(Refresh the previous chaps for the bonus words)

Surprised at her sudden kiss, Darryl ended up smiling like a child being handed his favorite candy, he then buried his already red face on Xhemin's neck with thorough joy. After a few seconds, he decided he wanted more of the kiss and so he teasingly smack kisses on her neck to get her attention.

​​

"Stopped it, I'm cooking," She chided gently, although she too was laughing at Darryl's folly. She turned to him again and looked at his hazel eyes with brow crossed seemingly asking him what is it that he wanted when obviously she already knew what her dear husband wanted. He wanted the kiss and he wanted to make it longer than she gave him.

"I love you milady," He said lovingly when her eyes were still on his. He wasn't such a sweet talker before and only knew how to tease her. He spent all their younger years teasing her that when they grew up, it became hard for them to say those words without consequences.

Xhemin smiled as her heart took in what he said. She remembered herself when she was young and was so in love with him. The days she spent wondering, longing and waiting for those words to be said because their unlabeled had already become so complicated. Yet, after so many years, the man who had always made her world stop was there at her side, confessing the world without holding back.

"I love you Darryl Lemmuel Lagdameo," She said, finally able to confess her love without worrying about anything else but their love. She was finally free of the load of her past and all the responsibilities that hold her back. She's finally free to love him, to be with him and build a future with him.

Hearing such words from each other sealed something inside them. It was like an assurance that no matter the storm will come, they'll pass it through relentlessly but this time, together. Their life had many twists and turns but at the end, the love they had brought them back to each other's arms, stronger than it had ever been.

Darryl bent his head down for another kiss. When his lips touched hers, it felt like time had slowed down and everything froze to pave way for both of them. His kiss started slowly, taking his time to savor the lips that he had so long to have. His milady's mouth tasted the same, very sweet, enthralling and definitely intoxicating that after one taste, he just wanted to have it again and again. This time, he reached out for the neck as he pressed her deeper into him, into their kiss but before he could all lavished himself, he was disturbed by a little coughing.

"Cough.cough.cough"

Both Darryl and Xhemin were surprised at the sound and when they turned to look at the source, they both were welcomed by the protruding emerald eyes of their daughter. Her hands were tucked in her waist and one of her brow's curled upward.

"Yuck…" Willow murmured slowly but enough for her parents to hear.

"Are you done with your adult conversation?" Wolfe's little voice filled the room and he could be seen standing beside Willow, eyes closed hard as if the scene before him was too much for his innocent eyes.

Xhemin and Darryl both chuckled at them.

"You guys hungry?" Xhemin segwayed.

"Very much," Wolfe answered for the two. Not knowing if it was safe to look, he asked. "Can I open my eyes now?"

"Yes little sire. Go and help Appa prepare the table. Both of you" Xhemin instructed the two and they both moved to where Darryl was awaiting further instructions from him.

"Alright. Help me put these on the table," Darryl then took some utensils in the cupboard and handed them to the two children and in just a minute, they were all gathered around the table for the first time. It was heartwarming and definitely something Darryl only dreamed about.

"Hmmm….smells good," The children complimented and were amazed by the simplicity of how the food before them was cooked. In the mainland because Xhemin was a CEO, she rarely cooked for them and so her taking her hand on the chores, especially cooking, was something the children always looked forward to. "Imma's cooking is the best!"

"Help yourselves," Darryl said and they did so. Seeing how they kids dig in the food mercilessly reminded him of how he used to lavished himself with his wife's food previously. She was always the best cook and for years of living in the Manggan Island, she had mastered the art of cooking with limited and new ingredients.

Darryl, as usual, deboned some fish and put it on his wife's plate and since it was usual for him to do so, he didn't notice that he became so fixated on her on the table that Willow and Wolfe ended up looking at two, wondering if they ever existed in their eyes.

Willow particularly was looking at each piece of fish Darryl put on Xhemin's plate, clearly over jealous at the kind of attention her Imma was getting from Darryl. She looked down at her own plate and her fish that she had to debone with much effort before she could taste it.

"Here," Wolfe pushed something on her plate and smiled. He had seen how his sister was looking at their parents' sweet unconscious exchanges and thought perhaps she was jealous. Taking at his Appa's example, he showed some gallantry by doing little things he could for her sister. "I'll deboned the fishes for you,"

***

Willow was surprised at Wolfe's effort and her mood suddenly lifted. She looked at her brother lovingly and took the fish he had deboned in her mouth. "Hmmm….delicous! Thank you Wolfe,"

Xhemin noticed the two and she immediately tapped Wolfe's head. "My Wolfe is a gallant boy. So like his Appa,"

"Thank you Imma," He blushed and looked at both his parents who both gave him a smile of approval. It was such a rare sight to see his Imma and Appa together but he was glad. He had some reservations about leaving the mainland, leaving all the people they love behind but seeing his own parents right there and then, somehow he felt so complete. Indeed, this was their home and they should be here.