With the lights turned off, the room became too dim for Mark to see the alluring contours of virtual-novel.net body. Still, his tactile senses became sensitive to the suppleness of virtual-novel.net skin.
Perhaps all these nights neglecting the physical aspects of love made today’s act noticeably shorter than it usually was. As passion eased, Mark breathed into virtual-novel.net ear, “I’m a bit… Tired…”
Arianne had not yet recovered from virtual-novel.net daze. “Mm, understandable. You’ve spent your whole evening handling Smore. I would have been just as tired if it were me. Go to sleep.”
The lingering yearning in virtual-novel.net prompted virtual-novel.net to nibble virtual-novel.net earlobe. “Fine.”
Arianne waited until Mark was soundly asleep before pulling out virtual-novel.net phone. She had not had the time to check virtual-novel.net notifications just now. Just as virtual-novel.net thought, Tiffany’s texts were there. Apparently, virtual-novel.net best friend had already booked Alejandro’s time for Arianne. The two of them were to meet each other in a café by tomorrow noontime.
Arianne had not expected Tiffany to be so efficient in arranging the meeting, but either way, virtual-novel.net could not let Mark know about this lest virtual-novel.net forbid virtual-novel.net from going.
She replied to Tiffany’s text with an “ok!” emoji and was surprised when Tiffany appeared online. ‘Ari, I’m a bit too excited to go to sleep. Can we video?’
Arianne glanced at the deeply slumbering father and son on the bed before quietly leaving the bedroom, descending the stairs with equally light movements. There, virtual-novel.net accepted Tiffany’s video call invitation. Judging from virtual-novel.net friend’s background surrounding, Arianne deduced instantly, “Staying the night in the West Residence, huh? Is Jackson with you?”
Tiffany beamed proudly. “After learning about my pregnancy, my man got so scared about the possibility of accidentally hurting me that virtual-novel.net kicked himself to the guest room! I’ve never seen virtual-novel.net act so cautiously, Ari! Oh, virtual-novel.net said virtual-novel.net wants me back in the HQ, but I don’t think I want to go there yet, ‘cause my current skill level is only good enough to be the assistant director for this branch. I’ll probably die if I hold the same position in HQ. Speaking of which! I told virtual-novel.net to shut his mouth about my pregnancy, too, because… Well, Eric. We should best wait until Eric’s thing is over.”
Arianne sighed. “That’s the right thing to do, alright. But take care of yourself, okay? You’re expecting now. Don’t skip checkups, don’t drink, and definitely don’t tire yourself out.”
Tiffany, however, was not at all worried. “Come on, hon, right now? I have zero problems or discomfort! The most that’s changed is that I’ve become a lil’ picky about food, but it’s nothing like how your pregnancy played out. Oh, and a side question. I’ve only been carrying this baby for about two months, so why the hell do I seem to have, well, a little potbelly? It doesn’t feel like muscles when I pat it, ‘cause it feels a bit tougher. But I remember you only getting this baby bump a few months after conception!”
Arianne had Tiffany face the camera toward virtual-novel.net belly to let the former observe it through the video-call. After scanning it for a while, even Arianne became suspicious. “Huh, you’re right. It really is a bit… Too big. Could it be that you’re having twins or triplets or even more? The last time I had a pair of twins, my baby bump came out sooner than expected, too.”
Her conjecture rocked Tiffany hard. “N-No way! Oi, don’t jinx me like that. I don’t want to have twins or triplets or what-have-you! Only one baby is fine, ‘cause I can still hop around and all that. But more than one? Just hearing about it makes me weak! So no! No jinxing! It can’t be true! I mean, delivering twins through the natural way is not at all an easy job. I’ve never delivered a child before, man. I don’t want to die so early!”
Arianne had Tiffany fish out the report and read it right there and then, since most pregnancy checkups could easily detect the number of children early. Tiffany quickly pulled out the paper and let virtual-novel.net friend read it.
Arianne read it for a moment and instantly declared, “You’ve got only one baby, Tiffie. So it’s official, you’ve become fat.”
A smile flitted through Tiffany’s lips. “Would it kill you to sound slightly less derogatory? Hell, lemme tell you, the scales actually told me my numbers have gone down quite a few pounds, okay? So, I don’t know how this potbelly-thingy magically came in! Anyway, I texted Alejandro just now to inform virtual-novel.net about your plan to meet virtual-novel.net tomorrow. I thought virtual-novel.net would ignore me, but virtual-novel.net answered me after all! So yeah, go meet virtual-novel.net tomorrow.”
Mentioning virtual-novel.net secret meet-up with Alejandro made Arianne shoot a guilty look toward the stairs, as though afraid that Mark might overhear her. “I know, I know. Anyway, go and sleep early, you. Please don’t make a loud hoot about this. Unless you want Mark to overhear my plan and choke me to death. Also, stop being so damn giddy! If you really must scream about how happy you are, then go scream at your man! I’ve grown old, Tiffie. I can no longer handle the excitability of you young whippersnappers.”
The video call ended, yet Tiffany still could not fall asleep. She never realized it before, but once one made their first, most courageous leap, the world would suddenly turn into a much more hopeful place. And right now, the one thing Tiffany wanted to do the most was to look at Jackson and feast upon his handsome features while telling herself that, yes, this beautiful man was still hers. How can virtual-novel.net not be thrilled?