"Brisbane, are you sure?" Joy asked when Xue Ting and Qiu Wen arrived at Matthew's room. The twins were a little surprised when they heard Brisbane make a request to sleep in Matthew's room.
"Yes..." Brisbane giggled as she jumped excitedly on Matthew's bed.
"No... Why don't you sleep with Joy?" Matthew whined as he was feeling even more frustrated at his misunderstanding of Qiu Wen and Brisbane's identity.
"No, I wanna sleep with you... Matthew. Yes, you…" Brisbane giggled as she snuggled into Matthew's arms.
"Oh dear, you naughty little girl! Don't you dare simply say that to anyone, Brisbane!" Joy chuckled as she gently combed Brisbane's shoulder-length hair.
Matthew didn't like his privacy being intruded upon and has been often a reserved person except with Xue Ting, Joy, and the twins' best friend, Diane. Lately, he had just opened up a little with Qiu Wen after a long while and much effort too. Hence, he really couldn't get used to Brisbane's approach which was similar to Joy's when she was young. He stood awkwardly not knowing how to react when Joy tried to calm Brisbane by carrying her to sit on her lap.
"Hey sweetie, it's time for bed for all of you!" Xue Ting chimed from the door. Matthew quickly walked over to complain to his mother the moment he heard her.
"Mummy, can you please take her off my bed please and please make her not agree to sleep here? Please mummy, pleaseeee..." Matthew was beyond begging as he desperately tugged on Xue Ting's arm while Xue Ting knew what was going on.
"Why? Who?" Xue Ting asked pretending to sound overwhelming.
"Her..." Matthew pointed at Brisbane who was giggling and jumping on his bed not knowing his mother was putting on an act.
"Oh... Come let's go to bed, princess?" Xue Ting walked into the room to coax Brisbane knowing Matthew was just annoyed at the sudden surprise.
"I am sleeping here, Sicily... Please..." Brisbane pleaded with her puppy eyes as the twins were shocked at what Brisbane called their mother.
"What is going on here hmmm?" Xue Ting pretended to say as she eyed Qiu Wen to do something or come up with an idea.
"Call her Auntie Sicily, Brisbane," Joy corrected as Brisbane playfully shook her head.
"But she lets me call her Sicily cause I like her..." Brisbane protested as Joy chuckled, reminding her of herself when she was younger.
"I like you too. I want to call you Joy." Brisbane said as Joy offered a pinky finger to make a deal.
"Alrighty!" Joy chirped the moment Brisbane reach out with her pinky finger too.
"Alright, I guess we settle for the three of you to sleep in Joy's room instead where you could pull a bed over? It's of larger space there..." Qiu Wen suggested after a while.
Matthew was getting annoyed as he kept tisking while Brisbane cheered happily in Xue Ting's arms. Xue Ting quickly carried Brisbane to Joy and led them out of the room first. "Alright, go go. Head over first." Xue Ting instructed as she watched the girls head out of the room.
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Xue Ting then went to hug her upset son as she soothed him.
"It's only temporary till she falls asleep... The little girl is a little traumatise from watching her mum being abused by her dad last night..." Xue Ting explained as she watched his son's eyes grow larger in horror when she let him off her hug.
"What?! Abuse? That's bad... Where… I mean how is her mum?" Matthew asked concerned.
"In the hospital with Dan, my friend... He might sleep over here later. Don't worry..." Qiu Wen explained as Matthew finally realise he doubted Qiu Wen and Brisbane for no reason.
"We are trying to keep Brisbane stable emotionally till her mum recovers. Just try to please her small requests and twirl around with her for a bit, alright?" Xue Ting rubbed his cheeks as he nodded still in a state of shock.
Xue Ting knew her twins are always understanding once they know the reasons. It was how she always wanted them to grow as reasonable individuals. Xue Ting then stepped out of the room with Qiu Wen as he led her back to her room to sort out Brisbane's bag pack leaving Matthew to get ready for bed and head over to the girls' room.
"They will be alright. You should shower and rest. It's been tiring for you too..." Xue Ting said noticing Qiu Wen was still tailgating her as she stopped midway before he knocked into her.
"Oops! I'm sorry!" Xue Ting apologised as he was hit on his nose when they both nearly fall to the ground. However, Xue Ting wasn't strong enough to hold Qiu Wen up that they both were falling off to the ground together. He managed to catch her in his arms when he was falling off to let her fall on top of him instead. Xue Ting instantly blushed as she wanted to shift away when he stopped her and whispered.
