Chapter 500 Two Treasures
"The doors at home got swapped out for smart locks recently," Benjamin said, looking all serious. "Didn't you notice?"
Benjamin went on, "If we still had those old locks, I'd be freaking out if you fainted in a room one day and I had to hunt for the key."
With smart locks, fingerprints were all they needed. Before, no matter how much Daphne got chewed out, she always acted like she didn't care. But ever since she got pregnant, Benjamin was on high alert.
"Alright," Daphne said, not pushing it.
"I'll holler when the food's ready," Benjamin said, giving her cheek a gentle pinch. "Don't do anything risky."
Daphne nodded, totally on board.
Around noon, Alexander, Henry, and Anouk showed up.
Ever since Daphne got pregnant, they'd drop by now and then. At first, they wanted to take care of her themselves, but seeing how Benjamin was all over it, they backed off.
They all ate together, the place buzzing with chatter and laughter.
Benjamin had a mental list of what she could and couldn't eat.
His attention to detail made everyone else feel like amateurs.
Benjamin kept up his careful watch over Daphne for months. On the big day, he even went into the delivery room with her.
Daphne didn't want him there at first, but Benjamin wouldn't take no for an answer, so she caved.
Daphne had a natural birth and popped out boy-girl twins.
Seeing Daphne in so much pain during childbirth, the usually cool and collected Benjamin freaked out.
It was the most scared Benjamin had ever been, but luckily, everything went smoothly.
From that moment on, he swore that no matter what Daphne said, he wouldn't let her go through that again. He couldn't stand the thought of her taking such a risk.
Four years flew by.
Daphne and Benjamin decided to take a trip abroad during the summer break. After four years of wrangling kids, they needed a breather.
Of course, Benjamin mainly wanted some alone time with Daphne.
Before they left, they called Gavin.
When the kids were born, Gavin had said he wanted to babysit them. He'd mentioned it a million times over the past four years and stressed that if they ever went on a long trip, they should leave the kids with him, not anyone else.
So when Gavin heard the news over the phone, he was so stoked he almost jumped up and ran over right then.
"Are you really leaving Louis and Diana with me for the whole summer?" Gavin asked again when he got there, just to be sure.
Daphne looked at Louis and Diana and nodded. "Yep."
"No regrets?"
"Nope."
"Aren't you worried I'll spoil them?" Gavin fired off a bunch of questions.
Daphne paused, then said seriously, "They're not that easy to spoil."
Gavin didn't get it, but he didn't push it.
Before they left, thinking about Louis and Diana's endless energy, Benjamin said, "If you ever get too wiped out taking care of them, you can send them to the Murphy family or the Reynolds family."
"Don't sweat it; that won't happen!" Gavin said, brimming with confidence.
He'd been itching to babysit Louis and Diana for ages, and now his wish was finally coming true.
"One more thing." Daphne pulled a document out of her bag.
Gavin, still riding his wave of joy, said, "Shoot."
"Make sure they get to their extracurricular classes." Daphne handed over the document. "If Diana's stuck on something, let Louis help her out."
Gavin took the thick stack of papers and frowned as he flipped through it.
"Isn't this a bit much? So many classes? Can they really handle all this?" he asked, remembering his own childhood filled with forced learning and the lingering pain of it.
Wasn't Daphne all about free-range education? Why the sudden change?
"This wasn't our idea," Daphne and Benjamin exchanged a look, and she continued, "They asked for it themselves."
Daphne hadn't planned to load up the kids' schedules, especially since the Murphy Group, HorizonTech Group, and the Reynolds Group would keep Louis and Diana set for life.
But after hearing about their classmates' various classes in kindergarten, Louis and Diana wanted in on the action too.
So, they ended up signing up for almost everything. Luckily, some classes were just once a week, so they still had time to play.
Gavin's lips twitched as he looked at the two kids who barely reached his knees, puzzled.
Were kids these days really this driven?
"Anyway, if you can't handle them, you can always send them to the Murphy family or the Reynolds family. We've already given them a heads-up," Daphne repeated what Benjamin had said earlier. "Lydia's place is also an option."
"Got it." Gavin had no plans of sending Louis and Diana away.
To him, kids were Angels!
"Mommy, can't you really take me with you?" Diana tugged at Daphne's clothes, looking up with teary eyes.
Daphne pressed her lips together, thinking of how to respond.
Seeing Diana's tears, Gavin felt a pang in his heart. "Sweetie, don't cry. I'm here. We'll have tons of fun together!"
He said this while gently wiping her tears with a tissue.
"Gavin," Louis spoke up.
"Do you miss Mommy and Daddy too?" Gavin asked while comforting Diana.
"Those are tears Diana worked hard to produce," Louis said with a mature expression. "She can't keep up her act if you wipe them away."
Diana nodded, her eyes still brimming with tears. "Yeah, yeah!"
Gavin was stunned. What was going on?
"You need to listen to Gavin and not be naughty," Benjamin said casually, glancing at Louis and Diana. "Got it?"
Diana nodded obediently, her eyes forming little crescent moons. "Got it!"
Benjamin's gaze fell on Louis, who stared back at him silently.
Neither said a word, but Gavin could clearly sense the tension between Louis and Benjamin.
What was going on?
"Louis," Daphne spoke softly.
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