After soaking in the hot spring, Joyce carefully washed Alisha's hair and then blow-dried it. Alisha changed into a sweet and cute strawberry-patterned home outfit, making her look fair and rosy, with a healthy and vibrant glow.
Exhausted from the recent journey, Alisha, having taken a bath, felt a bit tired and dozed off in Joyce's arms.
Joyce intended to carry Alisha to the bedroom to let her rest, but Luther stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder. "Don't move. Your belly is already big. How can you carry a child? That's reckless." Luther took Alisha from her and walked into the room with long strides.
"I'll rest with her for a while," Joyce followed behind Luther.
Anderson also took a bath. He waved his hand, "I don't want to sleep. You guys go and rest."
Joyce nodded, "Don't eat too many snacks. Let's have a big meal together tonight."
"Okay," Anderson continued tinkering with his computer.
Luther carried Alisha into the room, gently placing her in the middle of the big bed.
Subsequently, Joyce lay down beside her, lying on her side and reaching out an arm to encircle Alisha.
Extending her hand, she gently stroked Alisha's soft hair, and emotionally remarked, "She's so small and soft, compared to Anderson, she seems a bit more fragile."
Luther lay down on the other side of Alisha, "That's your illusion. Their heights are actually quite similar. You just feel more concerned about her."
"Yeah, I still can't believe it." Joyce tenderly looked at Alisha sleeping in her arms, "I always thought I couldn't keep her... As a mother, she's the one I've let down the most. Nearly encountering danger since she was little and later falling into the hands of a bad woman, she refused to acknowledge me, I never blamed her, it's all my fault."
Luther lightly tapped Joyce's forehead, "Don't bring up the past. Now we are all reunited as a family. Touch her, feel the babies in your belly, they are all real. I'm by your side, don't overthink things."
"Okay," Joyce lowered herself, fully lying down, "Perhaps, being in the late stages of pregnancy, I'm a bit sentimental. I've never experienced it, after all, I don't know what the late stages of pregnancy are like."
Luther's heart skipped a beat. The last time she was pregnant, she fell off a cliff and fainted. If it weren't for Christian, he would never have seen her again, let alone now that they have four children. This happiness, he dared not even dream of.
So, no matter what happened between Athena, Christian, and him in the past, and what kind of impact it had on him, he had long since let go of any resentment towards Christian. He only hoped that Christian could move on from the past.
Joyce was unaware that Luther's thoughts had drifted far away.
She slowly closed her eyes.
Luther gently stroked her forehead, "Rest, leave everything else to me."
Joyce made a soft "hm" sound and soon fell into a deep sleep.
Luther sat up slightly, watching the embracing pair of mother and daughter sleeping, their pose warm and extremely sweet. A gentle smile curved his lips, his eyes filled with tenderness.
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