Crises in Love (Zora and Jaylan)
Chapter 373

Hannah nearly burst out laughing, but managed to keep it in.

I, on the other hand, couldn't hold back and snorted with laughter. It wasn't that I was indulging the kids; Jay's face was just too funny all at once.

"You're picking on him when he's tired and cranky!" I said, pulling Jay close to me in explanation.

Then I turned to Carl with a stern look. "You can't hit Daddy again. That's what naughty kids do. If you hit someone again, Mommy's going to be very upset!" Seeing me scold him, Carl's lower lip trembled and tears welled up in his eyes. He muttered in protest, "Bad Daddy... I don't want Daddy."

The more I scolded, the more he reached out for a hug.

Jay probably felt better, or maybe he was trying to salvage his pride. He clapped his hands and said, "Daddy hug. Mommy's tired!"

Carl, patting away Jaylan's hand, insisted, "Mommy's not tired. Mommy's strong!"

I couldn't help but laugh as I scooped him up. "Mommy's strong, so are we going to hit people next time?"

Through his teary eyes, he promised me, "No, I won't hit other people, only Daddy! Daddy's naughty. He made me mad!"

We all lost it then, cracking up at the little charmer's antics.

Seeing us all laugh, Carl joined in with a pretend giggle, patting his chubby hands together and repeating that Daddy was the naughty one.

Jaylan whipped out his phone and started snapping pictures of Carl's chubby face. Carl reached for the phone, and Jaylan teased, "Give Daddy a hug, and you can have it!"

After a moment's thought, Carl finally stretched out his arms to Jaylan, who gave him a peck on the cheek and posed for some selfies with him.

When he saw me watching, he tried to drag me into the photo op.

I stepped back, not in the mood, and said, "You've just made him cry, and now you want pictures? Not happening!" In my mind, I was cursing, thinking about how Jaylan would be the one crying tomorrow. I swore I'd never take another photo with him again, to save myself the trouble of dealing with them later.

After putting Carl to bed, I went to check if Fidelia and Monique had come back. Stepping into their room, I found them deep in conversation.

Fidelia stood up immediately and greeted me sweetly, "Hey, Auntie!"

I smiled warmly, "Are you settling in okay? Have you called your mom?"

"I call her every day, and we video chat too!" Fidelia told me, her expression making it clear she was more than comfortable.

Monique butted in, "Mom, with me here, you've got nothing to worry about! Don't fuss over us. Go do your thing!"

I said, "Tomorrow, you bring your sister and brother home early. You can't stay out late at other people's houses; it's not polite."

"Oh, come on! I wanted to come back early. It was Auntie Catherine who insisted we stay. Ask Fidelia if you don't believe me," she said with conviction.

"Of course, I trust you, Monique. You know I always trust you to handle things," I expressed with a sense of pride. I understood that with Monique, it was always about employing the right approach - leading with praise, followed by guidance.. Just like my Dad used to do.

Sure enough, Monique beamed, "Mom, we're going to bed now. We've got a mission tomorrow, you know?"

"A mission?" I asked, curious.

"Mom, you just said you trusted me, and now you're asking again!" she retorted with a mock pout.

Helplessly, I shook my head and laughed. "You, not even sharing secrets with your own mom! Alright, I won't ask. I trust you to handle things."

Before leaving their room, I reminded Fidelia, "Remember to check in with your mom every day, so she doesn't worry."

Fidelia nodded earnestly. "Got it, Auntie!"

I closed their door gently behind me, thinking Camilla must be anxious about leaving Fidelia for the first time. She was probably too polite to call because of me. Checking the clock, I realized it was late, so I didn't call Camilla.

Back in my room, after a long day without much chance to catch up with Catherine, I flopped into bed and dialed her number for a video call. When she answered, I almost jumped her face was covered with a black facial mask, making her look like a ghost.

At the sight of my startled reaction, Catherine let out a dramatic yelp.