Chapter 243: Welcome Home, Little Lamb

The next morning

Soft tropical sunlight filtered through the large windows, warming the wooden floors of the master bedroom.

Leitana woke up first, nestled safely against Ravial’s chest. She smiled sleepily, then tried to slip out of bed quietly so she could bathe before they left for the orphanage.

The moment her feet touched the floor, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her right back.

“Where are you sneaking off to, little lamb?” Ravial’s voice was deep and husky with sleep.

Leitana giggled, squirming in his hold. “Mi need to bathe! Mi smell like last night… and like yu!”

Ravial hummed, eyes still closed, but a little smirk played on his lips. “Then we bathe together.”

Before she could protest, he scooped her up effortlessly and carried her toward the bathroom. Leitana laughed and kicked her legs lightly in fake resistance.

“Mi Ravial! Put mi down! Mi can walk!”

In the beautiful open-air bathroom overlooking the ocean, Ravial set her down gently and turned on the rain shower. The moment the warm water started falling, the playful chaos began.

Leitana tried to dart under the spray first. Ravial caught her around the waist from behind, lifting her off her feet as she squealed with laughter.

“No running, pregnant wife,” he growled playfully, stepping into the shower with her still in his arms.

Water cascaded over both of them as Leitana twisted in his hold, giggling and trying to escape while he washed slowly. She splashed him, he retaliated by pinning her gently against the cool stone wall and kissing her until she was breathless.

“Yu are cheating again!” she accused, laughing as soap suds ran down her body.

“I don’t cheat,” he murmured, dropping to his knees in front of her to wash her legs and belly. “I simply take what’s mine.”

By the time they finally finished bathing, both of them were wet, flushed, and smiling then Leitana tried to scurry off.

Ravial chased her.

The next few minutes were pure playful chaos, Leitana squealing and dodging around the bedroom furniture while Ravial stalked after her, towel slung low on his hips. He finally caught her near the bed, tossing her gently onto the mattress as she laughed breathlessly.

“Mi Ravial!” she protested between giggles, trying to crawl away. “We have to get ready!”

He crawled over her, pinning her wrists above her head with one hand, eyes dark with amusement and love.

“You’re not going anywhere until I say so,” he said, leaning down to kiss her deeply.

Leitana melted for a moment, then pushed at his chest, still laughing.

“Yu are impossible! The children are waiting!”

Ravial finally relented, stealing a few more kisses before helping her up. He chose a soft, flowy white sundress for her that was comfortable around her bump, while she tried (and failed) to help him button his black shirt.

When they finally stepped out of the bedroom, both of them were slightly flushed, smiling, and happy.

Leitana looked up at him with sparkling eyes.

“Mi love this house,” she whispered. “And mi love yu.”

Ravial leaned down and kissed her forehead.

“Good. Because we’re staying as long as you need.”

He took her hand, intertwining their fingers as they walked toward the waiting car.

The drive from their new villà to the orphanage took just under thirty minutes along winding roads lined with palm trees and lush greenery. Leitana grew more tense the closer they got. Her hand gripped Ravial’s tightly as she stared out the window.

When the car finally pulled up in front of the orphanage, her breath caught.

It was exactly as she remembered, a cluster of old, weathered buildings with faded paint and patched roofs in a poor rural village. Chickens still wandered the dusty yard, and the same mango tree stood near the entrance. But there were clear signs of ongoing renovation: fresh timber stacked neatly, new corrugated iron sheets waiting to be installed, and bags of cement lined up along one wall. Someone was clearly trying to improve it.

People began gathering the moment the black SUVs stopped. Villagers, older women, and a few men paused their daily work, staring curiously.

Then someone recognized her.

“Leiii!!!”

The shout rang out like a bell.

Suddenly, the yard erupted.

“Leitana? Is that Leitana?!”

“Leitana i kam bak!”

Children poured out of the orphanage doors like a wave, barefoot, dusty, but beaming with joy. They screamed her name at the top of their lungs as they rushed toward her.

“Leitana! Leitana!”

Leitana’s eyes filled with tears instantly.

The children swarmed her, small arms wrapping around her waist and legs, laughing and crying all at once.

“Leitana! Yu kam bak!”

“Yu fat fat now!” one little girl giggled, pointing at her belly.

Leitana dropped to her knees in the dirt, hugging as many of them as she could, tears streaming down her face.

“Mi here… mi here now,” she whispered in Bislama, voice breaking. “Mi miss yu all so much.”

More children and older orphans came running. The older ones, the ones she had helped raise were openly crying.

From the main building, Mother Superior stepped out slowly, leaning on a wooden cane.

When she saw Leitana kneeling in the dirt surrounded by children, her wrinkled face crumpled with emotion.

“Leitana…” she called out, voice trembling. “My child… you came back.”

Leitana stood up with help from the children and rushed toward her, pulling the old woman into a tight hug.

“Mother… mi sorry mi stayed away so long,” she cried. “Mi miss yu. Mi miss everyone.”

Mother Superior hugged her back with surprising strength, patting her back.

“You are here now. That is what matters.”

Ravial stood a few steps behind, watching everything in silence. His presence was impossible to ignore, tall, powerful, blindfolded, dressed in black, with several guards around him. The villagers stared at him with a mix of awe and wariness.

Leitana turned back to him, reaching out her hand.

“Mi Ravial… come. Mi want yu to meet them.”

Ravial stepped forward and took her hand. The children stared up at him with wide eyes, some hiding behind older kids.

Mother Superior looked at him for a long moment, then gave a small, respectful nod.

“So this is the man who took our Leitana away,” she said in Bislama, then switched to English for Ravial. “Thank you for bringing her home, even for a short time.”

Ravial inclined his head slightly.

“She wanted to come. So we came.”

Leitana wiped her tears, still holding Ravial’s hand tightly as more children surrounded her, touching her belly gently and asking questions in a mix of Bislama and broken English.

For the first time in months, the orphanage yard felt alive with real joy.

But deep down, Leitana could feel the weight of time pressing on her.

She didn’t know how long she had left.

She only knew she needed to make this visit count.