Dax’s birthday party is more like a family lunch gathering than the typical child’s birthday party with a cartoon the.
No children other than the birthday boy will be at the party because Dax doesn’t have friends of a similar age. Tristan and Bella’s close friends in this city don’t have kids. So have kids, but they either live abroad or their child is too old to attend a five-year-old’s birthday party.
The birthday event will be held in the hall at the back of the house. The vast room is simply decorated with a long, beautiful table in the middle and fresh flowers enough to make the room feel like spring. A few sofa sets in the corners give it a hotel lounge feel.
The hall has a massive glass wall that offers a view of the backyard scenery, including colorful fall leaves on the trees in the mountains.
Bella originally wanted an outdoor party, but the city’s temperatures are now in the single digits. She had no choice but to agree with Tristan to arrange an indoor party.
Now, eleven o’clock is still far, but she still has plenty of ti to rest and enjoy her snack in the living room on the second floor.
However, not long after, Noora informs her that Jack has finally arrived.
Jack always surprises her. He appears without informing her. She thought he hadn’t co because contacting him for the last few days had been difficult. Even when she asked Stefan, he said Jack was busy with a new project and couldn’t be reached.
Hurriedly, she headed to the living room and saw Jack sitting while reading sothing on his cell phone. He looked handso as usual, but Bella could still see a sadness in his expression, different from the usual one as far as she could rember.
"I thought you weren’t coming, Jack." Bella smiled as she sat across from him.
Jack shook his head slowly while running his finger on his eyebrows before answering, "How could I not co if I used to co to my nephew’s birthday every year?"
"Thank you, bro. You are the best uncle," Bella sincerely praised him. She could never repay Jack’s kindness and support. He is her best friend and a loving brother figure that she never had before.
"That’s !" Jack said while proudly smiling.
Bella could only smile back at him. He is indeed correct.
"And why are only the two of us here?" Jack frowned, looking around the empty living room.
"Well, bro, you ca so fast. This is not only ten," Bella laughed. "Did you co straight from the airport?"
Jack cleared his throat before answering her, "Yeah. Where’s the birthday boy and your hubby?" he asked. Earlier, when he arrived, he only t Noora.
"Tristan and Dax are now in the backyard. They are doing man stuff with my Grandpa, Tristan’s father. Do you want to join them?" Bella offered.
Jack shook his head, clearly not interested in crashing Bella’s family gathering.
"Let’s talk about you, Bella. How’s your life lately?" he asked.
"Sa as before, I spend my day working from ho. And I enjoy being pregnant with twins," Bella said while stroking her baby bumps, which were starting to get bigger.
"I can see that. You look..." Jack paused to stifle a smile. "You look quite double now." When he saw her glare, he hurriedly diverted the conversation. "Anyway, congrats again, my friend, on your pregnancy. It looks like I need to prepare another gift for my incoming two nephews."
Bella chuckled, "Tsk! Tsk! Jack, can you use more sincere words in your line if you’re going to complint ?"
"Sorry, dear." He grinned, offering an apologetic expression. And sohow, she saw the trace of sadness flash through his eyes.
Bella knows Sean must be sad now, rembering his child after his divorce. His sadness was double-folded when he knew he had no chance with Harper.
"It’s fine, Uncle. But make sure the present you want to give them is more expensive than what Dax gets from you," she teases him, trying to divert his sadness. "Oh, right, I forgot to ask. So, have you talked to Harper about her relocation here?"
"Hmm, and you are right. She imdiately accepts it," a sour smile fras Jack’s face as he continues. "Do you want to hear her answer when I asked why she was suddenly interested in this country?"
"Well, I already know that, and I warn you about it," Bella said.
Jack couldn’t help but laugh as he rembered a few days ago how sure he was that Harper wouldn’t want to move to a small country like Astington.
"Bella, I’m too delusional to deny your words," Jack said, taking a deep, long sigh before continuing. "Well, Harper said her future is in this country. That’s why she will grasp the opportunity to relocate here and build her future with the man she loves."
"Are you alright?" Bella now worries about him; she clearly sees that Jack does not look OK. After a few of his right-hand people moved to this country, the woman he had worked with for a long ti, his future plan to spend his old ti, had also moved here and even found her other half.
Jack didn’t say anything but smile.
"Do you want Sam to return as your second man?" Bella offered. If Sam returned to their headquarters, Jack might have Sam and Stefan by his side there, not only as his staff but also as his friends. He will be a lot less lonely.
"I’m OK. Please don’t trouble Sam with that. Sam would find your offer hard to refuse because you asked for it, not because he liked it. He told he wanted to retire in his country and would reject it if I asked. But if you ask it? He probably couldn’t say no even when he wanted to say no.
And I don’t want to burden Sam with that." Jack explained. "However, I plan to call Leo to return to the headquarters after he stays here to assist Harper for a year."
"Oh, Leo might refuse, too."
Jack frowned, confused. "How dare he refuse ?!"
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