"Goodnight, mama." Aika ended the call with her mama. VP Leni wasn't even shocked when Aika called to tell her about staying over at Nat's.

"I feel like I just committed a crime..." Nat laughed nervously as Aika snuggled into his arms on the sofa.

"Maybe you should follow me home tomorrow and kneel for forgiveness..." Aika joked.

"Anything for you..." Nat rested his head on Aika's shoulder and closed his eyes.

"What are you thinking about?" Aika asked softly after a minute of silence.

"You." Nat hummed as he opened his eyes and looked Aika in the eye.

"About how much our lives have changed with you around. About how much love you and your family have shown us. About how happy Jamie is around you. And about the possibility of this being a norm in the future..." Nat knew he was being cheesy.

"I'm flattered but honestly, the past few months have really felt like a whirlwind for me too..." Aika thought back to the time she first met Nat and Jamie.

"Can you promise me something?" Nat bit his lip nervously as he asked.

"Hmm?" Aika assumed Nat was going to throw a cheesy joke again.

"If there ever comes a time where being with me hurts you or your family, let me go." At Nat's words, Aika felt her heart stop for a second.

"What do you mean? Let you go?" Aika wanted an explanation.

"Aika, listen. I love you. I really do. And that's why the last thing I ever want to do is hurt you. I know very well that I'm not the guy that everyone expects as your other half. Not when you're this amazing..." Nat hated himself for spoiling the mood.

"If you love me, then shouldn't you fight for what we have instead of letting go?" Aika didn't understand why Nat was suddenly feeling defeated.

"Because fighting also means hurting others and you in the process. You, your family, Jamie and my family...everyone will get hurt because my selfishness." Nat sighed.

"And so you think letting go of me and your happiness will solve everything?" Aika broke away from Nat. She was getting frustrated at him.

"One person getting hurt beats hurting everyone else..." Nat got up and approached Aika.

"What makes you think that you're going to be the only one hurting? What about me? Is losing you supposed to not hurt me?" Aika raised her voice slightly.

"I just don't want you to have to make a painful decision between me and your family, if that day ever comes..." Nat had tears in his eyes.

"Why do you think I'll have to choose? Why can't we have both? If you were going to give up on us this easily, we shouldn't even have started!" Aika was equally emotional.

"Tita Aika...Daddy? Are you guys fighting?" Jamie's voice was heard through the open door.

"Hey sweetie, Daddy and I were just talking...sorry for waking you up. Come, let's get you back to bed." Aika brushed past a teary-eyed Nat and gave Jamie a strained smile.

~

"Did Daddy make you cry? If he did, I'll scold him for you..." Jamie noticed the tears in Aika's eyes.

"I'm okay, sweetheart..." Aika quickly wiped her tears and covered Jamie with the blanket.

Even as Jamie drifted off, her fingers were tightly wrapped around Aika's, as if finding comfort and security in the latter. Aika stared at the tiny hand holding her and subsequently, the pictures that decorated Jamie's room...they were snapshots of all their outings together.

"Aika..." Nat was waiting anxiously outside Jamie's room for Aika. He knew he had messed up bad.

"I realised I haven't replied you so here's my answer. I will not let you go even when things get tough for us. It's going to be torturous for both of us to continue on with the fear that one day we'll end up going our separate ways. So I'm giving you a choice now. Are we going to pretend this never happened and promise to never let go or do you want to end things before either of us gets hurt?" Aika needed her and Nat to be on the same page.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said something like this...I let my insecurities spillover to what we have between us and I shouldn't have. I was just so scared that history was going to repeat itself and I...I'm sorry...I will never want to let you go...Never...Will you forgive me?" Nat was trying to string his apology and confession together coherently.

"Nat, look at me. Stop letting your past hold you back. What matters most is now and the future, these are the things you have control over. I'll be here for you. We can walk together...you, me and Jamie. If I didn't have confidence in us, I wouldn't have agreed to be with you in the first place." Aika cupped Nat's face in her hands.

"Sorry for spoiling tonight..." Nat muttered softly into Aika's palms as he kissed it.

"You know what, I think we both need sleep...Wake up and forget about this." Aika took Nat's hand and led him into the bedroom, Nat followed obediently.

"I was so scared that you were going to leave..." Nat was lying in bed with Aika in his embrace.

"I was contemplating to until Jamie woke up..." Aika crossed her arms jokingly.

"I'm sorry, I won't do that again..." Nat wrapped Aika into a tight hug.

"You'd better. One more time you say something like that, you're in big trouble...with me and the rest of my family." Aika hit Nat's chest lightly.

"Yes Ma'am." Nat saluted.

"Stop staring at me and go to sleep." Aika's eyes were closed but she knew that Nat was looking at her.

"1 more minute...actually 5 more minutes..." Nat bargained. Aika purposely turned around so her back was facing Nat.

"Mahal na mahal kita" Nat whispered as he wrapped his arms around Aika's waist.

