Chapter 40: Compliment

After eating, Kael felt a little better. His chest still hurt when he moved too quickly, but he could sit comfortably without much trouble.

Sera brought her sketchbook into the living room and spread several sheets of paper across the coffee table. Kael glanced at the drawings with interest.

"Are those new designs?" Kael asked.

"Some are new. I’ve been working on a few ideas for the apartment," Sera explained.

She turned one of the pages toward him. The drawing showed their living room with the furniture arranged differently.

"I thought we could make better use of the space without buying too much. If we move the sofa slightly and put a small shelf over there, we might have more room," Sera said as she pointed to the sketch.

Kael studied the drawing before asking, "Wouldn’t the shelf block some of the light from the window?"

Sera looked at the sketch again. "You’re right. I hadn’t considered that."

She erased a line and adjusted the shelf’s position before turning the page toward him again.

"What do you think now?" Sera asked.

"That looks better," Kael replied.

Sera continued drawing for a while, occasionally explaining what she wanted to change. Kael listened and gave his opinion whenever she asked. After a few minutes, he glanced at the sketchbook again.

"Have you thought about taking a design course?" Kael asked.

Sera paused before answering. "I have. I just haven’t decided which one to take yet."

"You could finish a few designs first and use them to build a portfolio. Then you’d have something to show when you start looking at courses," Kael suggested.

Sera looked at him thoughtfully. "That’s what I was thinking. I want to see how much I can do on my own before paying for anything."

"That makes sense. You don’t have to rush it," Kael replied.

Sera smiled at him. "Thank you for taking my ideas seriously."

Kael frowned slightly. "Why wouldn’t I?"

She lowered her eyes to the sketchbook before answering. "I’m used to people telling me what I should do before asking what I actually want. Sometimes, even when they mean well, they make decisions for me."

Kael understood what she meant. He knew how much it mattered to Sera to make her own choices, especially after the way her family had handled so much of her life.

"I don’t want to do that to you," Kael told her. "If you want to pursue design, I’ll support you. We can work out the money and schedule together when you’re ready."

Sera looked at him and smiled. "I’d like that."

"Then that’s what we’ll do," Kael replied.

She returned to her drawing, and Kael watched her for a moment before looking down at Noah, who was resting nearby. He was glad that Sera had something she wanted to work toward. She had spent so much time adjusting to their new situation that he didn’t want her interests to disappear beneath their household responsibilities. If she wanted to learn design, she deserved the time to do it.

A few minutes later, Noah began to fuss. Sera put down her pencil and started to stand, but Kael spoke before she could reach him.

"Let me check on him. You can finish that line first," Kael offered.

Sera looked at him with concern. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I’ll sit down with him. If my chest starts hurting more, I’ll call you," Kael assured her.

Sera studied him before nodding. "All right, but please don’t push yourself."

"I won’t," Kael promised.

Kael carefully picked up Noah and checked his diaper. It was clean, but the baby seemed restless. He adjusted the blanket, held Noah comfortably, and walked slowly around the living room until his son settled.

When Kael returned to the armchair, Sera had finished the part she was working on.

"Everything all right?" Sera asked.

"Yes. I think he just wanted to be held," Kael answered.

Sera smiled. "That happens."

Kael sat down and settled Noah against his chest.

"You should keep drawing if you want to. There’s no need to stop every time he makes a noise," Kael told her.

"I know, but I wanted to check on him," Sera replied.

"And you can. I’m not asking you to ignore him. I just want you to have time for yourself too," Kael explained.

Sera looked at him for a moment before smiling. "All right. I’ll finish this page, then take a break."

"Good," Kael said.

She returned to her sketchbook while Kael stayed with Noah. He didn’t try to do everything perfectly. He simply kept the baby comfortable, paid attention to his needs, and asked Sera for help when he wasn’t sure about something. For now, that was enough.

====

By early afternoon, Sera had finished her sketch and put her materials away. She stretched her arms before looking at Kael.

"I’m going to take a shower. After that, I think we should watch something together," Sera suggested.

"Sounds good. Take your time," Kael replied.

Sera leaned down and kissed him.

"Thank you for looking after Noah this morning," she said.

Kael smiled. "Thank you for looking after both of us."

Sera laughed softly. "You’re welcome."

She went to the bedroom to get her things, leaving Kael with Noah in the living room. Kael settled more comfortably into the armchair and turned on the television at a low volume. A cooking competition was playing, and he watched for a few minutes while Noah rested against him.

One of the contestants began preparing a complicated chicken dish, which caught Kael’s attention.

"That looks good. Maybe I should try making it," Kael said as he studied the screen.

From the bedroom, Sera called out, "Please don’t burn the kitchen while I’m in the shower!"

Kael laughed. "I wasn’t going to!"

"That’s what you said last time!" Sera called back.

Kael shook his head and looked down at Noah.

"Your mother has very little faith in me," Kael told his son.

Noah moved his fingers against Kael’s shirt, and Kael smiled as he adjusted the blanket around him.

"Don’t worry. I’ll prove her wrong one day," Kael promised.

His phone vibrated on the table. Kael reached for it carefully and saw a message from Marcus.

How are you feeling? Don’t return to the training ground until you’re cleared to exercise. We can discuss your appraisal results when you recover.

Kael typed a reply, telling Marcus that he was resting and would contact the Association when he was ready. He then put his phone away without giving the message another thought.

There was no need to rush back. He had already learned how badly things could go when he tried to prove himself before he was ready. For now, recovering properly was more important than returning to the training ground.

For the rest of the afternoon, Kael stayed with Noah while Sera finished her shower and joined him on the sofa. They watched television together, talked about her designs, and made plans for dinner.

When Noah began moving restlessly, Kael checked on him and adjusted his position. Sera noticed what he was doing and smiled.

"You’re getting better at recognizing what he needs," Sera told him.

"I’m trying to pay attention," Kael replied.

"It’s working," Sera assured him.

Kael looked down at his son.

"Your mother says we’re doing well," Kael told Noah.

The baby made a small sound, and Kael smiled before kissing his forehead.

"That’s good enough for me," Kael said.