Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

The next morning, Ava was already waiting at the school gate for Alex. Alex hurriedly rode in on a small donkey, wearing a black short-sleeved shirt and loose blue jeans, exuding a tomboyish vibe.

Even more so than Frank, Alex seemed to lean into a more masculine style. Frank nodded in greeting, as he rarely initiated conversations with girls other than Ava.

Alex's electric motorcycle trailed beside the couple, gliding with her feet, moving at their walking pace but at a sluggish speed. "How cyou guys are here so early? Today's just registration, no classes. Ava, you could've slept an extra five minutes. | live quite far, so I'm pressed for time." "Is your place really remote? How long does it take?" Ava inquired curiously.

Alex calculated, "It's about 40 minutes by electric motorcycle. It's not too bad, though. Houses there are a bit cheaper." "That's quite far," Ava remarked, surprised.

"Ah, it's not far. Besides, it's a great workout, right? Bro, should | go with Ava to register first, or will you accompany her?" Alex noticed another girl behind Ava, her hair tied in a neat ponytail, standing upright, exuding a confident aura.

Frank offered, "I'll go with her." "Okay, I'll head out then. See you later." With that, Alex revved her scooter and zoomed off towards the academic building.

Frank accompanied Ava to complete the registration, filling out the necessary forms. They were accompanied by a bodyguard who even accompanied her to the restroom, taking turns to ensure her safety. Ava didn't object; she actually found it comforting, appreciating the added security.

As noon approached, inside the library, a handsman sat with an adorable girl, engrossed in their books.

He occasionally massaged her waist with delicate movements, attracting the attention of many students around.

The man naturally shielded himself from the curious gazes around and lowered his voice, asking, "Is your waist sore?" The girl shook her head softly. "No, are you going to read?" Their voices were hushed, audible only to each other, reminiscent of mischievous students whispering in class.

With one hand gently massaging her waist, Frank's movements were soothing, trying to alleviate her fatigue. "No need to read," he said softly. "Just looking at you is enough." Suddenly, Frank's phone in his pocket seemed to go haywire, incessantly vibrating, almost draining its battery.

His leg felt numb from the constant buzzing. Inwardly, Frank cursed whoever it was with such relentless messages.

With seffort, he freed a hand and checked the phone. It was Hackett bombarding him with messages, probably recovered from his concussion and now being a nuisance with one text after another.

Hackett's message read, [Frank, buddy, you've been there for half a month already. When are you coming back to prepare for the wedding? Trevon mentioned you guys were planning it in two months! Is it real?] His second message read, [Are you planning a minimalist wedding? You're not coming back to prepare at all? Bring the little princess to Athana; It feels like an eternity since | saw you last time. | miss you so much.] His third message read, [Is your little princess having a twin or a single child?] And then, he went on asking, [What's the thfor your wedding? Mordern? Ancient style? Have you decided?] Finally, he sent another message, [When exactly is the wedding? Which date?] After reading through all the messages, Frank felt an intense urge to reach through the phone and give Hackett a good shake. He sighed inwardly and replied, [Are you sure your concussion has been treated? Maybe get your wife's friend to scan your brain again.] [I'll cover the expenses.] Hackett texted, [Get lost! | just missed you. Is this a mistake? You're just made for a solitary life.] Frank replied, [You can temporarily forget about my existence. Thanks to your whole family.] Hackett was speechless. In truth, he was genuinely bored. Sherri was afraid of potential complications from his injury, so she didn't let him work. He was stuck at hevery day, practically growing fur on him.

Ignoring Hackett's subsequent incessant chatter, Frank didn't engage further.

He simply set his phone to 'Do Not Disturb’ mode, rendering Hackett's subsequent antics ineffective in disturbing him.

Exiting the library, Frank held Ava's hand, while Alex stood on the other side, followed by their bodyguard.

"Ava, | won't join you guys for lunch. I'm running late; | have a part-tjob starting this afternoon. See you later. Take care of Ava," Alex said as she descended the stairs, preparing to head to the parking lot. Frank had a favorable impression of Alex, the boyish figure. "Bye, mate. Thanks." Ava had shared with Frank how she had cto a realization, crediting Alex for her newfound perspective. She relayed Alex's words to Frank, for which he felt genuinely grateful.

