Master of his heart (Brielle and Max)

The village coordinator had just left after delivering his message. Dustin had considered inviting him to stay for a meal, but the guy seemed so jittery, he probably wouldn't have been able to relax even if he stayed.

The family of four took their sweet time finishing breakfast. Emma headed out to run some errands, leaving Dustin at home with the kids. He'd come prepared with a ton of toys this time, clearly planning to stick around for more than just a couple of days. By the time Emma returned at noon, Dustin had lunch ready. It gave her this funny feeling, like she was the one handling things outside while Dustin was holding down the fort at home.

They carried on like this, living in peaceful harmony for about two weeks. Since Emma took over directing the village's herb farming, she'd been swamped with work. One day, while she was out setting up a new farming area with some of the villagers, a snake bit her. And it was a poisonous one.

The villagers rushed her back home, shouting for help. "Mr. Lynch, Emma's been bitten by a snake, and it's poisonous!" By now, Emma's wound had turned a nasty shade of purple, a sign that the venom was spreading. Dustin was shocked but quickly remembered the old trick of sucking out the poison. He pressed his lips against Emma's knee, trying to draw it out.

Meanwhile, the villagers had fetched a local doctor from the neighboring village. After getting a description of the snake, the doctor left some medicine and noticed Dustin's swollen mouth from the venom. "Young man, you better take some of this medicine too, or that swelling won't go down for a week."

and Heather were sitting nearby, giggling. "Daddy, your lips are so puffy," they teased. Dustin, knowing he looked ridiculous, could only

Dustin's condition, she was taken aback. After the villagers explained what happened, she fell into a thoughtful silence. Her feelings for Dustin had always been a tangled mess. She'd been interested in him initially, but after seeing his entanglements with another woman, she backed off. Then came a phase of self-doubt, where she decided to nip her budding feelings for him

she often felt tongue-tied Dustin noticed this, feeling like something was stabbing at his heart, leaving an unbearable ache. Emma, are you hungry? I go make some food," he offered. It had become his go-to phrase over the past weeks. Whenever things got awkward, he'd suggest cooking, trying to ease the tension between them. But he knew that wasn't

to talk." Dustin tensed up, dreading what might come next. He feared she might say, "When are you leaving? Your presence here has really been a bother." That would be

he took the ostrich

talk

children. Dustin had had a tough year; moving forward, she intended to take one child, leaving the other with Dustin. Her energy only allowed for taking