Jay-Jay(POV)
It's been one week since Caretaker was born.
And somehow… Section E has completely taken over the house.
He's never alone. Not even for a second.
The moment morning comes, there's already someone beside him. Watching. Holding. Talking to him like he understands every word.
It's honestly overwhelming.
Clyden keeps bringing so many stuffed toys that our bed barely has space left. Plushies are everywhere—on the pillows, under the blanket, even falling onto the floor whenever someone sits down.
Everyone keeps bringing something.
Toys. Clothes. Little baby accessories.
I don't even know where they're finding all of this, but somehow… everything is ridiculously cute.
Amy and Mia keep changing his outfits over and over again, saying he should become a model.
"He has the face for it," Amy insists seriously.
Mia just nods. "Definitely."
And Caretaker?
He just lets it happen.
Completely enjoying all the attention like it's the most normal thing in the world.
But while everyone is focused on him…
My attention keeps drifting to Kiefer.
Because something about him has changed.
Or maybe… intensified.
He doesn't sleep properly anymore.
Every time Caretaker cries—even the slightest sound—Kiefer is already moving.
Before I can even react, he's already there—lifting Caretaker, checking him, rocking him gently until he falls asleep again.
And honestly…
It scares me.
Because Kiefer isn't just taking care of the baby.
He's taking care of me too.
And at the same time, he still has to run the Watsons.
Every time I ask if he's okay, he gives me the same answer.
"I'm fine."
But I can see it.
The exhaustion in his eyes.
The way his shoulders feel heavier lately.
The way he looks like he hasn't truly rested in days.
Mornings are always loud because everyone is here.
Section E practically lives in our house now.
But nights?
Nights are different.
Quiet.
Still.
Everyone eventually goes home.
Even Clyden Kuya already left for London after Kiefer practically forced him out, saying he had work to do there.
So tonight…
For the first time in days—
It was just us.
The house felt strangely silent.
Kiefer sat on the couch with Caretaker asleep against his chest, one hand supporting his tiny back carefully while the other absentmindedly rubbed small circles over him.
The dim light made the dark circles under his eyes look even worse.
And suddenly—
I couldn't ignore it anymore.
"Kiefer," I said softly.
He looked up immediately.
The exhaustion in his face disappeared the second his eyes landed on me.
"What is it, wife?" he asked quietly.
I stared at him for a few seconds before finally speaking.
"What's wrong with you?"
His brows furrowed slightly.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean…" I sat down beside him slowly. "You look like a zombie now."
A small breath of amusement escaped him.
"I'm serious," I continued softly. "You barely sleep anymore."
"I sleep."
"You close your eyes for ten minutes and call it sleep."
Kiefer looked away for a moment, his hand still gently patting Caretaker's back.
"I'm okay, Jay."
"No, you're not."
The answer came out faster than I expected.
Before he could avoid the conversation again, I moved closer and sat beside him on the couch.
"Kiefer," I said quietly, "tell me what you're thinking."
He stayed silent.
I tightened my hand around his arm slightly.
"I know you've been hiding it," I continued softly. "You're not acting like the Kiefer I know anymore."
"Jay…" he started, clearly trying to convince me again.
I immediately glared at him.
A real glare.
The kind he usually ignored from everyone else.
But not from me.
"Don't," I warned quietly. "Don't lie to me."
Silence filled the room.
Caretaker shifted slightly against his chest, and Kiefer instinctively adjusted him carefully before finally exhaling.
Then—
His shoulders slowly dropped.
"…Okay," he admitted quietly.
For a moment, he stared down at the baby silently before speaking again.
"I just…" His jaw tightened slightly. "I just want to do everything right."
My expression softened immediately.
"I want to be a good father."
The way he said it—
So quietly.
So honestly.
Like he was terrified he might fail at it—
Made my chest ache.
"You are," I said immediately. "Who told you you're not?"
Kiefer gave a weak smile that didn't fully reach his eyes.
Then finally—
His expression cracked.
"And I want to do things for you too," he admitted quietly. "I want to help you."
His fingers tightened slightly around the blanket wrapped around Caretaker.
"I'm scared, Jay."
The honesty in his voice stunned me into silence.
"I keep feeling like I'm not enough," he whispered. "Like I'm useless."
My chest tightened instantly.
Kiefer lowered his head slightly, exhaustion and fear finally slipping through the calm mask he'd been wearing for days.
"When I saw you struggling during childbirth…" His voice became quieter. "I thought I was going to lose you."
I froze.
"It's not that I didn't trust you," he continued quickly. "I did. I trusted you."
His jaw tightened.
"But hearing you scream… hearing you say you were hurting…"
For the first time, his voice shook slightly.
"I couldn't do anything."
The room suddenly felt painfully quiet.
"I was just standing there while you were in pain," he whispered. "And no matter how much I wanted to help you… I couldn't."
