Married at First Sight

Now that Liberty and Duncan are finally getting married, Hank has started making comments in front of Sonny, pretending to be a loving father but really just planting seeds of doubt. He talked about the possibility of Sonny losing his mother's affection, which left the child worried and unsettled. Serenity couldn't help but feel angry, but she held her tongue in front of Sonny.

"Aunt," Sonny murmured, resting against Serenity's chest, "I love you and Mom the most."

Serenity hugged him tightly. "Aunt loves you the most too, Sonny."Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

Sonny hesitated for a moment, then quietly said, "Dad asked me if Mom was going to marry Uncle Duncan. He was worried that if Mom had a baby with Uncle Duncan, she wouldn't love me anymore."

He looked up at Serenity, his voice wavering. "But I don't believe what Dad says. I know Mom loves me, and Uncle Duncan is good to me. Aunt, can I trust Mom and Uncle Duncan?"

Serenity nodded firmly. "Of course, you can. Your mom loves you more than anyone, and Uncle Duncan cares for you deeply. Your dad... well, just listen to what he says but don't take it to heart, okay? And when you visit your dad's house, no matter what your grandparents or Aunt Chelsea say, you don't owe them anything. You're still a child; you're not expected to give them money."

She added gently, "When you grow up and earn your own income, if you want to give them something out of respect, you can give a little. But remember, they need to look after you, not the other way around."

Sonny nodded, understanding. "I don't like listening to them, Aunt. They always say bad things about Mom and Uncle Duncan, like Mom won't be happy marrying into a wealthy family. But that's not true. Mom will be happy." "Exactly," Serenity agreed. "Your mom and Uncle Duncan will make a great family, and they both love you. Don't pay attention to their negativity. Sometimes, people just can't stand seeing others happy."

Sonny nestled deeper into Serenity's embrace, whispering, "Aunt, I'll listen to you. I believe in Mom and Uncle Duncan."

Serenity smiled and kissed his forehead. "You're such a good boy, Sonny. We have a long drive home, and it's been a long day. Do you want to rest a little longer?" "I'm not sleepy," Sonny replied softly.

"Try to rest," Serenity coaxed. "When

we get home, you can play with Uncle Rowan. He's on his winter break, and I know you love playing with him." Sonny looked up,

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surprised. "Isn't Uncle Rowan riding

with us?"

"No, he's in the car behind us," Serenity explained.

"Oh," Sonny said, nodding thoughtfully. "Then I'll sleep a little longer so I won't have to sleep when we get home. Does Uncle Rowan have homework? He always has a lot of homework." Serenity chuckled. "He just started his vacation, so he can relax for a few days. He doesn't have much homework right now. He'll have plenty of time to play with you."

She gently laid Sonny's head back

against her arm, coaxing him to rest.

He had napped a bit on the plane

and was still groggy when they landed, but after Hank woke him up, he hadn't fully relaxed.

Now, even as Serenity encouraged him to sleep, Sonny fidgeted with closed eyes, unable to drift off. After a while, he opened his eyes again, sat up, and declared, "Auntie I'm really not sleepy anymore.