"Good morning, Sleeping Beauty."
The sound was robotic but warm , familiar and it tickled at Esther's ear as her eyes fluttered open.
She squinted at the glowing letters on the screen.
"Good morning, you're up early," she yawned, stretching, her body sluggish and sore in places she didn't expect.
"More like you're up late," Betty's machine typed, followed by a playful chuckle animation.
Esther instinctively reached for her phone, checking the time.
9:02 AM.
"Oh crap," she muttered.
Memories of the night before came in flickers , laughter, music, Dija's teasing, Bakarr's outstretched hand. And then… blank. Her brows furrowed as she sat up straighter.
"Do you have any idea how I got home last night?" she asked, trying to stitch her thoughts back together.
"Daddy brought you home," Betty typed cheerfully, then paused before adding, "You were in his arms."
Esther's breath hitched.
She stared at the screen.
Daniel Lewis… carried her?
Her heart did a weird little backflip , not the romantic kind, more like the horror-movie type. He saw her drunk. He carried her. Which meant he also saw… everything. Her stumbling, her slurring, her embarrassing giggles.
"I'm dead," she whispered, leaping out of bed like a soldier called to the frontlines.
From behind, Betty's voice rang out again.
"I've asked Dad to take a day off today from work."
Esther paused mid-step to the bathroom, blinking.
"That's… not good," she muttered under her breath. "I was hoping to get scolded under the comfort of night shadows, not in full daylight."
She disappeared into the bathroom.
"I've also laid out activities we are to do today," Betty typed enthusiastically from outside.
"Nice," Esther called, voice muffled by running water.
She emerged minutes later in a towel, beads of water still rolling down her shoulders.
"That was quick," Betty teased.
"I know, but if I don't move fast, I might just get murdered by your father before lunch," Esther replied with a nervous laugh as she scrambled into her clothes. Betty burst into another round of machine-giggles.
Together, they made their way downstairs.
And there he was.
Daniel Lewis.
Seated on the edge of the living room sofa, legs crossed, a pristine magazine spread open in his hands , the cover featuring his own face under a bold headline: "Visionaries of the Future."
The light from the high windows painted a soft golden hue on his face. Calm. Collected. Intimidatingly unreadable.
Esther's pulse quickened. He hadn't looked up yet, but she could feel the storm brewing beneath that calm exterior.
She considered making a dash for the kitchen.
"Esther, you're up!" Lady Bell's voice called cheerfully, saving her momentarily. "Come, have your breakfast. It's getting cold."
"Coming," Esther said quickly, grabbing onto the distraction like a lifeline.
She crept toward the dining area like a cat caught stealing fish. Just a few more steps and she'd be safe..
"Miss Cole."
She froze.
The tone was not harsh, but firm and inarguable.
She turned.
Daniel had closed the magazine, placing it gently on the glass table beside him. Now standing, he looked at her, not angry, not amused, just disappointed. And that was worse.
"Good morning, Mr. Lewis," she said softly, hands clutched together in front of her. "About last night… I'm sor.."
"I've prepared a drink." He gestured to the glass of slightly cloudy liquid beside her breakfast plate. "It's lime water. Should help with the headache."
Esther blinked, caught off guard.
He continued, voice even. "And Miss Cole… next time, please don't send the guards off. They're there to protect you from situations like last night."
With that, he turned and walked up the stairs.
No shouting. No lecture. No cruel judgment.
Just that unbearable, quiet control.
Esther stood rooted to the spot, heart thudding. His words echoed louder than any raised voice could've.
She sat slowly at the table, eyes still on the stairs.
"Was that… him not being mad?" she whispered aloud, almost confused.
"That was Dad being 'concerned but emotionally repressed,'" Betty typed helpfully, sipping from her juice with a satisfied smirk.
Esther looked at the glass of lime water.
She picked it up, took a sip, and sighed.
"This is going to be a long day."
After the slightly awkward breakfast and a few more stolen glances at the untouched stairs, Esther refocused herself. Today was for Betty , and the last thing she wanted was for the girl to feel her internal mess.
