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

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 just a

while in the middle of

“Yes Alex?”

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

with my eyebrows furrowed. “You’re

walked over to the play area through

after lunch,” I told my husband as he settled across

monster” Gabriel cooed his son, placing a big

1/3

Chipter

the car over Gabriel’s coat, dropping it in

1 gled

day let a little child

Gabriel?”

was missing the

“And not me?” 11

pout.

it wasn’t as open as I had gotten

hold, diving into the

on him,

same way. His shoulders were tense, and he wouldn’t look at

to be able to rest my temple on his shoulder. “Don’t lie to me. Why’re

taking a deep breath over my head as if to absorb my presence. “I had a

creases “A bad

was a fire,” he barely whispers. “In the house. I was coming back from somewhere from work, I think. And I came to see

on his

continues, “I could save only one of

hand, and he intertwined our fingers, bring it closer to his lips to

Freckles.” He answers the question I didn’t ask, and I shut my eyes for

just a dream, Gabriel,”

turns to me only briefly. “I know.” He looks away again, to Alex. “But if I was ever given such an impossible choice, yo know I

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

hesitates, “Do you think the twins will hate me

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