When Alex, unaware of what Frank was thankful for, made a courteous gesture, saying, "You're welcome, no problem." Hand in hand, their fingers interlocked, Ava and Frank strolled along the pathways of Sapphire City University.

Even on these smaller paths, students were bustling to and fro.

"Hey, Ava, is that your boyfriend?" a girl from the sdepartment greeted them and asked with a smile.

Upon hearing this, Ava lifted their entwined hands in the air, beaming brightly. "Not a boyfriend, he's my husband. I'm married." Not just the girl who asked, but even Frank, standing beside her, was momentarily stunned. He then subtly curved his lips, a light chuckle escaping his chest. It took the girl a moment before she offered her congratulations and left.

It wasn't uncommon for girls to get married during their postgraduate studies at the university. However, unlike Ava, most chose to keep it low-key, often opting for cohabitation off-campus rather than openly acknowledging their marital status.

Once the girl departed, Ava's smile returned, radiant as starlight. Deep down, she pondered when her husband would finally address her as his wife.

She thought, "It shouldn't be too long, right? "Wife, haha, sounds really nice." And for Frank, he quite liked being called 'husband' by the young girl. After all, anyone could call Frank by his name—sometimes even Hackett in his eccentric moments, Trevon, Grace, and the rest. As for Rose, who knows what she might call him. But 'husband' was indeed a unique and special title.

It was something he liked.

At night, Turner Manor.

Once the person in bed had fallen asleep, the man quietly got up. He grabbed a Post-it note and meticulously scribbled a row of words before sticking it on his own pillow. Afterward, he left the room.

In the dead of night, Ava woke up feeling the urge to urinate. Subconsciously, she nudged towards the empty space beside her, only to find it cold. Abruptly, she opened her eyes, her bright orbs gleaming in the darkness like luminous pearls.

In disbelief, she switched on the light, confirming the emptiness of the space. All she found was an orange Post-it note with a simple message: "Baby Ava, I'll be right back, don't wait for me. Staying up late isn't good for the baby." The note didn't specify where he went or when he would return. Holding the orange Post-it, she felt puzzled.

After hesitating for a few minutes, her need to use the restroom becmore pronounced.

Swiftly, she made her way to the bathroom, her thoughts consumed by where Frank might have gone. However, she refrained from calling to check or inquiring about his whereabouts.

Remembering the last few words on the back of the note, "for the baby," Ava decided to ease back into slumber for the sake of their child. It wasn't until after 9 a.m. that Frank returned, looking weary and worn.

Emma observed her son-in-law's fatigued expression, a mix of concern and compassion in her voice as she spoke, "Frank, couldn't you have waited until things were sorted there before coming back and forth? It's not good for your health. You have to take care." Despite wearing an exhausted expression and struggling to keep his eyes open, Frank replied determinedly, "Don't worry about me. It's alright, it'll be sorted in a few days. Mom, I'll head up to rest for a bit." Emma furrowed her brow; this kid was certainly stubborn. Seeing he wasn't going to relent, she urged, "Okay. At least go catch ssleep now." With a faint acknowledgment, Frank, feeling utterly drained, murmured, "Okay, I'm going back to the bedroom now. Have a good day." Despite feeling extremely tired, eyelids heavy enough to fall to the floor, Frank persisted in taking a shower. He discarded his clothes into the laundry hamper before collapsing into bed.

As soon as Frank slipped into bed, Ava instinctively leaned towards him. "You're back," she murmured.

Cradling her in his arms, Frank replied softly, "Yes. Let's sleep now." "Okay," she replied lightly.

On nights when Frank sporadically got up to use the bathroom, Ava noticed he wasn't by her side. Initially, she assumed he had gone out or was working overtsomewhere in the house.

It didn't bother her much at first, but as this beca more frequent occurrence, Ava began feeling uneasy.

Especially tonight, when Frank was absent as usual. Alone, she rose from bed, donning a light coat. Quietly, she opened the door, switching on every lamp in the room. Being pregnant, she couldn't risk navigating in the dark; there were two babies inside her, and any mishap could be troublesome.

Downstairs was shrouded in darkness, indicating Frank wasn't there. She pushed open the door to the study, finding it similarly dim. Ava couldn't help but wonder: where could he be? Standing at the doorway, she pondered for quite stime, her attractive brows furrowing deeply. Her gaze fixed on a spot as she contemplated. Eventually, she turned back to her room, switched on the lights, and checked her phone. It was 3:30 in the morning.

