Chapter 564: Stay, Overnight
When Susan brought out the grub, she spotted Oliver messing around with a Barbie doll.
Susan felt a bit relieved but also kinda bummed for her kid. She knew Barbie dolls were totally not Oliver's jam.
He was doing it all for Candy.
"Candy, this pink puffy dress is so cute. You've got some serious style; you should totally think about being a fashion designer someday," Oliver said, trying to sound all cool.
Candy just blushed a bit, not saying a word.
It was obvious the two little ones were getting tight.
"Alright, time to chow down; you can play more later," Susan said with a grin.
"Yay, lunch time!" Oliver cheered. "Candy, let's keep playing after we eat."
Oliver grabbed Candy's hand, and she squirmed a bit.
But when he held it again, she didn't pull away and let him lead her to the table.
"Candy, let's sit together."
"Mommy, these shrimp are huge and juicy."
"Yeah, Candy, you into shrimp?"
"Candy, Susan made these shrimp just for you. What do you say?" Caleb nudged with a smile.
Candy licked her lips and slowly said, "Thanks."
Susan felt all warm and fuzzy inside. "You're welcome. The main thing is that you like it. Let me peel one for you, okay?"
"How about this one? It's the juiciest." Susan peeled the shrimp, dipped it in sauce, and plopped it in Candy's bowl. "Give it a try."
Candy glanced at Caleb before picking up the shrimp with a fork and taking a bite. It was super fresh and sweet.
"Good, right?" Oliver asked.
Candy nodded.
"My mom's cooking is the bomb. But she usually doesn't make shrimp; she did it just for Candy. Mom's so good to Candy, I'm kinda jealous."
"Then you should eat more too." Caleb peeled a shrimp for Oliver.
"Thanks, Uncle Caleb. I'm gonna dig in." Oliver happily chowed down on the shrimp. He loved shrimp too.
Seeing Candy's shrimp almost gone, Oliver quickly peeled another one for her.
In no time, three shrimp landed in Candy's bowl at once.
Susan and Caleb shared a knowing smile.
"Candy, you're so lucky to have three people spoiling you. I've always told Mom I want a little sister; I'd totally spoil you."
"Mom, I'm a good brother, right?"
"Yeah, you're the best brother." Susan smiled warmly and ruffled Oliver's hair.
After lunch, Oliver went back to playing with Barbie dolls with Candy.
When it was about time, Susan sliced up some apples for them.
"Candy, have some apples," Oliver said, spearing a piece with a fork and handing it to Candy.
Candy took a bite.
"It's super sweet; Mom and I picked it ourselves," Oliver said, puffing out his chest a bit. "Come on, have a few more pieces. I'll feed you."
Oliver fed Candy piece by piece, and before they knew it, the apple was gone.
Susan watched them quietly, smiling, imagining how lively things would be when the baby arrived.
Suddenly, she felt a light touch on her shoulder; Caleb's hand was there. She looked up and smiled at him, love and sweetness silently passing between them.
"Candy, we've been playing with Barbie dolls forever. How about we switch it up and play some chess? It's a blast."
Candy glanced at Caleb, then nodded, "Okay."
The four of them played chess all afternoon. Candy started to loosen up, and every now and then, a smile would sneak onto her face.
While doing the dishes after dinner, Susan was still basking in Candy's smile, grinning to herself.
"What’s on your mind?" Caleb asked, hugging her from behind and taking the dish from her hand.
"Let me handle this."
"Nah, it's just a few dishes; I'll be done in no time."
"What were you smiling about earlier?" Caleb asked.
"Nothing, just happy that Candy's starting to chill out."
"Yeah, she really likes Oliver and is slowly warming up to you," Caleb nodded. "It's going better than I thought. But I always knew it would because you're so awesome."
Susan chuckled. "You’ve got a lot of faith in me."
"Of course, you're my partner. If I don't believe in you, who will? The partner I picked is one in a million, the best."
"Then the guy I picked must be one in a million too, the best."
"Absolutely!" Caleb lowered his head, gently bumping his nose against Susan's. They both smiled.
"Even though today was great, we still can't rush things. We need to give Candy some time to adjust."
"Yeah, I know. But I can't wait for the day when all five of us are living here together." Caleb placed his hand on Susan's belly.
"Me too."
Around 8 P.M., Susan, Caleb, and Oliver watched a cartoon with Candy.
"It's getting late; we should head out," Susan said, standing up.
Caleb glanced out the window; it had started to rain lightly. He had an idea, "Why don't you stay the night?" He had been daydreaming about this kind of family life while watching the movie.
Susan was taken aback. "That might not be a good idea." They had just agreed not to rush things. But staying would be nice.
"It's raining."
"It's okay; we drove here. It's no big deal."
Caleb understood her concerns and looked at Candy, "Candy, look at the heavy rain. Susan and Oliver live far away, and if they go back, they'll get soaked and catch a cold. How about letting them stay?"
Candy seemed a bit hesitant, lowering her head.
Oliver immediately chimed in, "Yeah, every time I get wet, I catch a cold and sneeze a lot. It's super uncomfortable."
Candy bit her lip.
"Candy, how about I sleep with you tonight? We can keep playing with Barbie dolls and I'll tell you fairy tales."
Candy looked at him, tempted.
"Yeah, Candy, Oliver is great at telling stories. Don’t you love bedtime stories? Oliver knows some new ones. And you can have your favorite shrimp again tomorrow."
Candy pursed her lips.
Susan waited a few seconds, worried that the kid might feel pressured, so she said, "Never mind, it's okay. We'll be home soon. Oliver, let's go."
Oliver glanced at Candy, looking a bit disappointed but still nodded obediently. "Okay, Mommy. Bye, Candy. See you next time."
Susan held Candy's hand and walked to the door.
"Susan... Oliver... stay the night..." Candy stammered, speaking timidly.
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