Chapter 392 An All-Night Vigil
"Why haven't you answered Mom's calls?"
There were so many messages.
The last one read:
"Sorry, sorry, I'm being intrusive. Charles, you're probably busy making babies at this hour; go for it!"
He thoughtfully replied to a few.
After handling the family and friends, it was time for alum messages.
Lay: Kenny, man, you struck gold in silence, snagging such a beautiful wife. You made all the brothers tear up with joy!
Lay: Hey, while you're on a roll, I thought of organizing an alum gathering back home. On one hand, to celebrate your big day, and on the other, to see if we can network and swap resources. What do you think?
Lay: But let's make it clear—spouses are a must!
Kenny occasionally attended such alum events but had yet to after moving back to the States.
He didn't hesitate much before agreeing, adding: "My wife's pretty busy. You set the date, and I'll check with her."
Lay replied quickly: "No problem!"
Kenny finished replying to messages and went to pack his suitcase.
Upon opening the suitcase, he pulled out a jewelry box, slightly larger than his palm, square and well-crafted. It was why he insisted on a connecting flight—a gift for Mrs. Walker.
*
As the night deepened, Chicago was still in the studio. "It's almost midnight," Darwin said, glancing at the studio door and then at the sleepy Fiona. "Don't we need to get her to bed?"
"No need," Fiona shook her head. "She won't stop; if we force her, she'll just be upset."
Darwin looked worriedly at the studio door again before nodding reluctantly.
"Is there something you want to talk to her about?" Fiona asked.
Darwin nodded again.
He had been tucking Chicago in for the past few nights, and the sudden absence of this routine felt odd to him.
"Alright then, I need to get up early; I'm heading to bed," Fiona said as she left.
Before she could step away, Darwin caught her hand. Frowning, she turned back, "Don't tell me you plan on waiting with me?"
With feigned distress, Darwin stepped closer and said, "Mrs. Rhoads scolded me for sleeping in separate rooms before she left."
Fiona was speechless.
"The guest bed is incredibly uncomfortable, and I can't get a good night's rest; look at my dark circles!" Darwin leaned in closer to Fiona.
"So what?" Fiona raised an eyebrow.
Darwin pulled her into his embrace. "I want to sleep with you!"
"In your dreams," Fiona said, her hand finding his forehead and pushing him back. "You were the one who said we only got married for the kids, and now you're asking for more?"
"That was said in the heat of the moment!" Darwin moved in again.
"You know full well, before we split and after we reunited, I've always wanted to marry you—kids or no kids, this marriage was a must!" He paused, "Any other talk, that's just in anger."
"Said in anger?" Fiona pushed him away, stepping back, "Mr. Solomon, you claim it was in anger, but I took it seriously. If the downstairs bed is hard to sleep on, buy a comfortable one yourself. I'm not buying your sob story anymore."
With that, she started to leave.
Darwin tried to follow.
Fiona turned and pointed at him with a warning, “Charles and Chicago are here. If you try anything, I'll tell them you've been bullying me!"
Darwin fell silent and stopped in his tracks.
Seeing this, Fiona almost laughed. She used to be at the mercy of Darwin's threats. It's funny how the tables have turned—now she has the upper hand.
"Goodnight then, Mr. Solomon."
With a mock smile, she entered her room, closing the door behind her.
Darwin heard the distinct sound of the lock clicking into place. His tall silhouette seemed slumped, but a smile soon broke through his dismay. He couldn't sleep without Chicago emerging from her studio.
Resigned to his wakefulness, he settled down by the studio door and started sifting through a pile of papers until the clock struck one.
Finally, a tired Chicago stumbled out of the studio. As she walked through the door, she nearly tripped over something, but with quick reflexes, Darwin caught her in his arms.
"Darwin? Why are you sitting on the floor?" she mumbled, her thoughts adrift. "I drew so many bunnies..."
"You did great, Chicago!" Darwin replied, his voice incredibly soft.
Chicago, her awareness scattered, was talking and walking on instinct. Her instinct was to be fond of Darwin, starkly contrasting her daytime demeanor.
"Chicago, I saw the paintings you put up at our new place," Darwin said, his eyes growing warm. "Have you forgiven Dad?"
Chicago blinked sleepily, then her little body slumped, and her forehead rested on his shoulder. "So sleepy. It's like Chicago is already asleep. Is Uncle in the dream, too?"
With a hint of helplessness, Darwin lifted her carefully and stood up. "Yes, Chicago is asleep, and Uncle is in the dream," he said tenderly.
He gently opened the door to the children's room. Charles was already fast asleep. Creeping, not to disturb Charles, Darwin laid Chicago down and grabbed a warm towel to clean her hands and face.
Once in bed, Chicago was fast asleep, breathing deeply. Darwin finished tending to her needs and sat by her side. He had waited so long for a conversation that never happened.
He reached out and gently stroked her head. "You know, I spent the first half of my life too selfish," he murmured. "Guess the man upstairs sent you and your brother to set me straight."
As his words trailed off, Chicago stirred restlessly in her sleep. Then Darwin heard her soft, dreamy voice.
"Daddy..."
The word struck Darwin like lightning. His eyes instantly welled up, and his hands trembled.
"There, there, sweetie, don't be afraid. Daddy's here to watch over you. Go back to sleep," he soothed her quietly.
After a moment, Chicago truly calmed down. Her breathing became steady. Darwin stayed up the whole night, fearing she might have another nightmare.
It was not until Fiona got up to check on the kids that she saw Darwin slumped over by the bedhead, groggily looking at the sound of the door opening.
Fiona paused, then approached him. "Did you stay up all night?" she asked.
Darwin nodded, "Chicago had a nightmare last night..."
Fiona gasped.
"How can you keep going with that bruise still inside your head?"
Just then, Chicago started to murmur and opened her eyes.
"Mommy?"
She saw Fiona first.
Then, instinctively getting up, Fiona moved closer and sat on the bed.
Chicago immediately crawled into her arms, clinging onto her like a koala bear.
"Chicago, did you have a nightmare last night?" Fiona asked softly.
Chicago pondered for a moment and nodded. "I dreamt about a mean boar bullying a family of rabbits, crushing their home, and then..."
She paused mid-sentence.
"Then what happened?" Fiona inquired.
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