Chapter 30

“Here’s some warm milk for you two,” Freen said softly as she walked back into the living room carrying two cups of warm milk.

The television continued playing quietly in the background while Fastian and Fahnareeh sat side by side on the sofa. Their attention immediately shifting from the cartoon to the drinks in Freen’s hands.

Freen lowered herself onto the sofa and sat between them before handing each child their cup.

“Thank you, daddy,” Fastian and Fahnareeh said at the same time.

A small smile appeared on Freen’s face as she watched them happily accept the milk.

“Daddy, do I have to go to school tomorrow?” Fastian suddenly asked while staring at Freen with hopeful eyes.

Freen gently leaned against the sofa.

“You don’t have to go for a few days.”

The answer instantly brightened Fastian’s face. His eyes widened and
his lips stretched into a huge grin.

“Then it’s only Nareeh who has to go!” Fastian exclaimed while pointing at Fahnareeh.

Fahnareeh immediately puffed out her cheeks.”Can I not attend school too?” she asked, looking at Freen with pleading eyes.

Freen chuckled quietly.

“You should still go. It’s true that Phi Tian won’t be physically attending school, but he’ll still be studying online.”

The excitement that had been shining on Fastian’s face vanished almost immediately.

“Daddy,” Fastian complained dramatically, “why do we have to go to school? Can’t I just play forever?”

“No,” Freen replied patiently. “You have to study. Learning is important while you’re growing up because it helps you become smart. And if you’re smart, you’ll be able to get a good job when you’re older.”

Fastian looked utterly unconvinced.

“I don’t want to work,” Fastian said stubbornly. “I just want to play.”

A soft laugh escaped Freen.”You don’t understand what Daddy means yet,” she said while helping him hold the cup properly. “One day you’ll understand.”

Fahnareeh tilted her head thoughtfully. “Daddy, what does a good job look like?” she asked curiously. “Is it like police officers catching thieves?”

“Yeah,” Freen answered. “Like that. Mommy and Daddy have jobs too.”

The twins immediately nodded as though they completely understood everything. Whether they truly understood or not was another matter.

Freen looked at both of them before asking another question. “What do you two want to be when you grow up?”

Fastian answered so quickly that it was obvious he had thought about it many times before.

“I want to be a T-Rex, Superman, Spider-Man, a police officer, a chef, and many other things!”

Freen blinked. Before she could respond, Fahnareeh enthusiastically raised her hand.

“I want to be a princess!” Fahnareeh announced proudly. Then she added with equal confidence “And be a dog like Paw Patrol.”

For a moment, Freen simply stared at both children. Of all the possible answers she had expected to hear, becoming a dinosaur and a dog had certainly not been among them.

Freen couldn’t help shaking her head.

“Daddy, when you grow up, what did you want to be?” Fastian suddenly asked.

“Daddy already grew up,” Freen replied.

Fastian paused.

“Oh.”

“Daddy is a CEO now.”

Fastian frowned.

“What’s a CEO?”

Fahnareeh immediately looked up.

“Is it like Mommy?” asked Fahnareeh.

Unlike Fastian, Fahnareeh often heard that words.

“Yeah,” Freen replied with a nod.Then, she looked at them carefully. “Do you two want to be like Mommy and Daddy?”

Fastian thought for a moment before answering. “I want to be like Mommy because Mommy always comes home after she finishes work.”

“Me too,” Fahnareeh agreed immediately. “Daddy’s work makes daddy unable to come home sometimes. I don’t want a job like that.”

“Yeah,” Fastian quickly added. “Mommy will cry like before when she cried because Daddy worked too long.”

The room suddenly became quieter.
Freen’s smile slowly faded.

For a moment, she didn’t know what to say.

“Can Daddy come home every day?” Fastian asked quietly.

Freen looked at both of them.” Of course. Daddy will come home every day unless daddy isn’t in this world anymore.”

Fastian and Fahnareeh immediately looked confused.

“Daddy wants to go to another planet?” Fahnareeh asked.

A small laugh escaped from Freen lips.

“Maybe.”

“Why?” Fahnareeh asked again.

Freen gently wrapped an arm around Fahnareeh and Fastian.

“When the time comes, Daddy will have to go too,” she explained softly. “Even though Daddy still wants to live here with both of you, Fosbein, and your Mommy.”

The answer only made Fahnareeh more determined.

“No going to another planet,” she said firmly. Her tiny arms wrapped around Freen. “We and Mommy need Daddy very much.”

Fastian nodded vigorously in agreement.

