GoodReadWhen Dorothy woke up, the night had already wrapped the world outside in its dark embrace.
Stretching languidly, she rose from the bed. Her legs were still tingling with a residual soreness, but at least she could walk now.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtStepping out of the bedroom, the first floor was deserted, with only a single lamp casting a warm glow in the living room—it seemed like no one from upstairs had ventured down in quite some time.
As she reached the stairwell, the sounds of playful commotion drifted down from above. Everett was up there, his patience a well from which Abigail and Langston drew joyously. Each question they posed was met with careful attention, and Everett's answers were thorough, a testament to his commitment to their curiosity.
Dorothy knew that back at the Lopez Corporation, loads of work had awaited him, yet here he was playing with the children.
Hearing Dorothy’s movement, Everett looked toward the staircase.
"Mommy's here!" Abigail's little figure darted into Dorothy's arms. "Look, Daddy got us new toys! | just unwrapped them!" Dorothy surveyed the upstairs, relieved to find only a mountain of toys—no forts or anything too rowdy that might have prompted a mild reprimand to Everett. She understood his desire to make up for the lost time with his children, but he couldn't spoil them too much.
Everett stood up and circled Dorothy into a comforting embrace. "Awake now, are you hungry?" "Not really." Dorothy's appetite was modest, and she could go a long while on little food.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"I'll have the chef whip up something light for you. You can’t skip meals, it's not good for your stomach." Dorothy nodded, uncharacteristically compliant. "Okay." Meanwhile, Langston let out a sigh of relief as the progress bar on his computer finally hit 100%. He turned to share his triumph with Everett, only to catch the intimate moment between his parents. He scrunched his face and turned back to his screen, muttering something on his own.
After Everett instructed the chef to prepare snacks for the children, he returned with a gentle question. "Mommy and | are visiting Saint Cathedral tomorrow morning. You two want to come?" Abigail was about to express her eagerness when Langston interjected.
"I'm not going. | haven't finished setting up the network security yet. Plus, why would | want to be a third wheel?" "If brother's not going, I'm not either. I'll stay with him!" Abigail declared, wrapping her arms around Langston's neck with a giggle.
Dorothy sighed. "Langston, where did you learn all these phrases?" "What isn't on the internet?" She worried about the vastness of the web but before she could voice her concerns, Everett took her hand and whispered reassuringly, "Don't worry, I've filtered what Langston sees online. Nothing will slip through.” "You've thought of that too?" "Of course. It's my responsibility.” Dorothy was no stranger to his meticulous nature, but this level of consideration still surprised her.
It was clear why not just anyone could handle being the CEO of an international conglomerate. Beyond managing a daily deluge of decisions, one had to anticipate every eventuality.
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