Megan looked youthful in her pink, cashmere overcoat and white casual shoes.
Tabitha was delighted to see her. "Oh, Megan! You've grown! Let me see you," she said as she gave her a warm welcome hug.
Tabitha was grateful because of what Megan's parents had done for Carlos. She loved her as if she were her own daughter.
"Tabitha, I'm already 18, remember? I'm an adult now and won't grow much taller," Megan said coyly.
Amused, Tabitha grinned from ear to ear. She took Megan's hand in hers and patted it lovingly. Their closeness saddened Debbie, who watched silently in Carlos' arms. "Oh, Debbie, do you and Megan know each other?" Tabitha asked her.
Holding back the bitterness in her heart, Debbie forced a smile and answered, "Yes, we've met before."
'They look like a family, ' Debbie thought.
Suddenly, Megan let go of Tabitha and ran towards Carlos happily. She took his left arm casually as if she had done it a million times before, and said with a smile, "Uncle Carlos, Aunt Debbie, I'm sorry for not greeting you right away. I was too excited to see Tabitha!"
Carlos politely pulled his arm free from her grip and stroked her hair dotingly. "Every time you see Tabitha, you ignore the rest of us," he said.
Megan made a face playfully and walked back to Tabitha. "Of course. Tabitha loves me the most in the whole world," she declared proudly.
Carlos held Debbie tighter and didn't respond.
Debbie stood there numbly, hands in her pockets. Feeling Carlos' tightened embrace, she squeezed the fabric hard, a choreographed smile stuck on her face.
It was never in her personality to be as amicable as Megan. Socials and flattery were not her strong suits. She wondered if Tabitha was disappointed in her already.
"Let's go inside," Tabitha said, turning.
But before she could take a second step, Megan grabbed her arm and exclaimed, "Ah! Tabitha, I'm sorry I forgot about my friend's son. He's in my car. His mom had a last-minute meeting. She asked me to babysit him, but I really wanted to see you so I brought him here instead. I hope you don't mind."
With that, she stuck out her tongue awkwardly.
Hearing that there was a kid in the car, Tabitha said to the bodyguards hurriedly, "Let the kid out of the car. Be quick."
Once the door of Megan's car was opened, a boy in a blue down jacket jumped out. He wore a black knitted hat and carried a toy gun. At the sight of the group of adults, he held the toy gun up and yelled, "Hands up! Or I'll blow your heads off!"
Carlos frowned at the boy's rude words. Inexperienced in dealing with kids, Debbie wondered if she should cooperate.
Only Megan put her hands up and said, "King Jake, please spare me. How about I take you inside to have some delicious snacks?"
Hearing that there were snacks, the boy put down his toy gun and dashed towards the house as he shouted, "Go! Charge! Everybody, charge towards the food!"
Quickly, he was in the villa and out of everyone's sight.
Megan acted as if there was nothing wrong with the boy's behavior. Or maybe she was used to it.
Without a word, she held Tabitha's arm and helped the smiling lady into the villa.
Debbie, on the other hand, thought, 'If my and Carlos' son was that naughty, I might strike him every day.'
At this point, her husband whispered in her ear, "I think we should have a girl.
Debbie blushed. She replied as she followed him inside, "Didn't you say you wanted a boy?"
"I'm afraid that I would end up hitting him every day," he said.
Debbie burst into laughter. No doubt that they had a special connection.
Her smile made Carlos' day. "I'll start working hard from tonight," he said.
"For what?" Debbie asked as she changed into her slippers and put his in front of him.
Carlos put them on and answered, "To make you pregnant with my baby girl."
Embarrassed by his flirtation, Debbie pinched him on the arm and scolded, "Shameless."
Carlos laughed.
Standing in the living room, Tabitha saw the two whispering to and smiling at each other. She was quite surprised. Carlos hadn't laughed like that since he was a teenager.
Clearly, he didn't just like Debbie. He loved her. Something occurred to Tabitha. She waved at Debbie and said, "Debbie, come over here."
Debbie walked up to her obediently and said with difficulty, "Yes, Mom."
Not that she was reluctant to call Tabitha "Mom". It was just that she had never called anyone 'Mom' before. The word was alien to her and she needed time to adjust.
Tabitha lifted her hand and was about to say something but was suddenly interrupted by Megan's scream. "Jake, come down! You are not allowed to go upstairs!"
The boy, Jake, who was running up the stairs, turned his head back to Megan and made a face. "Try and stop me," he said. As soon as he finished the sentence, he started rushing upwards again.
Megan looked at her three companions awkwardly. At last, her eyes stopped at Carlos. "Uncle Carlos, can you go upstairs with me and help me keep an eye on him? Your bedrooms are there, after all. It feels inappropriate for me to go there on my own."
Carlos didn't reply, but he didn't say no either. As he was about to go upstairs, a hand grabbed his arm and stopped him. Debbie met his eyes and said, "Leave it to me. You keep mom company."
Let her husband go upstairs with Megan? Huh! She wouldn't allow Megan to be alone with Carlos!
Unaware of Debbie's concerns, however, Tabitha smiled and gently interrupted, "Debbie, let Carlos go.
I'd like to talk to you." Carlos sensed the discomfort in his wife. He patted her hand to comfort her and then started walking over to Megan. Suddenly, he noticed the housemaid pouring tea for them. He quickly turned to her and ordered, "Go upstairs and watch the boy."
"Yes, Mr. Huo,"
she replied immediately as she went upstairs. Carlos returned to Debbie. Relieved, Debbie sat next to her mother-in-law.
"Debbie, I came in a rush, so I didn't have the time to get you a gift. These are heirlooms of the Huo family. I'd like to give them to you. Keep them safe, will you?" Tabitha said as she took off the pair of jade bracelets that she was wearing. She pulled Debbie close and put them in her hand.
Actually, Tabitha had prepared a gift, but that was before she knew that Debbie was her daughter-in-law. Now that she was aware, she didn't think that the gift she initially bought was a decent gift for her daughter-in-law, so she decided not to mention it at all and give her the jade bracelets instead.
Debbie was stunned. She knew how meaningful those bracelets were. Overwhelmed by the warmth and nervousness she felt, she didn't know what to do. She looked at her husband.
Carlos smiled, "Since Mom is giving them to you, take them."
Debbie took the jade bracelets, her eyes red. "Thank you, Mom. I'll treasure them and keep them safe," she promised.