"Okay sunflower," Esther said, kneeling beside the couch where Betty sat, her activity board already laid out. "So what's first on the great adventure list?"
Betty held up a card.
"Painting!"
Esther raised a brow. "I hope you're not setting me up to be your canvas."
Betty's mischievous grin was answer enough.
Soon, the quiet of the morning gave way to splashes of color, the soft scrapes of brushes against canvas, and bursts of giggles from the girl who rarely smiled when Esther first met her.
In the back of the room, unnoticed at first, Daniel leaned against the doorframe. A coffee mug in hand, his expression unreadable. He hadn't planned to linger. But there was something soothing about the way Esther treated his daughter, no forced cheer, no exaggerated pity. Just calm, patience, and an odd sense of humor that made Betty shine.
When Esther reached up to tuck Betty's flyaway curls behind her ear, Daniel's gaze lingered.
Not on the tenderness of the moment, but the memory of last night's Esther, wobbling in his arms, cheeks flushed from drink, murmuring something about not trusting the ground.
He exhaled quietly.
Still conflicted.
Still watching.
"Your turn," Betty tapped the pad beside her, breaking Esther's attention.
"Oh no," Esther groaned, "I just got the paint off my hands!"
"New game. Alphabet scavenger hunt."
Betty led her outside into the garden, pointing toward flowers, pebbles, twigs, anything she could use to make the shape of letters. Esther followed with mock exhaustion, all while stealing moments to admire Betty's creativity.
From a top-floor window, Daniel stood now, arms folded as he watched the pair laughing over an accidental ant invasion of their makeshift letter "M."
A chuckle escaped him.
Maybe today was a good day to take off after all.
In the afternoon, the living room became a pillow fort. Betty's idea, but Esther made it grand, complete with fairy lights and snacks. Betty handed her a handmade "princess" crown, and Esther accepted with a dramatic curtsy.
"I hereby pledge my loyalty to Her Royal Highness, Queen Betty of the Fluffy Fortress."
Betty, ever composed despite her giggles, typed:
"Your kingdom is safe in my hands."
They both laughed.
Then, quietly, Daniel entered. Esther straightened a bit. He held a tray , two small bowls of fruit and two bottled waters.
"I thought your queen might enjoy something refreshing," he said, placing it near them.
Betty beamed. Esther blinked. He wasn't scolding her, ignoring her, or walking past like earlier. He joined the moment, even if only briefly.
"Thank you, Mr. Lewis," she said softly, unsure how to read the look in his eyes.
"Enjoy your… kingdom," he said, then turned back toward his home office.
Betty nudged Esther with her elbow and grinned.
"I'm not saying anything," Esther muttered under her breath, a soft smile tugging at her lips.
By late afternoon, the garden buzzed with life. Birds chirped above the trimmed hedges, and Betty was on her third attempt at dragging both her aunt and father into the next activity on her list , "outdoor fun."
Lady Bell came willingly, sun hat in hand and laughter in her voice. But Daniel?
Not so much.
"I'm not dressed for childish antics," he had said, buttoning the cuffs of his dark shirt like it was armor.
But one look at Betty's hopeful eyes, her machine voice cheerfully reading out "Please, Daddy. For me?" , and he caved.
Esther watched it unfold with a knowing smile, arms folded as she leaned against a tree. "You're outnumbered, sir."
Daniel gave her a side glance. "So it seems."
The garden turned into a battlefield of laughter as Betty started spraying water with the garden hose she had somehow sneakily turned on. Her first victim? Her dad.
A fine mist caught the front of Daniel's shirt, drawing a sharp, surprised glare from him, which only made Betty giggle harder.
"Is that how you want to play this?" Daniel muttered with a slow smirk, reaching behind the tool shed for a second hose.
"Don't!" Esther called, laughing as she realized what he was about to do.
Too late.
He turned the hose on full force and aimed.
Betty yelped, but ducked behind the nearest available shield.
Esther.
The icy water hit her squarely, soaking her from the neck down.
She froze.
Daniel froze.
So did time.
