✦ CHAPTER — "Hug The Person You Love Most" ✦
Jay's POV
The morning light felt softer than usual.
Like the world was finally giving me a break.
---
Alina was already on my lap.
Of course she was.
Her tiny hands were gripping my sleeve like she was checking I still existed.
Keifer stood behind me, one arm loosely around my shoulder.
Not tight.
Just there.
Like a promise.
---
I didn't say anything.
I didn't need to.
---
Then someone clapped.
"Family photo time!"
---
Immediately, chaos.
Children running.
Someone screaming.
Zane covered in sand already.
Noah looking like he wanted to disappear again.
Jare laughing at everything like usual.
---
I sighed.
"…do we really need photos?"
---
Keifer answered instantly.
"Yes."
Alina too.
"No."
---
I looked between them.
"…I didn't ask for a group vote."
---
Keifer leaned slightly closer.
"You should've."
Alina nodded seriously.
"You should've."
---
I almost smiled.
Almost.
---
We finally gathered near the beach.
Sunset behind us.
Golden light everywhere.
Soft waves.
Too peaceful for this family.
---
"Okay," the photographer said. "Hug the person you love most."
---
Silence.
Then chaos.
---
Alina immediately clung to me.
"Mama!"
---
Before I could even react—
Keifer pulled me gently back into him.
From behind.
---
So now I was stuck.
Front and back.
---
"…I can't move," I muttered.
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Alina hugged tighter.
"No move."
---
Keifer's voice came quietly behind me.
"Mine."
---
Alina snapped up instantly.
"No. Mama mine."
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Keifer didn't even hesitate.
"She's my wife."
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"MAMA."
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"My wife."
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"MAMA."
---
I closed my eyes.
"…I regret everything."
---
The photographer was clearly trying not to laugh.
"Everyone… smile?"
---
No one listened.
Obviously.
---
I sighed.
Then reached up and held both of them closer.
---
"Enough," I said softly.
---
They both stopped.
Immediately.
---
I felt Keifer relax slightly behind me.
Alina's grip softened just a little in front.
---
"One photo," I said. "Together."
---
That was the only thing that worked.
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✦ CLICK ✦
The flash went off.
---
And for a second…
everything was still.
---
Me in the middle.
Alina hugging me from the front.
Keifer holding me from behind.
All three of us tangled together like we had always been this way.
---
Like we belonged there.
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✦ AFTER ✦
Alina still didn't let go.
Keifer still didn't move.
---
I sighed again.
"…can I breathe now?"
---
"No," they said at the same time.
---
I stared at them.
Then laughed.
"…okay."
---
✦ THREE SECOND RULE ✦
Later, I walked toward the villa.
Alina followed immediately.
---
"One…"
she counted seriously.
---
I turned slightly.
"…what are you doing?"
---
"Two…"
---
Keifer appeared beside me.
Watching.
Quietly amused.
---
"Three!"
---
And then—
she ran.
Full speed.
Straight into my legs.
---
"MAMA!"
---
I caught her instantly.
Instinctively.
Like I always did now.
---
"Okay, okay," I whispered, hugging her back. "I'm here."
---
Alina nodded into my shoulder.
"No leave."
---
"I won't."
---
And I meant it.
---
Behind me, Keifer stepped closer.
Didn't say anything.
Just wrapped both of us into his arms again.
---
I leaned back into him without thinking.
Alina tightened her hold on me.
---
And for a moment…
none of us moved.
---
No arguments.
No chaos.
No fear.
Just warmth.
Just family.
Just us.
🫶🏻💖
✦ CHAPTER — "Mama Doesn't Love Me?" ✦
Jay's POV
It started with a shower.
Just a shower.
---
I kissed Alina's forehead.
"Twelve minutes, baby."
---
She was sitting with Keifer.
Safe.
Happy.
---
Or so I thought.
---
When I came back...
everything felt different.
---
"Baby?"
I smiled.
---
Nothing.
---
Alina looked away.
---
I blinked.
---
"Alina?"
---
She immediately buried her face in Keifer's shoulder.
