Chapter 27 Dinner

<Mia>

He examined my face while speaking in a deep voice.

"I left you for just a moment, and you already got into a fight."

"But she started it... s-she slapped m-me..." I stammered like a child reporting the incident.

His eyes suddenly darkened, and his jaw clenched tightly. The pain on my cheek was unbearable.

"Let me kiss it to ease the pain," he said in a strained voice, quickly kissing the affected area.

"Promise, I-I wasn't the one who s-started it..."

"I do believe you, baby. Hush... stop crying. I'm not mad at you, okay? Hmm... I don't want you getting into fights because I don't want anything bad to happen to you," he reassured me with a concerned look in his eyes.

His jaw clenched again, which scared me. What did I do? I was just crying here.

"Look, your right cheek is swollen," he said irritably.

He called Pina to bring an ice pack.

"Don't cry," he tried to calm me down. He sat beside me on the bed and turned me to face him. He kissed my forehead for a long time.

"Baby, stop crying..." he struggled to calm me down. I felt like he was on the verge of tears too.

"I won't let Lorena come here anymore, our friendship is over," I cried into his chest as he gently stroked my back.

"You shouldn't fight with your friend. She's your only friend," he lectured me.

I stopped wiping my runny nose with his shirt and looked at him. I distanced myself a bit, but he pulled me closer.

"So you're taking her side!? Do you like her, huh!? Or do you already have a relationship with her! Admit it, you're cheating on me! Is she your mistress!?" I angrily accused him.

My anger resurfaced.

"Heck no!" he quickly responded.

"Eh, why are you taking her side more!?" I raised my blood pressure even further.

"And you still talk to her! You have her number! You meet up with her behind my back, huh!? Confess to me, Ethan, because I will find out the truth!" I gritted my teeth, furious with him.

"Babe, are you jealous?" A smile played on his lips, and his neck slightly flushed.

"I'm not jealous!" I denied it, "she's my friend, and I don't want that kind of thing." You know what I mean.

"Hey, I'm only yours, and I'm not the one talking to her. My secretary is the one who communicates with her. I give her instructions, so don't get jealous."

I gave him a glare for his words. He seemed so happy.

"Damn it, Ethan, make sure of it because I will strip you of your happiness!" I threatened him, my gaze filled with anger.

Suddenly, he became serious. He didn't like what I said.

"Stop cursing."

"Why do you curse too, huh!" I argued with him.

"When you make me feel mad," he reasoned, "and you make cursing a hobby." He said it seriously with a furrowed brow.

"What if our children hear you? They'll imitate you, and they'll think it's right. I don't want them saying bad words." He remained serious.

I had no response to his words because, once again, he was right. No! He was wrong, and I was right. The wife is always right, never wrong.

And what did he mean by "them"?

"How many children do you want?" I suddenly asked him.

"I want twelve." He shrugged, disturbing Rose and me as she arrived to take the ice pack that Ethan had requested.

He dipped it on my cheek.

"What twelve!?" My eyes widened.

"what do you think I am, a breeding machine?!" I would be exhausted if that were the case. Does that mean I'd be pregnant every year?

"After Nene, I'll be pregnant again with Totoy? Seriously?!" I exclaimed.

"I like kids," he reasoned, still busy with my cheek.

"Raising a child is expensive!" I complained.

"I don't mind the expenses as long as you are their mother, and I'm working hard to give you and our children the life you deserve," he said, looking into my eyes. His eyes sparkled when he mentioned the word "children."

I didn't speak anymore because it felt like I swallowed my tongue.

"What's the misunderstanding between your friend?" Ethan suddenly asked.

So he also has a gossiping side.

I smirked and was about to hit him when he caught my hand and lightly kissed it there.

I almost jumped when he suddenly lifted me and placed me on his lap.

"Ethan, I'm heavy."

"I don't care," he said nonchalantly, and he put one hand on my waist while the other gently caressed my cheek.

"I told you she said she likes you!" I irritatedly recounted what that woman said! "She told me you're well-endowed and have many 'fubu' partners! She even mentioned the brand of your clothes, but clothes brands aren't 'fubu' partners, right?!"

I stopped when Ethan chuckled. His laugh was cute.

"And then she also said that you should be with her! She likes you! Do you know she's Kieffer's mistress, huh? She's your friend, right?! If I find out you have another woman, I'll cut you off with an eggplant!" I threatened him as I pulled his ear, which was red from earlier.

Instead of being scared, he just laughed.

"Relax, wife. I'm yours and I won't let anyone take me away. I'm just afraid you'll actually cut me off with an eggplant, and we won't be able to have a dozen children."

My eyes widened at his words, and I slapped him suddenly. He was surprised, but he quickly recovered.

"You'll have to have children by yourself!" I yelled.

After waiting for Ethan in the dining area, he finally arrived, having changed his clothes. I was seated at the bar counter when suddenly he hugged me from behind and rested his head on my shoulder. I knew it was him, the playful side of him that always liked to do this to me.