The dress she wore was light cotton, pale yellow, now damp and clinging to her like second skin. Her arms instinctively crossed over her middle, but it was already too late. The outline of her waist, the dip of her stomach… was now visible.
Daniel's gaze dropped for a fleeting second. Then shot up, just as fast.
Guilt flashed through his eyes. His jaw clenched. He looked away.
Esther cleared her throat and took a slow step back, grabbing the end of Betty's wet scarf to use as cover, cheeks burning despite the cold splash.
"Wow," she said weakly, "and here I thought we were just playing."
"Sorry," Daniel said, a little too fast, voice lower than usual.
Betty blinked between them, unaware of the awkward tension suddenly filling the space like humidity after rainfall.
Lady Bell, bless her timing, clapped her hands from the other end of the garden. "Alright! Let's get everyone dry before someone catches a cold."
Esther nodded quickly and turned to go, her wet dress squelching faintly with every step.
Daniel stayed behind, the hose now dangling forgotten at his side.
He'd seen a lot in his life , war zones of business and conflict, but nothing quite prepared him for the quiet war inside his chest right now.
And the worst part?
It wasn't desire that unsettled him the most.
It was how much he noticed.
Too much.
The evening air was cool, laced with the scent of wet grass and blooming jasmine. The garden, once alive with water fights and laughter, now lay still beneath the fading sky.
Esther sat on the balcony just outside her room, legs crossed beneath her and a towel wrapped around her head like a turban. She gently ran her fingers through the ends of her damp hair, letting it air-dry.
A cup of tea sat untouched beside her.
Her mind drifted, back to the garden, to Daniel's expression after the water hit her, to the way he couldn't meet her eyes afterward. She didn't know what unsettled her more, the embarrassment or the strange silence that followed.
She heard footsteps.
She didn't have to turn to know who it was.
"Good evening," Daniel's voice came, quiet but clear. There was a hesitation in his tone, like he wasn't sure if he should be here.
Esther straightened subtly. "Good evening, Mr. Lewis."
Daniel leaned slightly against the balcony rail, keeping a respectful distance. He looked out at the yard instead of her.
"I wanted to apologize," he said. "About earlier. The water incident, that wasn't intentional."
Esther gave a small laugh, soft and tired. "It's fine. Betty was having fun. And it's just water, not lava."
Daniel smirked faintly. "Still… I should've been more careful."
She glanced at him from the corner of her eye. "You're not exactly known for being playful, so I'd say today was a win."
Daniel let out a dry chuckle. "Don't get used to it."
Silence fell again, not uncomfortable, but laced with something neither of them could define.
He looked at her now, his expression tightening just a little. "That aside, I have something else I wanted to tell you."
Esther turned fully, sensing the shift.
"I got a call today," he continued. "From the hospital. Your mother's head surgeon reached out. They've scheduled a date for the surgery."
Her heart paused.
"When?" she asked, voice suddenly smaller.
"three weeks from now. They've secured the operating room, and the lead neurosurgeon will be flying in three days prior. They wanted to make sure you're informed and prepared."
Esther blinked rapidly, nodding. "Thank you… for letting me know."
"And for everything," she added a moment later, more quietly.
Daniel didn't respond at first. He looked out at the garden again, hands in his pockets.
"You don't owe me gratitude, Mis Cole ," he said, his tone more serious now. "You're here because we made a deal. I help your family, and you help mine."
Her lips parted, but she didn't argue.
"Let's keep it that way," he added, a bit too firmly, like he needed to hear it for himself more than for her.
Esther nodded slowly. "Understood."
Daniel pushed off from the railing. "Get some rest. Tomorrow will be a full day with Betty again."
He turned to leave, then paused at the doorway.
"And… Mis Cole," he added, eyes not quite meeting hers, "for what it's worth… you handled today with grace. Even the soaked part."
Her eyes widened in surprise, a flush creeping up her cheeks.
Before she could reply, he disappeared down the hallway, leaving her with the night breeze, a thousand thoughts… and a flutter in her chest she didn't quite know how to name yet.