Where did Frank go? Was Frank at the construction site laying bricks at this hour? It seemed so odd.

The thought troubled her, making her unable to sleep, prompting her to dial his number. However, the call didn't get through. Instead, a mechanical female voice responded, "The number you have dialed is temporarily unavailable." She was suddenly devoid of sleepiness, and her heart started racing.

As tticked by, Ava grew exhausted from waiting. She sprawled on the bed in all directions, falling into a drowsy state. Amidst her slumber, she heard someone calling her, "Baby Ava, cover yourself, why are you sleeping out here?" Then, she felt someone embraced her. Worried about everything, she instantly opened her eyes, startling Frank.

"Did | wake you up?" he asked.

She hugged his neck, and he held her delicately, tenderly. Still in a groggy state, her voice soft and muffled, she asked, "Where did you go every night?" Frank paused for a moment, then quickly regained his composure. He shifted her to the side, helping cover her with the blanket before getting in himself. Even inside the covers, she kept asking him.

Seeing her persistent demeanor, as if she wouldn't sleep without an answer, Frank reluctantly compromised. A few words escaped his lips, "Athana." All traces of sleepiness vanished. His words were loud enough to startle the baby inside. "Athana?" She looked at the tired person before her in disbelief.

Her heart ached with empathy, causing her distress. It took her a while to regain her composure. She had been so immersed in Frank's affection lately that her mind had been clouded. Going to class together, sleeping together... Her intelligence seemed to have diminished by several degrees. Now, combining this incident with his previous disappearances, Ava made a deduction. "So, after | fall asleep at night, you go to Athana and then cback to Sapphire City in the early morning?" As the words left her lips, a glimmer shone in Ava's eyes. Her throat felt tight, her eyes teary.

Witnessing her emotional turmoil, Frank panicked. He hurriedly tried to soothe her, explaining, "Don't cry. | just went to check on how Grace was doing. If you don't like it, | won't go back." He gently pressed the back of her head against his chest, tenderly caressing her back. "I'm sorry. You must have worried about me. It isn't my intention." He had simply gone to check on Grace's wedding preparations, ensuring everything was on track and overseeing any last-minute additions. He also wanted to supervise a surprise being arranged for the young girl, fearful that the workers might make mistakes.

If he didn't cback, he worried the young girl might becscared, feeling unsafe.

Ava now realized her mistake. Her anxiety had inadvertently burdened Frank with a significant workload, leading him to shuttle between Athana and Sapphire City. She felt a pang of heartache.

Why was he so silly? But ultimately, she had been immature. Sniffling, she said, "Honey, take a few days off and go back to Athana.

I'm not scared anymore, really, I'm not. Look, | haven't had any irrational thoughts during this time." She shook her head vigorously, desperately trying to convey that she genuinely wasn't scared anymore. A teardrop trembled at the corner of her eye and cascaded down, landing on the back of Frank's hand.

There was a brief chill passed through the room. Frank glanced down at the back of his hand, then lifted his gaze to the young girl, raising his hand to gently wipe away the tear from her eye, his lips pressed tightly together.

Ava withdrew from Frank's embrace, looking at him with determination. Seeing his lips part, she spoke first, "I know what you want to say. You want to say it's because of you being here. But actually, I've realized it now. | have two babies in my belly, and I'll take good care of myself. | won't let my mind wander. In a few days, you can go back to Athana without worries. If | feel lonely, I'll have Alex cover to stay with me. Of course, she won't sleep in this bed. This place is still exclusively yours." She patted the bed as she said that.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine. At school, | have Alex and the bodyguards my brother arranged for me. It's very safe.

Nothing will happen. | even have protection when | go to the bathroom. Isn't that good? You're preparing for our wedding, aren't you? You can't take your eyes off me." The young girl saw him stunned and started to act coquettishly.

She couldn't be so immature, letting Frank run around like this. If things continued this way, her health would deteriorate before the wedding.

Relentless, as if to say she'd be upset if he didn't agree, the young girl pressed on. Unable to resist her adorable demeanor, Frank eventually relented, "Well, okay, I'll stay a few more days, then I'll go back." Seeing Frank agree, Ava felt relieved. She smiled, "Good, let's sleep now. Holdwhile you sleep." Frank gently settled down, cradling her in his arms. "Mm."