with dinner which was spent in silence, we retreated to our room.

Althea had already changed her clothes and was lying on the bed on her side when I came out of the bathroom and I soon joined her under the duvet.

Her back was towards me and I stared at her for a minute or two before finally gathering enough courage to tap her arm. "Al?"

"What?"

"Can I cuddle with you?" I asked softly.

I was already preparing myself for a no when she turned around to face me. "Why?"

"Because I want to."

She kept staring at me for a few seconds so I gave her my puppy eyes and pouted sadly and she rolled her eyes and sighed. "Just for tonight."

"Okay." I grinned and shifting closer to her wrapped my arm around her waist and rested my chin on top of her head.

This is so fucking good.

Hesitantly she wrapped her arm around my body, pressing her face into my chest.

Her body was tensed and I planted a kiss on top of her head. "Relax, baby."

She hummed and slowly her body relaxed into my arms.

"I am sorry for shouting at you earlier at the office..." I whispered as my fingers rubbed circles over her waist. "But don't do that again."

"You are too possessive, Calix."

"What can I do when I have such a beautiful wife?"

She playfully smacked my back where her arm was wrapped around me. "Shut up."

I leaned back and lifted her face with my finger and found her cheeks slightly tinted with a coat of pink. "You are blushing, baby."

A shy smile graced her lips and she lowered her eyes. "Shut up, idiot."

My thumb brushed against her cheek. "You are cute."

"I thought you were tired and wanted to sleep."

"But having a conversation with my wife is much better."

"You are such a flirt, Calix."

"Only for you."

She blushed harder at that and buried her face in my chest. "I am sleeping, I don't wanna hear you flirt anymore."

"I never thought I would see this day, you being so shy."

"I am not being shy...you are talking nonsense. You are flirting with me." She spoke against my chest.

I chuckled softly, stroking her hair gently. "Whatever. Now, does this mean you are not mad at me anymore?"

She pulled back and her brows furrowed in confusion before realisation dawned on her. "Oh! I was angry with you! How can I forget that?"

And she made an effort to move back but I didn't let her. "Nah. You can't back away now, you should have thought of that earlier."

She puffed her cheeks and huffed. "I am still angry with you."

"But I apologised..."

"Apology not accepted." She stated.

"Okay." I smiled and cradling her head, pressed her face into my chest. "You can be angry with me but you will sleep in my arms till morning and that's not negotiable."

I dropped one last kiss on her head before closing my eyes and her little sigh was the last thing I heard before I drifted off to sleep.

Since I had already finished all the work yesterday evening, this morning I decided to go to work a little late than usual and I even told Mason to come to work late.

That guy is seriously so loyal to me that he hardly takes any leave.

I leaned against the kitchen countertop as Althea made some pancakes beside me as she woke up earlier than me and offered to make breakfast today.

I scrolled through Instagram while I kept glancing at her every minute. She looked so cute with her hair tied in a messy bun, a few strand of it falling over the side of her face. And her eyes focused on cooking the pancakes to perfection.

I smiled. My wife.

I was scrolling through the reels on my Insta account when I paused at a particular one in which there was a baby... hardly a year old and she was laughing at something her mother said and fuck, the baby was so cute.

I glanced up at Althea as she plated the pancakes and my eyes dropped down to her belly and I imagined how fucking awesome it would be if she got pregnant with my baby.

She picked up the plates and moved to the dining table where she set them and I followed her. "Hey?"

"Yes?"

"Look at this." And I showed her that reel of the baby and she smiled softly looking at it. "She is so cute, right?"

"Yes." She answered as the video ended and I placed my phone inside my pocket and gave her a toothy grin which made her frown. "What?"

"Let's have a baby."

Her eyes widened. "We are not having a baby!"

"Why not?" I pouted sadly.

"Calix, have you gone insane?! We are not having a baby."

My face fell. "But...babies are so cute...And I will take care of you, Al. I will even leave work so that I can look after them while you go play."

She shook her head slightly. "I think you are drunk. You have no idea what you are saying."

"Yes, I do. I want to have a baby with you, Althea Coleman Andrews."

Her cheeks flushed. "Calix...no...besides it's not possible. I mean...our term of six months will end even before we have a baby."

"Then let's stay married forever."

I expected her to shout at me but she didn't, there was a certain softness in her tone and much to my surprise, she cupped my cheek. "I think you need to have some breakfast first then your brain will start working."

