Chapter 123 Chapter 41.3

Chapter 123 Chapter 41.3
We all decided to have dinner at my parents' house so everyone could be together. We left the house early so we could help prepare everything we would be eating for dinner. I was sure Dad would be the one cooking because he had always been the chef in our family.
I was already excited to be with everyone. Our whole family would finally be complete, and as far as I knew, Desmond's entire family would also be there, Grandma Mariam, Chairman, Dad, and Mom. This would be the very first time all of us would gather together.
During Desmond and my wedding, we were all in the same place, but we were seated at different tables because we didn't know each other yet.
“Is there anything you want me to cook for you later? I'll cook it for you,” Desmond said while we were still on the road.
“You should just ask Dad because I'm sure he already knows exactly what he'll cook for us, his children. He knows every single one of our favorite dishes, and now that they have enough money to buy everything he needs for cooking, I'm sure the house will look like it's celebrating a fiesta with how many dishes he'll prepare later,” I answered.
“So Dad really is an amazing cook, but why didn't he become a chef?” he asked curiously.
“Because he never got to finish school. His parents couldn't afford to send him to college. It was really his dream to become a chef, but he set that dream aside when he started a family with Mom. What he wanted most was for all of us, his children, to finish our studies. You know, our family owes yours for helping us rise out of poverty. Don't get me wrong, I'm not after your money. Our lives became comfortable because of your kind parents. I even wondered before if you were really their son, because you were the only one with such a terrible attitude among all of them,” I said with a laugh.
“That's so harsh, love. Of course I had a bad attitude back then because they forced me to marry you. But I'm actually grateful they did, because if they hadn't, I would've never experienced all the happiness I'm feeling now.” I simply smiled at him.
After several more minutes on the road, we finally arrived at my parents' new house. All of my siblings still lived with them since I was the only one who already had a family of my own.
“Daryl's here!” Jerome shouted excitedly the moment he saw us. Anica and Randy even rushed out of the house to take Daryl from me. They were still acting like children. I couldn't help but laugh.
“I'll carry him. Just help Desmond with everything they bought,” Anica snapped at Randy because he had gotten to Daryl before she did. Randy handed Daryl over to Anica without arguing.
“Bro, do you still have more things?” she asked Desmond.
“Just get them from the trunk in the backseat,” Desmond instructed.
“Hey, Jerome! Help me over here, there's still a lot!” Randy shouted at our youngest sibling. We all headed inside the house where our parents welcomed us with so much excitement.
“Your in-laws are here too, Heaven,” Anica called out, making us all turn toward the door. One by one, Desmond's family walked inside.
“Hey, welcome to our home. Come in, everyone, come in!” Dad greeted Desmond's family cheerfully. The entire house became lively the moment everyone had arrived. We sounded like we were in a public market, the whole house was filled with laughter and endless conversations.
I couldn't stop smiling. This was exactly the kind of noise I loved, the kind of noise that warmed my heart.
“We brought some cooked dishes. Is this enough? We just had our cooks prepare them because none of us really knows how to cook,” Mom said while carrying the food they had brought. We had no idea what dishes they had prepared.
“Of course, that's perfectly fine. You didn't even have to bring anything because I was already going to cook enough food for everyone,” Dad replied.
“Let me help you cook, even if it's just chopping the ingredients and vegetables you need,” Daddy Romulo volunteered.
“Dad, I'll handle some of the dishes too. Trust me, I've already learned your recipes,” Desmond added.
“Sure, I'd be happy to have all of you with me in the kitchen,” Dad answered happily.
“You all take care of that. I don't know anything about cooking, and my hands aren't steady enough to hold a knife anymore,” Chairman chimed in.
“Dad, nobody's asking you to help us anyway. It's actually better if you just stay here in the living room,” Daddy Romulo said.
The whole house remained lively, I could hear my siblings laughing as they played with Daryl, and our parents chatting and laughing together. I turned to Desmond when he wrapped an arm around my waist.
“You know, before your family came into our lives, we rarely had dinner together because everyone was too busy with the business. Chairman was always on business trips, and Dad was the same. Whenever Grandpa and Dad were away, Mom was the one managing the company here in the country. Grandma was always the one left alone at home. What kind of magic does your family have? Because you didn't just make me happy, Heaven, your entire family brought happiness to mine. Maybe our family is rich in material things, but your family is rich in love and happiness.” I simply smiled before resting my head against him as we watched our families together.
“The sound of their laughter is so comforting. It's wonderful seeing all those happy faces. I'm really glad I came back instead of continuing to hide,” I said. He gently pinched my nose, making me whine.
“Next time, talk to me first, okay? You need to promise me right now. Whenever we have problems, whenever you hear something, whenever you see something bad about me, wait until I've had the chance to explain before you believe anyone else, okay?” I stood up straight and looked at him.
“I promise,” I answered.
He kissed my forehead, making me close my eyes.
A few minutes later, Dad called Desmond to help him cook in the kitchen. They all headed there except Chairman, who remained seated on the sofa watching my siblings play with Daryl.
Meanwhile, Mom, Mommy Shiermy, and Grandma Mariam continued chatting together.
If this was how everything would turn out after I came home, I wished I had returned much sooner so our family could've been complete earlier. I simply shook my head at myself because regretting it now wouldn't change anything. What mattered was that we had fixed our relationship, our family was finally complete, and all of us were happy together.