My heart physically ached hearing him say it.
"It scared me."
The confession came out almost broken.
"So now I keep thinking…" He exhaled shakily. "If I can't take your pain away, then at least I can do everything else."
His eyes slowly lifted toward me again.
"I want you to rest properly."
His voice softened.
"I want you to sleep."
His thumb gently stroked Caretaker's back absentmindedly.
"I want your body to heal completely."
Something inside me melted completely hearing him speak.
How could one person be this caring and this adorable at the same time?
Every time I thought I understood how deeply Kiefer loved me—
He somehow proved it again in ways even bigger than before.
And the worst part?
It only made me want him more.
More time.
More moments like this.
More of him.
I wanted to stay beside this man for the rest of my life.
"Kiefer…" I whispered softly.
But he cut me off before I could continue.
"And before you say it," he murmured tiredly, "I know I'm overdoing it."
A weak smile finally appeared on his face.
"But every time I look at you two…"
His eyes drifted toward me and Caretaker.
"…I feel like I was trusted with something too precious."
The softness in his voice nearly destroyed me.
"And I don't want to fail either of you."
"Kiefer…" I whispered softly. "It's okay to be imperfect."
"Of course not," he replied immediately.
I blinked at him.
Kiefer looked down quietly before continuing in a lower voice.
"I don't want you to ever feel like I'm not enough for you."
My chest tightened painfully.
"I may not be perfect at this," he admitted. "But I'll keep trying… so he can grow up happy."
"Gago," I muttered emotionally before leaning forward and kissing him.
Kiefer froze slightly before melting into it almost instantly.
When I pulled away, I rested both hands against his face carefully.
"Kiefer," I said softly, making sure he looked at me, "this is your first time being a father."
Then I smiled faintly.
"And it's my first time being a mother."
For the first time that night, he actually listened quietly instead of interrupting.
"We're going to learn together," I whispered.
My thumb brushed gently against his cheek.
"And it's not just about making him happy."
I shook my head softly.
"Let's be happy too."
His expression softened slightly.
"Because if you're not happy…" I continued quietly, "how can you make him happy?"
Silence filled the room.
Not heavy.
Not painful.
Just soft.
Warm.
I looked at him carefully.
"All this time…" My voice lowered. "You must've been struggling alone."
Kiefer's eyes flickered slightly.
"But thank you," I whispered sincerely. "For doing everything you could."
Then I smiled gently.
"But from now on…"
I leaned closer slightly.
"Let's do it together."
For a moment, Kiefer just stared at me quietly like he didn't know how to respond to being cared for so openly.
Then carefully, I took Caretaker from his arms.
"Jay—what are you doing?" Kiefer asked immediately, instinctively following the baby with his eyes.
I ignored him completely.
Slowly, I laid Caretaker down on the bed and tucked the blanket around him carefully before placing pillows around both sides so he wouldn't roll over.
Only after making sure he was comfortable did I finally turn back toward Kiefer.
He still looked confused.
I crossed my arms.
"Hubby," I announced seriously, "do you even realize you haven't washed your hair properly in days?"
Kiefer blinked once.
Then casually touched his hair like he genuinely forgot it existed.
"Oh," he muttered. "That."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"That?" I repeated. "Your hair is literally begging for help."
A small tired laugh escaped him.
"I didn't have time for it," he admitted.
"That's why," I said proudly, "today I'm washing my husband's hair."
Kiefer stared at me.
"…What?"
I huffed dramatically and crossed my arms.
"Why?" I asked suspiciously. "You don't want to?"
For a second—
He just looked at me quietly.
Then slowly…
A small smile appeared on his face.
"Nope," he said calmly. "I would absolutely enjoy it."
The moment he said that—
I immediately became suspicious.
Before I could react, Kiefer suddenly lifted me into his arms effortlessly.
I yelped immediately.
"Kiefer!"
"You said you wanted to wash my hair," he replied calmly while carrying me toward the bathroom. "So I'm helping."
I narrowed my eyes at him while trying not to smile.
"Your logic is terrible."
"Hm," he hummed shamelessly. "But you still married me."
I gasped dramatically.
"Wow."
Kiefer only smirked harder.
And somehow…
That night became softer after that.
No fear.
No overthinking.
No pretending to be strong.
Just us.
We took our time helping each other.
When Caretaker cried, we handled it together.
When one of us looked tired, the other stepped in.
And somehow, little by little—
Kiefer finally started sleeping again.
Not perfectly.
But enough.
Enough to breathe.
Enough to rest.
Enough to stop carrying everything alone.
That night, while walking back toward the room after checking on Caretaker, I noticed something glowing faintly under Kiran's door.
The mushroom lamp.
My steps slowed immediately.
Whenever that lamp was on this late at night, it usually meant one thing.
He couldn't sleep.
Or he was having nightmares again.
