Chapter 286 Future Plans

Chapter 286 Future Plans
Leila's POV

My phone rang during the morning of our honeymoon. I glanced at the screen and saw it was Sophia calling from San Francisco.

"Hello, Sophia," I answered.

"Laylie, why did Adam suddenly leave San Francisco? He said it was for business, but is that true? Or did he leave because of me?" Sophia asked.

"Don't overthink it," I assured her. "This has nothing to do with you. He really did have urgent business. There's a project at Randall headquarters that Brandon used to handle, and Adam needs to deal with it personally. He'll only be gone for a few days."

"Are you sure?" she pressed, not entirely convinced.

I frowned slightly. "Sophia, why are you asking me? Aren't you two staying in touch? Didn't he explain this to you?"

There was a brief pause on the line before Sophia responded with a slightly embarrassed laugh. "Well, he texted me yesterday, but he was pretty vague about the details. I just thought maybe you'd know more."

"He'll be back before you know it," I said reassuringly and then hang up.

Theron emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp from the shower. He looked impossibly handsome in just a towel wrapped around his waist. Even after these days together, the sight of him still made my heart skip a beat.

"Everything okay?" he asked, noticing my expression.

"Just Sophia," I said. "She's worried about Adam leaving so suddenly."

"Business is business," he replied pragmatically, though his eyes softened when he noticed my concern. "You care about her feelings."

"Of course I do. She's my friend, and Adam is... well, Adam."

Theron chuckled at that.

Later that afternoon, I decided to call Adam directly. I invited him and Sophia to dinner when we returned. I wanted to bring them the gifts we'd purchased during our trip.

"Laylie, how was your vacation? Did you enjoy it?" Sophia's voice suddenly came through the line, surprising me.

"Sophia? You're there too?" I couldn't keep the hint of playful gossip out of my tone.

"Adam dropped me off at work this morning, we're in the same car right now," she explained, her voice sounding slightly embarrassed but pleased.

I bit back a smile. "Let's catch up tonight then. You two carry on!"

"Sure, see you tonight!" Sophia responded cheerfully before hanging up.

I grinned, turning to Theron. "Well, well. Seems like those two are getting along just fine without our interference."

"Your brother works fast," Theron commented with a smirk.

"He's a Randall," I replied with a wink. "We don't waste time when we know what we want."

Theron's eyes lifted then, meeting mine with an intensity that still made my stomach flutter. "That, Mrs. Sterling, is something I can personally attest to."

Later that evening, as we packed for our return flight, my phone chimed with a notification from the family group chat. I opened it to find messages from my parents.

[Laylie, you're back! Feeling tired? How's your body holding up?] my mother had written.

I quickly typed a response: [I'm fine. My back gets a little sore at night, but Theron massages it for me, which really helps.]

My father added: [That's good to hear. Remember to take it easy these next few months.]

A moment later, they @Theron in the chat: [Make sure to take good care of her. The weather's dry lately - have her drink plenty of water so she doesn't get dehydrated.]

Theron smiled and replied: [Don't worry, Mom and Dad. I'll take good care of Laylie!]

My mom's next message shifted the conversation: [Come visit us soon. Mia and Noah miss you both.]

Theron looked up at me questioningly, and I nodded. He typed: [Will do.]

Mom then asked: [Where are you planning to have your prenatal care? Is everything arranged in San Francisco?]

This was something Theron and I had discussed at length during our honeymoon. I watched as he carefully formulated his response.

[Chicago would be better. The Randall Medical Center has the best facilities, and it's family-owned - we can provide Laylie with the best care possible.]

Mom's concern was evident in her next message: [I'm just concerned about safety...]

[Mom, don't worry. The Randall Center is extremely secure now, and Chicago would be more convenient for postnatal recovery too. If you're really concerned, we can do another security check before delivery. I know with you and Dad there, everything will go smoothly.]

Dad immediately replied: [I'll personally oversee everything this time. You can rest assured there won't be any issues.]

Theron added his reassurance: [Don't worry, I'll arrange additional security too.]

After a moment, my parents responded together: [Alright then.]

I put down my phone, feeling a sense of relief.

Theron came to sit beside me on the edge of the bed, his hand finding mine. "Happy?" he asked, his eyes searching my face.

I nodded, leaning against his shoulder. "Very. It feels like everything is finally falling into place."

He pressed a kiss to my temple. "That's all I ever wanted for us."