Chapter 337: Chapter 337

"Are you really okay?"

Shelby stopped her actions and turned from the easel to look at her husband with a helpless look.

"How many times are you going to ask this question, Ian?" Shelby replied softly. It had already been a couple of days since she had that episode. Thinking back to it, Shelby felt embarrassed and had been avoiding Ian’s questions and probes.

This made Ian feel even more miserable. Shelby had him wrapped around her little hands. He was so distressed, even thinking that the dead Aliya still had that much of a hold over his Elfin.

Shelby could not bring herself to talk nor think about that because she knew that this was something that she had to work through herself. That knot in her heart was not necessarily of her own making but ...

Never in Ian’s wildest dreams did he think that this would ever happen. He had tried to no avail to get her to open up but was met with excuses and subtle conversation diversions.

To add that, Shelby had learnt how to close her mind link with him and could now safely block Ian from her thoughts. Ian hated that because he had gotten used to and found solace in the fact that he could always pry into her thoughts in the past but could not do so now.

Shelby stood up and approached Ian and, with the help of her stool, which she had just vacated, kissed him soundly on the lips.

Ian’s lips curled up as he held her close, listening to the heart beating in her chest.

"You’ve gotten resourceful..."

He murmured against her lips at the fact that she had thought to use the stool so that she did not have to overreach to get to him.

"I understand, Elfin."

Ian decided to let go but pay much more attention to her going forward. Ian was already in every single space of hers, so it remained to see how involved he wanted to be again. Maybe he wanted to even visit the bathroom with her when she did. Looking at Ian, that was not beyond him at all.

He let her go and asked,

"What are you drawing today?"

It was widely known that Shelby found drawing and dancing therapeutic, which was also why Ian was convinced that Shelby still had some lingering issues.

It was somewhat true, but Shelby was just beating herself up for that display of emotions back then.

"Just some landscape paintings...."

Ian set Shelby down and bent to look at the half-finished tall mountain with budding spring leaves on it. Shelby looked long and hard at Ian before she settled back on the stool that sh had just stepped off.

’She’s damn brilliant when it comes to this!’ Ian thought.

He let her continue and looked around the makeshift home studio he had created for her. The ample space was in one of the ’spare’ rooms in the East Wing. There was basically nothing much in there but lots of space, large windows to bring in lots of light and a few scattered artistic sofas. Ian had added a small wine bar for himself when he wanted to accompany her.

"I-" He started but was cut off mid-sentence.

Three different voices echoed all around the studio before the door pushed open. Ian sighed.

’Is this how marriage is with kids?’ He lamented to himself, just as the door pushed open and Gabriel ran in, followed by Ingrid and Samatha in that order.

Gabriel lunged himself at Shelby, wiggling until he found himself sandwiched between her thighs and between her arms.

Shelby smiled and placed down her paintbrush, hugging him briefly as she giggled.

The three had become almost inseparable from her. This made Shelby even more fulfilled as Samantha was finally in that niche.

Ingrid came to stand close to Shelby. Close enough that her arms brushed that of her mother’s. Shelby turned and smiled at her.

Samantha, on the other hand, walked up and then bent to hug Shelby briefly before she took a step back.

She bowed stiffly in her father’s direction, which reminded the little ones that another person was in the room.

"Daddy, Hi!" Gabriel shouted but made no move to leave Shelby’s embrace, making her chuckle.

Ingrid whispered a "hello" and remained by Shelby’s side with no indication of moving away.

Ian shook his head but did not mind being ’neglected’.

He walked towards the mini bar in the room and poured himself a glass of wine. Ian swirled it in its glass as he took in that comforting scene of his wife and children. Their laughter echoed in the air as they took turns vying for her attention with their soft whispers, but each respecting her boundaries.

It was evident that Shelby had become their sun, and they orbited around her, clinging to her every word, their small faces lit with joy. Even the timid Ingrid came out of her shell around her new mother.

Ian sipped the wine and tried to smile, but a pang of something bitter twisted inside him. They didn’t even glance his way after the first fleeting greeting. It was as if he were invisible, just another piece of furniture in the room. A flicker of jealousy crept in—he wished, just once, they’d run to him with that same excitement, that same light in their eyes.

"I just have to work a little harder with them...."

Ian muttered to himself as his mind travelled back to Shelby’s words to him about the kids, in the days that he had locked himself up.

Ian knew deep down that even though the children were part of the factors that had encouraged him to come out, it more of the effect that Shelby had on him in the short time that she had inserted herself in his life..... more like she was pushed as she did not have a choice but boy! Was he glad that his mother and James Wendover had struck that deal. Whatever had moved them to do that, was the best thing that had ever happened to him in his entire forty years of life.

The jealous twinge dwindled down unexpectedly when his eyes met Shelby’s from across the room and he began to wonder why the three were still at home.

However, Ian could not tear his eyes away! It was all on her and her only!—how her eyes sparkled as she gathered Gabriel close with Ingrid hanging on her arms, her laughter soft and warm like a melody only they could hear.

The children’s joy was mirrored in her expression, and suddenly, the knot in his chest loosened. He let out a slow breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding, feeling his heart swell despite himself. He was envious, yes, but more than that, he was proud.

He was proud that his family was happy, proud that his children adored their mother as much as he did. and most importantly, proud that he had taken that decision in his grief to take these three in when Aliya had left abruptly. It had been too abrupt for him then but now he had this lovely family in front of him.

In the midst of his longing, Ian felt an overwhelming gratitude that they had this bond, this unbreakable connection. Deep down, he knew that no matter how much he longed for what Shelby shared with the three, that attention, seeing them wrapped up in each other’s love, was more than enough to fill the emptiness he sometimes felt.Top of FormBottom of Form

"Are you all set for school, tomorrow?" Ian heard Shelby ask them.

The children had enjoyed so much time off school that it was getting Shelby worried that they would miss a lot.

On Ian’s side, that question was the light at the end of his long dark tunnel. The children occupied Shelby’s every wake time. With three of them, they took every single second that she had to spare. It made Ian question the fact that Geneva wanted a biological grandchild.

"What am I going to do with a fourth child? Won’t they evict me from my wife?" He lamented to himself but deep down, Ian wanted to see a little Shelby; an adorable girl who would look just like her mother and steal his heart. He wanted that special bond and fruit between them.

Ian smiled at that thought. Shaking those pleasant memories out, he thought to himself,

’School will keep them busy as is....’

"Yes, we are! I love school!"

"I know that you do, Gabriel,"

Shelby chuckled and leaned down to kiss Gabriel’s nose.

"What of you, Samantha? Are you going to be okay?"

Samantha placed on her brave face. She was a little apprehensive but did not want to worry her parents over her silly thoughts, after she had to go back to school at some point in time.

"Yes, mum, I am perfectly okay!"

"That’s the spirit!" Shelby encouraged, knowing that this would be Samantha’s first time back to school since that incident. Shelby still saw through this but decided not ot comment in front of the others. Just then,

"Mummy, will you take us to school tomorrow?"

Ingrid asked quietly with a little expectancy, which was hard for her to hide from the side, causing all the others in the room to turn to look at her in surprise.

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