Jay's POV
After cutting the second cake—my birthday cake— now everyone was sitting on their respective chairs lazily some of ulopong like ci-n and felix was laying on grass.
It's time to give him the anniversary gift.
I searched for my bag and found it under the table.
Keifer was talking with Yuri and David while Kade was sleeping in papa's arms.
I took the box and walked towards keifer.
"Keifer.." I said and they all turned towards me.
"Hmm?"
I shoved the box into his hands.
"Happy anniversary" I said softly.
He blinked and his confused expression turned soft.
"For me?"
What kind of question is it? Silly.
"Well.. you are my husband apparently and its our anniversary" I said rolling my eyes.
He laughed softly.
"Open it" I said excitedly.
I wanted to see his reaction
He opened the box and froze.
___
Keifer POV
I unwrapped the small box.
I already figured it's a watch.
I opened the box and I froze.
It was a rolce Rolex watch in silver and deep blue but inside the dial..... Was our picture together.
My vision blurred as tears weeks up in my eyes.
It was a selfie.
I was sitting on the couch with Kade on my chest and both of us were sleeping while jay was leaning against my shoulder grinning like she found a lottery.
Kade is maybe 4 or 5 months old.
"Say something.. " jay said.
I looked at her and she was rubbing her hands nervously.
"Do you... Do you like it?" She asked.
I didn't reply instead I pulled her in my arms.
"I love it" I said tightening my hug.
She also wrapped her arms around me.
We pulled apart.
"Jay... It's... I love it....." I didn't have words.
"Time gave us pain but also heal us. But now I want us together in past, present and future." She said softly.
I was too emotional to talk.
I looked back at the watch.
"Put it on" I said giving her the watch.
She smiled and put the watch on my wrist.
It was looking so beautiful.
The watch represent my whole world.
"I love you, until scientists find the end of the universe" I said and again pulled her in my arms.
"I love you too" she said softly.
I was about to kiss her when...
"Whaaaaaaaaa"
We immediately pulled apart.
Everyone else busted into laughter.
"Their kid doesn't want them to romance " Edrix said.
"He's jealous " David commented
" And possessive " Eren said.
"Just like keifer " ci-n said grinning.
Just then I realized everyone was here.
Jay ran towards her papa and carried Kade on her arms.
He buried his face In the crook of her neck, his cries resolved into hiccups.
I sighed.
This is my life know. Can't have a personal space with my wife.
This son of mine always interrupt us when I just try to kiss. If he act like this how could I give him a sibling?.
Typical Kade.
____
Everything is over and Jay didn't even realize where we are.
We are sitting and chatting with everyone when she said.
"Keifer... Kade is fussing. He needs to sleep. It's nosy here let's go home" she said.
"Where are you guys going to stay?" She added looking at everyone.
"We don't know ask keifer." Ci-n replied.
"He didn't let us book the hotel" tito jaspher said.
Everyone looked at me.
I straightened a little.
"Well..... We are going to stay here" I said and I can see the confuse expression on everyone's face.
"We? Here?" Jay asked confused.
I took her hand in mine.
"Do you realize where are we?" I asked her.
Confused, she looked around.
"No–—" she stopped her sentence and her eyes widened.
"It's..." I looked at me with wide eyes while I was nodding and grinning. " Mansion" she completed .
"Yeah. It's our mansion" I said.
___
Jay POV:
"Yeah. It's our mansion " keifer said and I froze for a second, processing everything.
Then..
I squealed jumping but Kade was on my lap so I quickly sit properly.
"Our mansion?" I asked excitedly.
He nodded.
I again looked around at the trees and a small pound.
How couldn't I notice earlier?
I literally choose everything for interior.
I'm so dumb!
But it's not my fault. I never really came to back yard for so long I just visit it from front. And it's keifer's fault that he blindfold me on the night.
But still dumb😭😭😭
I couldn't do anything for my brain so I just looked around and got emotional.
