“Sorry hun…”

I lied on the bed curled up in pain.

“It’s ok, we can still go next year. Just relax.”

With a kiss on the forehead, he pulled me into his arms while I settled on his chest to smell his familiar scent.

The pain I felt every month was unbearable and I hated the fact that I cannot even go out to dinner for Valentine's.

He kept on patting my head and for a couple of minutes until I eventually passed out in pain.

- - - - - - -

I don’t know how long I was asleep but when I opened my eyes, it was already dusk. The room was dark, the house was quiet and the warm human pillow I was hugging before is now gone.

“Hun?”

Still in pain, I slowly marched to the bedroom door. As soon as the door opened, dim lights shone through the gap and there I found my husband humming while setting the table.

A candle-lit dinner table was set up perfectly with roses. Then he ran to the kitchen to remove the meat on a cast iron pan.

“Hehe, you’re awake. Good morning!”

After setting the pan down. He ran to me with his designated apron with oven mitts and hugged me. I could smell the faint rosemary and garlic on him.

Maybe because I’m on my period or because I’ve been busy as heck these past few months or because that he went excavating for a month and haven’t seen him until yesterday but tears soon fell from my eyes. The pain also didn’t help so I ended up wailing.

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“Wah, why are you crying?!”

Panicked, he hugged me tighter and patted my back.

“Were you sad because you woke up alone? I’m sorry… I selfishly wanted to have dinner with you so I started cooking.”

“*sniff* ...no…”

I looked up and gave him a peck on his lips.

“...I’m happy… thank you!”

That night, I ate my fill of his cooking. Then fell asleep warm on his embrace.

- - - - - - - -

“Mom, are you okay?”

Peeking from my bedroom door was a white head with ruby-red eyes.

“...I’m fine dear, just in a bit of pain but I’ll be fine tomorrow, don’t worry.”

I smiled wryly from my bed bundled up in my blanket. Even though I was technically reconstructed by Silvio, couldn’t he have removed this monthly agonizing pain?!

Well, I wouldn’t be surprised if he based my reconstructed body from my old one.

“You see, mom…”

He fidgeted as he opened and entered the door.

“Uncle elf came this morning, and we umm… we made dinner…”

“Uncle elf…? Ah, you mean Gael?”

He nodded bashfully and trotted smiling towards me.

“Are you feeling okay, mom? Want to have dinner?”

As he leaned on the bed to look at me, I could smell the scent of seared pork chops, rosemary and garlic. It made me remember the dream I had earlier.

“It’s the same…”

“The same? Can you stand?”

From the door, a red fluffy hair that curls upwards entered. In his face sat two bright green eyes resembling the trees in spring.

“Gael… yeah, I can stand. Gimme a sec.”

Lex smiled happily and pulled the blankets off me. Even as short as he was, he tried to support me and we walked to the dinner table with Gael.

The dinner table felt nostalgic. Although without the candle lights, the dining table set for three made my eyes water.

“Mom, I helped Uncle elf with dinner! He also taught me how to make a cake with magic!”

“Yes, it may sound like a waste of time for most mages, but if he practices with something he likes, this way of cake-making will help him control his magic better.”

The dinner was sublime. I even forgot the pain with how much the two told stories of how they hang out.

...maybe it would feel like this if he was still with me and we had a son like Lex…?