---
My smile slowly disappeared.
---
"Did something happen?"
---
Keifer frowned.
"I don't know."
---
I sat beside them.
---
Usually she'd crawl straight into my lap.
Usually she'd hug me.
Usually she'd say mama at least twenty times.
---
Today...
nothing.
---
I touched her tiny hand.
---
She pulled it away.
---
My heart dropped.
---
"Baby?"
---
She didn't answer.
---
Instead she hugged Keifer tighter.
---
The entire day continued like that.
---
I offered snacks.
---
Ignored.
---
I offered toys.
---
Ignored.
---
I asked for a hug.
---
Ignored.
---
Every time I got close—
she moved away.
---
Every time I reached for her—
she hid behind Keifer.
---
It felt ridiculous.
---
She was a baby.
A tiny baby.
---
Yet somehow...
it hurt.
A lot.
😭💔
---
Evening
The worst part wasn't the ignoring.
---
The worst part was the flinching.
---
I reached out to fix her hair.
---
She immediately moved away.
---
Like she didn't want me touching her.
---
I froze.
---
For a second I couldn't breathe.
---
Keifer noticed immediately.
---
His expression softened.
---
"Jay..."
---
I smiled.
---
"It's okay."
---
But it wasn't.
---
Not really.
---
Night
Alina was lying beside Keifer.
---
Normally she'd be sleeping on me.
---
Or at least holding my hand.
---
Tonight she stayed as far away as possible.
---
Every time I moved closer—
she shifted away.
---
I finally stopped trying.
---
The room became quiet.
---
Keifer fell asleep.
---
Alina eventually did too.
---
And I just sat there.
Looking at them.
---
Then tears came.
---
Silent at first.
---
Then harder.
---
I covered my mouth.
Trying not to make a sound.
---
Because I felt stupid.
---
So stupid.
---
She was a baby.
---
A baby.
---
Yet somehow...
I felt unwanted.
---
Like I wasn't enough.
---
Like she didn't need me anymore.
😭🫀
---
I didn't even notice how long I sat there.
---
I didn't eat dinner.
Didn't touch my tea.
Didn't move.
---
Just cried quietly.
---
A Small Voice
"Mama?"
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I froze.
---
Slowly looking up.
---
Alina was awake.
---
Standing beside me.
---
Tiny.
Sleepy.
Confused.
---
Tears immediately filled her eyes too.
---
Because she saw mine.
---
"Mama cry?"
---
I quickly wiped my face.
---
"No, baby."
---
But she was already crying.
---
Tiny tears rolling down her cheeks.
---
"Mama cry."
---
She climbed onto my lap.
---
And for the first time all day—
she hugged me.
😭💔
---
Tightly.
---
Like she never wanted to let go.
---
I broke instantly.
---
Wrapping both arms around her.
Holding her close.
---
And somehow that only made me cry harder.
---
"Mama..."
---
"I'm sorry."
She whispered in her tiny voice.
---
The words weren't perfect.
---
But they were enough.
---
Enough to shatter my heart completely.
---
I kissed her hair.
Again.
Again.
Again.
---
"No, baby."
My voice cracked.
"You didn't do anything wrong."
---
She sniffled.
---
Then buried her face in my neck.
---
The exact way she always did.
---
And suddenly everything felt normal again.
---
"I love you."
I whispered.
---
"I love you so much."
---
Alina nodded sleepily.
---
Then whispered back:
"Love mama."
😭🫶🏻💖
---
And as I held her—
still crying—
I realized something.
---
She wasn't trying to hurt me.
---
She was scared.
---
Scared that when I disappeared into that bathroom...
I might not come back.
---
Just like before.
---
And suddenly...
my heart hurt for both of us.
---
Because neither of us wanted to lose the other.
---
Not even for a minute.
✦ CHAPTER — "Mama's Day" ✦
Jay's POV
When I opened my eyes...
someone was staring at me.
---
Very intensely.
---
I blinked.
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Alina blinked back.
---
"Mama awake."
😭💖
---
My heart instantly melted.
