Stefan didn't stay for long in the party. He talked with the guests, drank a little bit of wine, ate a little bit of food and then left after an hour. He didn't care about what they thought of him since he didn't come to please anyone and he had no intention of pleasing them either.
Around nine in the evening, he arrived home and found Cayenne playing with her phone. There were many posts regarding the party and how much everyone wanted to meet the next lady of the Dumrique family. Sadly, she didn't like this kind of gathering and didn't attend it with her husband.
"I'm home." Stefan kissed her forehead. "How are you feeling?"
"I'm good. Thanks for the soup. It warmed me up." She put down her phone and looked at him. "How was the party? I kind of regretted it a bit that I didn't come along with you. I saw some posts online and found that Jillyanna came."
"Oh yeah. She did but she went home when she found out that you didn't come. I think she only came to see you and not because it was a welcoming event for me."
"Hehe. Are you jealous that I'm more important than you now?" Cayenne teased him while helping him remove his coat.
Stefan just grinned and lightly pinched her cheeks. "Why would I be jealous? In fact, I'm thankful that you get along with her." However, his smile disappeared and it turned into a deep frown. "Don't you find it weird that they care so much about you?"
"Hmm? What do you mean?" Cayenne asked him. She didn't know that many people care for her. "Why would they care so much for me?"
"That's what I want to know as well? I mean, I am not mad or upset that they care for you but given that you didn't have any connections with them except the event a year ago, isn't it strange that they would think for your sake. Last week, when I talked with Stefan, he told me not to break your heart or Jill will make me suffer." He sat on the space beside her and held her hand. "I don't have any plan to hurt you or anything but, I'm just wondering why. And this wasn't the first time that I receive a warning from him. I am starting to think that you're more of a friend to them than me."
Cayenne pondered over this matter as well. It was indeed strange given that the only connection she got was the event one year ago. "I don't know either." She muttered softly while staring into space. "Maybe I should ask them about this."
"Well, it doesn't matter. I won't give them the reason to make me suffer. I won't hurt you and I will never leave you."
"You just left me to attend the party." Cayenne retorted to tease him.
"Is that counted? Sorry. I won't do it again. Let's attend every party next time, shall we?"
"I was just kidding." Cayenne chuckled and pushed him off the bed. "Go and take a shower so we can sleep."
"Okay." Stefan kissed the tip of her nose before going inside the bathroom to take a shower.
Cayenne was left on her bed, still thinking about what Stefan said. She didn't notice it before but now when she thought about it, even though she was a complete stranger, Jillyanna and her family accepted her. 'Why exactly?' Cayenne asked herself mentally. But this question will remain unanswered until they pay a visit to the Madrigal family.
That night, because Cayenne was having period and her menstrual cramp was on and off, Stefan didn't have much sleep. One little movement will wake him up with anxious expression on his face. And whenever she's dotted with cold sweat from pain, he will start to panic. He was really worried for her. He would rub the heat pack on her lower abdomen in circular motion and watch her fall asleep. "Ayen, let's not have a baby. Having menstrual cramp was already too painful for you, how much more when it comes to giving birth. I heard a lot of mothers say that it's a very painful process as if twenty of your bones were broken. How could I let you suffer such pain?" Thus; he already decided not to have a baby with her. Contrary to his idea, Cayenne likes to have a child.
And when he thought she didn't hear him, Cayenne wasn't actually asleep. She was just closing her eyes while listening to his breathing. So, she naturally heard what he said.
Stefan woke up the next morning with an empty and cold space beside him. It jolted him awake and he rushed out to find her. The bathroom was open so, it was unlikely for her to be inside because she'll always close it if she's using it. He found her in the kitchen, cooking breakfast like how she normally does in her daily life.
"Why are you up so early? Are you alright?" He looked her up and down, trying to observe her expression. He didn't want her to endure the pain while doing some chores.
Cayenne kissed his cheek and smiled at him. "I'm okay. You don't have to worry about me now. My menstrual cramps only last for a day and on the second day, it's nothing. I'm completely fine."
"Yes, honey. I'm sure so, stop panicking and just go back to sleep. I'll wake you up when breakfast is ready."
"No way. You can go to sleep and I can cook breakfast instead."
"No. You go to sleep because you've been up all night while looking after me."
"No. You go to sleep because you didn't have enough sleep because of the pain."
"No –"
"Ahem!" Kyle coughed with obvious exaggeration with a fake smile on his lips. "Can you go out of the kitchen and go back to your room. If you keep arguing who needs to go to sleep then, both of you go to sleep! You are so annoying, going back and forth with your sweet banter early in the morning. Go to sleep! I'll cook breakfast here." He pushed his sister and brother-in-law out of the kitchen and glared at them.
Because of this, Cayenne and Stefan went back inside their room.
"I'll accompany you back to sleep." Cayenne led Stefan back to their bed but Stefan wasn't sleepy anymore.
"Let's just talk."
"Talk about what?"
"Just random things. I'm not sleepy anymore." Stefan laid on their bed and pulled her into his arms so that he can cuddle her. "Let's talk about some places that you want to visit. We already processed your passport but because a lot of things happened, I kept cancelling the trip that I planned for you."
"How about we go to Paris?"
"That's a good choice. I think it's a perfect place for a Valentine's Day trip. Or we can stay there for a week. How about that? And we can…" Stefan mentioned a lot of things and a lot of places that they can go if they were to visit France. Cayenne was very outgoing with his plans and she made mental notations in order to keep things in order. She will have to settle everything later if they would really go to this place. She would make sure that not a single second will be wasted.
When evening came and since it was Sunday, Cayenne and Stefan decided to have a family dinner in a restaurant nearby. And in this restaurant, someone familiar was also dining with his family.
Cayenne walked past him, not even giving the man a side glance. Stefan looked at him and frowned, nobody knows what he was thinking at this moment. Emerald looked at him, the emotion in her eyes cannot be describe. As for Kyle and Luiz, they weren't the least bit bothered and interested.
This was supposedly a family dinner but Stefan told Cayenne to invite Luna and her boyfriend over to eat with them. He wanted to be close to those who were close to her. He wanted to show that he cares for those people that Cayenne cares about. In this relationship, he wanted to care not just her but the people who were important to her as well.
The waitress handed them the menu and when Cayenne received it, she ordered three dishes that Stefan likes and the ones he can eat without taking his anti-allergy pills. When Stefan received the menu, he ordered several dishes that Cayenne loves the most. It showed just how much they paid attention to each other and how much they cared for one another. A selfless kind of love.
In the middle of having dinner, one of the waiters approached them with a chocolate cake. "Good evening, Ms. Ardolf. This cake is for you. Advance happy birthday and I wish you a longer and healthier life."
"That wish won't come true." Emerald retorted which stunned the waiter and put him in an awkward situation. Nonetheless, Emerald received it and thanked him.
Cayenne leaned closer to Stefan and whispered, "Did you prepare that for my mother?"