Freen felt her heart ache and warm at the same time.”Daddy promises Daddy will come home every day.”

The twins finally looked satisfied.

Freen glanced at the clock on the wall.

The night had become much later than she realized.

“Let’s go to sleep. It’s already late.”

She stood up from the sofa before reaching for the remote control. The television screen immediately went dark.

Soon afterward, the three of them headed toward their bedrooms, ending the night together.

…

A few hours later, morning arrived.

The sun slowly rose above the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and pale orange as a new day began.

The plane carrying Becky and Fosbein had finally reached its destination. Passengers gradually exited the aircraft one after another.

Becky stepped out while carrying a sleeping Fosbein securely in her arms.
Fosbein was still fast asleep, his head resting against her shoulder without the slightest intention of waking up.

Behind her, Ayon followed while handling their luggage. As they walked through the airport terminal, Becky turned toward him.

“Ayon, take my things and Rox’s luggage to the hotel. I’ll go straight to our company branch by taxi.”

“Alright. Is there anything else I should do?”

Instead of answering immediately, Becky asked, “How many hours did you sleep?”

“More than five hours.”

Becky nodded.

“If that’s the case, you can drive a rental car to the branch later, right?”

“Yeah.”

“Good. You already know what to do when you’re abroad with me. Just continue your work as usual.”

“Okay, Boss.”

After that, Ayon headed in a different direction.

Meanwhile, Becky continued toward the taxi stand. Throughout the journey, she carefully balanced several responsibilities at once.

One arm securely supported Fosbein’s sleeping body while her free hand adjusted his jacket, fixed his blanket whenever it slipped, and made sure he remained comfortable.

The moment they arrived at the company branch, Becky greeted several employees who had come to welcome her. Only after reaching her office did she gently wake Fosbein.

Fosbein rubbed his eyes sleepily before following her inside.

The moment he spotted the sofa, he immediately ran toward it and threw himself onto the cushions.

“Don’t go back to sleep,” Becky said.

She walked over and gently tapped his forehead.

“Come with Mommy. You need to take a shower and have breakfast first. It’s almost nine o’clock. You have class later.”

Fosbein looked up. “Mommy, isn’t class at eight?” asked Fosbein with innocent eyes.

“The eight o’clock session is usually playtime with your friends,” Becky explained. “Mommy skipped that part because you’re attending online today. You’ll join the lesson at nine.”

Fosbein thought for a moment.

“Is it okay if I don’t take a shower?”

“Of course not.”

Becky laughed softly before taking his hand.”Come on.”

Connected to Becky’s office was a private room complete with its own bathroom.

After giving Fosbein a quick shower and helping him change into clean clothes, Becky brought him to a nearby café.

The smell of freshly baked pastries greeted them the moment they entered.

“What do you want to eat?” Becky asked.

Fosbein immediately became distracted by the display shelves filled with cakes, cupcakes, cookies, and countless other sweet treats. His eyes wandered from one item to another.

“Isn’t there anything you like?” Becky asked. “We can also go somewhere else after Mommy orders coffee.”

“I want milk doughnuts.”

“Is that all?”

Fosbein continued staring at the display.

Meanwhile, Becky stepped toward the counter. “Miss, I’d like one iced Americano and one warm chocolate. I’ll pay later after choosing some pastries.”

Taking a tray and a pair of tongs, she returned to her son.

Then she noticed another display shelf that Fosbein couldn’t properly see because of his height.

“Come here,” she said gently. “Let Mommy carry you. You can choose from the top shelf.”

Fosbein immediately lifted his arms.

The moment Becky picked him up, his eyes widened. “Mommy, is this casserole?”

“Yeah. There are two types. One has chicken and the other has meat.”

“I want the chicken one.”

“Okay. But Mommy has to put you down first. Then I’ll carry you again.”

Fosbein nodded obediently. Together, they selected several pastries before finally paying for everything.

“Let’s eat at Mommy’s office.”

Leaving the café, they stepped back onto the busy street.

Suddenly, Fosbein pointed excitedly toward a nearby skewer stall.

“Mommy, I want that.”

Becky followed his gaze.

The aroma of grilled meat drifted through the air.

“Can we buy it later?” Becky asked gently. “Mommy is worried you’ll miss your class. Besides, we already bought pastries.”

Fosbein thought for a moment. Then he looked up hopefully.

“Mommy, can I have that for lunch?”

Becky smiled.

“Of course.” She gently patted his head.

“But you have to eat it with rice later so your tummy will be full.”