---
"Good morning, baby."
---
She immediately climbed on top of me.
Tiny arms around my neck.
---
And unlike yesterday...
she didn't let go.
Not even once.
---
The entire morning she followed me everywhere.
---
Bathroom?
Outside the door.
---
Kitchen?
Holding my shirt.
---
Garden?
Holding my hand.
---
At one point I laughed.
---
"Baby, are you attached to me?"
---
She nodded seriously.
---
"Mama."
---
Apparently that was the answer.
😭💀
---
The Bracelet
Around lunchtime, Alina disappeared.
---
Which immediately made me nervous.
---
Five minutes later—
Mama Reycee appeared smiling.
---
And behind her came Alina.
---
Tiny feet.
Tiny smile.
Tiny hands hiding something.
---
"What's that?" I asked.
---
Alina looked shy.
---
Then slowly held it out.
---
A bracelet.
---
Not perfect.
Not even close.
---
The beads were uneven.
The colors didn't match.
And it looked like it had survived a natural disaster.
😭💖
---
But it was beautiful.
---
Because she made it.
---
"For mama."
---
My eyes instantly watered.
---
"Baby..."
---
She carefully took my hand.
---
And with Mama Reycee's help—
put it on my wrist.
---
Then stared at it proudly.
---
"Mama pretty."🥹💖
---
That was it.
---
I cried.
---
Actually cried.
---
And immediately Alina started crying too.
😭💀
---
"No cry."
---
"I'm happy crying."
I laughed.
---
She looked confused.
---
Then hugged me.
---
Problem solved.
Apparently.
---
Keifer's POV
I watched the entire thing.
---
The bracelet.
The tears.
The hugging.
---
And honestly?
My heart was finished.
---
Completely finished.
---
Then I realized something.
---
For days...
Jay had focused on everyone else.
---
Alina.
The family.
The kids.
Me.
---
But nobody had really taken care of her.
---
So I made a decision.
---
Tonight.
She was mine.
🥺🫀
---
Later That Night
Alina was asleep.
---
Actually asleep.
---
Which felt like a miracle.
---
Jay was sitting beside her.
Making sure she was comfortable.
Again.
---
I walked over.
---
Then simply held out my hand.
---
"Come with me."
---
She blinked.
---
"Where?"
---
"Date."
---
Her face immediately softened.
---
"A date?"
---
"A real one."
---
Five minutes later—
we were walking along the beach.
---
Just us🤍
---
No crying.
No emergencies.
No tiny jealous baby.
---
Just the sound of waves.
---
And stars.
So many stars.
---
Jay's POV
The ocean looked beautiful.🥹💌💖
---
The sky looked beautiful.🤍✨️
---
But honestly?
I couldn't stop looking at Keifer.
---
He noticed immediately.
---
"What?"
---
I smiled.
---
"Nothing."
---
"Liar."
---
Maybe.
---
A little.
---
We sat together in the sand.
---
His arm around my shoulders.
My head resting against him.
---
Comfortable silence.
---
The kind only people deeply in love understand.
🥺💖
---
After a while—
he took my hand.
---
The bracelet was still there.
---
He looked at it.
Then smiled.
---
"She really loves you."
---
I looked down.
---
"I know."
---
My voice came out softer than expected.
---
"Sometimes I think she loves me too much."
---
Keifer laughed quietly.
---
Then kissed my forehead.
---
"That's impossible."
---
I looked up.
---
He was already watching me.
---
The same way he always did.
---
Like I was his favorite thing in the world.
---
And suddenly...
all those fears from before felt very far away.
---
The loneliness.
The insecurity.
The hurt.
---
Because right now...
I felt loved.
---
By Alina.
By him.
By all of them.
---
And for the first time in a while...
I let myself enjoy it.
---
Keifer pulled me a little closer.
---
I happily went.
---
Then rested my head on his shoulder.
---
And together we watched the stars.
---
No words.
No worries.
No tears.
---
Just peace.
And the quiet certainty that neither of us was going anywhere. 🥺🫶🏻💖