Reincarnated as a Fisherman and a Dad Chapter 36
Karlos looked at his wife, who was shivering from the cold and rain, her damp hair clinging to her cheeks and tiny droplets sliding down her neck. His heart ached as Maya smiled like everything was alright.
"You should have woken me up. You didn't have to leave the house. You shouldn't take the rain lightly, you might get sick." Karlos sighed and rubbed his forehead, clearly frustrated that she had put herself in harm's way.
"But you rarely have the time to get enough sleep. Every day you have to wake up in the middle of the night. I wanted you to get proper sleep today." Maya didn't mind the cold or the smell of the rain-filled air, even though her shoulders were slightly trembling.
"I have a raincoat; you should have used it."
"But it's too big. I can't cook if I wear that, I can't move around—Kyah! Karlos, what are you doing?"
Maya yelped as Karlos lifted her into a princess carry and walked back to the house with steady steps despite the muddy, slippery ground beneath his feet. She blushed hard, not expecting this kind of situation, and could feel his warmth even through his damp shirt.
When Karlos put her down in the kubo, Maya felt her legs weaken, as though the sudden closeness had melted all her strength away. Her body felt weak because of that sudden gesture. Karlos kissed her forehead gently before looking for his raincoat.
"I'll take care of the dishes. You're getting cold and you need to change your clothes. Wear a jacket to protect yourself from the cold. Stay in the house," Karlos said seriously, his tone leaving no room for argument.
"Eh?" Maya was still stunned and stared at him with wide eyes, her mind trying to catch up to what had just happened. Being princess-carried had probably short-circuited her brain.
Karlos found his raincoat and put it on.
"What do you want to eat?" he asked as he stepped outside, glancing at her once more before leaving.
"Fried eggs and a warm cup of coffee..." Maya replied shyly, playing with the hem of her clothing. She felt childish.
"Maya."
"Yes?"
"You don't have to work yourself too much. Just talk to me if you need help." Karlos still couldn't get over the fact that Maya went to the open kitchen to cook while he was asleep. The image of her working in the rain made his chest tighten. It didn't sit well with him that she was outside getting splashed by the rain.
"... I should be the one telling you that," Maya muttered softly under her breath. She felt like her husband was pushing himself too much. She wanted to ease his burden by making sure he had a complete meal every time he returned home tired, it was her way of loving him back.
"Babe."
Before Karlos left, Maya called him.
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Karlos had been longing to build a proper house, but reality was often disappointing. Their savings weren't enough to build a proper concrete house with a sturdy roof. If they cut costs when building, the purpose of having a sturdy home would be lost, it wouldn't be truly durable.
Karlos went to the kitchen, the rain splashing on his knees and legs, but he wasn't bothered. Every time he went sailing, he always got wet, so the sensation of water was nothing new to him.
He checked the dishes Maya had already cooked. She had made rice and reheated the beef stew from yesterday, which still smelled rich and savory. She had also filled the thermos with hot water so that anyone could have a warm drink whenever they needed it.
Karlos went to the back of the house and checked on the three hens they had bought two months ago. The hens were safe and comfortable in their chicken coop, nestled in a layer of dry straw. He inspected the coop and found six eggs, enough for his family to have breakfast.
He returned to the kitchen and started frying the eggs. The oil sizzled as Karlos adjusted the fire. They were using wood at the moment because their stove was broken. They needed to buy a new one.
He added dried wood, stored under their house and carefully stacked to keep it from absorbing moisture. The flames grew stronger, and Karlos fried the eggs.
When he was done, he carried the pot of rice into the house, using a piece of cardboard to protect his hands from the heat. They had to eat inside since it was raining.
He found Maya wearing a jacket and combing her wet crimson hair in slow strokes to dry it. He also saw his two adorable children wearing jackets, making them look like tiny, puffy marshmallows.
The twins were awake and seemed confused by the pitter-patter of the rain, tilting their heads in curiosity. Karlos smiled warmly and set the rice pot on the floor, placing thick cardboard underneath to protect it.
Arabella became excited when she saw the pot of rice. She crawled toward it, trying to touch it, but Maya quickly scooped her up before her small hand could touch the hot metal.
"Arabella, that's dangerous," her mother said sternly. The little girl, startled by the sudden firmness, teared up and began to cry.
"Waahh—!"
Maya sighed and rubbed her temple.
"If you touch that pot, you'll get scalded."
"Waahh—! Mama! Waahh—!"
Arabella didn't understand what her mother said and continued crying with hiccups.
Karlos returned with the dishes and set them on the floor. He found Arabella crying, reaching for the food like an impatient little one. He immediately understood what was going on.
"Arabella, why don't you follow your brother and behave? Look, Iñigo is just playing on the bedding—Oops, never mind, he peed himself." Karlos noticed the dark wet spots on Iñigo's shorts and chuckled in disbelief. Shaking his head, he went outside to grab plates, cups, and utensils.
"Dear Goddess, you two are very naughty," Maya muttered, unable to hide her amusement as she changed Iñigo's diaper.
Karlos took off his raincoat and hung it at the entrance of the house, where it dripped steadily onto the floor. They had a warm meal with hot coffee that instantly chased away the chill in their bones. The twins also enjoyed the beef stew and fried eggs, making happy little noises between bites.
They turned on the radio to listen to the weather report. Relief washed over them as they learned there was no typhoon, the rain was just a passing heavy downpour. If the report was correct, it would stop late at night or by tomorrow.
Maya and Karlos shared a cup of coffee while keeping an eye on the twins, who were learning to walk and kept grabbing onto anything within reach for support.
At noon, Karlos decided to check his boat to make sure it was secure in the worsening weather.
"I'll go out to check if the boat is secure. If the waves are strong and reach farther, I'll call Andres and the others to help me carry it."
"Alright, just stay away from the sea. We don't know how the waves will be. Promise me you won't do something dangerous."
"I promise."
The couple kissed passionately for a few seconds before Karlos left the house with his raincoat. The rain was getting heavier and showed no sign of stopping.
He walked on, the rain slightly blurring his vision as streams of water trickled along the path. Even so, Karlos moved forward with ease. When he reached the beach, he found that...