After taking a shower, the two little ones happily bounced on the bed.
Deanna and Lance, on the other hand, stood on opposite sides, both looking somewhat uneasy.
Especially Deanna, with her small blushing face, whether it was because she had just taken a shower or for some other reason, her face was flushed.
She didn't even dare to look at the man in front of her and lightly scolded the mischievous little ones on the bed, "Hurry up and lie down to sleep!"
"We know." The two little ones replied in their sweet voices and obediently lay in the middle of the bed.
Seeing this, Deanna looked up at Lance and invited him, "Mr. Mercer, please get on the bed and rest."
"Okay." Lance nodded and got on the bed from the other side, lying down next to Gregory.
Deanna watched as they all settled down to sleep before turning off the lights in the room, leaving only a night light on, and then got into bed herself.
But as soon as she lay down, she heard Chloe's excited voice, "Mommy, tell us a story, no wait, Uncle should tell us a story today."
The little girl turned her head towards Lance as she spoke.
Gregory looked at Lance with anticipation in his eyes.
Although he didn't say anything, his expression already revealed his thoughts.
Lance naturally wouldn't refuse when he saw this.
But he racked his brains and couldn't think of a fairy tale.
In the end, he had no choice but to seek help from Deanna with a pleading look.
Deanna couldn't help but find it amusing, but she still took out a fairy tale book from the drawer at the head of the bed and handed it over, saying, "Start from where I marked, I've already told the earlier parts."
Lance nodded and began to tell the story according to the book.
For a while, the room was filled with his magnetic and pleasant voice.
Deanna leaned to the side, discreetly watching the man sitting at the head of the bed.
Under the dim yellow light, he wore a white shirt, his features were handsome with sharp angles. Even though his hairstyle was slightly messy, he still exuded an air of elegance.
It was Deanna's first time sharing a bed with a man since that night five years ago.
Originally, she thought she wouldn't be able to fall asleep, but listening to the man's deep voice, she inexplicably felt at ease and unknowingly drifted off to sleep.
She didn't know how long had passed when Lance stopped reading and turned his head. He saw three sleeping faces and his gaze instantly softened.
At this moment, he felt a sense of fulfillment that he had never experienced before.
"Goodnight." He whispered softly and put down the fairy tale book, smiling as he lay down on the bed and closed his eyes to rest.
...
The next morning, Deanna woke up first.
She looked at the peaceful sleep of the two little ones beside her and felt a hint of sweetness in her heart.
Then she quietly got up, intending to go out and prepare breakfast.
Little did she know that as soon as she walked out, Lance, who should have been sound asleep, opened his eyes.
Lance was always a light sleeper, so he woke up when Deanna got up.
But looking at the two little ones beside him and the familiar scent surrounding him, he didn't want to get up so soon.
In the living room, Deanna saw that Grandma Ashley had already gotten up and greeted her proactively.
"Good morning, Grandma."
"Deanna, come here."
When Old Ashley saw Deanna getting up, she immediately looked at her with a serious expression.
Deanna was momentarily stunned but still walked over, asking in confusion, "What's wrong?"
"When I got up this morning and saw Mr. Mercer's things still here in the house, does that mean Mr. Mercer didn't go home last night?" Old Ashley asked with a scrutinizing look.
Deanna nodded.
But before she could explain, Old Ashley furrowed her brows and questioned, "So last night Mr. Mercer slept with you."
The reason she was so certain was that Gregory and Chloe's beds were bunk beds, so Deanna couldn't possibly stay there overnight.
And Deanna didn't go to Old Ashley's room last night either, which was why she said that.
Seeing her granddaughter's disapproving expression, Old Ashley knew that she had misunderstood.
She quickly explained, "Last night I slept with Mr. Mercer, but Gregory and Chloe were also there."
"They were there too?"
Old Ashley was momentarily surprised by this unexpected revelation.
Deanna nodded and continued speaking, "The two little ones insisted on sleeping with Mr. Mercer last night. Apart from your room, my room is the only one with a big bed. So in the end, we had to sleep together."
Hearing this, Old Ashley breathed a sigh of relief.
She looked at her granddaughter standing before her and couldn't help but give her a few words of advice.
"While it's normal for couples to live together when they're in a relationship nowadays, Grandma hopes you'll take good care of yourself and be cautious not to repeat past mistakes."
Clearly, she was referring to that accident five years ago.
Deanna's expression turned serious as she realized that her actions last night were inappropriate.
She nodded and said, "I understand. I'll be more careful in the future. Also, Mr. Mercer and I are not boyfriend and girlfriend yet. Grandma shouldn't misunderstand."
Seeing her granddaughter earnestly deny her relationship with Lance, Old Ashley smiled and decided not to expose it.
After all, when it came to romantic relationships, girls always ended up at a disadvantage.
She hoped that in a love relationship, her granddaughter would have the upper hand.
After all, the principle of least interest suggests that the person has the least amount of interest in continuing a relationship has the most power over it.