Tears clung to Mia's lashes as she knelt by the bed, gently dabbing her son's eyes with a soft cloth. The little guy fussed and squirmed on the mattress. "Hold still, sweetie, let Mommy clean your eyes so you can see Daddy clearly."
Once she finished, Mia gave his diaper a light pat. "Cry all you want, let Andre see just how loud you can be."
After scolding her son, Mia settled back on her heels and video-called her husband from a distance. "I shouldn't have spoiled him so much. Now he pouts at the slightest thing. I’m thinking of dropping him off at Dad’s tonight. He's been spoiling him rotten lately; let Dad handle him."
Andre's face lit up on the screen, and their son, as if full of grievances, started babbling nonstop upon seeing his dad.
"Honey, are you in the car? Where are you headed?"
"Just wrapped up some work, heading back to the hotel now."
Mia sighed, "When are you coming back? Your boy and I are missing you."
"If all goes well, I'll catch tomorrow night's flight, and you two can see me the day after tomorrow when you wake up."
"Ah, ah."
Mia lifted her bundle of joy, now smelling sweetly of baby lotion. "What's with the 'ah, ah' now?"
"Ah, ah, ah, ah."
Mia rolled her eyes, "Communication breakdown, and he's doubling down on it!"
"Honey, spanking our son doesn’t count as domestic violence, right?"
Andre reassured her, "As long as it's not severe, it doesn't count."
Mia pouted adorably at her husband through the video call. "Don't worry, I know my limits."
Then, she playfully spanked the little one.
Mia cradled her son. "Off to Grandpa's you go, let you two drive each other nuts."
She didn’t end the call as she left the room with her son, only to return shortly after, alone and ready for some alone time with her husband.
Mia sensed something off with Andre lately. After sending their son off, she gently broached more intimate topics, aiming to cheer him up.
Every time Andre felt overwhelmed by darkness, like he was mired in the lake's depths, invisible and grim, their calls brought a glimmer of warmth to his chilling heart. His wife and son were like rays of bright sunshine in his life, bringing joy and happiness at every turn.
Even as Andre returned to his hotel, Mia kept chatting away, her lips as unstoppable as their son's. Every mundane detail of her day could fuel a lengthy conversation, and as Andre prepared to shower, he found himself still caught up in their chat. He finally chuckled, "Mia, why don't you grab a glass of water downstairs? Let me take a quick shower, and we'll continue our video call, okay?"
Mia, feigning annoyance, puffed her cheeks. "Are you tired of me?"
Before he could clarify, Mia declared, "Fine, tired of me again. I wonder who Andre's been seeing outside, getting impatient with his own wife so quickly. Let’s just hang up."
Andre let out a low laugh, indulging her mood.
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