Chapter 576 - ONCE OR TWICE

After eating lunch, Cayenne paid the bill using Stefan's card. However, the small gathering didn't end there. They went to the nearest park which was a water-themed park and watch different amazing shows. They didn't care about the time. They played to their hearts content and had fun riding with the park's adventure rides.

They also went to buy some small trinkets that they can wear every day and had their names engraved on it.

"I'll get something uniform for the four of us." Cayenne commented while looking at the necklaces but she realized that Marian still kept the necklace that John gave her and on the other hand, she also likes to wear the necklace that Stefan gave her. "Let's get a bracelet. Something minimalist."

"That sounds good." Seiji agreed and looked at the displayed bracelets.

"I don't really mind." Arthur also added but his eyes were on the necklaces being displayed. He looked at the items and then looked towards Veronica. When she turned around to look at him, Arthur shifted his gaze and looked somewhere else.

"You can choose whatever item you like. I'll take a seat first. I feel a little tired." Marian left them at the store and sat on the nearby wooden bench. Veronica followed her suit and none of them said anything. They just looked at the people around them. After few minutes, Marian broke the silence. "I have never thought that I'd have to get ill in order for me to do things that I like. Isn't it ironic? When I had so much time, my parents would get angry if I do this or that. Now that I am ill, they'd allow me to do things that I like but I have limited time to enjoy it."

Veronica looked down on her hands and sighed. "Young miss, wouldn't you really regret it if you keep avoiding your ex-boyfriend?"

"Of course, I would but I'd regret it even more if he ever sees me with pity. I don't need his pity and besides, he can be happy with someone else."

"But what if he still likes you?"

"For now, maybe he does. But once he knew I'm sick, things would change. I don't want to know what those changes will be. I don't have the strength to take a risk. I'm fine now. I'm happy."

Veronica wanted to say something more but she could see Cayenne and the others walking towards them. In the end, she kept her mouth shut.

"Look at this." Cayenne showed a phone accessory. "It's cute isn't it. I think this is great. It will remind me of you."

"Right. A little rabbit signifies Marian's role in our life." Arthur added.

"But Yen, you have a phone strap already. It even matches with your husband's. Where will you place the little rabbit?" Seiji asked when he noticed that Stefan was holding two cellphone which belongs to him and Cayenne. Both have the same matching phone accessory which was the small stuff toy that Luiz bought for Stefan and his sister.

Cayenne took her cellphone from Stefan and looked at it. "Tsk! That's a very simple issue." She untied the little rabbit from the string and untied the small stuff toy from her phone. She strung them together and tied the strap back to her phone. "See?" Her phone has the two little trinkets from Luiz and the one she bought that symbolizes Marian. "This is yours." Cayenne handed the other little rabbit to Marina.

"Thank you."

They rested for a while and talked about their future plans. Cayenne's birthday will happen in few days and it would be her first birthday with Stefan in her life. They asked her what was her plan for her birthday and if she would be celebrating it within the country. Surprisingly, she won't.

"What do you mean 'you won't'? You won't celebrate your birthday or you won't celebrate it in the city?" Seiji asked in confusion.

"How can my husband allow my birthday to pass without celebrating it? Are you an idiot? I won't celebrate it in the city."

"You're going somewhere? I don't think your family will allow that to happen." Arthur voiced out.

"I'm the boss at home." Cayenne replied shamelessly and proudly. "They would agree to my whims as long as I am safe. I'm going out of the country."

"Why don't we celebrate your birthday twice?" Stefan asked his wife but Cayenne frowned. "Money isn't an issue."

"Did I say money is an issue?"

"Then, why not?"

"Because you will be too tired preparing for it. You have enough in your mind already. Let's just celebrate it once." Cayenne smiled and even caressed her husband's face in public. "You have to listen to me, okay?"

"Okay." Stefan agreed but he had something different in his mind.

After a half day of spending time together, Marian bid farewell to her friends. She needed to come home before seven in the evening. Cayenne and Stefan needed to make a trip back to City A as well which would take them several hours.

Seiji and Arthur went back to their respective hotels to rest the night away. Although one of them was bound to be sleepless. At first, Arthur was still doubting himself if he really moved on from Cayenne but after today's gathering, he was more than 100% sure that he already let go of his feelings for her.

Around 9:00 in the evening, Cayenne and Stefan arrived home. Unexpectedly, her family wasn't in the living room. Usually, they'd be up around this time of the night. She didn't think it was a big deal and just continued walking upstairs with Stefan.

Cayenne thought that her husband would become a shameless wolf as soon as they're home but she was mistaken. Stefan didn't do anything. The both of them took a shower together and even if he had a boney, he didn't ask Cayenne to help him get some relief. He just endured and calmed himself down with a cold shower. 

"I'll be at the study room. I needed to finish some things before tomorrow." Stefan stated as he rubbed his hair with the towel. He didn't even ask if she'd like to accompany him.

"Do you mind if I come and stay with you?"

"Not really but I'd be happy if you can take a rest instead. After all, you did so many things this afternoon."

"Are you angry that I didn't get to spend my Friday afternoon with you?"

"Nope. Why would I be? Compared to this one afternoon and the many afternoons in the future, I don't really feel anything as close to jealousy."

Cayenne looked at him for a while and after making sure that he was really okay, she stood on her toes and kissed him quick. "Good night, then. Do your work faster and come back to me, okay?"

"Hn. I'll be back as soon as I can." Stefan kissed her nose, picked up his phone and left the room without looking back. He went to the study room like he said he would. He looked left and right to make sure that no one was around the corner before closing the door.

"What's taking you so long?"

"We thought you've forgotten our plan."

"Have a seat."

Stefan saw Luiz and Kyle sitting on the couch while Erwin stood at the window, feeling the cool night breeze touching his face.

"Sorry. I couldn't think of other things to avoid your sister." Stefan sat on the couch and faced her brothers-in-law. "She said that she didn't want to have two separate celebration because she thought I'd be tired."

"Well, you have us. So, it's okay to celebrate it twice. We will help you whatever plans you have in mind." Luiz responded and started to get serious. "So, what day do you want the celebration to fall? I need to make time for my work as well."

"We can have a party on the day itself since we will be leaving the country the day after that. Also, don't tell her that I am involve in this plan. I will act surprise on her birthday, too."

The four men, talked about throwing a birthday party for Cayenne without her knowing anything. When they weren't satisfied with their plans, they even called David in the middle of the night to ask for his opinion. However, when they heard the muffled moans and groans, Luiz ended the call without any hesitation.

"David has a fun night life. Let's ignore him for now." Luiz was beet red when he spoke but after few minutes he was back to normal. They discussed the party for over an hour, not worried about the time since it would be weekend the next day.

When Stefan came back to their bedroom, he found Cayenne wide awake, watching a movie on her laptop. "Why didn't you go to sleep yet?"

"I can't. Are you done with your work?"

"Hn."

"Then, let's go to bed. The movie wasn't really that interesting but it helps me." She closed her laptop, put it on top of her drawer before sliding under the blanket. She looked really sleepy but she still tried her best to wait for him. It really pained him to see her like this.

'I won't do this again.'