###Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

Henry couldn't sleep as usual for the couple of days his wife died.

He went to check up on Blossom and he met Anthonia reading a bedtime story for her.

He stood at the doorway for some time, looking at how Anthonia was reading a bedtime story for a five days ago baby so tenderly.

The nannies who have taken care of her since she was born never did this, they just complained and quitted but this one, this one was reading a bedtime story to a baby who can't even hear her yet and patting her gently.

He wanted to go but made a noise which drew Anthonia's attention. She walked to him.

" What's it?" She asked. " She's asleep. "

" I know that. "

" So, what?"

" I. . . None of your business, this is my house and that's my child. I can go wherever I please. " He replied, icily.

" Oh, okay. I prefer the way you replied, it was mean. Thank you. " Anthonia said.

She walked past him and went to her door. " You look like a zombie that has insomnia. "

" You are wrong, infact I have hypersomnia. " He lied.

" Oh, okay. But just in case you have insomnia, I have a solution for that. " She said.

" Really?"

She nodded.

" Can I have it?" He asked.

" Sure. " She replied, smirking. " Come with me to the kitchen. "

They entered the elevator and Anthonia went to the kitchen.

She gave him a mug of a liquid. He gulped it.

Anthonia stared at him, waiting for it to kick in and it did.

He looked at her. " What's this?"

" Coffee. " She said, laughing. " Now, you can walk around for so many hours without stop. " She laughed.

" Ah, God, why did do that?" He snapped.

" Hmm, let me think. " She replied, posing a thoughtful pose. " Well, that's just me troubleshooting. "

He frowned, giving her a deadly glare which she just smiled at.

" Gosh, you're unbelievable. You're more crazy than I thought. " He said.

She laughed. " I know, I surprise myself too. "

Henry groaned, holding his head. She looked at him and sighed.

" Do you really want to sleep? I can help you. " She questioned.

He scoffed, walking through the elevator. " You think I will still believe you after this. Impossible. "

She shrugged. " Your choice. " She entered the elevator before him. " Good night. . . Oh, I forgot, you won't be sleeping tonight, isn't that funny?" She said with every hint of sarcasm.

He rolled his eyes and entered the elevator with her. " What can you do?"

" About what?" She asked, pretending to be clueless.

" My sleeplessness!" He snapped.

" I hate it when I'm being snapped at, you jerk. " She spat. " But, I'm going to let it slide. Do you have scented candles? If yes, light it up in your room and gently massage your forehead. It calms the body and stimulate the sleep muscle. " She said and got off of the elevator.

" Wait, " He said, stopping her from walking to her room. He walked towards her. " I've scented candles but I don't know how to massage my head. "

" Then google it. " She said. She paused for a while. " Wait, you're not suggesting that I. . . Massage your forehead for you, are you?" She asked when it clicked.

He didn't reply.

She exhaled deeply. " Okay then, how much am I going to be paid for this?"

" How much does it take?" He replied.

" Good, I like that. " She said, patting his shoulder. " It'll take like 500. "

He brought out his phone from his pajama pocket. " Okay, done. "

She checked her phone that just dinged and gasped. " I meant 500 bucks not 500 thousand dollars. "

" Keep it. " He replied, nonchalantly.

Anthonia looked at her phone then him. " Wait, how did you have my number? Because I clearly remember not giving it to you when you asked. "

" Smith gave it to me. "

" Okay. Go bring the scented candles, I'll wait here for you. "

" It's in the basement. "

" Yeah, don't care. Go bring it. " She spat.

｡｡｡｡

Henry brought the scented candles to Anthonia.

" You took a whole eternity. " Anthonia said.

" I barely used 20 minutes. " He replied.

" Yeah, an eternity. "

He rolled his eyes and opened his room door.

" Your eyes will soon fall off if you don't stop rolling them. Light them up. " She said.

She looked around her surrounding and gasped.

Different pictures of Emmanuella were hung up all over the room. There were also pictures of them as a family but Emmanuella's own was more.

