Sarina
“Ma’am Sarina, please sit down and join them for breakfast. I’ll take care of whatever’s missing from the table,” said Rocel.
“That’s right, Ma’am. We’ll handle packing their lunches, too,” added Lisa.
“My wife, come here and eat. Once the three wake up, you won’t be able to eat properly again.” I smiled at my husband and sat beside him, starting to put food on his plate, but he stopped me.
“What are you doing?” I asked, confused.
“I told you to eat, not to take care of me or the kids.” As Maximus said this, he began putting food on my plate, which brought tears to my eyes.
“Why are you teary, Mom?” asked Chastity.
“Huh?” I said, surprised, and then smiled.
“Because your daddy is so sweet. I was touched.” My children smiled at me, and I didn’t realize that Maximus had been watching me.
“Is something wrong, my wife?” he asked.
“Huh? No, nothing.” I stroked his cheek and smiled. I noticed him taking a deep breath before nodding, turning to the kids, and saying grace. We ate without rushing, and I made sure they all woke up early to avoid the need to hurry to school. I absolutely hated it when they forgot anything important.
After eating, everyone left, and the house fell silent. But later, it would get loud and chaotic again once the three little ones woke up. I couldn’t help but smile at the thought of the three little Maximus clones sleeping upstairs. Running here and there would be our activity along with the two nannies while the other kids were at school.
When my little ones wake up early, I accompany them to school, but more often than not, I can’t, so I’m thankful I can rely on the kids’ nannies and, of course, Lito, Rocel’s husband, who is now their driver.
With the same routine every day, there are times I get lost in thought, which my companions, especially Lisa, have started to notice. She can’t help but worry about me.
I was keeping myself busy in the garden when my phone rang. I took it out of my shorts pocket and checked who was calling. I smiled when I saw my brother’s name.
“Good morning!” I greeted him, and he returned the greeting. “What’s up?”
“I just wanted to thank you because my wife is so happy.”
“Huh? Why? What did I do?” I asked, confused.
“You know how your sister-in-law has always wanted her own salon, and thanks to your help and your husband’s, she finally has her own business. Her salon is packed with customers here in our town, and we’ll be able to pay back what we owe you soon.”
I was so happy to hear that. Maximus and I had been married for years, but my brother only recently asked for help. They were doing okay in the province with their small store, courtesy of my husband as well. It became my parents’ hobby as they got older, and my brother had taken over helping them.
They managed to save a bit, but it wasn’t enough for the salon my sister-in-law had always wanted. She used to love fixing herself up before getting pregnant and marrying my brother, who often struggled with work, which led her to neglect herself.
“Hi, Sarina!” greeted my sister-in-law, and I was surprised by the glow on her face. Even after having four kids, she still managed to maintain a beautiful figure.
“Hi, Sis!” I greeted her back, though I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy. Her happiness was written all over her face.
“Thank you so much, Sarina. This has been my dream since I was a kid, and thanks to you and your husband, I’ve finally achieved it.”
“No problem. I’m happy I could help.” We continued chatting, with my nieces, nephews, and parents joining in. I could see how much their lives had changed, so I should have been happy for them.
But after our conversation, I couldn’t shake off the feeling of emptiness. The envy and jealousy stayed in my heart, seeing how fulfilled their lives seemed while I felt something was missing in mine.
Maximus came home late and missed dinner with me and the kids. He said he had to deal with something with his secretary, and I believed him. He went straight to our room as I was about to tuck the kids into bed. I still needed to stay with them, especially the youngest, who couldn’t sleep without breastfeeding first.
I spent about an hour putting them to sleep, with storytelling as part of the routine. The three nannies smiled at us, along with my six boys, while the other two nannies stayed with Chastity in her room. Chase had his own room by now. We would fix the nannies’ quarters once the kids could sleep independently.
After the bedtime routine, I went to our room and found Maximus on the bed, holding his phone. Why was he always like that lately? He never used to do that. Back then, once we were in our room, he’d immediately focus on me, and he didn’t want me to do anything except talk to him during what he called our “couple time.”
I didn’t say anything to him, and he didn’t notice me either. I went to the bathroom to freshen up.
As I walked out of the bathroom, wearing my robe, I noticed Maximus’ shirt lying on the lavatory. He had forgotten, again, to put it in the laundry basket. I picked up his long-sleeved shirt and smiled because it was pink-a color he initially didn’t want to wear, thinking it was too feminine. But I found him even more handsome in it.
I lifted the shirt and examined it, frowning as I noticed a pink stain on the chest area. It was a darker shade of pink, making it stand out against the fabric. I stared at it closely and rubbed it with my finger, realizing it was lipstick. I shook my head, trying to dismiss the thoughts starting to form in my mind. No, Maximus wouldn’t do that to me.