Chapter 1000: Did You Hear?
Chapter 1000: Did You Hear?
Lucy stirred awake to the soft, warm rays of sunlight streaming through the sheer curtains. She stretched lazily, the comforting weight of the duvet still over her as her eyes fluttered open.
A delightful aroma wafted through the air- freshly baked croissants, oatmeal, scrambled eggs, sizzling bacon, and the faint sweetness of pancakes. She blinked a few times, trying to place the smell.
Was that breakfast? Here? She mused as she turned her head toward the open balcony doors and noticed something she hadn't expected: the elegant balcony table had been set up outside, draped with a crisp white cloth. Plates of food sat neatly arranged, along with a vase of flowers and a jar of freshly made juice and two cups.
Lucy smiled as she watched Tom, who was standing by the table, checking out the arrangement of everything on the table to be sure that it was perfect.
He turned when he sensed that she was awake, his smile warm and inviting. "You're awake," he said softly, walking back into the room. "Good morning, Jewel."
Lucy sat up, still groggy but smiling. "What... what's all that? When did you even-how didn't I notice?" she asked with wonder.
"I was extra careful not to wake you," he said, leaning down to press a kiss to her forehead. "You've were sleeping so soundly, and I didn't want to ruin it considering all the stress you've been through lately."
She chuckled lightly, brushing her hair out of her face. "What's the time anyway? We could have joined the others downstairs for breakfast. We shouldn't be having private meals when we have guests," she said, and Tom chuckled.
"They had breakfast already. It's past ten," he said, and Lucy's eyes widened in surprise.
"I slept for that long?" She asked, and Tom chuckled.
"Your body needs the rest. Besides, you didn't exactly sleep early because you were chatting with Amy and Sonia late into the night and you were on the phone with the other ladies," Tom pointed out and Lucy grinned.
"Yeah. That's true," she said, thinking about how excited they had all been about the news of her pregnancy.
"By the way, Jade said they ran into Anita," Lucy said and Tom nodded.
"Yeah. Harry told me," he replied in a tone that told Lucy that he didn't want to waste their time talking about Anita, "Come and see what I've done." he said, changing the subject as he took her hand and helped her out of the bed.
Lucy followed him out to the balcony, her bare feet shuffling softly across the floor.
As she stepped into the sunlight, her lips curved in a smile. Every detail of the setup looked intentional, from the golden plates to the careful arrangement of fruits. "It looks and smells amazing. Did you see this up yourself?"
Tom pulled out a chair for her, gesturing for her to sit. "I did. But I got a little help preparing
it."
"A little help?" she asked, sitting down and looking at him with suspicion.
"I had both our moms and Samantha in the kitchen guiding me," he admitted, grinning. "They made sure I didn't burn the house down. I wanted to surprise you."
"You really did ALL this?" she asked, her eyes wide. "You never cease to surprise and amaze me," she said when Tom nodded with a proud smile.
"Good. I never want to cease," he said, sitting across from her and Lucy laughed, shaking her head.
"I plan to make most of your meals from now on until the baby comes," Tom said, and her brows shot up.
"Really? And how exactly are you planning to manage that with your busy schedule?" She asked, watching him with amusement.
"I'll figure it out," he replied, undeterred. "I'll also get you a dietician to make sure you're eating all the right things. I want you to feel your best, Jewel. No terrible morning sickness, no stress. Just you, happy and healthy."
Lucy's face softened as she looked at him. "Ace," she began, her voice soft with emotion. "Why are you so perfect?"
Tom chuckled, reaching across the table to take her hand in his. "I'm not perfect, but I want to be. For you. If there's anything you want me to change, anything I can do better for you, just tell me. You've given me everything and I want to give everything to you, too."
Her lips curved into a grin. "I can't think of anything right now. You've already outdone yourself." She picked up a fork and took a bite of the fluffy pancakes, moaning softly in delight. "These are so good."
"Glad you like them," he said, watching her with a satisfied expression.
After a moment, she put her fork down and leaned back in her chair. "So, I'm no longer your employee?" she asked with a grin, and Tom chuckled.
"Yeah. You're not," he said, and Lucy smiled.
"How long were you planning to do that?" she asked, and he shrugged.
"Since I watched you having the meeting with your teammates months ago," he said, and she smiled.
"How does it make you feel? Being your own boss?" Tom asked curiously and she inhaled deeply.
"I'm both excited and terrified. What if I'm not ready for this? This is an entirely different responsibility. I don't want to fail or disappoint you," she admitted, and Tom smiled. "You seem to forget that you're not alone. I will always be here to give you advise when you need me to. You will do great," he assured her confidently, "but you can't overwork yourself. I know you might want to restructure things, but do it gradually in a way that won't leave you stressed out. Delegate as much as you can, especially routine tasks..." Tom trailed off when Lucy giggled.
"I'm done talking," he said, and she grinned.
"Thanks. I'll try not to make you very worried," she promised with a content sigh as she leaned back in her seat and placed one of her legs on Tom's thigh.
Tom patted her foot, playing with her fingers as he watched her eat, his heart full with love for her as he imagined her with a well rounded baby bump.
As they continued to eat, the air was filled with laughter and soft conversation. Tom watched Lucy carefully, his gaze lingering on her glowing face.
She smiled back at him, feeling warm and cherished. It wasn't just the food or the effort he'd put in; it was the way he made her feel, like she and their little one were the center of his
world.
"What about the vacation plans? Are we still going?" Lucy asked after some time.
Tom tilted his head, studying her. "Do you really want to go?"
"Of course I do," she said earnestly. "It's not right to cancel just because I'm pregnant. Everyone's been looking forward to it for months, and I don't want you to ruin the fun for
everyone."
Tom nodded, seeming to consider her words. "Okay, then. We'll leave tomorrow as planned." "Where did you have in mind?" she asked since he was yet to tell her about his plans, and Tom
grinned.
"It's a secluded Island," he said, and Lucy raised an eyebrow.
"An island?"
"Yeah," he said, his face lighting up. "One with no internet connection. That way, everyone can focus on spending time together, not on their phones or laptops."
Lucy laughed, covering her mouth. "I don't know how the others are going to feel about
that."
"They will be fine," Tom assured her. "Once they start having fun, they won't even think about their phones. Trust me," he said with a wink.
Lucy shook her head, giggling but before she could say a word, her phone rang inside the
bedroom.
"I will get it," Tom said, not wanting her to stand up.
He walked into the bedroom to get the phone and then picked up his as well. He raised a brow
when he saw that he had several missed calls from Harry, and dialed Harry's line as he took
Lucy's phone to her.
Harry picked his call at the same time as Lucy received Candace's call.
"Hey, Canda..."
"Have you heard the news?" Candace asked in a shaky voice.
"News? What news?" Lucy asked as she met Tom's gaze and noticed the tension in his body as
he turned away from her and move away from the balcony.
"Kimberly and Dawn were in an accident. I forwarded the news link to you..."
"Oh, my God!" Lucy gasped in shock.
"Jamal and my Dad left this morning and are on their way to see Dawn. I doubt they've heard
or seen the news. I have no idea what to do," Candace said in a very low voice.
"I'll call you back," Lucy said as she hung up the call and faced Tom, who had just returned to
join her.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om
She rose from her seat with tears in her eyes, "Tom..."
"Relax," he said, worried that she would get worked up.
"Did you hear what happened? Candace said..."
"I heard from Harry. Kimberly and her parents are dead. Dawn is in a critical condition," he
said and Lucy gasped as tears dropped from her eyes.
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