" Woah, it looks as if I'm in a museum. Is this how all rich people decorate their houses?" She asked.

The bedroom was colossal with a king-size bed with many pillows. A table surrounded by sofas, a plasma TV hung on the wall. A huge glass closet that contains clothes. It was so spacious though it has so many things.

" Emmanuella chose the interior, right?" She asked.

" Yes. "

" I knew it, you cannot do something this wonderful. "

" Sorry?" He said.

" Apology accepted. "

" But, I wasn't apologizing. "

" Doesn't matter, you said sorry to me and I took it. I'm not giving it back. " She said.

He laughed. " You're crazy. "

" Thanks. Light those scented candles and sit on the sofa. "

" Are you ordering me?" He asked.

" Oh, no. My bad, don't do it. I'm deeply sorry for ‘ordering' you. I'll take my leave, enjoy your night, my king. " She replied, snarkily. She turned to leave when he held her wrist.

" I am sorry. "

" Good. Do as I said and let me do this. I need to wake up early to watch the sunrise. "

He stared at her. " You watch the sunrise?"

" Yes, why?"

" Nothing. " He finished lighting up the four scented candles. He then sat down.

" You may be wondering why the candles are needed. They are needed for you to breathe in fresh and sweet air when the sleep muscle are already kicking in. " She explained while massaging his forehead.

" Hmm. " He hummed softly, enjoying the massage.

She did the massage for less than thirty minutes before he slept off. She laid him down carefully on the sofa and covered him with a blanket.

She made to go but he held her hand. " Please don't go, don't leave me, I cannot live without you, Trix. Come back, I need you. " He cried in sleep.

Anthonia patted his hair. " Shh. " She cooed him.

She gently took her hand away from him and left his room.

She went to check up on Blossom and she was still sleeping.

As she was going to her room to sleep, she heard someone crying. She listened carefully to the direction of the cry and entered Nia's room.

She was crying on her bed, hugging her pillow tightly. Her head buried in the pillow.

" Hey, what's wrong?" Anthonia asked.

She didn't get any reply just whimpers. She went closer and sat close to Nia. " You can tell me. What's it? Did you have a nightmare?"

Nia slowly lifted up her head fixing her gaze on Anthonia and she hiccuped. " Yes, I had. . . a nightmare and it. . . was horrible. "

" What happened in the nightmare? Do you want to share it with me?" Anthonia asked.

" I. . . saw a figure in. . . a black garment with. . . hidden face dragging. . . dragging mummy away. It took mummy away. "

Anthonia stroked her hair gently at the back. " It didn't take your mummy away, God did. God wanted your mummy to come stay with him in heaven. Your mummy is watching over you and your sisters right now. "

" Really?" Nia inquired with enthusiasm in her voice.

" Yes, infact I can show you your mummy right now, do you want to see her?"

Nia nodded without hesitation. Anthonia stretched out her hand and she took her hand.

" Where are you going?" Nia asked, wearing her flip-flop.

" Your balcony. " Anthonia replied.

They walked to the balcony and Anthonia bent down to Nia's height. She pointed at the sky, directly at a sky.

" That star over there is your mummy, she's watching over you right now. "

Nia looked at the direction of her hand and then back at her. " Is that really my mummy?"

" Yes, she's beautiful, right?"

" Yes. " Nia replied. She soon heaved a sigh. " But, I won't be able to see her in the morning and afternoon and evening only in the night. "

Anthonia faced her. " I've something for you, wait here. I'm coming. "

Nia nodded and Anthonia left.

She came back two minutes later with a necklace.

It is a gold star necklace. Nia looked at the necklace.

" This is a necklace. " Anthonia said while Nia gave her an obvious look. " It has a star. If you wear this, you wear this then you'll always be with your mummy. " Anthonia said, holding the necklace in front of her face.

Nia smiled. " You're giving me your necklace?"

" Of course. "

" Thank you, can you help me put it on?"

" Sure. " Anthonia helped her with the necklace.

