“We had some matters to attend to.” I quickly urged Anthony, “There’s pending business yet to be resolved in the company, right? You should get going.”
“Yes.” He nodded, exchanged greetings with the Zanes, then off he went.
As soon as he exited the door, Emery asked, “Why is he so busy? Isn’t it still the holiday season?”
“He has to meet some investors from another country. Like what Anthony said, there are no fixed holidays for a businessman, so he has to go along with their schedule. Please excuse him as his hands are tied too,” I explained on his behalf.
Anthony had broken an unsaid law by being absent when there are visiting guests at home.
Hunter waved his hand and responded indifferently, “Work is more important.”
Emery, on the other hand, cast a glance at him and then changed the topic, “So, what’s your thought about what I’ve just said?”
“About what?” I was completely baffled.
“To grant Summer a brother,” Emery said excitedly while grinning from ear to ear. “Frankly speaking, Summer is too lonely. With Anthony being a workaholic, Featherstone Corporation will only grow to become bigger in the near future. I’m sure he needs someone to take over his businesses. Are you seriously not going to consider having a baby?”
I was almost rendered speechless. “You can really go on and on about this.”
“Hey, hey, hey, what’s with your expression? I’m thinking for your sake. I don’t usually care so much about others, and you know that, right?” Emery communicated her intention confidently in a high- pitched voice.
Summer, who never quite understood our conversations, seemed to get the main point this time. Wrapping her chubby hands around my neck, she requested coquettishly, “I want a brother, Mommy!”
As soon as Emery heard that, she became all energetic and excited. “Oh, did you hear that? Summer has spoken. Now, it’s not just me who’s asking for it.”
Hunter and I exchanged glances and laughed. Emery had sure been brainwashing Summer about having a baby brother, that was why the cheeky girl had it etched in her heart.
Right then, Mrs. Eriksen served us some hot tea. I then took the opportunity and called out to her, “Mrs. Eriksen, please bring Summer for nap time.”
“All right, Mrs. Featherstone.” Mrs. Eriksen gestured to carry Summer. “Come, Summer, it’s time to take a nap.”
“I don’t want to!” Burying her head in my arms, she tightened her grip on my neck, having no intention to let go at all. “I still want to play with Xavier.”
Ugh… The older the child gets, the harder it is to discipline them, especially when there are others around.
I suppressed my emotions and put on a stern look while pulling Summer aside. Staring into her eyes, I said sternly, “Take a nap first. When you wake up, you can continue playing with Xavier, okay?”
Since I was seldom strict with her, the trick worked. She noticed my upset expression and followed Mrs. Eriksen upstairs obediently.
Right after Summer left, Emery had her own maid take Xavier to the guest room to rest.
They were quite familiar with our house because it was not their first time here.
Silence permeated the living room after the children left. After a while, I told them about Professor Zidd.
Emery was so thrilled that she could not stop clapping her hands. “Really? That means you’re likely going to have a child this year?” I pressed my lips into a thin line and nodded with a smile.
I’m truly glad to be able to conceive again. I guess this is how I feel right now.
“That’s awesome! You two are finally going to have your own baby. This family is now complete, and I don’t need to worry about you anymore.” Emery was utterly relieved. The next moment, she slapped Hunter’s thigh as an idea flashed through her mind. “Since Anthony is so busy with work, why don’t we accompany Sienna to the hospital?”
Before I could reject the offer, Hunter said after faltering, “Well, at first I could, but the economics scholars in K City are organizing an interactive seminar. Hence, I’ll have to attend that every day starting tomorrow.”
Upon that, Emery was rather displeased. She mocked, “Why didn’t I hear this from you before?”
“The memo was released yesterday,” Hunter answered. “It’s held in K City for a month, so I contemplated. But seeing how hard Mr. Featherstone works motivates me to follow in his footsteps. Thus, I’ve just sent a message on my phone to notify them I’ll be there.”
“You only have two months of holiday in a year. Now, you plan to spend a month interacting with scholars? Have you forgotten about your wife and son?” Emery’s expression turned sour.
“Haha…” Hunter leaned over and hugged her shoulders. He said carefully, “I’ve registered on your behalf too, so we can go together. My parents will take care of Xavier. In this case, I’m still spending time with you.”
“Save it.” Emery avoided him and moved away to the opposite side. “I’m not up for any sophisticated interaction during the festive season. You have a good time while I accompany Sienna to the hospital.”
“Haha…” Hunter gazed at her lovingly. He’s indeed a very patient man.
Though they seem to always pick on each other, the fact was, none of them could live without the other. It did not take long for Emery to come up with an excuse to take an early leave and spend quality time with Hunter at home.
I went straight to bed since I woke up early that day.
When I got up, it was already seven in the evening.
Summer was playing building blocks in the living room. As soon as she saw me, she darted toward me and commented, “Mommy, you napped for so long. You’re a lazy pig!”
“Haha… If I’m a lazy pig, then you’re a lazy piglet.” I picked her up and played with her as we headed to the dining area. “Mrs. Eriksen, did Anthony come home?”
Mrs. Eriksen walked out from the kitchen while wiping her hands on her apron. “No. Madam, could you call Mr. Featherstone and ask? Dinner is ready. I’ll serve them once he’s home.”
“All right.”
I put Summer down and called Anthony.
He answered the phone immediately, “What’s wrong?”
“Will you be home soon?” I asked.
“I’m still here at the office. You don’t need to wait for me. I probably won’t be able to return in time to have dinner with you all,” he said over the phone.
“Are the matters with GW not settled yet?”
“They gave in, but I have my own bottom line. I’m not working on that right now. Since it will be my first day back to work tomorrow, I’m trying to complete some of the pending projects. Or else, I won’t have time to go to the hospital with you tomorrow.”
I knew Anthony would be very busy when he got back to work. However, I did not expect him to be so overloaded with projects. Hence, I felt so sorry for him. “Emery said she can accompany me, so you don’t need to show up every day. The company can’t do without you during this critical period of growth, so don’t push yourself too hard.”
“I know what to do. You just need to take care of your health and leave the rest to me. Oh, remember to consume the pills after a meal. Also, don’t take those medications given by Aunt Sally.”
He was quite long-winded. Sulking unknowingly, I nodded. “Okay, I will. Anyway, you should get back to your work.”
After hanging up, I faced the kitchen and announced, “Mrs. Ericksen, Anthony won’t be back for dinner, so we can go ahead without him.”
Shortly after, Mrs. Eriksen plated all the dishes on the table.
Surprisingly, Summer had a very good appetite that day and licked her plate clean. She even insisted on shelling the shrimps and ended up with her hands full of roes.
After dinner, I played with Summer for a while before tucking her into bed. She was quite tired, so she fell asleep very quickly.
Seeing that it was still early and not many people were at work at Featherstone Corporation today, I asked Mrs. Eriksen to reheat a few dishes. There wasn’t much to eat around the area, so I drove to the office to bring food for Anthony.
Even though it was winter, there was a huge difference between day and night temperatures in K City. Despite being wrapped up in a thick wool jacket, I was still trembling away. Hence, I dashed into the office the moment I got out of the car.
There were not many people there at this hour.The only security guard downstairs remembered me, so he allowed me into the building after some small talk.
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply