Antony’s house was bustling that evening. ire had returned from the hospital, carrying a baby boy in her arms. Ignazio’s new ymate. That’s what her younger brother said when he found out that their mother had given birth to a baby boy for them.


    ire’s family, consisting of Abigail, her older sister, and all their children, gathered. Antony’s parents, who intentionally came from Manhattan, along with Altezza and Adaline, who chose to reside in Kansas, arrived with the twins Falisha and Geremia. They ended up causing a disturbance in Ignazio’s room, who, in fact, didn’t like his territory being disturbed.


    dwin? Of course, ire’s twin came. Surprisingly, he came with Phoebe, Penelope, and Julie.


    “Are you okay?” A soft voice in his head made him look up. The handsome Altezza with his characteristic stubble bowed to via and looked at her anxiously. via smiled and nodded. “Is she dwin’s future wife?” He asked again, looking towards the beautiful woman sitting gracefully between Penelope and Julie, engaged in conversation with the other women. Meanwhile, on the other side, the men seemed to have their own gathering.


    “Maybe, Uncle. I don’t know,” he answered honestly. “Aunty herself, when is she going to give birth?” via asked in return.


    “Probably within the next three weeks. Falisha doesn’t want a baby sister. She says she wants to be Uncle’s most beautiful child.” Altezza smiled to himself, recalling his eldest daughter’s wish to be the most beautiful woman after her mother. “Luckily, the ultrasound results said our child is a boy. Otherwise, I don’t know how furious she would be.”


    “It won’t happen, Uncle. After the baby is born, I’m sure she’ll adore him,” he replied sincerely.


    “Ah, Uncle can’t handle having another daughter like Fali. Fali is enough.” Then theyughed simultaneously, unaware of someone observing them.


    “Yoo-hoo, the superstar is back…” Abigail came in from the front door with her usual ir. Altezza and via looked at each other. “Why aren’t you weing me??” She said with a pout. She looked at via and Altezza alternately.


    “You never change, do you?” Altezza stretched out his arms and hugged Abigail tightly, kissing the top of her head affectionately. For Altezza, Abigail was like his own niece. Her cheerfulness was just like his daughter Falisha.


    “Where are Fali and Geremia, Uncle?”


    “Upstairs, in Ignazio’s room.” Without waiting for amand, Abigail went upstairs. She intended to tease the pair of twins who often screamed. via followed her from behind.


    “Thought you were going to check on the new baby,” he said as they walked behind Abigail.


    “Later, when it’s quiet. So I can have a monopoly.” She replied casually.


    They walked towards Ignazio’s room, preparing to settle the usually urring World War when those kids gathered. But their assumptions were wrong. Instead of amotion, Ignazio seemed deserted because it turned out the kids were having a serious conversation in their typical childish manner.


    “Oh, why is it quiet? No World War?” Abigail, who opened the door, looked at two boys sitting on the bed holding a guitar and a book, while two girls were sitting on the carpet with tablets in front of them.


    “What war?” Falisha replied to Abigail. “We’re grown up now. We’re older siblings. So, ording to Mom, we’re not allowed to fight anymore.” Falisha’s statement was nodded in agreement by her twin brother, Akara. Abigail pouted, disappointed not to get a free show.


    “Princess, let’s try a new song.” Ignazio strummed his guitar. Akara stood on the bed, rolled up the book he was holding, and began to sing. Shortly after, the nine-year-old boy jumped down to the floor and approached via. His eyes sparkled as he sang the lyrics:


    Have you ever wondered


    What shape water takes without a container?


    Have you ever imagined


    What form love might take?


    His voice was as melodious as his mother’s, Gisna. via knew because she often heard her aunty singing and even dueting with a top singer at her parents’ wedding ten years ago.


    Colorful hair, like cotton candy


    Cute and adorable, though not too tall


    Chubby cheeks and fair skin


    Sweet smile, bunny teeth


    Making me realize


    That’s the shape of love


    Yes, it’s you


    (Et Song)


    Then, yfully, Geremia winked one eye at via. Involuntarily, via burst intoughter. Oh my, this kid is clearly going to be a yboy when he grows up, all thanks to his Uncle Erhan’s influence.


    The call for dinner echoed. Abigail and via invited the kids to join them downstairs. Since it wasn’t a formal event, there wasn’t a special dining table for the guests, as everyone who came was family. Except for two people you know who.


    The kids eagerly grabbed their food and headed towards the family room, where Altezza and Gisna were already seated, feeding each other. via and Abigail had taken their tes and were getting ready to get food, along with dwin, followed by Phoebe who also wanted to get some food. No words were exchanged between them, only the clinking sound of utensils as they served the dishes onto their tes.


    via and Abigail chose to eat with the kids in the family room. The four kids were already sitting on the floor with a carpet underneath and had ced their food on a ss table. Abigail nudged Ignazio with her foot, asking him to move. Meanwhile, Falisha kindly made space for via by patting the square pillow beside her.N?velDrama.Org owns ? this.


    “I misses Uncle Gian and Auntie Joanna,” she sighed as via settledfortably. They didn’t know that dwin was also eating in the family room, sitting right on the sofa behind via.


    “I didn’t know you already have a suitor,” Adaline’s voice diverted the attention of the kids. They followed Adaline’s gaze, except for via and Abigail. They knew who Gisna was talking to, as the only family member of her mother known to Gisna was dwin. Considering they had been in the same high school for a short period, although not for long because ire and dwin participated in an eleration program that caused them to separate again.


    “Then we just have to wait for the invitation,” Altezza responded to his wife’s words.


    “What are you guys talking about?”


    “Just pray.”


    Both of their answers came simultaneously. From the tone of their voices, it was clear who was more enthusiastic here.


    via could smell a rather strong women’s perfume behind her. Being someone who didn’t like any kind of perfume, she immediately swallowed hard. Everyone in her family knew about it, including dwin. That’s why no one wore perfume when close to via. Except for baby perfume.


    Usually, she could still restrain herself from adult perfumes for the sake of courtesy. But for some reason, this time it felt so nauseating. Perhaps it was because of her physically unwell condition, so smelling such a strong scent had an excessive effect.


    via got up from her seat and half ran to the farthest bathroom, unwilling to make any sound. As she hadn’t eaten anything yet, all she could vomit was water. Her stomach ached, and her head throbbed. “Are you okay?” a voice greeted her as she just opened the door.