"Come on, Belle, let''s get dressed."


    Serenity helped her daughter stand on the bed and took off her pajamas,


    recing them with the new skirt.


    Once she was dressed, Belle tugged at her. "Look mirror," she said.


    Serenity chuckled, tapping her daughter''s cute nose. "You love looking at yourself, huh? Our Belle looks good in everything."


    But she still granted her wish and carried her to the mirror.


    "Pretty, huh?" Serenity asked. "This one''s from your Aunt Jasmine."


    "Pretty," Belle said seriously. "Belle is pretty."


    Her confidence and serious little tone made Serenityugh.


    After helping her into shoes, Serenity carried her out of the room. "Let''s go wake up your brother."


    Maverick''s room was right next door. He was six now and had long stopped sleeping with his mom. His dad had made sure of that when Maverick turned three.


    Back then, he hadn''t taken it well-crying, clutching his little pillow and nket, knocking on the bedroom door to sleep with his mom. But every time, his dad dragged him back.


    "You''re a big boy now," he''d say.


    "But you''re even older," Maverick onceined, "and you sleep with Mom!" "That''s my wife," his dad had replied. "That''s different."


    Maverick couldn''t win that argument. His mom was soft-hearted, but his dad


    always won- and eventually, Maverick adjusted.


    When Belle turned three, the same rule would apply. Maverick foundfort in that. Equal treatment.


    At Maverick''s door, Serenity prompted, "Belle, knock for me."


    Momentster, Maverick opened the door.


    "Morning, Baby."


    "Good morning, Mom. Morning, Belle."


    He was already dressed. Clearly, he''d been awake for a while.


    He bent down to pick up Belle but couldn''t carry her far-he was still a kid himself.


    Together, the three went downstairs.


    River had already finished breakfast and teased the kids for a few minutes before leaving for work.


    As Maverick ate, he turned to Serenity and said, "Mom, Uncle River seems really happy today. He was humming a song when he left!"


    Serenity smiled. "When he''s in a good mood, he works faster. Maybe he''ll get


    home early and y with you guys."


    She could tell River was in an exceptionally good mood this morning.


    She figured it had to do with the blind date Romina had arranged—and the dinner she nned afterward.


    If she didn''t already have ns to take the kids out, Serenity would''ve wanted to tag along just to see what River was up to.


    "When Uncle River gets back from work, Belle and I are already asleep. We don''t even know when hees home. Dad used to be like that too, right, Mom?" Serenity nodded. No matter how many questions her son asked, she always


    answered with patience.


    Kids were curious, after all.


    "Dad," Belle piped up, "I miss Dad."


    "I miss him too," Maverick added. "When are we going home? I miss Colson and


    Colton, and Cairo and the others."


    Colson and Colton were Kevin and Hayden''s twin boys. They were five and Maverick''s closest ymates. He missed his cousins dearly.