The fax machine beside Chloe suddenly rang, its shrill beeping breaking the silence of the room.

Chloe’s eyes flickered with curiosity as she stood up and approached the machine.

With her hand resting on it, her gaze fixed on the paper that lay quietly there, she hesitated for a moment, but eventually picked it up.

The paper listed advice for expectant mothers, common worries intermingled with old wives’ tales. Chloe skimmed through them, each point resonating with a mix of truth and superstition: “b2

1. Avoid Fear: Many women harbor a fear of childbirth, which can affect their eating and sleeping habits, and even hinder their body’s natural stress responses, delaying the onset of labor.

2. Avoid Impatience: Some expectant mothers grow anxious for labor to begin, especially as their due date approaches. They fail to understand that there’s a window of time around the due date when labor can naturally begin.

3. Avoid Carelessness: Some women take their pregnancy too lightly, finding themselves ill-prepared when labor starts, leading to panic and mistakes.

4. Avoid Exhaustion: Both physical and mental fatigue should be avoided during pregnancy. It’s important to reduce activity and ensure adequate rest.

5. Avoid Laziness: Some women, fearing miscarriage or premature birth, become overly sedentary. This can lead to a more difficult delivery.

6. Avoid Worry: Negative emotions can impact the smooth progress of childbirth.

7. Avoid Loneliness: Expectant mothers often feel nervous before delivery and crave encouragement and support, especially from their partners.

8. Avoid Hunger: Given the physical demands of childbirth, it’s crucial for them to eat well before labor to maintain their strength.

9. Avoid Travel: It’s best to avoid long trips, especially by car or boat. Because various conditions are restricted during the journey, experiencing difficult childbirth is a dangerous situation that may jeopardize the safety of both mother and child.

10. Avoid Medication: Childbirth is a natural process, and usually, medication isn’t needed. Misusing drugs or resorting to induction without medical advice can have severe consequences.”

Chloe read through the list meticulously, a heartfelt smile spreading across her face as she bit her right index finger. She knew this was how it would be. She was aware of the fears and concerns that could plague an expectant mother, and she was doing her best to avoid them, but even with all her preparation, she couldn’t be completely indifferent.

Just this morning, when Rose had brought up the topic, Chloe had felt a surge of nerves herself. Her dependency on Damon had become a habit. When she had mentioned her concerns to him in the morning, she had not expected such a strong reaction. When he came out of the bathroom, his words were scarce.

Remembering the cigarette he’d had earlier, Chloe couldn’t help but smirk. It seemed he was even more nervous than she was. Placing the paper back on the machine, she had just turned to leave the study when Damon appeared in the doorway.

“Lunch will be ready in a bit. Why don’t you rest a little longer?” he suggested.

Chloe shook her head with a soft laugh, “I’ve been resting enough lately. I should get moving.”

Damon’s gaze swept over her legs, which were swollen and sore from the pregnancy. “Can your legs handle it?” he asked, concern lacing his voice.

With a playful smile, Chloe stepped forward and slipped her arm through his, “Looks like you’ll have to give me a good leg massage later.”

His lips curved into a gentle smile, “I’ll help you downstairs.”

“Okay.”

As they made their way down the stairs, Damon suddenly asked, “Do you want to know more details about your friend’s delivery?”

Chloe paused, “What kind of details?”

“Some families opt for a birth photography service, documenting everything from before entering the delivery room to the moment of birth,” he explained.

Chloe looked at him with surprise, not expecting him to be aware of such services.

“Watch your step,” he reminded her gently. “If you’re interested, I can ask Danny to arrange it.”

eyebrow, “Wouldn’t we need Rose’s consent for

mention it to her,” he

but the tricky part

you really think Morrison’s opinion matters

were paramount. If Rose insisted, Morrison would have no choice

chuckled softly, “You thought of

lips together, “Do you want

“I’ll talk to

“Hmm,” Damon dropped

the idea to Rose. Considering the significance of the moment,

immediately made a call to

you be taking care of your own wife instead of meddling in someone

“Do you want

“Alright, alright! Just joking. No need to

got straight to the point, “Start recording from the prep work, but edit out

the whole point of recording this is to capture the moment when women give birth,

expect me to watch another woman give birth?” Damon

silent. What the hell was wrong with Damon for shooting this video but editing

boss. We’ll do it your

up. His grandma and mother were strolling with Chloe and Yulia, heading back. He stepped down the

her due date, Rose had the photographer set up the camera in her room, just in case the due date arrived earlier than

more stressed. He stayed with Rose every day, not daring to leave her side. There were noticeable dark circles under his eyes.

sentinel. When his Megan made her appearance, he was equally

have once made a man twitchy – didn’t faze Morrison anymore. He’d become an expert by necessity, practically

on whatever Rose ate, although he never seemed to eat more. It was like he was in some sort

would catch Morrison secretly browsing on his phone, searching for information about pregnant women giving birth and various aspects of prenatal

fret over her, urging her to have a piece of fruit or a glass of water, his restlessness betraying his unease. His anxious doting actually made Rose

crossed her legs, leaned back against the hospital bed pillows, and said, “The baby wants to hear you

at her belly. “When did he decide

on, you learned some songs, didn’t you? Start

Morrison flushed.

to his arm. “If you don’t sing, both the

his song. By the end of the song, Morrison’s

had used

how about ‘Good daddy, bad daddy’

A song about Mother’s Love, and for Daddy, it’s ‘Good daddy,

So childish.

waiting!” Rose’s eyes shone, her hands clapping

hand over his forehead and, despite himself, took

and pans go pop, pop, pop. When he does the laundry, it’s snap, snap,

of embarrassment as he sang the song with peculiar tones and odd pitches. Rose started by stifling giggles,

to lighten the mood, but she was nearly dying of laughter.

full of embarrassment, struggling to finish the song. It took him a good while to ease up and somewhat

laughing uncontrollably,

precious and selfless. Being a good daddy

“Enjoying yourself?”

to be the good daddy or the bad

“If you take over the spanking duties, I’d be

shook her head. “How could a mother spank her baby? That would make

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