Mae stared at the baby monitor while swirling the wine in her glass, then she glanced around the big house. There were distant chatting and giggling from upstairs, also the muffled sound of her husband's voice reading the same bedtime stories to his three loyal spectators: Kate, Morgan, and Darla. There were two babies asleep in separate cots in the room, the nursery, just a few steps away from where she was seated.
Nine years ago, she could have became homeless. She could have moved to a different place, a place further from where now husband works and resides. She could have missed the chance to cross paths with him and he could have ended up with someone else. He would not even know she existed beyond his mother's kind words and reminiscence of her best friend's daughter, or just another woman whom Isla wanted him to marry but he refused.
Mae smiled softly, adoring the little babies whose faces were starting to look a little bit like Zane and herself. Their names are Amaris Williams and Lucas Williams, the almost twins. Amaris was born in late January, and they had Lucas the same year in December. Lucas was unplanned yet expected, because while Mae was pregnant with Amaris, Zane grew into a fine man, almost as if he aged backwards despite growing several strands of white hair at that age. Mae could not help but to get attracted to that man who was already hers and fall for him every single day, while she was his biggest weakness.
With that, Zane decided to actually tie his tubes or else they might really birth an entire football team. Mae would not mind getting pregnant again because Zane made parenting easier than she thought. He was always present. He went from a guy who was rarely home to one call away and works from home as much as he could. He was the best father any child could ask for. He meant every vow he made on each anniversary, especially the vow that he would give her the world.
He gave her home when shelter was the only thing she seeked from their marriage in the beginning. He gave her a family she wished for. Zane Williams is her life's greatest blessing, and the children are gifts that came with it.
Her relationship with Ellie was never the same, in a good way. Zane interfered and introduced the beautiful human they made to Ellie, and the woman fell in love with their children. Her favorite thing to do with the children was to spoil them like the rich aunt she is. She would act snobbish and ego around Mae and Zane, then became a fool for the children the next second. Mae didn't know that such character development was possible until it happened. Everytime the kids come home from spending time with her, they would be happy and had a lot of stories to tell. But of course, the relationship was a love-hate relationship because they were children, Ellie's least favorite stage of human being.
Mae wiped her teary eyes from reminiscing what had happened in the past few years, as she noticed that the house had became quiet and Zane entered the frame of the baby monitor. He checked on the babies in the nursery, kissed them on the cheeks and made sure they were tucked in before walking out to join her in the living room. He switched off all of the lights, leaving only the fireplace burning a few feet away from them.
He sat down beside her and poured himself a glass of wine. Then they cuddled on the couch, relaxing in each other's arms. Zane placed his palm on her forehead, then raked his fingers through her hair. "What's on your mind, beauty?"
"You and the kids," she hummed, putting her glass aside so she could snuggle in his embrace. "I'd be damned if I were thinking of other people."
"Alaia Olsen, for example," Zane said.
"Alaia Olsen is always in my mind. I would have married her if I hadn't met yo--" her speech halted as Zane cupped her mouth and chugged down his glass of wine.
"This is why I kinda hate Alaia," Zane pointed out with a scoff.
"It was an overstatement," Mae chuckled. "Speaking of Alaia, we should invite them for dinner again. The kids had fun with her kids the last time."
YOU ARE READING
The Woman He Married
RomanceZane Williams finds himself in an arranged marriage chosen by his overbearing mother. But when he ducks out of his own wedding due to an unexpected call of duty, he has no idea what he's in for when he returns home. Meet Mae Westbrook, now Mae Willi...