Ashton had designed this study to be extra-large. Not only that, but he also paid special attention to the selection of books and materials in it.
He was worried about leaving Summer alone downstairs, so he carried her up to the study as well.
A children’s study with a starry night sky was even designed especially for Summer. It was dreamy and exquisite, truly a work of art.
Summer hadn’t learned many words, so her choice of books was mainly comic or picture books.
I didn’t want to put too much academic stress on a five-year-old. So instead of making her study more, I let her spend time pursuing her interests.
Initially, I had intended to let her pick up piano when she was three but was told that it might not be good for her joints as she was too young. As such, I let her attend dance and drawing lessons instead.
That entire time, we had a very relaxing and leisurely time in the study. However, even though Ashton had taken the day off, he still had work to tend to.
I had been reading for a while when I looked up, only to see him still busy with work.
Meanwhile, Ashton was typing away furiously at the keyboard with an unwavering focus. He looked especially charming when he was deep in concentration. It was as if he had been placed under a spotlight that accentuated his handsome face.
He paused to pick his cup up for a sip, only to realize it was empty. With a slight furrow of his brows, he placed his cup back down and went back to work.
I closed my book and went to get his cup. Upon that, he glanced at me and smiled. “I can do it later!”
“I just want to walk about.” I smiled back.
He smiled again and went back to work. After refilling his water, I decided to check in on Summer out of habit.
She was lying on the rug, engrossed in her comic book. Her chin was propped up in her hands as she swayed her little feet.
That kid was devouring her book page after page, pausing for a bit only to lick her lips that had gotten dry.
I couldn’t help but let out a chuckle upon realizing how alike she and Ashton were. At the same time, I decided to get her a cup of water too.
“Summer, remember to drink your water.”
“Yes, Mommy!” she replied, her gaze still on her book.
She was really concentrated on her reading.
I went back to Ashton and saw that he was still hard at work at his desk.
Picking up the book I was reading, I walked toward his desk with a serious expression. Then I sat down beside him and continued with it.
His voice was gentle as he asked, “Are you hungry?”
I shook my head, resting it against his shoulder, and continued to read.
“What would you like to eat?” He stopped what he was doing and put his arm behind me. I could lean into him even more now.
I thought about it very seriously, only to realize there wasn’t anything I wanted to eat in particular. “I don’t think there’s anything specific I want.”
“Then shall we cook at home?”
With a big smile on my face, I nodded and answered, “But you have to do the cooking.”
I said that only because I knew he was so much better than I was when it came to cooking.
“Sure!”
I then turned my attention back to the book as he took a look at what I was reading. “When did you buy this? ‘The Bossy President’?”
Following that, I closed the book to present the full title, “The Bossy President Falls For Me.” I couldn’t help but look at him with a smirk. “Macy bought this and kept it at Glenwood Apartments. It looked like a fun read, so I took it.”
“So? Is it good?”
I gave it some thought before nodding. “It’s okay.” After a pause, I added, “It just makes me wonder why this president has so much time to travel around the world with the female lead.”
In all the years I had known Ashton, he was busy almost all the time. He had endless meetings, a mountain of contracts, and various places to be.
He picked up on the slight annoyance in my words and chuckled. “How about I start traveling the world with the two of you?”
“No way. If you don’t work, we won’t have a breadwinner. Then I’d have to start working.”
I had my savings to fall back on during my four years in R Province, but there’d always come a day when we might deplete all the money. It wouldn’t be as easy to support an entire family if we were to work a nine-to-five job.
“The savings from Fuller Corporation will be enough to feed you for a lifetime. Why don’t you worry about how to spend all this money instead?” he teased.
Wow! Such arrogance.
After that, we spent the day in peace and comfort. I was starting to enjoy more of these simple, quiet afternoons with my family.
The time we had over the weekend seemed to pass more quickly when we found it enjoyable.
Ashton couldn’t afford to get too many rest days either. Even taking one day off work was a luxury for him.
With Summer attending her various classes, I was the only one left at home.
Just then, Emery called, asking me to go shopping with her. Late fall in K City was considerably colder, so I didn’t feel like going out.
However, being home alone stirred up feelings of loneliness and depression, so I gave in and decided to meet Emery at the mall.
I didn’t drive but took a cab to the mall instead. By the time I got there, Emery had already arrived. She had two bags of pastries in her hand, which I guessed she had only just purchased.
