The night wore on, hunger persisting. Lingering coldness clung to Waylen as he returned, a bowl of beef bone soup in hand.

"This is beef bone soup. Savor it."

Placing the bowl on the small tea table, Waylen watched her with a tender intensity, an unspoken declaration of his affection. In fact, his wife was very picky about food, but the one made by him was to her taste.

"Delicious," Rena declared, returning his smile.

Chill fingertips brushed against her cheek, his touch light and tender.

"As Long as you enjoy it."

Seeing the playful glint in his eye, Rena glared at him.

Waylen's smile widened, a testament to the warmth within their shared space.

A brief pause enveloped them as Waylen retrieved a cigarette. His voice, soft as a whispered promise, floated through the air.

"I'm stepping out for a smoke. It's been a day of battling the urge.”

Rena offered her consent, her understanding voiced without words.

She had no intention of demanding he quit smoking. After all, business often wove social demands into his life.

As long as he spared the children from the sight of it, she was content.

With deliberate steps, Waylen ventured outside, greeted by the winter's cold grasp. The study's chill nipped at his skin, and as he gazed out the window, he exhaled, releasing tendrils of smoke into the night.

Amid the crisp air, a warmth blossomed within him, one only the knowledge of Rena‘s pregnancy could conjure.

His emotions for Rena were profound. It was a mix of fondness and adoration.

Yet their shared history remained obscured, an enigmatic period their memories couldn't unravel.

Though the world saw Waylen as a potent figure, his strength wavered in the realm of relationships.

The walls of strength and vulnerability blurred within Waylen, a complex dance he could never quite escape. For even after Harold's passing, the doubt lingered. Was he enough to erase the shadow of another?

The future, however, now cradled their third child.

Waylen felt grateful.

The weight of past uncertainties began to dissipate.