"Hubby, tell Rose to give me a coke, okay?" I whispered to him.

He froze and looked up at me.

"What did you say?" He stumbled over his words.

Huh? Did he not like something I said? Earlier this morning, he told me I could have a coke, and if he didn't follow through with his word, I would be upset with him. But he hadn't mentioned anything to me yet about not fulfilling his promise. He was a man of his word and had principles. Vote for Doc Ethan Mendoza for the Senate!

"Repeat what you said," he commanded.

"Tell Rose that you're allowing me to have a coke," I whispered.

"Not that one. The first word," he insisted.

"Hubby?" I responded with a questioning tone.

His neck turned red again, and he suddenly kissed me on the lips. Then he walked off to the kitchen.

I was taken aback by his reaction. What was the problem? I was just asking if there was something he didn't like about what I said.

I felt a mix of fear and excitement from his words. It was as if something had suddenly changed in him. I wasn't sure how to interpret his reaction.

When Ethan returned from the kitchen, he had a glass of coke in hand, which he placed in front of me with a smile.

"Here's your coke, ma'am," Rose said.

I looked at Ethan, who was now sitting in front of me again. The smile was still on his face.

"Hmm... Thank you, hubby," I whispered to him, hiding the smile on my own face.

He was taken aback and kissed me on the lips once more. As I looked up, my cheeks grew warm. I couldn't help but let a smile appear on my face.

We continued with our dinner, happy and filled with joy. Every time I would address him as "hubby," he would smile, and there was a sparkle in his eyes.

I realized that even amidst the jokes and quarrels in our relationship, there were still moments of tenderness and happiness. Although the conversation took a different turn, I also learned not to take everything too seriously and to focus more on bringing joy and love to each other.

And despite his plans of having many children, I knew that in every day we spent together, every moment of love and happiness was the true treasure of our relationship.

What's with that guy?

Ethan brought me back to the bar counter, carrying a liter of coke, and I clapped in delight. It was Lorena's fault that I got a UTI. We turned alcohol into water. She always invited me, and I didn't want to refuse because I also wanted to drink, hihi.

As usual, he fed me. I didn't know if he could still eat properly because of me. He always fed me, especially when I didn't want to eat.

We cuddled before leaving the house. He fell asleep, and he still didn't have a shirt on. He really didn't like wearing clothes while sleeping.

We took a nap in the afternoon, and he slept longer than me because I had already fallen asleep when he left the house.

Our position was that he was lying face down while his head was resting on my chest. He was like a child complaining and wanting to be the one hugging me.

"Baby, are you done?" he asked me. He had just finished dressing, putting on his silver watch. He was wearing a black long-sleeved polo, black slacks, and shiny shoes.

We were both in black. I was wearing a shirt and shorts.

I remembered his uncle again, and I worried, but I knew he wouldn't let anything happen to me. He assured me that his uncle wouldn't come. I almost got raped. It had been over two months.

He approached me, pulling me by the waist and kissing my cheek.

"Hey, are you okay?" I asked him, caressing his arm. I had just woken him up earlier.

He groaned.

"Let's go," he said hoarsely.

"Are you okay, doc?" I asked as we were leaving the room.

"Just a little tired," he smiled at me a little.

He took my hand and interlaced our fingers.

"Hubby, you might bump into something while doing that," I said, worried. How could he still be holding my hand while his left hand was supporting the steering wheel of his car? He didn't want to let go of my hand.

"Maybe we should stop holding hands for now? We might bump into something," he joked.

"No, I wanna hold your hand," he said firmly.

We arrived at his house in silence, and he still didn't let go of my hand, and I didn't try to take it back. This doctor was clingy, it felt good when he acted that way.

We encountered some traffic and found them already eating and chatting at the long table.

"I'm here," he reminded me, kissing my hand.

I smiled slightly at him.

Some of his aunts were in casual attire.

I saw his serious-looking twin brother using his phone while frowning.

"Nathan, you've been on your phone for a while now. We're eating, stop using your phone," their grandfather scolded him when we approached their table.

"Why are you just arriving now?" one of his aunts, whose name I forgot, asked us. They were so many, and I wasn't close to all of them.

It felt a bit pressured with them since they were all doctors. I was probably the odd one out here.

"We got stuck in traffic," I replied, feeling shy.

"Sit here," they gestured for us to take the vacant seats for Ethan and me, and as usual, this man made me feel like a queen.

I feel somewhat shy around Ethan's family because I'm not close to all of them, and most of them are older. Plus, I'm not with them at home every day.

The family of doctors.

"Wife, do you like this?" Ethan asked about a dish whose name I didn't know. It's always a different food being prepared.

"Yes," I replied while looking for his sister. Isn't she coming? She's the only one I can talk to in the family, and she has a friendly face. Unlike his twin brother next to me, who seems angry at the world and ignores me.

"I'll refer someone to you. I had patients who might have a heart problem," I overheard one of Ethan's uncles saying.