" I'm never taking this off. Thank you. "

" You're welcome, Nia. It looks amazing on you. "

Nia smiled. " How do you know that it's me?"

Anthonia twitched her lips, pretending to think about it. " You could say it is pure instinct. "

Nia hugged her. " Thank you, nanny. "

Anthonia hugged her back, patting her back. " Do you want me to read you a bedtime story, huh?"

Nia nodded and they went to her bed. Anthonia tucked her in and read her a bedtime story and she slept off.

After she slept, Anthonia went to check up on Blossom. She was just waking up.

" Awn, my baby Blossom is awake, how was your sleep?" Anthonia asked. " Are you hungry? I'll prepare your milk right now, sweetie. "

Anthonia prepared milk for her downstairs and came up back. She fed her and laid her to sleep.

She looked at the time and exhaled deeply. " Just a couple of hours left before sunrise, I need to sleep. "

She went to her room and took her bath before climbing on her bed and sleeping.

☆☆☆☆☆

Anthonia wore a sweater over a tank top and leggings before carrying Blossom into her pram.

She went to the garden and sat on the bench, looking at the sky.

The sun was just rising. The yellowish orange color was so beautiful just like always.

Anthonia did some breathing exercises, inhaling and exhaling the fresh morning air.

" Isn't this lovely, Bloom?" She asked the baby. " It's as lovely as always, I just love the sunrise so much. It is just so beautiful and magnificent. "

Henry who just came back from his morning exercise saw Anthonia sitting on the bench in the garden.

He walked to her. " What're you doing outside this early with my child?"

Anthonia stood up. " I could ask you the same question. I decide what to do and what not to do. And moreover, the morning air is so good for the body. "

" Is that what gave you the audacity to bring my child out without my consent?"

Anthonia smiled. " Your child? Oh, my goodness, I forgot. Since she's ‘your' child then take care of her yourself, you jerky pup. "

Henry swallowed what he wanted to say. " Thank for last night, it was. . . soothing. "

" You're welcome. Can I ask you a question?"

" You already did. " He replied, bending over to see Blossom.

" If you listen closely, there's a sound of water. I can hear it, is there a Beach nearby?"

Henry nodded.

" Where's it?"

" It is here but you can't go there, it's prohibited from trespassers. " He replied.

" Trespassers? I hate you so much, you don't know how to use your words properly, I wonder how you got people to like you, gosh, so annoying. " Anthonia said, snappishly.

She took the pram and walked away angrily.

Henry exhaled and followed her.

She rolled her eyes when he entered the elevator.

After the elevator opened, she went out. She went to the twins rooms to wake them up.

" Wakey wakey, Ria. It's time to wake up, go take your bath. Be right back. " Anthonia said, waking her up.

She then went to Nia's room and woke her up.

｡｡｡｡

The twins came down dressed in their uniforms. It was a brown checkered skirt and white shirt with a little tie in X shape around their necks.

They looked so cute and adorable. They walked to Anthonia.

" Good morning, nanny. " They chorused.

" Good morning, breakfast is ready. Come to the dinning. " Anthonia replied.

" Nanny, can I ask you a question?" Ria asked, fiddling with her fingers.

" Yeah, sure if you want. " She replied, bending down to Ria's height. " What's it?"

" I really like the necklace you gave Nia, do you have another one? Can you please give it to me?"

" Sure, I can. I happen to have three of this necklace. I'll give one to you, wait for me. " Anthonia replied and went to her room.

She returned with the same exact necklace as Nia's. " Here you go, it is all yours. " She said, putting it around her neck.

" Thank you. " Ria said.

" You're welcome, Ria. "

Henry walked out of the elevator and saw the kids. " What're those around your necks?"

" Necklaces, nanny gave them to us. " Ria replied.

" Take it off, I'll get you a better one. "

" No, we want this exact one. " They said.

" Go have breakfast in the dinning, girls. I'll be there soon. " Anthonia said and the twins left.

Anthonia glared at him. " You really need lessons on how to be a father. "