Broken Memories, Intertwined Hearts novel Chapter 512

When Ines awoke, Ethan was nowhere to be found. Only their two little babies were peacefully sleeping in her arms. Reaching out to his side of the bed, she was met with a cold, empty space, which caused a tight knot to form in her chest. Flashes of the previous day's events quickly passed through her mind. It was all too perfect, rendering her to believe it was all just a dream, and she was now waking up from it.

Tears welled up in Ines' eyes, and she couldn't help but let out a series of cries, "Ethan."

Ethan, who had been bedridden for the past few days, had finally gone out for a morning jog with the others. Although he couldn't engage in rigorous exercises, some light workouts didn't pose much of a problem.

Just as he was about to head upstairs to change his clothes upon returning home, he heard Ines' wails growing more and more desolate, which caused him to immediately rush into the room.

Ines sat at the edge of the bed. Her expression was blank, and the tears were streaking down her face. She looked so fragile and broken that it took Ethan's breath away.

Ethan swiftly approached her, pulling her into his arms and patting her back gently. "What's wrong, Izzy? Did you have another nightmare?"

Hugging Ethan's waist tightly, Ines carefully avoided his injuries and managed to ask in a hoarse voice, "Where did you go?"

"I went for a morning jog, just some light exercises."

"I thought it was all a dream. I thought you didn't come back," Ines sniffed. Ethan sighed softly, knowing the recent events had affected Ines deeply. Even in his arms the previous night, she had been plagued by nightmares, and now, she doubted the reality of the previous day. It seemed the fear and worry would stick with her for a while, so he had to be more careful in taking care of her.

"Come on, don't cry. Ivy and Ollie might start teasing you."

"You're lying. They're still asleep."

Ethan gave a cue to their babies, and in unison, they chirped, "Mommy." Taken aback, Ines quickly withdrew from Ethan's embrace. Turning her head, she saw Ivy and Ollie had already sat up. They had been startled awake by their mother's cries and were now staring at her with their bright eyes and faint smiles. They were indeed making fun of her.

"Oh, you two little brats, you must be itching for a tickling," Ines said, pretending to pounce on them. In an instant, the room was filled with their laughter and giggles.

Ashley, who had been woken up by Ines' cries, simply shook her head and went back to sleep upon seeing the family's merry antics.

Ines, tired from playing, decided to sleep some more with the kids. The babies, however, were wide awake and eager to get up, leading to another round of playful tug-of-war.

Ethan watched them with amusement, but he knew they had to get going. "Alright, Izzy, time to get up. The weather's nice today. Let's go take some photos."

"Photos of what?"

"Wedding photos."

"Ethan, didn't we already take those? We don't need to go through all that hassle again."

"Today, the bridesmaids and groomsmen need to try on their outfits, and you need to try on your wedding dress again to make sure it still fits. Since we're going through all this trouble, why not bring the kids along and take another set of photos? Consider it a family portrait."