Chapter 232 Absence Made the Heart Grow Fonder

Douglas's mind slowly drifted back to the present.

After dropping Regina off at the State Department for her new gig, he got home and realized it was already noon.

The sun was blazing outside, and inside, Matt and Lily were bouncing around with endless energy.

He called out to them.

Hearing his voice, the two little ones toddled over to him.

"Daddy, where's Mommy? Where's Mommy?"

For the past couple of years, Regina had been with them almost all the time. Now that she had to go to work, they hadn't seen her all day and were clearly not used to it.

Douglas gently reassured Matt and Lily, "Mommy went to work. We'll pick her up together later, okay?"

They didn't fully get what he was saying, but as soon as they heard "Mommy," they grinned, showing off their tiny white teeth.

Douglas sat in the nursery, playing with them while constantly checking his watch.

Matt and Lily couldn't be without their mom, and he couldn't be without his wife.

So, when Regina got off work, she saw the black Maybach parked by the curb and Douglas standing next to it with Matt and Lily. Her eyes lit up like stars.

In the sunset, she ran towards them.

She ran towards her happiness.

On the way home, the car was filled with cheerful children's songs.

Through the rearview mirror, Douglas watched them share a piece of cheesecake.

He couldn't help but smile indulgently.

Matt and Lily were growing up fast, and Regina's job was starting to settle in.

One day, Leo, who was watching the news on TV, suddenly shouted, "I saw Regina!"

Leo recorded a video on his phone and sent it to the family group chat.

In the video, Regina was dressed sharply, sitting next to the President. She looked composed and confident.

Everyone in the family group couldn't help but praise Regina as the pride of the family.

Douglas also stared at the video for a long time.

She was like a beacon, drawing his gaze.

By this time, Matt and Lily were already three years old.

Maybe they inherited Regina's knack for languages; at three, Matt and Lily spoke very fluently and could even chat in two languages.

Seeing Regina on TV, they were just as excited and showered her with praise.

Afterward, Matt and Lily looked up at Douglas and asked in unison, "Daddy, Daddy, will Mommy come home tonight?"

Because of work, Regina hadn't been home for two or three days.

Douglas missed her too. He smiled helplessly, "She'll be back tomorrow."

Hearing this, Matt and Lily's little faces fell.

But to Douglas's surprise, Regina came home that night.

Douglas had just finished feeding Matt and Lily milk and putting them to bed. His weary expression melted away the moment he saw Regina, replaced by a warmth that lit up his face.

The temporary separation only intensified their longing for each other.

He walked towards Regina with a smile. They embraced, and his kisses trailed from her lips, deepening.

In the heat of the moment, Douglas remembered they were still in the nursery.

He stopped and asked Regina softly, "Shall we go to our room?"

Regina, dazed from the kisses, mumbled a yes.

Douglas knew she had been swamped with work and didn't want to rush things, worried she might be too tired.

He carried her to the bathroom and gave her a relaxing massage.

Regina closed her eyes, soaking in his care.

The next day was a weekend, so Regina could sleep in.

But she didn't sleep too late; she woke up around eight. As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Douglas's handsome face close by.

"Good morning."

He lay on his side, propping his head with one hand, watching her leisurely.

"Good morning," Regina replied with a smile.

"Did you rest well?"

Regina nodded lightly.

Douglas chuckled, "Can we make up for last night's missed intimacy?"

Regina paused for a few seconds, then got his meaning. Her hands naturally started unbuttoning his black pajamas, "We haven't made love for days; we need to make up for it."

This time, it was Douglas's turn to be stunned, probably because he rarely heard such words from Regina.

Early in the morning, they couldn't resist each other.

The lovemaking lasted a bit long, so much so that Matt and Lily woke up before they finished.

As soon as Lily opened her eyes, she wanted to find Regina. She patted the master bedroom door with her little hand, calling, "Mommy, open the door! Mommy, open the door!"

Regina panicked, her face flushing. They had to end their lovemaking reluctantly.

Douglas got dressed, walked to the door, and picked up Lily.

Lily looked a bit uneasy.

Before Douglas could ask anything, she pouted and said, "Daddy, I heard Mommy crying. What's wrong with her?"

Douglas didn't know how to answer.

Regina, who had also gotten dressed, ran to the door in her soft slippers. At Lily's words, she quickly explained, "I'm fine."

"Then why were you crying?" Lily asked persistently, blinking her eyes.

A three-year-old couldn't be easily fooled anymore.

Regina, usually eloquent at work, found herself at a loss for words.

Douglas, however, casually came up with an explanation, "Because Mommy was sick, and I was giving her a shot."

Regina remained silent.

"Daddy, are you a doctor?"

"I'm not a professional doctor, but only I can treat Mommy's illness."

"Will Mommy get better after the shot?"

"Yes, she will."

Then Lily smiled happily.

"Alright, is Matt up? We're going to Grandpa's for dinner today."

If they had time on weekends, they would usually visit Semona Estate.

Leo missed them terribly after just a few days.

Matt and Lily were so adorable that everyone loved them, even Charles.

Charles used to frequent places like the Peace Club. Now, when he was bored, he called Douglas and asked if he could watch Matt and Lily for a while.

