The Old House

The private jet touched down smoothly at the airport, and Maddie, who had woken up briefly for a snack, was already fast asleep again. Sean, ever the cheeky one, glanced at his sister and quipped, "Mom, why does she sleep like a pig?"

Amelia shot him a sharp look, more amused than angry. "She's more like a cat, actually," she corrected, though her tone carried a hint of a reprimand.

When it was time to get off the plane, Amelia carefully lifted Maddie into her arms. Despite her slim frame, Amelia had grown used to carrying Maddie, though anyone could tell that holding her for too long would be exhausting. Amelia's steps wavered slightly as she adjusted Maddie's weight.

"Let me take her," Nick said, reaching out to relieve Amelia of her burden. Without waiting for a response, he hoisted Maddie onto his shoulder as if she weighed nothing.

"Nick, you don't have to do that. She's heavy," Amelia protested, not wanting to burden him.

Sean, ever the instigator, snickered and said, "So you admit she's heavy, Mom!" 

Amelia shot him a warning glare. "I just don't want to trouble anyone," she snapped back, slightly embarrassed.

Nick smirked, clearly enjoying the banter. "I'm a man. Carrying Maddie's no big deal. Hell, I could carry you too if you wanted. Wanna try?" His tone was teasing, his eyes gleaming with mischief as he looked at Amelia.

Amelia's cheeks flushed instantly. She hissed under her breath, furious that Nick would say something so vulgar in front of Sean. But Sean, with the wide-eyed innocence only a child could have, turned to Nick and asked, "Are you really that strong? You can carry my mom?"

"Of course I can," Nick replied smoothly, a sly smile playing on his lips. "I've done it a few times before." His casual admission only served to deepen Amelia's blush and fuel her anger. Sean, however, looked awestruck and even asked Nick to do it again, right then and there.

Amelia, however, was not having any of it. "You try that, and I swear I'll break your arm," she threatened quietly, but there was no mistaking the seriousness in her tone.

Nick just laughed, a hearty, genuine sound that echoed in the quiet surroundings. 

Not far from them, Harry, Nick's ever-dutiful secretary who was waiting by the limo, raised an eyebrow in surprise. He'd never seen his boss laugh like that, so carefree and unguarded. Harry politely offered to help with their luggage as they made their way to the car. They then headed to the house Nick had arranged for them.

When they arrived at the house, Amelia stood on the front lawn for a long time, her eyes taking in every detail. The place brought back so many memories and she couldn't help but feel a pang of nostalgia. The house looked almost exactly as she remembered it, and that familiarity tugged at her heartstrings.

But her smile didn't last long. As the memories resurfaced, so did the pain. She remembered how Nick had been furious with her when he discovered she had helped Olivia and Aaron keep their relationship a secret from him. She remembered the accident, Nick's coma, and how Mrs. Zhao had pressured her into signing the divorce papers. The thoughts made her stomach twist uncomfortably, and the past suddenly felt too close for comfort.

Her reverie was abruptly interrupted by Nick's voice, sharp and angry. He was berating Harry. "Are you stupid? Why didn't you renovate the place? The paint's dull, and these cheap plants—how could you think this was good enough for the garden?"

Amelia quickly approached, trying to defuse the situation. "What's going on? Why are you so upset?" she asked, her tone concerned.

Harry, looking nervous, explained, "Mr. Zhao is upset because you seemed unhappy with the house."

Amelia blinked in confusion. "Unhappy with the house? Why would I be unhappy?"

Harry shifted uncomfortably. "You looked…sad, ma'am. Mr. Zhao thought you didn't like it."

Nick jumped in, his voice firm. "We can stay at a hotel until the renovations are done," he suggested, turning to Harry with more orders. "Harry, make sure everything gets fixed up. Better paint, better plants, everything."

But Amelia quickly interjected, her voice rising in alarm. "No! You've got it all wrong. I'm not unhappy with the house. If I didn't like it, why would I have asked to come here?"

Nick frowned, still not entirely convinced. "But it's old, and it looks—"

"It's perfect the way it is," Amelia interrupted, her voice firm. She looked over at Sean for backup.

"Yeah," Sean added eagerly, "this place is way better than our tiny apartment in Massachusetts!"

Nick finally seemed to relax, though it was clear he was still mulling things over. "If you're sure…" he said slowly, still sounding a bit doubtful.

"We're sure," Amelia insisted, her voice leaving no room for argument.

Relieved that the situation was defused, Nick led them into the house. Harry followed closely, his nerves still evident. "I've prepared three rooms," he explained as they entered. "There are only three, actually. I assumed the twins were both girls and didn't realize they're different genders. Should Maddie and Sean share a room, or should they be separated?"

Nick immediately answered, "Separate them!"

But Amelia responded at the same time, "Keep them together!"