The Former Marine

Chapter 28: The Public Announcement

It was a sunny April afternoon in Los Angeles, and Kylie was at home, watching Stormi and Aire play in the backyard with Derek. They got along really well with him, which made Kylie feel more at ease about their relationship. Derek had always been patient and affectionate with the kids, and Stormi already saw him as an important figure in her life.

Kylie, sitting on the couch with her phone in her hand, looked at the scene and smiled. She knew it was time to share a little more about her life with the world. Even though they had kept their relationship private for a few months, she felt it was the right time to make things official in a subtle way, without much fanfare, but with a personal touch.

She unlocked her phone, opened Instagram and started selecting some photos. There was a picture they had taken recently, a quiet afternoon in Malibu. In the photo, she was next to Derek, while Stormi and Aire were smiling around them. The photo conveyed peace, happiness and a sense of family that Kylie hadn't seen in a long time.

"Are you thinking about posting something?" Derek asked, coming over and sitting next to her on the couch. He had finished playing with the kids and was now curious about what she was looking at on her phone.

Kylie looked at him and smiled. "Yeah, I think it's time. What do you think?"

Derek raised his eyebrows, not really looking surprised. "I thought we were already preparing for this. If you think it's the right time, go ahead."

"You know they're going to go crazy, right?" she said, referring to the fans and the media.

Derek shrugged. "It's not like the speculation isn't already out of control. But do whatever feels most comfortable to you. Just don't expect me to join the Instagram world."

Kylie laughed. She knew Derek was reserved and that the idea of ​​having a social media presence wasn't something he was interested in at all. He had made that clear from the start.

"I wouldn't expect anything less from you," she joked. "But I think it's time for people to know. I'm going to post it, but without tagging you, of course." S

he spent the next few minutes adjusting the filter, writing a simple caption, and finally clicking "publish." The photo was now available to her millions of followers. The caption, delicate and without any major revelations, simply said: "Family time is everything."

Nothing about the relationship, nothing direct, but it was enough to confirm to the watchful eyes of her followers that something more serious was going on.

Within minutes, the comments began to explode. "Who is this?", "Is it official?", "Aww, what a beautiful family!" were some of the messages that quickly appeared.

Kylie expected this, but decided not to get too involved in the comments, preferring to observe the reaction in silence. She knew that this simple post would generate a media frenzy.

Derek, on the other hand, stared at Kylie's screen as the comments poured in nonstop. "This is going to keep the tabloids busy for a while, isn't it?"

"Absolutely," Kylie said, laughing as she locked her phone. "But I'm glad we did it in our own time. No rush, no forced."

Derek agreed. "That's the most important thing. I just want us to keep doing what we're doing and not let all this noise out there interfere with what we have here."

"Me too," Kylie said, putting her hand on his arm. "And you've been amazing with Stormi and Aire. I think they already love you as much as I do."

Derek smiled, looking at the kids still running around the yard. "They're great. It's not hard to like them."

Later that day, Kylie received a text from her mom, Kris Jenner. "You finally posted!" it read. "The internet is on fire!"

Kylie responded with a laughing emoji. She knew her mom was keeping a close eye on her online presence, and had probably already gotten calls from magazines and TV shows wanting to know more about the man Kylie was standing next to.

Soon after, Kendall texted her too. "You guys look amazing in the picture! I can't wait to see how people react when they realize he doesn't have an Instagram, haha."

Kylie showed the message to Derek, who just laughed. "There's no way I'm going to get an account."

"That's part of your charm, you know?" Kylie said jokingly. "You're the complete opposite of what they expect. And I think that's why I like you so much."

In the weeks that followed, the media continued to speculate about Kylie and Derek's relationship. Magazines ran stories about Kylie's "mystery new boyfriend," and photos of them together began to circulate more frequently. Paparazzi followed them more closely, but both Kylie and Derek were prepared for it. They knew the world was paying attention, but that didn't change their focus on family and everyday life.

Derek kept up his routine at the gym, where Stormi and Aire are frequent visitors, and where he still trained his clients, many of whom were celebrities who also noticed Kylie and the kids' constant presence.

One afternoon, while Derek was training Gal Gadot, one of his most regular clients, she commented with a smile: "I saw the picture Kylie posted. You guys look great together."

Derek smiled, but kept his focus on the workout. "Thanks, Gal. We're happy."

Gal, always discreet and respectful, nodded. "It's good to see you like this. It seems like you've found a good balance between this new life and your past."

"I'm trying," Derek replied, as he adjusted her posture during the exercise. "It's different from what I'm used to, but I'm enjoying it."

Gal smiled. "I think you're doing really well."

Meanwhile, Kylie, Stormi and Aire continued to come to the gym, and little Stormi had already taken to Derek, always running to greet him when he arrived. Their interaction was natural and loving, and it melted Kylie's heart every time she saw the connection that was forming between Derek and her children.

One day, as they relaxed on the couch after a long afternoon of playing and practicing, Kylie looked at Derek and said, "I think it was a good decision to post that picture."

Derek looked at her, surprised. "Are you happy with how it turned out?"

"Yes," she replied. "I think people understand now that I'm happy, and that you're a part of it. And most importantly, our family is happy."

Derek wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer. "And that's all that matters."

As the night fell and the children fell asleep, Derek and Kylie continued to talk about the future, about how to maintain a balance between their public and private lives, and how to continue building their relationship without the outside pressures.

Kylie smiled as she snuggled into Derek's chest. "Whatever comes, we're ready."

Derek nodded. "Always."