Zachary appeared rather delighted as he strolled down the stairs. Anyone near him right now could hear that he was humming to a tune. It had been a while since they got married, but Zachary was no longer just Serenity’s husband by name. He took strides into the kitchen and grabbed the apron hanging off the door. Zachary put on the apron and opened the fridge to check for ingredients. He took out a few ingredients for the dishes he planned to make. First things first, Zachary wanted to make a broth suitable for women after their first time. He got the ingredients ready and dumped them in a slow cooker set on high. He then went on to prepare the next dish. After much thought, he gave Sam a call. With the line connected, Zachary instructed, “Sam, deliver some live shrimp over. I don’t see any fresh seafood in the fridge.” The other dishes did not matter as Serenity’s favorite was shrimp. It was a must-have. “Have you and the missus had dinner yet?” Sam felt bad. “You shoul
After a phone conversation with her sister, Serenity felt a lot better. She stood up and got out of the bath. Her darling husband had thoughtfully left a change of clothes for her before she went into the tub. Ten minutes later, Serenity went down the stairs. All was quiet downstairs. Serenity thought their house in Brynfield was eerily silent. Since he was always home late, she did not have anyone to talk to when she got home. That was why she wanted to have pets. Mrs. Lane later joined the family, adding some noise to the quiet home. To her dismay, he bought a villa that was bigger than the property in Brynfield. It was a quieter environment for the couple to live in. Once on the ground floor, Serenity could hear the commotion in the kitchen. Serenity drew close and saw Zachary busy in the kitchen. Without startling him, she leaned against the door frame and observed him. He looked most charming when he was earnest at work!Nevertheless, he was attractive doing a
A silver sedan stopped right outside the villa, and a person stood at the gate. Through the gate, Serenity looked at the figure and thought it looked familiar. At closer inspection, she recognized that it was not the delivery person but her mother-in-law who she had met a few times. “Mom.”Serenity took a moment to take in the surprise before rushing to open the gate. It was then she realized she did not have a key to unlock the gate. Serenity apologetically said to her mother-in-law who was on the other side of the gate, “I didn’t know I needed a key to open the gate, Mom. Hang on for a second. I’ll get the key from Zachary.” “Okay,” Tania faintly replied and stopped pressing on the doorbell. Serenity rushed back into the house, running into the kitchen. She told Zachary, “Your mom is here, Zachary. I tried to open the gate, but I couldn’t without a key. Give me a key. I’ll unlock the gate now.“Didn’t you say your mother was going to drop by two days later? Why doesn’t she
Zachary’s loving statement gave Serenity assurance. She uttered with a smile, “I’ll open the gate for your mom now. Don’t come at me if I fight your mom for accusing me of skipping on house chores.” Serenity was a firm believer that all household tasks should not fall on the married women’s shoulders. She would argue with her mother-in-law if the latter started criticizing her as Mrs. Brown did to her sister. Zachary smiled. “Alright. I won’t come at you, but I trust my mom won’t say that to you.”Even if Mom had a problem with Serenity, she would only mention it to Zachary. Mom would only tell it to Serenity’s face when she felt Serenity had crossed the line. Serenity went to unlock the gate for her mother-in-law. Tania was getting impatient from waiting, but she did not show it on her face. While opening the gate, Serenity apologetically said, “Sorry to keep you waiting, Mom.” Tania tenderly asked, “Have you and Zachary eaten?” “Not yet. Zachary’s cooking in the kitc
Zachary was worried at first that his mother would give Serenity an attitude. He quickly whipped up the last dish and hurried out of the kitchen. He was about to head out the door when his mom and wife waltzed in, sharing a talk and laugh. He stopped as his handsome face wrinkled in smiles. Zachary knew he had nothing to worry about. Serenity had the knack of setting the tone that his mother would have nothing to pick at. “Mom.” Zachary tenderly called his mom. “I got a good whiff of the delicious aroma the moment I came in. I guess your cooking hasn’t digressed.” Tania complimented her son before turning to Serenity. “You gotta keep it up, Serenity. Don’t let him beat you.” “Mom, you haven’t even tried his cooking yet. Zachary’s food might not taste as good as it smells. He should be the cook every day to refine his skills if he loses to me. He should be put in charge of the family dinner during New Year.” With her beautiful eyes sparkling, Tania responded with a gri
Tania’s husband had been treating her like a princess since she married him, and it had been going on for over three decades. To her husband, Tania was the most important person in his life. After a brief silence, Tania said to her son, “What? Are you afraid I’ll criticize your wife for leaving the cooking to you while she does nothing? I mean, you just got back from a business trip, and you just got better from a long cold. She shouldn’t have let you work in the kitchen.“I’m not saying you can’t dote on your wife, but don’t do it excessively and spoil her. She’ll become egoistic and willful. What if it gives her a reason to do as she pleases and stir trouble for you?” Zachary’s face fell. “Fine, fine. I won’t talk ill about Serenity. Look at you. I’m just bringing a few points to your attention. It’s not like I’m saying she’s acting this way now, but you’re already giving me an attitude. Look at your long face.” Serenity would be thrilled to find out she was living a real Ci
It did not sit well with Tania that her son was so thoughtful toward her daughter-in-law. It was a good thing her daughter-in-law showed more consideration than her son. “Let me try.”Tania took a bite out of the food Serenity served her. After getting a taste, Tania wanted to say that her son was a better cook than Serenity, but it was not something she could say in good conscience. Tania debated in her mind for a while before deciding to go for the truth. “Zack can’t beat Serenity. You should spend some time in the kitchen and cook for Serenity more often.” It could help the couple to bond too. Tania trailed on, “But you usually are busy at work…” “Don’t worry, Mom. I won’t let Zachary into the kitchen during workdays.” Mrs. Lane was part of the family now. Tania was pleased with Serenity’s stance. “Do you want the shrimp, Mom?” Zachary asked his mother. “I had dinner, but Serenity asked me to be the judge of who is the better cook between you two. That’s why I t
After dinner, Zachary cleared the table while Serenity wiped and tidied the place. She then ventured out of the dining room to take a seat opposite her mother-in-law. Serenity looked at the time and said, “Mom, why don’t you drive the car into the driveway and stay the night?” “It’s okay. I’ll head back in a bit. Your father-in-law doesn’t feel comfortable if I’m not at home with him.” After her son took over the company, her husband retired and had not left Tania’s side since. Her husband could not get used to Tania staying away from home. Serenity was envious of her parents-in-law’s relationship. They had been together for decades and were still faithful to each other into their golden years. “Mom, I didn’t know Zachary bought this villa. He never told me. I only heard about it now. The place is bigger than the apartment in Brynfield. It feels empty that it’s just the two of us here. How about you move in with Dad?” Tania was taken aback. “You want to live with your in-