I placed my palm over hers before she could remove her hand from my cheek. "I want a baby, Al."

"Oh God, Calix. You have gone mad. Did you hit your head this morning?"

"Our babies would be so cute...just imagine, Al." I continued to say and she blushed.

"I think you just want to have sex with me."

I tilted my head to graze her palm with my lips. "No. I mean yes, that too but I want to start a family with you."

"Have you forgotten that this marriage is only for the next few months?"

"That is when you will not fall for me."

"And how can you be sure that I will fall for you?" And she removed her palm from my cheek. "Don't be so confident, I still don't like you, idiot."

My mood soured instantly and I stepped back and picked up my suit jacket which was lying on the chair and made my way to the front door.

"Hey!" She called behind me. "Your breakfast?"

Ignoring her, I left the house.

.

.

.

"You can go home now, Mason." I told him as he stood infront of my desk waiting for me to give him any other work.

"But, sir, how can I when you won't leave yourself?"

"I will just finish rereading this and then leave. It's already quite late, you don't need to stay back."

"Sir--"

Sighing I leaned back in my chair. "How many years have you been working for me, Mason?"

"Three, sir."

"And in those three years, how many times I told you to call me by my first name?"

"Um..." He adjusted his spectacles. "It's inappropriate."

"I don't think so. You will call me Calix from now on and I order you to leave immediately and go home."

I gave him glare when he was about to argue and thankfully, he obeyed me and left.

I spent another half an hour in the office before winding up everything going home.

I did promise Althea that I will come home early from today but...well...after what happened this morning I wasn't in a mood to face her.

It took me sometime but I eventually realised I shouldn't have said all that to her. So what if I want a baby? I can't force her.

And she still doesn't like me much and instead of asking her for a baby and scaring her away, I should make her like me.

S

he must be asleep considering how late it was when I stepped inside the house. But I didn't expect to find her curled up on the couch, in her pyjamas, sleeping.

Why is she sleeping here?

I crouched down and brushed away the hair from her face. "Al?"

When she didn't respond, I gently scooped her in my arms and that's when she opened her eyes and gazed up at me sleepily. "Calix?"

"Why were you sleeping here?"

"I was waiting for you." She whispered softly.

She...she was waiting for me? It's so late.

"Why are you so late? You said you will come home early..."

"I am sorry...I had a long day today. I will try to come early from tomorrow."

"Hmm..." And she closed her eyes, snuggling closer to my chest.

"Did you have dinner?"

"No." She mumbled against my chest. "Did you?"

"No. Let's have dinner then."

Her arm slowly slid up and curled around my neck. "But...I am sleepy right now. And I can't have dinner and sleep immediately, it's not healthy. I have to stay fit for the World Cup."

With her in my arms, I walked to the kitchen. "I know but I am not letting you sleep on an empty stomach. You can burn the extra calories in gym tomorrow."

I found some lasagna that she made in the oven and reheated it as I made her sit on the countertop.

After I took it on a plate, I placed it on the table and once again picked her up in my arms and sat down on the chair, with her sitting sideways on my lap.

She started to fiddle with my tie as I cut a piece of lasagna and held it to her mouth.

She gave me a long, unreadable look before she finally opened her mouth and ate it.

I cut another piece and ate it myself and for the next couple of minutes, I kept feeding her and myself alternately.

Once we were done, I scooped her in my arms again (bridal style) and carried her upstairs.

"Calix?"

I looked down at her as I climbed up the stairs. "Yes?"

Her finger brushed my cheek. "Are you still angry with me?"

I paused once I reached the top of the stairs. "No. Why?"

"You left in the morning looking mad...and..."

She lowered her eyes and her cheeks flushed so I asked, "And...?"

"You haven't called me...baby...ever since you woke me up..."

My heart skipped a beat and I gazed at her in surprise, my mouth parting slightly. "You like that?"

But no matter what, she is still the same Althea. She just can't admit that she actually likes being called baby. "It's just...when you call me that...it means...you aren't mad with me."

Smiling, I carried her to the bedroom and placed her on the bed gently and my face hovered over her and I planted a kiss on her forehead. "I am not mad at you, baby. And I am sorry for this morning."

"It's okay...I know you are an idiot."

I gave her a scowl that made her smile and I pressed another kiss on the tip of her nose after which I went inside the bathroom to change my clothes.

When I came back, she was already asleep and I slid in beside her and laying on my stomach, I wrapped my arm around her waist and let the sleep consume me.