Chapter 69

Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 69

"Mama, mama! Foohd! Tashty foohd?"

"My little girl can speak now. Mwah, Mama loves you." Maya scooped Arabella up as the little one reached toward the delicious-smelling dinner. The aroma of the food teased her tiny nose, and Maya couldn’t help but feel proud of her daughter’s progress. Just a month ago, Arabella could only say “Ma” and “Pa.”

Wanda couldn’t resist Arabella’s cuteness either. The more she interacted with the twins, the faster her heart melted.

She touched the little girl’s hand gently. “You’re hungry?”

“Yesh.” Arabella answered innocently, her big eyes sparkling with excitement as a small drool line formed at the corner of her mouth.

The two women laughed at Arabella’s honesty.

"Mrs. Wanda, if possible, we’d like to eat dinner in the master bedroom. It feels awkward to sit at that long dining table when we’re the only ones eating. Besides, I’m not used to eating with maids standing in the corner watching us," Maya said politely, unsure if this was normal behavior in wealthy households.

More than that, she wanted to minimize Karlos’ interactions with Claire, the maid. If they ate inside the master bedroom, she would feel more at ease. Her protective instincts as a wife were showing, she wanted to avoid any room for misunderstanding.

"If that’s what you want, we’ll deliver your dinners here every night," Wanda agreed. She found Maya’s reasoning completely understandable. After all, she herself wasn’t sure if it was necessary for maids to stand by and watch guests eat, though she knew that in the Araneto household, her master preferred it that way for convenience.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wanda."

"Again, you don’t have to thank me. I’m just doing my job."

"Tank you," Arabella repeated adorably.

"Aww, my little girl is such a cutie~" Maya pinched her daughter’s cheeks gently before showering her with kisses. Arabella’s giggles filled the cozy room, her laughter light and innocent like music.

"Well then, we have to wake your Papa and brother. They’ll be sad if you eat without them."

"Hehe."

Maya set Arabella down on the bed, and the little girl immediately took it upon herself to wake the two sleeping men.

"Papa! Papa!"

She slapped Karlos’ forehead, making him scrunch his nose in his sleep.

"Hm, I’m awake."

He weakly opened his eyes and grabbed Arabella’s small hand. His rough fisherman’s palm looked massive compared to her tiny fingers.

"Papa’s awake now. No need to slap my face."

"Hehe."

Iñigo woke up around the same time when the bed creaked from Karlos’ movement. He frowned at his father for disturbing his good sleep, rubbing his eyes sleepily while puffing his cheeks in protest.

"I’ll have to leave now. You can call me if you need help," Wanda said softly.

"Thank you, Mrs. Wanda."

"Bye bye~" Arabella waved her tiny hand, and Wanda smiled warmly, waving back before closing the door.

"Now you two, behave," Karlos said as he lifted the twins and sat them down in their chairs between their parents.

He was impressed with the dinner. The red snapper he had brought earlier was fried perfectly, served with sautéed vegetables on the side. There were also roasted chicken and broccoli. He fed the twins pieces of soft fish, and they happily munched on them.

"I asked Mrs. Wanda about the Ocean Churches near the bay area," Maya said. "She said Foster can drive us to one."

"That would be great," Karlos replied.

He wasn’t sure if walking would be a good idea since he still didn’t know the routes around this part of town. Thankfully, Wanda offered help.

Karlos felt awkward accepting so much assistance, but he decided to go along with it anyway. As the man of the house, he had to swallow his pride sometimes. Accepting help didn’t mean weakness.

'Since they want to help us, might as well accept it... I wonder if they’ll let me explore the wine cellar. I rarely get to enjoy wine,' he thought as he savored his meal... Yes, Collin was alcoholic.

That night, the soft mattress made the twins fall asleep quickly. Their steady breathing filled the quiet room. The couple, on the other hand, stayed up talking about their plans. They felt too uncomfortable doing the horizontal monster smash in someone else’s house, so they settled for soft kisses on each other’s lips and necks... for now.

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"Arabella, stay still!" Maya raised her voice as the little girl played during bath time. Water splashed everywhere, droplets scattering across the floor as Arabella squealed with laughter. She moved so much that some soap splashed into Maya’s right eye, making her wince in pain.

Maya wiped her teary eye and gave Arabella a serious look. Her patience was running thin, and the stinging in her reddened eye didn’t help. Realizing her mistake, Arabella quickly calmed down and stayed still for the rest of the bath. Her lips pouted, and her eyes lowered guiltily.

When Maya was done with Arabella, she called for Iñigo, who was playing with his stuffed toy. Around the same time, Karlos arrived carrying breakfast.

"Breakfast is here."

He had woken up early to fix the damaged mesh of the crab traps. The faint smell of salt and bamboo clung to his hands and shirt. On the way back, he met Wanda pushing a food cart and convinced her to let him handle the delivery so she could rest.

When he entered the room, the steam from the freshly cooked food rose invitingly.

"Papa!" Arabella cheered happily upon seeing her father bring food.

"Great timing," Maya said. "Dry your daughter’s hair and dress her in a formal outfit for the Sunday service. She’s too much to handle right now." She sighed and carried Iñigo to the bathtub, it was his turn for a bath. They were still too young to wash themselves.

Arabella wanted to eat first, but her father was stricter than her mother. She puffed her cheeks and crossed her arms but obeyed anyway, letting her father dress her. After that, Karlos had to feed her.

A few minutes later, Iñigo emerged, freshly bathed. Unlike his sister, he behaved quietly, standing still with a towel wrapped around him.

"Babe, dress Iñigo too. I’ll take a bath next."

"What happened to your eye?" Karlos asked worriedly, touching her cheek gently. Her right eye was red and irritated.

"Arabella splashed soap in my eye." Maya smiled faintly at his concern. It wasn’t serious, just painful. Her voice was calm, though her blinking showed it still stung.

"Arabella, don’t do that again. Your Mama just wants to take care of you, but you hurt her. Say sorry," Karlos said sternly, his tone serious enough to make the little girl freeze mid-bite.

"Sowwy, Mama." Her eyes welled up with tears, guilt clear in her small voice.

"It’s alright, sweetie. Just don’t do it again." Maya could never stay mad at her daughter for long. Maybe for a few minutes, or hours, but her love always overpowered her irritation. She kissed Arabella’s head, the scent of soap still lingering in her damp hair.

"Hm." Arabella nodded and went back to eating her bread, taking small bites while glancing at her parents, making sure they weren’t still upset.

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[Author's Note: Today’s a good day to offer a discount. Both tiers are 50% off. Only the first 10 subscribers will get the discount.]

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