Hitched & Hitched Again: A Comedy of Marital Mayhem



Elysia snapped back to reality as her gaze landed on him, momentarily caught off-guard.

He stood a few meters away, hands casually tucked into his pockets, his sharp features slightly softened by a gentle squint, exuding an air of rugged handsomeness. His tall, lean figure carried an aura of aloofness, usually emitting a chilly vibe that marked him as someone not easily approached. But today, for reasons unknown, he seemed less frosty and more approachable, his presence even more distinguished and gentlemanly.

A fair assessment would be: a man of remarkable presence.

To exaggerate: He was too handsome, too charismatic, almost too good for this world.This content belongs to Nô/velDra/ma.Org .

Even though Elysia harbored no romantic feelings for him, she couldn't help but internally award his looks and demeanor a perfect score.

"Daydreaming? Are we going or not?" he called out.

Elysia quickly responded, "On my way!" She hurried towards him, forgetting she was wearing high heels. Her foot slipped, and she stumbled forward.

The sneaky quartet gasped, hearts leaping into their throats!

Tarquin's brow furrowed, and he swiftly moved to catch her.

The four kids exhaled in relief: That gave us a scare. Daddy scores a point in this round.

Elysia found herself in Tarquin's arms, her face twisted in pain.

Tarquin quickly knelt to examine her ankle, pressing gently. Elysia hissed in pain, though not too severely.

Tarquin said, "It's not swollen. Try walking on it."

Elysia moved her foot, "I can walk. These darn high heels, I can never get used to them."

"I'll have someone bring you a pair of comfy slippers."

"No! I'm wearing a cocktail dress; it has to be paired with heels to maintain the aura!"

Tarquin looked at her, "You don't need to impress anyone for Elijah's sake. With me around, you could show up in pajamas and they wouldn't dare disrespect you or Elijah. Change into slippers later, whatever makes you comfortable."

"I don't want to. I don't want to change. Heels look good! It's just a slight twist, not a real injury. I'll tell you when I really want to change."

Seeing her insistence, Tarquin pressed his lips together, "Torturing yourself, for what?"

Elysia muttered, "You're not a woman, you wouldn't understand."

Tarquin didn't push further, wanting to support her but she refused, leaving him to respect her wishes.

A thought lingered in his mind: Does caring mean I'm falling for her?

The four little ones had already scampered back to their original spot, keen to keep their spying a secret.

Evan remarked, "Overall, for a cad, Tarquin did okay this time, earning a point!"

Emmett asked, "Wasn't it three points?"

Evan explained, "He's too timid to directly ask Mommy if she likes him, deducting two points there. The remaining point is for catching Mommy in time, preventing her from falling."

"Oh, got it. I think he's starting to like Mommy."

Elliot interjected, "Drop the 'I think.' It's more than 'starting.' He's definitely into Mommy, just too stubborn to admit it, probably still hung up over Elijah's mother."

Emmett immediately asked, "Should we tell him the truth?"

Evan shook his head, "Of course not. Mommy doesn't like him back yet. We'll wait until she does."

Elliot nodded, "Evan's right. Let's wait a bit longer. Love is complicated for adults. We should stay out of it for now."

Evan mumbled to himself, "I'll note this down. Once he scores a hundred, I'll approve of him being with Mommy."

Elijah remained silent, deep in thought about how to score big points for his dad.

By now, the Bradfords had joined the four kids, glancing at Elijah to gauge his mood, frowning at his apparent well-being. Then, they turned their attention to Elliot, Evan, and Emmett, feigning curiosity.