Burden

*~Chapter thirty-nine~*

_(I forgot how old the twins are, and i'm too lazy to go searching for it, so their like year one age 7 years old)_

It's been a week since I moved into Jasper's place, and I've finally started to settle into the routine here. This morning, I'm busy getting the twins ready for the day. They're full of energy, as usual, making the task feel like trying to wrangle two little whirlwinds.

"I don't want to go to school," Lucy whines, stomping her feet in protest. Her hair is still a tangled mess, and she's halfway between her pajamas and her school uniform, clearly not in the mood for cooperation.

"Lucy, you have to whether you like it or not," a small voice pipes up. You'd think it was me speaking, but no, it's Melissa, the wise little girl, calmly scolding her sister as she finishes putting on her own uniform.

I can't help but smile at Melissa's matter-of-fact tone. "Thanks, Melissa," I say, giving her a grateful look as I move to help Lucy finish getting dressed. Lucy pouts but eventually gives in, letting me brush her hair and button up her uniform.

"See, it's not so bad," I reassure Lucy as I tie her shoes. "And besides, you get to see your friends today."

Lucy sighs dramatically but seems to accept her fate. Melissa, already fully dressed and ready, gives her sister a knowing look before heading to the kitchen.

"Come on, let's get you some breakfast," I say to Lucy, taking her hand and leading her to join her sister.

Quickly making each of them a piece of toast, I glance at the clock and see we have just a few minutes before we need to leave the house. The twins munch on their breakfast, still a little groggy but slowly waking up as they eat.

Once they finish, I usher them out the door and into the car Jasper's letting me borrow—one of the perks of him owning a company. The twins hop into the backseat, their earlier reluctance replaced by excitement as they chat about their day ahead. Lucy, who had been protesting just minutes ago, now seems eager to get to school.

I buckle them in, double-checking that everything is set before sliding into the driver's seat. The car hums to life, and I pull out of the driveway, feeling more at ease now that the morning rush is under control.

Once we arrive at the school, I drop them off with quick hugs and waves, watching as they join their friends with bright smiles. Lucy's earlier resistance is completely gone, and I can't help but chuckle at how quickly her mood changed.

With the twins safely at school, I head to work, but not before making a quick stop to grab coffee for both Jasper and myself. The familiar scent of freshly brewed coffee fills the car as I drive, a small comfort as I mentally prepare for the day ahead.

~~~

Knocking on Jasper's door, I wait for his usual "Come in" before stepping inside. "Good morning," I say with a smile, handing him a coffee along with the finished files from the previous day.

He looks up briefly, taking the coffee from my hand. "Morning," he mutters, already shifting his attention to the files.

"The girls were good," I say, filling the silence. "Lucy didn't want to go to school at first, but she came around."

linger for a second as Jasper takes a sip of his coffee, his eyes shifting to the files. "I appreciate it, Mae," he says quietly, his eyes meeting mine for a moment. There's a warmth in his gaze that catches me off guard, accompanied by a small, sincere smile.

"Well, bye," I mumble awkwardly, not quite sure how to respond, before quickly turning to leave the room. Why is everything he does making me nervous?

It's like every small gesture, every glance, has this way of catching me off guard. I wasn't expecting the warmth in his eyes just now or that little smile. oh my god.