Mirabelle’s POV:
The first thing I noticed when I woke up was the silence. I blinked at the soft glow of the sunlight filtering through the curtains.
I realized that Noah was nowhere to be found. I glanced at the clock on my nightstand-already past noon.
Had I really slept that late?
Noah must have gone to work, I thought, rolling out of bed and wrapping a towel around myself. I padded to the bathroom, brushed my teeth, and splashed water on my face.
After my quick shower, I dried off and stepped out of the bathroom. My breath caught as I entered the room. There, laid out like a feast, was a breakfast spread that looked like it belonged in a seven-star restaurant. Fluffy pancakes stacked up, fresh fruit, crispy bacon, and a jar of steaming coffee.
“Noah?” I called out.
“Good afternoon, sleepyhead.” He said, smiling.
“Why didn’t you go to work?” I asked, still surprised by the breakfast. “This looks amazing.”
“I decided to take the day off to take care of you.” He said. “Your body must be sore from last night.”
I felt my cheeks flush. “What about the kids?”
“They’re already at school.” He replied, walking over to the table and gesturing for me to sit. “I took care of everything.”
“Wow, you really went all out,” I said, moving to the table and taking a seat. “Thank you, Noah. This is so sweet of you.”
He pulled out a chair and sat across from me, watching me as I began to pile pancakes onto my plate. “I just thought you could use a little pampering.”
I glanced up at him. “You have no idea how much this means to me.”
Before I could ask anything else, he shoved a piece of bacon into my mouth. “Hey!” I exclaimed. “What was that for?”
“Start eating.” He said, ignoring my question.
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Alright, alright! I’ll eat.”
“I can’t believe you made all this,” I said, munching on a piece of pancake. “Did you really do this all by yourself?”
“Of course.” He replied proudly. “I may not be a chef, but I can manage breakfast.”
“I love it,” I said, smiling warmly at him.
After breakfast, Noah suggested we watch a movie. “What do you feel like watching?” He asked, going through the collection of DVDs.
“Something comedic?” I suggested.
He chuckled. “How about a horror movie? They’re always fun.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You know I can’t handle horror movies.”
“That’s the point.” He teased, selecting a DVD and setting it up. “You’ll either laugh or scream, and either way, it’ll be entertaining.”
As the movie started, I tried to steel myself. Within the first ten minutes, I was already clutching the pillow, eyes wide. Every jump scare sent me flinching, and I could feel Noah’s laughter echoing beside me.
“Why did I agree to this?” I muttered, half-hiding my face behind the pillow.
“Because you love me.” He said with a grin. “And you’re brave enough to give it a shot!”
“Brave? More like crazy.” I shot back, trying to focus on the screen. But my boldness crumbled as another loud sound blared from the TV and I buried my face in the pillow again.
“Okay, okay! Let’s change it!” Noah laughed, reaching for the remote. He switched it off, and the room became silent.
“Thanks,” I said, finally pulling the pillow away from my face.
Suddenly, Noah’s phone buzzed, interrupting our conversation. He glanced at the screen, frowning slightly. “It’s the investors. I should take this.”
“Go ahead.” I encouraged, feeling a bit disappointed as he stepped away to answer the call. I settled back into the couch, trying to shake off the sleep that was creeping in.
As the minutes passed, I could hear him talking. I tried to listen, but his words faded into the background. And before I knew it I was asleep.
The next thing I knew, I was waking up to the sound of laughter. I blinked my eyes open and realized that it was dark outside. I sat up quickly, the soft blanket slipping from my shoulders.
“Noah?” I called out, rubbing my eyes.
I followed the laughter into Noah’s study. I could see the glow of his laptop from the corner of the room, and as I entered, I spotted the kids playing. Tyler and Mika were building something with blocks, while Skyler sat beside Noah, quietly watching him work.
“Hey, baby,” Noah said, looking over his shoulder. “You’re finally awake!”
“What time is it?” I asked.
“It’s late-almost dinner time. You fell asleep while I was on the call.” He
explained.
“You should’ve woken me up.” I chimed in.
Smiling. “You looked really cute when you were asleep, I guess that’s why I didn’t wake you up.”
“I’m so sorry, though. I didn’t mean to sleep so long.” I apologized.
“It’s okay, I was the one who wasted too much time on the phone.” He said as he stood up and started walking over. “Besides, you needed it. And the kids were having so much fun, and they didn’t even notice.”
I glanced at the three of them, a smile spreading across my face. “What are you guys doing?”
“We’re building a fortress!” Tyler exclaimed, holding up a block.
Mika chimed in, “A super fortress! No bad guys can get in!”
“And I’ll guard it,” Skyler added, a small smile on his face.
I chuckled. “That sounds amazing! Can I join?”
“Of course, Mommy!” Mika said, her eyes shining.
I moved to the floor, sat down beside them, and started to help with the blocks. Noah watched us for a moment with a soft smile on his face before returning to his laptop.
“Are you done with work for the night?” I asked, glancing up at him.
“Just about to. I need to review this proposal, and then I’ll join you guys.” He replied, focused on the screen.
After a while, I could feel myself getting hungry. “What do you all want for dinner? Well, aside from the normal homemade food, what do you think we should get as a snack.” I asked, glancing at the kids.
“Pizza!” Tyler shouted, and the other two nodded.
Noah looked up from his laptop. “Pizza it is, then. I’ll order it.”
After the pizza arrived, we all gathered around the table, sharing stories and giggles over our meal. I couldn’t help but steal glances at Noah, who looked so happy, so at ease.
Later that night, as we settled into bed. I wrapped my arms around him and rested my head on his shoulder. “I love you, Noah,” I whispered, surprising both him and myself.