."Done."The voice seemed to command her eyes to open after only staring at the darkness. And as she slowly moved her eyelids open, a beautiful woman greeted her.A woman with shoulder-length blonde hair was styled so that it looked curly and volumed. The left side was intentionally pinned behind her ear and gave a beautiful hairpin there. While the right side was left to give the impression of being mature and elegant.It was supported by her natural makeup. Her makeup accentuated her facial features and showed her best version without being too much. What looked the boldest was the color of her lips. It was a brick red that instantly obscured the simplicity of her makeup.That was her. Anna."You look amazing!" Praise the makeup artist. She stood be
"Yes, I promise," Anna said while looking straight into his blue eyes. Those were the same words Dave had said. A promise in calm they tried to show even though their eyes couldn't hide their nervousness. However, their gazes seemed to comfort each other and reassure them that everything would be fine.Yes, that was what they needed."Now, I pronounce you husband and wife. May God bless your marriage with happiness forever." The priest ended the vow with the inauguration. That was the end of the sacred process in the wedding. "You may kiss the bride." And the sweet ending. A kiss.Dave looked doubtful. Usually, the groom would kiss the bride's lips, right? But somehow, he felt he shouldn't do that. No, it was not a matter of sincerity. It was about how marriage worked. Supposedly, it started with love, so the kiss would be a lovely closing to complete the process. However, his marriage was not like that.So, he decided to change that. He kissed Anna's forehead instead of her lips.Jus