In the blink of an eye, half a month had passed.
The renovation of the research institute was nearing completion, and Deanna was getting busier by the day. After all, setting up a research institute required handling numerous procedures.
Moreover, since she was doing it on behalf of someone else, the paperwork was even more complicated. As a result, Deanna spent her days running around with documents that needed approval. Sometimes, when the documents were not up to standard, she had to start over.
Within a week, Deanna visibly lost weight from all the stress. Lance noticed and felt deeply concerned. The two little ones also sensed that their mommy seemed more exhausted lately. Seeing Deanna return home looking tired, they immediately rushed to her side.
"Mommy, you're back. Come sit down and rest," Chloe said, pulling Deanna's hand and leading her to the sofa before gently pushing her to sit down. Gregory poured a glass of water and handed it to her. "Mommy, have some water and take a break."
"Alright," Deanna replied, taking the cup and drinking eagerly. She was genuinely thirsty. Another document had been rejected today, forcing her to prepare it again and spend the entire day outside. Due to the tight schedule, she dared not drink much water for fear of wasting time on bathroom breaks. After all, public servants had their own tasks and couldn't always be available.
The two little ones watched their mommy drink water while continuing their actions. "Mommy, let us massage your legs," Chloe suggested. "Gregory, you take the left side; I'll take the right. Daddy, you massage Mommy's shoulders." Chloe assigned tasks like a little adult.
Deanna found it amusing but was more touched by their gestures. Old Ashley watched the family interaction with a smile, sitting quietly nearby without interrupting the warm scene.
After enjoying the care from her husband and children for a while, Deanna asked them to stop. "Alright, you don't need to do this anymore. You've also had a tiring day outside. Come sit down and rest."
"Mommy, how much longer will you be busy?" The two little ones obediently stopped and snuggled up to Deanna, looking at her expectantly.
Deanna thought about her remaining tasks and said, "It will take some more time, but I promise that once I'm done, I'll take you out to play."
"We don't want to play; we just don't want you to be so tired," the two little ones said considerately, making Deanna even more emotional.
She patted their heads and smiled. "Don't worry, Mommy isn't that tired."
The family chatted in the living room for a while until it got late, and they each went to their rooms to rest.
Lance led Deanna back to their room and suddenly spoke up. "Do you have any documents left unapproved? I can ask Xavier to handle them for you. Over the years, he's been managing the research institutes under Mercer Group and is familiar with these procedures."
"There isn't much left; I can handle it myself. You've already helped me a lot with other things. I can manage this small task," Deanna replied without hesitation.
Seeing that Lance wanted to say more, she smiled sweetly and covered his lips with her hand. "I know you don't want me to suffer, but I hope I can handle these small matters myself instead of asking for your help whenever I face obstacles. Although you mean well, being overly protective won't help me grow stronger. I want to be as capable as you so that we can support each other in the future rather than me relying solely on you."
Lance found himself at a loss for words after hearing this. Deanna was pushing herself to stand alongside him as equals.
Eventually, he relented. "Don't push yourself too hard; I feel sorry for seeing you like this."
"I know," Deanna nodded with a smile and then tried to push Lance towards the bathroom.
Before she could say anything, Lance's firm voice interrupted her again. "But you still need to rest properly. You've been running around during the day and staying up late at night reviewing documents. Your body is reaching its limit. Take tomorrow off. If there's anything urgent, I'll have Xavier handle it for you. For non-urgent matters, I won't interfere."
With Lance putting it this way, Deanna naturally didn't refuse.
The next day, she stayed home to rest. Old Ashley made chicken soup early in the morning and watched her drink it. Throughout the afternoon, Deanna was given various supplements.
Whether it was because of these supplements or not, Deanna looked much better the next day. At least the dark circles under her eyes had significantly faded.
Later in the morning, after breakfast, everyone prepared to go about their tasks. Lance called Deanna over and handed her a file folder. "Take this; it might help you."
"What is it?" Deanna asked as she took the folder.
Lance smiled. "It's information on research institute procedures that I asked Xavier to compile for you. This should help you avoid unnecessary detours."