“Esther, haha, are you sure you two didn’t do anything bad?”
Juliette teased with a mischievous laugh, sprawling across the bed.
Standing by the window, Chris was sure Juliette was doing this on purpose. He’d thought she had matured, but she was just as willful and unruly as ever.
Since Juliette was spending the night in Esther’s room, it meant Chris couldn’t go back to his own room. With a deep sigh, Chris reluctantly started heading downstairs.
As he descended, he suddenly noticed his father-in-law, John Jefferson, walking into the yard. John lit a cigarette and began smoking in the cool night air.
Oh, come on!
Chris froze, his face darkening. What was his father-in-law doing smoking outside in the middle of the night?
With John standing below, Chris was directly above him. If John so much as looked up, he’d see his son-in-law standing there wearing nothing but a pair of oversized boxer shorts.
Chris felt stuck. He couldn’t go up, nor could he go down.
Meanwhile, back in the room, Juliette was chatting non-stop with Esther. Esther couldn’t help but glance at the window repeatedly, noticing Chris still hadn’t come down.
If Juliette saw Chris standing outside in just his boxers, how would she explain it?
Juliette noticed Esther’s distracted gaze toward the window and asked slyly, “Esther, what are you looking at?”
Esther quickly shook her head. “Nothing. Juliette, let’s go to sleep. We have work tomorrow.”
“Alright, I’ll sleep with you tonight,” Juliette said with a grin.
Esther had no choice but to agree.
Outside, Chris was still stuck on the windowsill, feeling utterly defeated. He’d been there for over an hour. It was summer, and mosquitoes were everywhere.
Wearing just a pair of boxers, Chris was an easy target. He was covered in bites, and as the night grew cooler, the breeze sent shivers down his spine.
Why is this happening to me? Chris thought to himself, cursing his luck.
Inside, Juliette suddenly said, “Esther, I saw the weather report earlier-it said temperatures might drop, and there could be heavy rain later. Make sure you stay warm under the covers.”
Hearing this, Esther’s heart skipped a beat. She thought about Chris outside in only his boxers and grew worried, though she couldn’t let Juliette know.
Juliette sighed dramatically. “Esther, you’re not asleep yet? Are you not used to sharing a bed with me? Maybe I should just go sleep in my own room.”
Esther lit up at this suggestion. “You’re going back to your room?”
Outside, Chris, who was freezing and being eaten alive by mosquitoes, nearly jumped with joy at hearing this.
Juliette smiled knowingly. “Yeah, we have work tomorrow. If I don’t get enough sleep, I won’t be able to function.”
Esther quickly nodded. “Then go back to your room and sleep!”
Juliette got up, casting a meaningful glance at the window. “Alright, Esther. I’ll leave you and your husband to your… private time.”
With that, she left the room.
As soon as Juliette was gone, Esther quickly locked the door. Chris climbed back in through the window, his body covered in mosquito bites.
He couldn’t stop scratching, his face contorted in discomfort.
“Chris!” Esther scolded playfully. “I told you to leave earlier! Why did you stay out there feeding the mosquitoes?”
Chris let out a bitter laugh. “Do you think I wanted to? Your dad was standing in the yard smoking. How could I just walk down in my boxers?”
Seeing Chris covered in itchy, red welts, Esther couldn’t help but giggle.
Chris gritted his teeth. “Juliette did this on purpose!”
Esther frowned. “How do you know? Maybe it was just a coincidence.”
Chris let out a cold laugh. There was no way he believed Juliette wasn’t behind this.
—
The next morning, Esther and Juliette left for work.
Chris, on the other hand, slept in until noon. When he finally woke up, he washed up and headed downstairs.
“Daddy, I’m hungry!”
Chris turned to see his daughter, Hope, running toward him. She wasn’t at school today.
Chris scooped her up into his arms. “Alright, sweetheart. Daddy will make you something delicious to eat.”
“Okay!” Hope nodded eagerly.
Chris went into the kitchen, and Hope followed, curious. “Daddy, what are you making for me?”
Chris smiled. “How about some spicy fish stew, Hope?”
Hope’s eyes lit up. “Yay! I love that!”
About ten minutes later, Chris brought out several dishes.
Hope’s face lit up with excitement. “Wow, Daddy! So much yummy food!”
Chris laughed. “Go on, try it and tell me how it tastes!”
Hope nodded and began eating.
For Chris, cooking was second nature. During his years on missions, he often had to prepare his own meals. He even once infiltrated a royal palace as a chef to get close to a king who loved gourmet food.
That mission had led to a peace treaty between Amerosia and the king’s country. Chris’s culinary skills rivaled even the best palace chefs.
While eating, Hope looked up at Chris with wide eyes. “Daddy, can you cook for me more often? You’re always away, and it’s so boring when I’m home alone.”
Chris felt a pang of guilt. He’d been so busy with work that he hadn’t been spending enough time with his daughter.
He gently stroked her hair. “I’m sorry, Hope. I promise I’ll cook for you every chance I get.”
“Really, Daddy? You promise?”
Chris nodded firmly. “Of course. Daddy never breaks his promises.”
Hope beamed. “Daddy, can I have another bowl of rice?”
“Of course! Coming right up!”
Hope ended up eating three bowls of rice that day.
Afterward, Chris sat on the couch with her, watching cartoons. Seeing her so happy, Chris vowed to spend more time with her in the future.
—
The next day, Chris drove Hope to school.
He pulled up to the gates of one of the most prestigious private schools on the East Coast in a sleek Rolls-Royce Phantom.
Hope, now a first-grader, hopped out of the car with her backpack, ready to start her day at the best school money could provide.