With a crack, the glass in Damon's grip shattered into shards. Morrison quickly shifted to the side, clutching his child protectively. The way he shielded his child's eyes was the very picture of paternal instinct.
Chloe and Rose snapped to attention, glancing over just in time to see Damon toss the remains of the glass onto the floor, his icy gaze fixed on Morrison, an intimidating aura emanating from him.
It was clear to anyone watching that if no one intervened, a full-blown war was about to erupt.
The two women hastened over, each slipping an arm through their husband's. "What's going on?"
Handing the child over to Rose with a nonchalant expression, Morrison said, "Just told him a hard truth, and the man can't handle reality. He's not exactly resilient."
As Damon's face grew even darker, Rose pulled Morrison back a little, worry lacing her words, "What exactly did you say to him?"d2
"I told him that his daughter might one day call me 'Dad', and that set him off."
Rose was puzzled. "But Little Moon's going to be part of our family one day, right? What you said isn't wrong. Are you sure that's all you told him?"
Morrison nodded candidly, "Of course, what else would I talk to him about?"
Chloe believed Morrison without a doubt. Damon had been against this from the start. In the three months since the babies were born, she could tell, Damon favored Little Moon immensely.
He wouldn't agree to her marrying someone even before she was born. Now, this issue had become one of his untouchable red lines.
Morrison's words, and Damon's reaction, were no surprise to her.
Clutching Damon tightly, Chloe tried to reason with him, "Damon, he's just joking. You never know who our daughter will like in the future. Why are you getting so worked up over this?"
Damon's expression remained stormy. "No one is worthy of my daughter's affection."
Chloe was at her wit's end.
"How sad for Little Moon then? Who doesn't want to experience a sweet romance? You won't let her date or even let someone marry her? Aren't you afraid she'll be labeled an old maid if you do that? This isn't up to you. It's up to Little Moon." Rose couldn't help but chime in, frustrated with trying to get through to this man.
Damon's face grew colder at the mention of his daughter being unwanted or referred to as an old maid. He'd like to see who would dare say that.
Chloe was in full agreement with Rose. How could her daughter possibly become an old maid? She, of course, wished for her daughter to find her own true happiness. Just like she had.
"Rose is right. These things aren't for us to decide. We have to respect Little Moon's wishes, and that's still decades away. There's no point in discussing this now."
She tried to console him, knowing that any further provocation might truly spark a confrontation right there.
If it had been about anything else, she might have let it slide, but not when it came to Little Moon, Damon's most cherished little girl. She couldn't begin to imagine what extremes Damon might go to for his precious child.
Morrison, he had already gone off to tend to his baby. Damon pursed his lips, deprived of an outlet for his frustration. Nothing was more infuriating than having the person who deserved a punch standing right in front of you, and not having a legitimate reason to throw it.
Thanks to Chloe's efforts to de-escalate the situation, the conflict simmered down. And so, the celebration of little Colt Witt's celebration party passed without further incident.
Afterward, Rose turned to Chloe, and took a deep breath, "You're the only one who can handle him, Chloe. It really scared the life out of me. If it weren't for you, I'd be worried he'd have started a brawl right there in the middle of the party."
Chloe offered a sheepish smile, acknowledging the truth in Rose's words.
--
By the end of that day, Damon took Chloe back home.
Though the grandparents were taking good care of the twins, at night, Chloe needed to be there for them.
Nighttime feedings, changing diapers, and soothing cries required her personal touch. She couldn't expect the elders to handle everything.
Besides, she missed her kids dreadfully. Just half a day apart, and she was already feeling the separation keenly.
With Colt's celebration banquet behind them, it meant that the celebrations for Little Sun and Little Moon were fast approaching.
These days, Elizabeth and Yasmine had shifted their focus to the upcoming celebrations, leaving Chloe and Damon to tend to the children most of the time.
The babies were well-behaved. Little Sun was quiet, his eyes often fixed on the ceiling or tracking some fascinating object before another would catch his attention. Occasionally, when he caught sight of Chloe, he'd follow her movements intensely.
Sometimes, as Chloe busied herself with laundry or tidying up, darting in and out of the bathroom, she'd glance back at them. The little guy would kick his limbs happily and coo with delight at the sight of her. Little Moon was no different, prompting Chloe to pause her chores, smother them with kisses, and then get back to work.
Compared to her brother, Little Moon was more expressive. Whether she was hungry, thirsty, or just inexplicably upset, she'd cry out loudly. If Chloe took too long to soothe her, Little Sun would join in with the tears.
That was one of the reasons Damon paid extra attention to Little Moon. To keep both babies calm and content, the key was ensuring Little Moon stopped crying. Her brother would naturally quiet down if she did.
Sometimes Damon would hold Little Moon close, eyeing Little Sun scrutinizingly. Then, once Little Moon settled, he'd place her beside Little Sun in the crib, side by side.
Little Sun was almost always a bundle of joy, tilting his head to look at his baby sister, flapping his hands excitedly. Sometimes he would manage to grasp her clothes, and other times he would miraculously catch one of his sister's tiny fingers. Then he'd happily kick his little legs with delight.
Each time Damon witnessed this, he couldn't help but let a smile spread across his lips. “That's my boy,” he thought. “Looks like my daughter's got herself a protector for the future.”
After several such observations, Damon was confident in his son's affection for his daughter.
--
From the first week Chloe was discharged from the hospital, Nathan immediately begged Damon to come to the office for help.
With Damon's help, Nathan could finally take a break and spend time with his wife and daughter.
Damon, although a bit annoyed at first, had let him off the hook. After all, he hadn’t been around much for Anya from the get-go.
Besides, he knew what it was like. It was normal to want to be by his wife's side during this time.
Most of the meetings and workloads he had already scheduled for the morning. So, by the afternoon, he was free to leave the office two hours early, barring any emergencies.
That afternoon, Yasmine and Elizabeth had discussed plans for the babies' celebration party before heading upstairs to play with the little ones in the nursery.
Although both babies were well-behaved, holding them all day was no small feat.
Before Elizabeth left, she noticed Chloe unconsciously rubbing her shoulders and advised, “The babies are fine with us. Why don’t you take this time to soak in the tub? I’ll call a masseuse to come over and give you a good rubdown.”
“I can just take a bath, no need for a masseuse.”
Elizabeth didn’t respond.
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