I hugged keifer while he put his around around Kade so he couldn't fall.
Wait.... It was under construction.
I pulled away from the hug and narrowed my eyes at him.
"Wasn't it under construction?" I asked.
"Well everything was completed a week before " he said
"And you didn't tell me?"
"Then where is the surprise?"
Fair point.
"But you should tell me I was the one who was choosing interior for this mansion" I said pouting a little.
"You already finalized everything but of you want anything or want to change anything we'll do it" he said.
Aww... My hubby.
I smiled.
"Okay" I said.
"So everyone gonna stay with us here?" I asked.
"Yeah. We have a lot of guest rooms" he said
A huge grin spread on my face.
I bounced a little and kade stirred. Keifer took Kade from my arms rocking him gently.
Oh my poor baby.
"Sleep champ, I know your mother is a menace" he whispered to kade but I heard.
I hit his arm and this idiot man just laughed.
___
---
Jay's POV
Keifer leads me in the mansion holding my hand.
OH MY GOD.
It is beautiful. More than I imagined.
Even though I chose every interior, I'm still shocked. Like, my brain cannot process that this is my house. Our house. Mine and Keifer's and Kade's.
The walls are cream. Not white. Cream. Soft. Warm. There are paintings hanging. Real ones. Landscapes. A girl reading by a window. A boat on a lake.
I stare at them for too long.
"Keifer," I say.
"Hmm?"
"Did you pick these?"
"Some of them. Your mom helped with a few."
I turn to look at him. "My mom?"
"She wanted to surprise you."
My throat gets tight.
My mom. Who I didn't even grow up with. Who I'm still learning to love. She helped decorate my mansion.
I blink fast.
Don't cry. Don't cry. Don't—
"Don't cry," Keifer says.
"I'm not crying."
"You're blinking a lot."
"It's dusty."
"It's a new house. There's no dust."
"Then it's allergies."
"You're not allergic to anything."
"I'm allergic to you."
He smiles. "Liar."
I punch his arm. Kade stirs but doesn't wake up. Thank God.
---
The living room is insane.
Huge couches. Dark gray. Big enough for all of Section E to sit on at the same time. A fireplace. A real one. With logs inside like someone is about to light it.
"Can we use it?" Ci-n asks, already running toward it.
"No," Keifer says.
"Why not?"
"Because it's not cold."
"It's cold here."
"It's not cold right now."
"I'm cold-blooded."
"Then wear a jacket."
Ci-n pouts. "You're no fun."
"I'm the owner. I make the rules."
"Jay," Ci-n turns to me. "Can we use the fireplace?"
I look at Keifer. He raises an eyebrow.
I should say no. I should be responsible. I'm a mother now. I have a son. What if the house burns down? What if—
"Let them use it," I hear myself say.
"Jay."
"It's our anniversary. Let them be happy."
He sighs. "Fine. But someone watches them so they don't burn the house down."
"I'll do it," David says.
"Why you?" Felix asks.
"Because I'm the only responsible one here."
"WHAT ABOUT ME?"
"You started a food fight earlier."
"That was self-defense."
"WITH CAKE."
"CAKE IS A WEAPON."
I leave them to argue.
Some things never change.
---
The kitchen.
Mama is already there.
Of course she is.
She's opening cabinets, touching the countertops, inspecting the refrigerator.
"Mama," I say.
"Jay, this kitchen is beautiful."
"I know."
"The stove has six burners."
"I know."
"The refrigerator has a screen."
"I KNOW."
She looks at me. "You're not excited?"
"I'm excited. I'm just... processing."
She smiles and hugs me. "My baby lives in a mansion."
"Mama."
"My baby is a millionaire's wife."
"MAMA."
"I'm just saying."
Tita Gema walks in. "The garden is gorgeous. There's a koi pond."
"There's a what?" I ask.
"Koi pond. With fish."
I look at Keifer. He's trying not to smile.
"We have a koi pond?" I ask.
