“The baby’s hand is so small. I want to kiss and hold her.”“It must’ve been tough, Annabeth. Thank you for letting Josh become a father.”“Josh, take good care of Annabeth.”“I like you more and more. Whether it’s about you being in love, getting married, or having children, you’ve never kept anything from us. You’ve always been open about your life.”“I’ve always known you’d be a good father and husband.”Josh Batton couldn’t help but smile when he saw these comments.He then clicked on the list of hot topics for a peek, only to discover that he'd been on that list for some time now.There were even livestreams of Annabeth Cates delivering her baby, showing the process clearly.Everyone on the internet seemed to be celebrating.Josh felt even happier when he saw how joyful everyone seemed.Meanwhile, his wife was oblivious to any of this as she was focusing all her attention on the baby, who slept soundly in her arms.The baby’s wrinkly face and the way she pouted were ado
Everyone kept talking one after another. Annabeth Cates nearly forgot all about her pain from delivering.“All right, Annabeth. You’ve been holding the baby for too long now," Sharon Lindt said. "Give her to me. Also, you shouldn’t be sitting up for so long. It puts some strain on your waist.”With that, she promptly took Candice Batton from the mother before shooting a glance at Josh Batton. “What are you looking at? Help your wife lie down.”Hearing her order, Josh obediently helped Annabeth lie down.Seeing how anxious they seemed, she began to feel like a full-grown baby.“Mom, aren’t you exaggerating a little? Lots of new mothers can move about right after delivering their babies. Most foreigners do so,” she voiced out helplessly.“You silly child," Sharon said with a shake of her head. "We’re different from foreigners. Our ancestors have been practicing this for thousands of years. Nothing can go wrong if you follow their teachings.“Anyway, you have to heed my advice, d
“I know, but I still need to say it," Sharon Lindt said. "Annabeth, you can tell us if you feel uncomfortable at any time. Don’t hold back.”Annabeth Cates nodded again.This family had no blood ties to her, but everyone treated her as if they did. She was truly grateful for them.“Also, don’t play with your phone, or you'd get eye diseases during postpartum recovery. Don’t watch television either," Sharon added.She bobbed her head, resolved to be a good daughter-in-law, and do as told, despite how badly she wanted to use her phone.She also wanted to take videos of her baby to show her parents.“I know you want to play with your phone, but listen to Mom for now. I’ll share the good news with your parents when morning comes,” Josh Batton said with a knowing look and a chuckle.She didn’t think her husband would know her so well.He could practically read her mind.Xyla Quest stayed in the ward for a while longer, taking a picture of Candice Batton before leaving.Wilson Batt
“Annabeth,” Sharon Lindt paused, watching Annabeth Cates with an affectionate look on her face.“Yes, Mom, go on,” Annabeth said curiously.“Thank you for giving us such an adorable granddaughter. You’ve contributed a lot to our family,” she went on earnestly.Perhaps she had too many sons herself, hence she'd always preferred girls.She was very happy to have so many granddaughters now.“Mom, your family has been so good to me. It’s only right that I offer you grandchildren in return,” Annabeth told her.“We’ve all witnessed how much you've suffered. We’ll treat you even better from now on,” she stated.“You’ve already been good enough to me. I don't think you have to do more.”“That won’t do. We can always do more,” she insisted, making Annabeth laugh.Shortly after, Josh Batton finished preparing the bottle for Candice Batton, so he went to carry her into his arms and started to feed her on the couch.Meanwhile, Sharon went to get some water to wipe Annabeth’s face and bod
Josh Batton wore a white shirt and a pair of black pants.With his hair slicked back, he looked dignified and fresh.When the group of them came out, reporters were quick to swarm them, taking pictures frantically without turning the flash on to protect the baby's eyes.Soon, they began asking a series of questions—“Josh, do you feel anything special being a first-time father? Is there anything you’re not used to?”“Ms. Cates, I’d like to ask how you feel as a first-time mother.”“Mr. Batton, were you very excited to see your baby for the first time? How did you feel?”“Ms. Cates, as far as I’m aware, Mr. Batton has been by your side to look after you all this while. Has he been doing a good job?”“Josh, I heard you cried when the baby was born. Was it true? How did you feel?”“Josh, please answer our questions.”The questions from the reporters kept coming one after another. Josh and Annabeth Cates had no idea which question to answer first.She was the first to pick up a
Similarly to his wife, Josh Batton also meant what he said from the bottom of his heart. He wasn’t holding back any of his genuine thoughts.Annabeth Cates's gaze softened upon hearing his words, feeling touched as her eyes reddened without her realizing it.The reporters shared her feelings, especially the female ones who were naturally more sentimental.Everyone knew Josh well and believed that he’d never lie.At that moment, they felt even more envious of his wife.Then, some reporters shifted their attention to Sharon Lindt and Xyla Quest—“Ms. Quest, I heard that you’ve practically been around every single day since Ms. Cates gave birth. Are you very close to her?”“Ms. Lindt, Annabeth just gave birth to an adorable baby girl. How do you feel? I heard you’ve been taking care of her these days, haven’t you?”Annabeth continued to smile as she handed the microphone over to her mother-in-law.Sharon smiled and glanced at everyone. “Of course, I’m happy and excited, too. I ho
“Ahh! Annabeth does seem happy. She’s glowing all over.”“Oh my god! Isn’t that Josh’s mother, Sharon Lindt? She has fair skin and long, beautiful legs. She’s so young and attractive. Indeed, she’s a woman from a wealthy family.”“Ms. Lindt is the best mother-in-law in Country Z. I like her a lot. I’ve become a fan!”“I can tell how good Josh is to his daughter. Look at how he carries her. He’s so careful. It’s almost like he’s holding a one-of-a-kind treasure.”“As a fan, I’m so glad to see Josh being happy like this. I’m happy for him from the bottom of my heart.”“I’m very envious of Annabeth. She’s such a lucky girl.”“Xyla and Stanley look good together. I can’t stop looking at them.”Everyone seemed excited, judging from the various comments on the internet.Josh Batton and Annabeth Cates were not aware of these back in their house.After arriving home, the family brought Annabeth and Candice Batton to the master bedroom before Sharon fetched some fresh food and water.
Peggy Howards instantly shook her head at that. “No, you’re already doing so much to look after Annabeth. You don’t need to worry about us. Since we’ve seen our daughter and granddaughter, it's better to head back since there’s not much to do here.”Josh Batton was also reluctant to let them leave. “Dad and Mom, please don’t leave so soon. You can spend more time here with Annabeth.”“Yes, spend more time with me, won’t you?” Annabeth Cates asked.“You have Josh's parents here with you, and they’re more than enough. You’re going through postpartum recovery," Peggy told her. "There are so many people here, and there’s nothing we can do to help out. If we stay, you would have to look after us, too, so forget it.”Seeing that her parents had already made up their minds, Annabeth didn’t say anything further because she knew exactly what they were thinking.Even Sharon could see how determined they were, so she didn't argue. Instead, she turned to look at Wilson Batton. “Honey, go and