Douglas asked, "What do you want to do?"

"Take care of them."

"Can you?"

Charles joked, deliberately teasing him, "Let me practice with your two kids first."

"Get lost."

"I mean it, Douglas, I'll need to learn from you eventually."

Douglas was a pro at taking care of kids. There was nothing he couldn't handle.

Charles had to admit that some people are just good at everything.

After Matt and Lily started preschool, Regina decided to take a trip with Douglas during the holidays.

This was a plan they had made before: no matter what, they would take time for a trip every year.

Regina loved the travel time. To explore breathtaking landscapes hand-in-hand with the person she loved was one of life's greatest joys for her.

This time, the travel destination wasn't abroad but a small, beautiful domestic spot—a snow-capped mountain in the north that was covered in snow all year round.

They planned to go hiking and skiing.

These were things Regina had never tried before.

After marrying Douglas, she gradually tried many new things.

Once, she accidentally saw a post online about "100 things to do with your lover" and got interested.

On a whim, she made a plan and wrote down some things she wanted to do with Douglas in the future.

But after writing those plans, she got busy with work and taking care of Matt and Lily, and put it aside.

It was Douglas who found it one day while looking for something in the study.

He sat on the study's sofa, carefully reading the paper filled with neat, tiny handwriting.

His mind seemed to have a memory device, capturing every word and sentence.

Hiking and skiing were the twenty-fifth item on her list of 100 things to do.

"What should we do? We've already reached the twenty-fifth so quickly," Regina half-joked, "and it only took less than two months."

"Then you can keep thinking, and we can keep doing."

This put Regina in a bit of a bind.

"You think with me."

Douglas looked at her, wanting to tease her a bit. "I can think of a hundred places and positions for making love, Mrs. Semona. Do you want to try them with me?"

Regina was silent.

She looked at Douglas's elegant face, and her own beautiful, delicate face turned red.

She braced herself and continued the topic nonchalantly, "As long as you can think of them, I'm ready to cooperate."

"You're amazing, Mrs. Semona."

He genuinely praised her.

Regina felt even more embarrassed.

As they talked, they had already changed into their hiking clothes, ready to climb the mountain.

Both wore outdoor jackets and carried hiking poles. Douglas carried some necessary equipment, while Regina went light.

Hiking wasn't easy.

It required both physical strength and perseverance.

Perseverance wasn't a problem for Regina, and as for physical strength, she had gotten better with Douglas's help and training. Daily exercise was a must.

By around five in the evening, they reached the middle of the mountain. As they ascended, they gradually entered the clouds, and the air became more humid, turning the sky a misty white.

Despite being tired, Regina wanted to keep going and conquer the mountain.

She wanted to see the sunrise from the summit.

Although she had watched many sunrises and sunsets with Douglas, the sunrise and sunset on a snow-capped mountain had a unique charm.

Douglas told her, "Let's rest first. If we start early tomorrow, we'll make it."

If they missed the campsite halfway up, it would be hard to find a place to rest later.

His plans were always spot-on, and Regina habitually followed his lead.

The campsite had tents set up and food supplies. Regina rested, ate, and made a video call to Matt and Lily.

Matt and Lily looked at the snowy mountain behind them and exclaimed in envy.

"When you get a bit older, Daddy will teach you how to ski, okay?" Regina quickly reassured them over the phone, "Whatever you want to do or learn, we can teach you."

Lily raised her little hand in excitement, while Matt, being more composed, looked at Regina and Douglas with eyes full of admiration.

After resting well at the campsite, they continued their journey early the next morning.

At seven in the morning, Regina and Douglas successfully reached the peak!

The view of the sun shining on the snow was breathtaking.

Regina's fatigue vanished, and she radiated visible joy. She hugged Douglas and stood on tiptoe to kiss him on the lips.

It was a completely instinctive reaction.

Just as she was about to pull away, Douglas lifted his hand, gently pinched her chin, and kissed her deeply.

The snow mountain trip lasted four days.

After returning from the snow mountain and resting for a day, Douglas took Regina to a party organized by Charles.

When Charles saw Regina, he greeted her respectfully.

Michael and Josh, standing nearby, also straightened up and greeted her.

The formality made Regina a bit uncomfortable. "We're all friends; no need to be so formal."

"We have to show some respect to the future diplomat," Charles said with a smile.

Regina felt a bit embarrassed by his words.

Douglas wrapped his arm around her waist and led her to a sofa, pouring her a glass of juice.

Regina didn't go out with them often, but she felt quite at ease.

She sipped her juice and joined their conversation.

It turned out that Charles had called them out to announce his upcoming wedding.

The sudden news left everyone stunned.

Charles, however, didn't seem to care much, saying, "She's a pretty girl. I didn't want to ruin her life, but her parents are forcing her, and my grandpa is forcing me."

"Think it through," everyone advised.

Charles fell silent, his gaze distant. He seemed to have weighed it all in his mind, and finally, with a sigh, he said, "Who I marry doesn't really matter."

For him, there was basically no way out.

Regina understood that in their circle, people like Douglas, who could choose their own marriage, were very rare.

She was very fortunate to be the one he loved and chose steadfastly.