"We have a koi pond."
"Since when?"
"Since I thought you'd like it."
I stare at him.
"You built me a koi pond."
"I built us a koi pond."
"Keifer."
"Jay."
I want to cry again. I don't. But I want to.
"Gago," I say.
"Love you too," he says.
---
The dining room.
Long table. Like, really long. Sit-twenty-people long.
"Christmas dinners are gonna be lit," Felix says.
"It's not Christmas," Rory says.
"I'm planning ahead."
"You can't even plan what to eat for breakfast."
"THAT'S DIFFERENT."
Everyone finds seats. Ci-n is on the floor. David is standing by the window. Aries is inspecting the chandelier.
"Aries, get down," I say.
"I'm not touching it."
"Your face is two inches away."
"I'm admiring."
"You're judging."
"Same thing."
I look at Keifer. "Your best friend is annoying."
"He's your brother."
"Unfortunately."
Aries smirks. I throw a napkin at him.
---
Kade wakes up.
Of course he does.
Right when we're all finally sitting down.
He blinks his big dark brown eyes, looks around at the unfamiliar ceiling, and his lower lip starts trembling.
No. No, no, no.
"Baby," I say, taking him from Keifer. "Mama's here. Dada's here. You're home."
He looks at me. Lip stops trembling.
"Ma," he says.
"Yeah, baby. Mama."
He looks around. At the chandelier. At the paintings. At all the people staring at him.
Then he buries his face in my neck and holds on tight.
My heart melts.
"He's shy," Ci-n says.
"He's overwhelmed," I say.
"He's judging us," Felix says.
"Probably."
Kade peeks at Felix. Then hides again.
"I think he likes me," Felix says.
"He's hiding from you."
"That's how he shows affection."
"No, Felix. That's not—"
"I'M TAKING IT AS A COMPLIMENT."
I give up.
---
Keifer shows me the rest of the house.
The library has books. Real books. Not decoration books. Books I actually want to read.
"When did you—"
"Percy helped."
"Percy?"
"He said you needed a 'mental escape from your chaotic life.'"
I laugh. "He's not wrong."
The home theater has reclining seats. Actual reclining seats. With cup holders.
"We're watching movies here every weekend," I announce.
"Okay," Keifer says.
"I'm serious."
"I know."
"We're watching all the rom-coms."
"I'll suffer through them."
"You love me."
"I do."
I kiss his cheek. He turns his head and catches my lips.
"DA!" Kade shouts.
We pull apart.
Kade is pointing at us like he caught us doing something bad.
"He's your son," I say.
"He's your son too."
"He got his attitude from you."
"He got his timing from you."
We both look at Kade. He's grinning. An eight-month-old baby. Grinning.
He knows what he's doing.
"Definitely your son," I say.
"Definitely yours," Keifer says.
---
The nursery.
Gray walls. Cloud decals on the ceiling. A crib in the corner. A rocking chair by the window. A bookshelf full of children's books. A mountain of stuffed animals in a basket.
I stand in the doorway and just... look.
"Jay?" Keifer says.
"I picked all of this," I say softly.
"You did."
"But seeing it here... in our house... it's different."
"How?"
"It's real."
He doesn't say anything. He just puts his hand on my back.
Kade is looking at the room with wide eyes. His little mouth is open.
"Do you like it, baby?" I ask.
"Ba," he says.
"Ba means yes," I tell Keifer.
"Ba means ba."
"It means yes in baby language."
"Since when?"
"Since I said so."
He shakes his head but he's smiling.
---
We put Kade in the crib.
He doesn't cry. He just looks at us like, finally, you idiots figured out I'm tired.
Then he closes his eyes and goes to sleep.
I stare at him.
"He's so big now," I whisper.
"He's eight months old."
"I know. It went too fast."
"It's going to keep going fast."
"Don't remind me."
Keifer pulls me against his chest. I lean into him.
"We did good," he says.
