Chapter 126
The Talk.
‘What did he just say?’ Serena thought. ‘Whose idea was it to climb through the window in the first place p>
She shoved him away, but instead of retreating, Nathaniel tipped sideways and landed on her bed with a heavy thud.
“Stefan’s face,” he muttered. “It’s absurdly thick. Do you know how much effort it takes to punch someone properly p>
He yawned loudly. “And then I climbed over here p>
After another yawn, he adjusted her pillow. “I’m exhausted p>
Before she knew it, his eyes were closed.
Serena stared at him, speechless.
She was angry.
She was outraged!
Nathaniel had just entered through her window like a criminal and passed out on her bed like a spoiled housecat.
And somehow, she still couldn’t throw him out, because if her father found out, it would start a war, and the kids would be caught in the middle.
“In that case, I’m sleeping in Ali’s room!” Serena declared.
That decision jolted Nathaniel awake.
“Why, your bed is big enough for us to share,” he said. “If you like, I can sleep on the floor p>
“Oh, so you are awake now,” Serena said, her voice laced with sarcasm.
She rolled her eyes. “Enjoy my bed p>
Serena stomped toward the door, but the moment she stepped out, she found her father sitting right across from Nathaniel’s room.
Sterling had purposely brought a chair. He was holding his tablet, probably checking his investments or emails.
‘What the ‘ Serena froze. “Dad p>
Sterling turned to her, one brow raised. “Going somewhere p>
To avoid suspicion, Serena said casually, “I was just going to drink water, Dad p>
She quickly made her way to the kitchen. When she returned, she smiled at her father.
Sterling was still there.
She supposed that when he offered Nathaniel a “supervised overnight,” he had been dead serious about it.
“Are you going to watch him for the rest of the night?” Serena asked. “Surely, you trust me p>
“I know I’m overprotective,” Sterling said, “but I lost you for twenty-four years. I wasn’t able to protect you then, and I’ll make sure I do now. I want him to understand that I won’t be easy to deal with p>
He added calmly, “That way, he knows what he’s given is not something he can take for granted p>
Serena paused, then smiled softly. “I love you, Dad p>
Sterling stopped what he was doing. Tears welled in his eyes as he said, “I love you too, my dear. And don’t worry, I won’t stay up all night p>
Closing the door to her room, Serena let out a sigh.
Nathaniel was standing by the window, clearly contemplating whether to climb back, but the expression on his face said it all. He now realized it was a dangerous move. There was no helping it.
She sighed. “Rest your muscles for a while. At dawn, you can climb into Sebastian’s bedroom. I’ll open the window for you p>
She grabbed two comforters from the cabinet and threw them at him. “You’re sleeping on the floor p>
Minutes later, everything was settled. Serena gave Nathaniel two pillows, and he rolled the comforters out on the floor. It was enough of a cushion.
As Serena lay on the bed, Nathaniel said, “Good night p>
“Good night,” she replied, turning to the opposite side.
Her eyes were already closed when he spoke again. “You have a nice room p>
She opened them briefly. “Thank you p>
“When did the kids start sleeping in their own rooms?” Nathaniel asked.
“Before they turned three,” Serena answered. “They used to share a room, and either Mom, the nanny, or I stayed with them p>
“It’s good they aren’t scared of being on their own,” Nathaniel commented.
“They still have audio monitors p>
Serena said. “The speakers are on my bedside table, just in case they call out to me. On rainy days though, Ali still can’t handle the sound. She stays with me
“Was it tough, raising them?” he asked softly.
Serena turned onto her other side, moving slowly until she could see him. In the
dark, she could still make out his ridiculously handsome features.
“It wasn’t easy,” she shared, “especially during the first year, and especially when they got sick p>
Nathaniel lifted his head and rested it on his fist. “Tell me p>
“I tried my best to breastfeed them through everything,” Serena said. “But the lack of sleep was unbearable. After Alisa fed,
Sebastian would feed, and your son drank a lot. Sometimes Alisa would cry so hard p>
“I ended up offering a bottle occasionally,” she continued. “It allowed Mom and the nanny to take over, but eventually, they preferred the bottle p>
She sighed. “There were other things too, like diaper changes, rashes, everything p>
“Even with Mom and the maids around,” she added, “something in me just wanted to do it myself, you know p>
Her thoughts drifted back. “I was probably sleeping two hours at most at a time, maybe four to six hours total during the first six months p>
Nathaniel sat up, staring at her closely. “It’s understandable to switch to a bottle. You didn’t have to be so hard on yourself p>
Then he added quietly, “Thank you for trying your best. I wish I had been there with you through that p>
“Alisa gets sick more than Sebastian,” Serena restarted. “When she does, she never lets me go p>
She paused. “And it was always so hard to give her medicine. We ended up in the hospital twice for acute bronchitis, when it could have been treated at home
She exhaled slowly. “We didn’t understand it then. But we do now p>
Nathaniel nodded. “Children with ASD often have sensory sensitivities. The taste,
the texture, it can be overwhelming for them p>
For a while, they just watched each other in the dark.
It felt like there was something that needed to be said between them.
Then Nathaniel suggested, “I can’t promise the kids won’t get sick again. But I can
promise to be there the next time it happens p>
י
Honestly, Serena wished for that too. Not necessarily as a partner, but as the children’s father.
Her parents had been with her.
Xavier had come to her aid many times.
Still, a father’s presence would have been different.
She had help, but she carried the responsibility alone.
Not long after, they both fell asleep. They agreed to talk another day, but Serena
didn’t move from that side of the bed. Somehow, she felt no need to.
When dawn came, Serena awoke to the warmth of a man’s embrace.
She froze.
Then she jerked upright, eyes widening.
Serena was sleeping on the floor with Nathaniel.
Last night, she was so guarded about sharing a room with Nathaniel, yet she ended
up joining him on the floor!