Chapter 534: You’re Back

After preparing dinner, Dawn decided to respond to all the messages she’d ignored in the last couple of days, while she waited for Jamal to get home.

She started by opening Genevieve’s messages.

Genevieve had sent several pictures of the island, then messages asking her how she was doing and then asking why she wasn’t responding and if everything was fine.

Immediately, Dawn typed a response.

Dawn>: Hey! I’m sorry I didn’t respond earlier. A lot has been going on over here. How are you? How’s your honeymoon going? I hope the baby is letting you enjoy yourself? And the island looks really beautiful.

Less than a minute after she sent the text, her phone rang and she smiled when she saw it was a video call from Genevieve.

She received the call immediately.

"Finally you reached out. I was beginning to get worried," Genevieve said with a yawn the moment the call connected.

"Hey," Dawn greeted with a wide smile when she saw Genevieve’s face.

Genevieve was wearing a beach hat and sunglasses. She seemed to be relaxing on a beach chair. "What has been going on? Is everyone okay? Did something happen? How is Jamal and Josh?"

Dawn sighed. "Everyone is fine. I was having a really serious misunderstanding with Jamal. And I didn’t want to bother you with any of that."

"Misunderstanding with Jamal?" Genevieve asked with a concerned frown. "What happened? What did you do?"

Dawn scowled. "What do you mean what did I do? Why would you assume I did something?"

Genevieve laughed. "Jamal is obviously crazy about you, and he’s very calm and easygoing..."

"And you don’t think I am crazy about him? I’m not calm and easygoing?" Dawn asked, really not liking how everyone assumed she loved Jamal less.

"Well, I didn’t mean it that way. Forget I said that. What did Jamal do? Have you fixed it?" Genevieve asked instead, seeing that Dawn seemed offended.

Dawn exhaled slowly. "We’ve fixed it. Although he wanted us to take a break."

"A break?"

"Yeah. He wanted me to meet other guys— be sure I loved him and wasn’t just with him out of gratitude or something."

"Now that sounds very serious. What exactly happened?"

"Do you really have the time for a long conversation? Where is Stefan?"

"He went to find me something to munch on. I’ve been eating so much since we got here," she said with a grin. "Go ahead with the story."

Dawn went on to explain what had happened to her.

While Dawn was still speaking, Stefan returned, "I hope these satisfy her majesty’s cravings?" Stefan joked as he approached.

Genevieve giggled when she saw the tray he was carrying. There was a bowl of fruit salad on the tray and then some packs of snacks.

"I’m on the phone with Dawn," Genevieve said as she sat up and reached for a pack of chocolate cookies.

"Hey, Dawn. How’s the rest of the world surviving without us?" Stefan greeted pleasantly.

Dawn laughed. "Poorly. We miss you so much. There’s been no sunshine since you both left."

Genevieve and Stefan laughed.

"How’s Jamal coping with work?" Stefan asked, since he’d turned off his phone since he left for his honeymoon.

He had no desire to concern himself with anything else other than Genevieve and their baby.

"He’s doing okay," Dawn assured Stefan.

"Alright. I’ll leave you ladies to your conversation," he said, then excused himself.

"So," Genevieve said, after Stefan walked away, "go ahead with what you were saying."

When Dawn finished with the story, Genevieve exhaled deeply. "I’m glad you were able to fix it. It would have been really sad coming back to see you both in such bad terms."

"Yeah. By the way, Mari got engaged," Dawn said, and Genevieve laughed.

"Yeah. She sent me some pictures letting me know I shouldn’t forget my promise to get her male strippers for her bachelorette."

Dawn laughed too. "She really said that?"

Genevieve giggled. "Like you don’t know how she is. I’ll definitely get them."

They chatted for a while, then Josh, who had been busy watching the television, joined Dawn and then took the phone from her to talk to Genevieve.

Josh was still chatting with Genevieve when the doorbell rang.

Checking the time, Dawn wondered who it was, since she knew Jamal wouldn’t be ringing the doorbell in his own home.

She walked over to the window to check, and squealed happily when she saw Tom standing there with Lucy.

Immediately she opened the door, and to both her surprise and his, she hugged him happily.

She hadn’t realised just how much she’d missed him until she saw him.

Tom chuckled as he hugged her. "How’s my little Aunt doing?"

Lucy smiled as she watched them.

Dawn laughed as she stepped back to let them inside. "I missed you. When did you come back? Is Jamal aware that you’re back?"

"I got back a couple of hours ago. I called but he didn’t take my calls. We decided to come over and see how you’re both doing," Tom said as he gestured to the ladies to go inside.

Lucy looked at Dawn. "How are things going? Is he coming around?"

"Grandma Lucy!" Josh shrieked happily when he heard Lucy’s voice.

Lucy laughed happily as she turned in time to see him running over to embrace her.

She picked him up from the floor and hugged him. "My sweetheart. How are you doing?"

Josh grinned at her. "I’m fine," he said, then smiled at Tom. "I missed you."

"Did you know?" Tom asked as he lifted Josh from Lucy, then threw him up.

Josh laughed happily.

After they’d settled down in the living room, Tom and Lucy looked at Dawn again.

"So? How is Jamal doing?"

Dawn grinned. "We resolved everything."

Tom blinked. "You did?"

Lucy threw back her head and laughed out loud. "I told you."

"How? Didn’t he say he was emotionally exhausted and needed a break from everyone?" Tom said, staring at Dawn.

Dawn giggled, then shrugged. "Well, I’m not everyone."

Lucy grinned at Tom. "I won. Both you and Harry had better send my money to my account."

"You bet?" Dawn asked, amused but not entirely surprised since it wouldn’t be the first time they were doing that.

"Yes. Harry insisted I shouldn’t have let you move in with Jamal because Jamal needs space and time. Ace here was worried that things might become more complicated if you’re here. I told them not to underestimate the power of a woman in love," Lucy said proudly.

Tom shook his head. "Jamal," he muttered, making both Lucy and Dawn laugh.

"Shouldn’t you be happy they resolved things and he’s okay now?" Lucy asked him.

Before Tom could respond, they heard the door opening and Tom rose.

Jamal stepped into the house and the moment he saw Tom, he grinned.

"You’re back."

"You have the nerve to smile?" Tom asked with a scowl. "How could you make up with her so easily after telling me you didn’t want to? Have you no pride? She’s been here for barely twenty-four hours and you already folded like a pile of clothes."

Dawn and Lucy laughed, while Josh watched the adults with interest.

Jamal chuckled. "Well, didn’t you teach us at the gentlemen’s club to always swallow our pride for the peace of our family? I was only applying the lesson," Jamal said defensively.

"I take it you no longer feel emotionally exhausted?" Tom asked dryly.

Jamal laughed as he embraced Tom. "I’ve fully recovered. I missed you."

Tom shook his head. "It’s my fault for taking you seriously. Why did I ever think you could stay away from someone you’ve fallen in love at different time intervals?"

"My point exactly! Why would you think so?" Jamal asked, making them all laugh.

Josh laughed too, even though he had no idea what the adults were talking about.