Quietly, I opened the door.
Kiran was rolling restlessly around the bed before immediately sitting upright the second he noticed me.
"Mom," he muttered softly.
I walked toward him and sat beside him on the bed carefully.
"Did something happen?" I asked gently. "Why aren't you sleeping?"
Kiran rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly before avoiding my eyes.
Then finally, in the smallest voice—
"I'm happy you have your own child now…"
I blinked softly.
"But…" he continued quietly, "…you know I'm your first child, right?"
My heart melted instantly.
"You were mine first."
I had to bite the inside of my cheek to stop myself from laughing.
Honestly—
The Watsons were terrifyingly possessive once they loved someone.
Slowly, I reached over and fixed his messy hair gently.
"Kiran," I whispered softly, "I'm still your mom."
His eyes slowly lifted toward mine.
"It's true that I don't have as much time right now," I admitted honestly. "But that's only because we have one more person to love."
I smiled faintly.
"That doesn't change anything between us."
Carefully, I held his hand.
"I still care about you the same way."
His fingers tightened around mine slightly.
"I'll still listen when you want to talk about your day."
My voice softened even more.
"And I'll still be here whenever you need something."
Kiran stayed quiet, listening carefully.
"So don't bottle everything up alone, okay?"
I gently tapped his forehead.
"If you feel lonely… come find me."
A small smile finally appeared on his face.
"Because I'm your mother," I whispered. "And I always will be."
The tension in Kiran's shoulders slowly disappeared after that.
Then quietly—
He started talking.
At first, it was small things.
Tiny things most people probably wouldn't even remember.
And slowly…
It became more.
Everything I had unknowingly missed over the past few months.
I just sat there beside him, smiling softly while listening carefully.
Sometimes I nodded.
Sometimes I laughed quietly.
Sometimes I asked questions just to make him keep talking longer.
Because I realized something painfully important in that moment—
Kiran didn't need grand gestures.
He just missed me.
Missed this.
Being listened to.
Being noticed.
Being someone's child.
And honestly?
That realization hurt more than I expected.
So I stayed and listened to every single thing he wanted to tell me.
Then eventually, his voice started getting softer.
Slower.
Asleep.
Still holding onto me.
My chest ached warmly.
Carefully, I adjusted his blanket and slowly slipped my hand out of his grasp before tucking him in properly.
Then I quietly left the room.
But the moment I stepped into the hallway—
I paused.
Kiegen was sitting near the stairs, one leg crossed over the other while drinking something quietly.
The glow from his phone reflected against his face as he watched something silently.
The moment he noticed me looking at him—
He slowly lowered the phone.
And somehow…
The expression in his eyes made me realize immediately—
He wasn't there by accident.
I leaned lightly against the wall and narrowed my eyes at him.
"What are you trying so hard to hide?"
Kiegen's expression didn't change.
"Nothing," he answered calmly.
Too calmly.
Before I could ask anything else, he slipped his phone into his pocket and walked away.
I stared after him suspiciously.
Something was wrong.
I knew it.
And somehow, the fact that I couldn't figure out what it was made me even more restless.
Because whatever he was hiding…
It was making him sad.
And the worst part?
I didn't even notice it sooner.
Lost in thought, I almost walked straight into the wall.
Before I could hit it, strong arms suddenly pulled me backward gently.
"Careful, wife," Kiefer murmured against my hair.
I relaxed instantly into his chest.
Then he tilted his head slightly.
"What's distracting you so much that you didn't even notice me?"
"Nothing," I answered automatically.
Kiefer hummed knowingly like he didn't believe me for even a second.
Then his hands settled around my waist more securely.
"How are you feeling now?" I asked softly instead.
"Hm… how am I feeling?" he repeated thoughtfully.
Then slowly, he lifted my chin with his fingers.
"I think," he said seriously, "I'd feel much better if you kissed me right now."
I stared at him in disbelief.
"Kiefer."
A grin appeared on his face immediately.
"There's my wife."
I rolled my eyes, but I could already feel myself smiling.
Then his expression softened slightly.
"So," he asked quietly, "what are you thinking about?"
I hesitated for a second before answering.
"It's about Kiegen."
Kiefer's brows furrowed slightly.
"Why? What happened?"
"I saw him downstairs earlier," I admitted softly. "The moment he noticed me, he hid his phone."
My expression became more serious.
"And the look on his face…"
I shook my head slightly.
"Something's wrong."
Kiefer listened quietly before exhaling softly through his nose.
"Hm," he muttered. "Meddling again."
"Maybe," I admitted.
That only made him smile faintly.
"Kiegen can handle himself," he said calmly.
Then he brushed his thumb gently against my cheek.
"Now stop overthinking and get some sleep."
I nodded slowly.
But even after returning to bed…
Even with Kiefer beside me…
I still couldn't forget the expression on Kiegen's face.