The Lies Behind Her Marriage novel Chapter 289

More Than One.

“Mom! Dad! The giraffe is back!”

Serena barely opened her eyes.

Bare feet rushed across the wooden floor, followed by the soft scrape of the sliding doors.

“He’s eating the tree again,” Alisa announced proudly.

“No, not the tree. The leaves,” Basti corrected.

Serena smiled against the pillow.

They were on their honeymoon trip.

Sort of.

They brought the kids with them. It had been almost two weeks since they made a home out of their villa in Kenya, within a luxury safari resort.

The giraffes had become familiar visitors around the villa. Some wandered near the outdoor deck in the mornings. Others appeared at sunset, slow and graceful beneath the fading light.

Nathaniel shifted beside her, one arm lazily draped over her waist. They could see the kids outside on the balcony of the master bedroom, their heads sticking out toward the trees.

“Which one is it?” he asked, his voice rough with sleep.

“The tall one,” Sebastian answered immediately. “The one with the bent ear.”

Serena finally sat up, looking toward the sliding doors.

Outside, a giraffe stood near the acacia tree beside their villa, calmly pulling leaves between its teeth as morning sunlight stretched across the grass.

She smiled, walking closer to the twins.

Their mornings often began like this, with slow breakfasts on the villa deck, where giraffes wandered near the trees while the children pointed out which ones they recognized.

Over the past few days, they had gone on gentle sunrise drives through the reserve, taking smoother paths chosen specifically for Serena. They had watched elephants move in herds across open grasslands, zebras grazing beneath acacia trees, and lions resting lazily beneath the shade.

They visited conservation areas where the children fed rescued animals and learned about wildlife protection. Some afternoons were spent by the infinity pool overlooking the savannah, while others were calmer. They went on nature walks near the lodge, had outdoor lunches beneath shaded canopies, or gathered around a fire pit listening to stories beneath a sky full of stars.

Serena had loved the slower moments most, the calm, the stillness, the feeling that time no longer rushed them. And strangely enough, Serena didn’t have headaches throughout their stay.

Maybe it was because nothing here demanded anything from her, allowing her body to rest in ways it rarely did.

Also, Nathaniel made sure she never overexerted herself.

Whenever she looked tired, he guided her back to the villa without question. He carried blankets during cooler evenings, adjusted her chair before she asked, and watched her with quiet attentiveness that never felt excessive.

Some mornings, before the children woke, Nathaniel brought Serena warm tea onto their private deck. Wrapped in blankets, they watched the sunrise spill gold across the plains while distant animals moved through the tall grass.

On quieter afternoons, Bianca stayed with the children while Nathaniel took Serena to the spa nestled deeper within the resort.

Bianca had come with them, along with one of the maids who worked for her, making the stay easier whenever Serena needed to rest or when the children still had energy long after sunset.

Serena watched the giraffe with a smile. When her husband stood up next to her, she said, “This has been one of the best vacations I have ever had. I can’t believe we are leaving in two days.”

Nathaniel draped his arms over her shoulders and said, “Don’t worry, love. We will come back here after you give birth. That’s a promise I will keep.”

***

When the couple returned to Rexam, the first thing they did was visit her OB doctor. She was already due for another ultrasound.

Serena’s pregnancy was turning sixteen weeks, so they were already expecting to see a better view of their baby.

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