~

"DADDY! DADDY! DADDY!" Jamie ran into the room excitedly with Aika following behind.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead..." Aika smiled as Jamie jumped onto the bed.

"Why didn't anyone wake me up..." Nat looked at the time and sighed.

"Jamie and I figured that we could use some girls-only time to make breakfast..." Aika and Jamie had been busy in the kitchen.

"We made pancakes and smoothies! Let's go eat!" Jamie was halfway out of the door, prompting Aika to trail behind.

"Nat!" Nat had lurched and grabbed Aika's wrist, causing her to fall right into his arms on the bed.

"I wanted to wake up early so you would be the first thing I see this morning..." Nat pouted as he kissed Aika's shoulder.

"Jamie's going to be mad if she hears you..." Aika rolled her eyes.

"She thinks the same way as I do..." Nat retorted.

"Jamie's outside alone, I need to go find her..." Aika tried to escape from Nat's arms.

"30 seconds and then we'll go find her together..." Nat turned Aika so that she was now on his lap facing him.

"Too early to be clingy, big boy...Plus, the door is open!" Aika stopped Nat with his finger as he initiated a kiss.

"Yes, Ma'am..." Nat pouted as he let himself be dragged outside by Aika. Jamie was already sitting on her chair at the dining table waiting.

"Princess, why are you in such a good mood this morning? Someone's usually grouchy in the mornings..." Nat was surprised to see Jamie humming during breakfast and digging in heartily. Jamie was never a morning person.

"It's because tita Aika was here when I woke up this morning! And we made breakfast together!" Jamie smiled at Aika.

"Looks like we should ask tita Aika to stay over more often...right, Princess?" Nat and Jamie turned to look at Aika.

"It's my first time staying over and you two are thinking about the next already?" Aika let out a resigned laugh.

"Tita, can you send me to gymnastics classes before you go? Jamie climbed onto Aika's lap.

"Princess, how about next time? Maybe we should let your tita go home and rest..." Nat didn't want to tire Aika out.

"Her class starts at 10am at the nearby mall right? How about we head there together and then I can head home myself?" Aika suggested. An excited Jamie jumped off Aika's lap and ran into her room to change

"Tita...can you come over more often?" Jamie asked softly as Aika was helping her into the leotard.

"If you miss me, I'll try my best to come over. And on days I can't, we can always video call, okay?" Aika made a pinky promise with Jamie.

~

"Good morning Jamie!" Jamie's gymnastics teacher greeted the excited girl as they reached.

"Morning Ms Maria!" Jamie waved happily as she let go of Nat and Aika's hands.

"You must be Mr and Mrs Lee? Glad to meet you in person!" Nat and Aika smiled awkwardly as they shook hands with the teacher. Ever since Jamie started lessons a month and a half ago, it was usually her nanny who accompanied Jamie for lessons.

"Before I forget, we have a family day coming up 2 weeks later and parents are invited to join their child for lessons. Would you be interested in joining?" Nat looked at Aika, not wanting her to feel pressurised.

"I think it'd be tough..." Nat was about to tell the teacher that he would be there alone.

"Sure! We would love to be here with Jamie!" Aika interjected before Nat could finish.

"Great! See you again, Mr and Mrs Lee!" The teacher smiled as she went into the classroom.

"Sorry about that..." Nat felt apologetic as they headed to the carpark. Nat refused to let Aika travel home alone.

"It's no problem. Everyone's parents are going to be there...I don't want Jamie to feel discouraged." Aika assured Nat.

"Ever since Jamie started school, I dreaded family days...It would just be a reminder that her mother wasn't there like other mommies were. The last time we had an event in her Singapore kindergarten, the look in her eyes almost killed me..." Nat recalled the way Jamie was staring at her friends with their parents.

"The next time there are such events, tell me and I'll try my best to make time for it..." Aika offered.

"Are you sure you can appear in such events with us? I'm not doubting your heart but..." Nat was worried about Aika's safety.

"I'll see if I can work something out with my detail and mama..." Aika sighed as she remembered the constraints she and Nat has to work within.

"Remember that safety comes first, both yours and your family's." Nat held Aika's hand tight.

"Yes sir...I'll see you soon." Aika leaned over and gave Nat a goodbye kiss on the lips.

"Should I go up and greet Ma'am?" Nat was about to unbuckle his belt when Aika stopped him.

"Mama's in an online meeting so maybe next time. And the moment you go up, Patty is going to rip you apart with her teasing..." Aika chuckled.

"Ok then, take care and I love you." Nat let go of Aika's hand unwillingly, driving off only when he saw Aika enter the lift.

Aika's phone buzzed as she opened the door, the message making her smile.

Looking forward to more mornings with you by my side, sunshine🌞

A/N:

Comments always greatly appreciated ❤ Do let me know how you lovely people are enjoying the story so far and what you like/dislike about it because it'd will really help me when I write! Thank you

Ps: The fun part is just starting!