"I will be out in five minutes after showering. If Dan comes, just lead him to the guest room here. Take the right side of my bed later." Xue Ting nodded shyly in his embrace as he spoke while helping her to stand before heading to his room with a smile.
Qiu Wen in actual fact knew Dan wouldn't have come to stay over as Pam's condition was rather unstable and even if he decided to stay over, Dan would have preferred to sleep on the couch. He was lucky Xue Ting was too occupied to notice all this that she easily agreed to sleep in the same bed as him.
After ensuring the kids were all settled in Joy's room and had fallen asleep, Xue Ting couldn't stand waiting for Qiu Wen to come out of the shower. It was taking him longer as he kept letting his mind wander off about the entire event that night. By the time, he came out, Xue Ting was asleep on the right side of his bed as he had told her to.
He beamed trying to pinch himself awake from being smitten with the reality of his marriage to the lady in his heart all this while and she was finally asleep by his side that night. It took him quite a while to fall asleep. He couldn't take his eyes off the beauty of Xue Ting even when she was asleep.
The peaceful night didn't last long when the skies began to pour back heavy rains as the strong winds howled coupled with the loud thunder. It was the exact weather when Brisbane was hiding in the closet the night before.
The abrupt loud thunder sounds were too frightening for Brisbane to sleep as Joy's bed was too close to the window. The lightning flashing in by the window made it scarier for Brisbane to endure. Brisbane was on the verge of crying when she quickly climbed down from the bed and opened the room's door to head to Xue Ting's room only to find an empty bed.
Brisbane couldn't hold in her fear as she sat on the ground crying when both dogs barked to alert the adults. Xue Ting then stirred in her sleep as she heard the barks and a faint cry from Brisbane. She quickly jumped out of bed and headed outside to find Brisbane and both puppies in her room opposite Qiu Wen's as she closed Qiu Wen's room door after noticing he was still asleep.
"Sweetie, are you alright?" Xue Ting rushed over to Brisbane who was then wailing in her arms as Xue Ting hugged her.
"Mummy! Mummy…. Mummy…" Brisbane cried and whimpered in her arms as Xue Ting instantly could tell Brisbane was afraid of the thunder.
She quickly carried her out of the guest room and closed the door behind her. The sound of the thunder became suppressed when all the room doors were closed. As Brisbane gradually calm down, it was a little too late for her overwhelmed self to control the urge to not vomit. Before Xue Ting could bring her to the washroom, she had already thrown up on the floor and Brisbane was afraid of being scolded that she instantly cried again.
Qiu Wen noticed Xue Ting had not returned to bed for a long time as he wondered if Dan came by or if was there something else that was wrong. He feared the most for her to return to her own room to sleep as it would definitely be disappointing for him. However, to his surprise, when he opened his room's door, he saw Xue Ting was busy cleaning up the floor while Brisbane was still sobbing behind her. He quickly went over to Xue Ting who was crouching on the floor.
"Come, let me do this. Go look after her." Qiu Wen said as Xue Ting was surprised he was awake.
"It's alright. Hurry go..." He urged as Xue Ting quickly let him take over and held on to Brisbane who was calmer.
She carried her into her arms and clean her mouth before letting her drink some water.
"Feeling better?" Xue Ting asked as Brisbane nodded.
"You had a nightmare?" Xue Ting asked softly as Brisbane shook her head while taking a sip from the water bottle. She pointed at the thunder and lightning instead.
"It's scary?" Xue Ting asked as Brisbane nodded and couldn't help but tear up.
"It's alright. It's alright. I am here. Don't worry…" Xue Ting comforted as she hummed a lullaby she always hummed to the twins when they were young. As Xue Ting gently rocked Brisbane in her arms, feeling safe and assured, Brisbane was slowly falling asleep.
Qiu Wen who had just finished cleaning up the floor stopped for a moment when he heard the lullaby she hummed. It was the same tune he heard when they were kidnapped in the jungle back when they were younger.
It melted his heart to watch her being so loving and it reminded him to continue fighting for this woman who was not only the love of his life but also his brother and his life savior. If it wasn't because of this lullaby, his anxiety would have caused more trouble for them while being kidnapped.