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Chapter 14

"Thank you dear and Khaiser for cleaning and decorating the backyard. It looks more refreshing and relaxing now." Nadya smiles and gazes at her husband and son as she reaches for her husband's hand on the table and holds it gently.

"Don't mention it. It was nothing really." Lukas and Khaiser return the smile as Khaiser nods his head a few times without a word. All the family members are enjoying their dinner together at the moment. As usual, there is no fun at the dining table without any chitchat and like always, Khaiser is more comfortable being the passive audience to every story that his parents and sisters have to serve.

"So, when are you planning to go back to your house?" Lukas gazes at his son. Realizing that his father is talking to him, Khaiser looks up at his face. He chews the food in his mouth quickly and swallows it.

"Um, tomorrow I guess?" Khaiser answers in uncertainty. Lukas nods understandably and continues with his meal. But from his facial expression, Khaiser can guess that there is something that his father hesitates to tell him. "Why?" He asks, trying to dig deeper for more information. Julianne and Marianne gaze into their brother's face simultaneously. They stare at him for a few seconds before getting back to what they were doing just now without a single word. Khaiser notices their look, but he decides to ignore them.

"Nothing important. It's just I've another favour to ask if you don't mind." Lukas brings his eyes back to his son. Khaiser pays full attention to his father, waiting for him to continue. "I want to ask you a favour to accompany your sisters to the town for some shopping tomorrow. Your mother and I want to visit our friend at the hospital." It is Khaiser's turn to nod understandably at his father's request.

"Yeah, sure." Khaiser replies, short.

"Thank you so much, Khai. Sorry for troubling you again." Khaiser grins and shakes his head, telling his father to not worry about it. Later, everything turns back to normal and everyone enjoys their dinner as if nothing happened.

***

She inserts her belongings into her bag and zips it before tidies up her table. Satisfied with the condition of her table, she hangs the strap of the bag on her shoulder and walks to the door. She gives a quick scan around her workspace before closing the door gently. All her work is finished for the day and she cannot wait to get back home and relax.

"You want to go home already?" One of her co-workers greets her as she is about to open her steps.

"Yeah, I've finished for today. How about you?" She fixes her bag on her shoulder to get more comfortable. Working all day has made her muscles stiff.

"As usual, there're still a few documents that need to be reviewed." Her co-worker chuckles a bit before taking a deep breath and sighing softly. She looks away from her for a while. Her facial expression clearly displays her tiredness. Sorry and guilt creeps into the woman's heart for asking her co-worker the question earlier. She is unsure of what to do, so she just stands there and smiles. "Never mind that. There are still a few more people here. I'll be fine. Be careful on your way home." She gives her a little smile before stepping to her table.

"Thanks. You too, don't overwork yourself. Get some rest when you need it." The woman still wants to show her support even though she really is not sure what to say in the situation. Her co-worker gazes back at her with the same smile and nods a little before focusing back on her task. After waiting for her co-worker to disappear from her sight, she continues her steps to leave the office and get to her car.

She unlocks the car when she is only a few steps away from it. She gets inside it and closes the door before putting her bag on the seat next to the driver's seat. She then squirms a little in her seat to get more comfortable. Sitting for too long in the office chair really makes her bum hurt. After feeling a bit better, her hands move to the steering wheel and hold it firmly. She stares in front of her with her eyes half-opened. There is no sign that she wants to start driving anytime soon. She sits still and quietly in her car for a while.