Ellinor suddenly clutched the corner of Balfourâs clothes, anxiously blurting out, âBro, I need my passport. I gotta book the next flight to M State.â
Balfour was taken aback and then responded with a frown, âEllinor, youâre not in any condition to go anywhere right now. You need to stay home and deliver your kid safe and sound. Donât worry, Iâll have people in M State keep tabs on Theo. If he needs any help, Iâll pitch in.â
He knew well of Ellinorâs feelings for that man. Even though he didnât care for that guy, he would do his best to help for Ellinorâs sake.
Ellinor watched Theoâs plane take off beyond the airport glass, feeling a lump in her throat. Maybe because every time Theo went overseas, it led to some misunderstanding that separated them.
Now that theyâd cleared the air, there wouldnât be any more misunderstandings. No matter what happened, she would handle it rationally and ask him about it clearly.
She was just worried that something might happen to him. Even though they hadnât seen each other for that long, she was already feeling the pain of separation.
Balfour tenderly pulled the distant-looking Ellinor into his arms, gently stroking her back to soothe her anxiety. âHeâs a grown man; he should be able to handle his own problems. If he needs his pregnant wife to worry about this kind of stuff, heâs pretty useless. Ellinor, you donât have to baby him too much, or heâll get dependent on you.â
Ellinor was still anxious. âBut heâ¦â
Balfour cut her off on purpose, âOh right, Theo left us something to take care of.â
Ellinor looked up. âWhat?â
Balfour nodded slightly as he pointed in a direction.
Ellinor turned her head to see Quinton bringing Baber over. He had just fetched Baber from the Blanchet Villa as per Theoâs instructions.
Seeing Ellinor, the initially shy Baberâs eyes lit up. He ran over like he had just spotted a family member among the crowd and hugged Ellinorâs leg tightly.
âEllinor!â
Ellinor was a bit surprised and slowly looked down at him. âBaberâ¦â
The kid had grown taller, walked more steadily, and spoke more clearly.
While tightly holding onto Ellinor, Baberâs eyes started to well up. âEllinor, youâre back. I thought you didnât want me anymore.â
Seeing Baber like this made Ellinor feel a pang of sorrow. She lightly patted his head. âYes, Iâm back.â
Kids were simple. They wouldnât complain about past separations but rejoice at reunions. âEllinor, Dadâs on a business trip. He told me to take good care of you. When heâs back, weâll welcome my little sister together.â
Little sister?
Ellinor smiled slightly. How did he know it would be a girl?
She turned to Balfour. âSo this is the task he left me?â-
Balfour nodded. âYes, this little guy missed you a lot, so weâve been babysitting him for three days.â
The truth was that they wanted Baber to help distract Ellinor. She might be experiencing some prenatal anxiety, not to mention her worries for Theo.
Ellinorâs attention did shift to Baber, and she took his hand. âLetâs go home and rest.â
Baber obediently nodded. âOkay, Iâll go with you.â
Balfour breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Ellinor seemingly forget her anxiety about Theoâs departure and happily take Baber away.
He quietly followed Ellinor and then noticed that someone was missing. He frowned, asking Quinton, âWhereâs Byran?â