"We did," I say.
"Our son has his own room in a mansion."
"Our son has his own MANSION."
"Technically, it's our mansion."
"Technically, he owns half of everything you own."
Keifer laughs. "Thanks for reminding me."
"You're welcome."
---
We go to our bedroom.
Keifer opens the door.
And I freeze.
The bed is full of gifts.
Like, a mountain of gifts. Wrapped in different colors. Gold. Silver. Blue. Pink. Ribbons and bows. Little tags with names.
"Keifer," I whisper.
"Happy anniversary," he says.
I just stand there.
My brain is not working.
"What is all this?" I ask.
"Open them and find out."
I walk toward the bed. My hands are shaking.
What if I don't like them? What if he spent too much money? What if—
I open the first gift. Small box.
A key.
"To what?" I ask.
"The library," he says. "The one with all the books. I had a lock installed. Only you have the key."
I stare at him.
"You locked the library?"
"So no one else can go in without you."
"Keifer, that's—"
"Romantic?"
"Ridiculous."
"Same thing."
I laugh and open the next gift.
---
The gifts keep coming.
A bracelet with Kade's birthstone. A photo album of our first year of marriage. A necklace with a tiny charm that says "Mutya."
A letter.
I open it.
My hands are shaking so bad.
"Jay,
One year ago, I was the luckiest man alive. Today, I'm even luckier.
You gave me a son. You gave me a home. You gave me a reason to wake up every morning.
I love you. Not because I have to. Because I want to. Because I choose to. Every single day.
Happy anniversary, my Mutya.
— Keifer"
I'm crying.
Like, full-on crying.
Not pretty crying. Ugly crying. Snot and tears.
"Jay," Keifer says, panicking. "Why are you crying?"
"Because you wrote me a letter."
"Is that bad?"
"No, you idiot. It's good."
"Then why are you—"
"BECAUSE I LOVE YOU AND I DON'T DESERVE YOU AND YOU'RE TOO GOOD AND I'M A MESS AND—"
He kisses me.
Right there. In the middle of our bedroom. Surrounded by gifts.
I kiss him back. Hard.
"I love you," I say against his lips.
"I love you too," he says back.
---
We don't open all the gifts.
There are too many.
Keifer says we can open them tomorrow. Or the next day. Or whenever I want.
"Some of them are from your family," he says. "And Section E. And Keiren and Keigan."
"They sent gifts?"
"They're staying in our house. They just put them here earlier."
I look at the mountain of gifts.
"Our family is crazy," I say.
"Our family loves you," he says.
"Same thing."
He smiles.
---
We go back downstairs.
Everyone is in the living room. The fireplace is lit. Someone found marshmallows. Someone else found sticks.
"Where did you get marshmallows?" I ask.
"The kitchen," Felix says.
"You went through my kitchen?"
"Your mom said it was okay."
I look at Mama. She's roasting a marshmallow.
"Mama."
"What? He asked nicely."
"FELIX DOESN'T ASK NICELY."
"I said please," Felix says.
"THAT'S NOT—"
"Jay, let them be," Keifer says. "It's our anniversary."
"They're burning marshmallows in our fireplace."
"It's romantic."
"IT'S A FIRE HAZARD."
But I sit down anyway.
And someone hands me a marshmallow.
And it's perfect.
---
Keifer sits beside me.
His arm goes around my shoulder. I lean into him.
"Happy anniversary," he whispers.
"Happy anniversary," I whisper back.
"One year down."
"Forever to go."
He kisses my temple.
"I love you, Mrs. Watson."
"I love you too, Mr. Watson."
Kade is upstairs sleeping.
Our family is downstairs burning marshmallows.
And I am exactly where I'm supposed to be.
Even if I don't deserve it.
Even if I overthink everything.
Even if I'm a war freak who cries at letters.
This is my life now.
And I wouldn't trade it for anything.
---
END OF CHAPTER
Sorry to make you wait guys!.