His Wife (A Contract Marriage Story) by Heer Mangtani

Chapter 86

Alex and Aurora: 2 and a half years old.

“Mama?” Alex called me, and I smiled at my little boy. He had spoken for the first time almost a year and a half ago, but it still made me grin every time he called me mama with his little voice

“Yes, baby?” I coord, picking him up in my arms and carrying him outside, letting his sister sleep,

“Play?” He blinked his huge eyes, and 1 nod.

“Of course, my love.”

1 carry him to the twins’ little play area in the house, and he happily hops out of my arms and into the soft area where his blocks and cars were kept along with Aurora’s dolls and a soft ball pit that they could jump into.

I watch as he puts a few blocks on top of one another, making a tower.

I

“Wow. That’s so tall.” I sit next to him, passing him the blocks one by one as he adds them onto his creation, careful not to topple them.

It w

was a quiet afternoon in our house. Gabriel was at work, and this was usually the time for the twins to nap but Alex had a sugar rush and couldn’t sleep. Even then, he wasn’t making noise, aware his sister was sleeping in the room next to ours.

“Mama… look!” He pointed at the tall tower, satisfied by how much he had managed to pile on.

1 was just about to praise him when he punched right in the centre of it, watching with a spark in his eyes how all of it fell down into many pieces.

“FUN!” He shouted, the grin of his mouth endless, his brown eyes showing so much sudden enthusiasm.

1 sighed, resisting the urge to face palm.

It’s bothersome how much destruction excites him.

“You’re supposed to build, my love. Not break.” I remind him gently, smiling at his antics.

“If no break, then how build again?” He pouts, and I nearly laugh

been this way. Always inquisitive, always observing, always witty. And his knack for watching things break? It was concerning for Gabriel although I always laughed it off. He was

called me again while in the middle of racing his cars

“Yes Alex?”

keys or the sound of footsteps, I turned around just in time to catch Gabriel walk

I called him with my eyebrows

area through the little white

lunch,” I told my husband as he settled

son, placing a big kiss on his

1/3

Chipter

play Alex was busy running the car over Gabriel’s coat, dropping

1 gled

knew the man I met would one day let a little child run his toy car over

home. Gabriel?” I

missing the

“And not me?” 11

pout.

it wasn’t as open

Gabriel’s hold, diving into the ball

closer eye on him, dipping

His shoulders were tense,

his arm to be able to rest my temple on

top of my head, taking a deep breath over my head as if to absorb

creases “A

he barely whispers. “In the house. I was coming back from somewhere from work, I think. And

hold on his arm

one of you.

thumb of my free hand, and he intertwined our fingers, bring it closer to his

for a brief second. “Since I woke up,

was just a dream, Gabriel,” I reassure

ever given such an impossible choice, yo know I would put myself through a hundred deaths before giving up on you or the kids,

that,” I whisper. “You’re a good father, Gabriel

me when they grow

voice a little sharp. They will never find out. And even if they do, they wouldn’t hate you because you’ve been