Her Return, His Regret by Natie

Chapter 144~ Content "Don't worry, Daddy. I'll always protect them," Ethan promised.

"That's good..." Ryan replied, a proud smile on his face.

They continued to fish and chat. Ethan kept trying to catch a fish but it was still a bit hard for the young boy. However, just like Ryan said, Ethan was patient enough to keep trying despite failing to catch any fish.

Suddenly, an elderly man got on the dock with a bucket and a fishing rod.

He looked at the father and son, saying, "I hope you didn't finish all the fish in the river." Ryan glanced at the man and chuckled. He smiled and replied, "Don't worry, we've left plenty for you to catch." "I see that you brought your family on a trip... I'm staying in the suite next to you," the man said before setting up his rod and throwing it into the river. He sighed heavily and remarked, "I wasted my life searching for money and now, I'm alone in my old age. I have the money but no family to spend it with." "You can still have a family," Ethan said, looking at the old man. "It's never too late." The man suddenly coughed violently. He cleared his throat and replied, "It's already too late for me. I'll never get a second chance to make sure I have a fulfilling life." Looking at Ryan, he uttered, "Young man, you're so lucky to have a wife and kids. Take care of them and never take them for granted." A little while later, Ryan was done fishing and after saying goodbye to the old man, he and Ethan walked back to the tented suites.

"Are we going to cook the fish?" Ethan asked excitedly.

"We will ask the chefs to prepare them for us," Ryan replied.

"I can't wait for Mommy to see how many fish you caught, Daddy!" Ethan remarked, looking at the bucket proudly.

When they arrived, Lora and Ella were waiting, seated on the balcony with cups of hot chocolate in their hands.

"Look, Mommy! Daddy caught so many fish, he's so good at fishing," Ethan exclaimed.

Lora got to her feet and approached them to inspect the fish in the bucket that Ryan was carrying.

"Oh my... these are big fish. Great job, you two!" She said.

"Oh, it was Daddy who caught. I tried but I didn't catch any," Ethan replied, pouting his lips.

"You helped, sweetie," Lora stated. "That's all that matters." "I'm going to ask the chef to prepare these for us. And then Ethan and I can freshen up as we wait to have dinner," Ryan proclaimed.

After freshening up, the family sat around a set-up table outside on the balcony for dinner. The aroma of freshly grilled fish wafted through the air, mixed with different side dishes.

The family happily ate their food and the twins chatted excitedly about this and that.

When they were done, Lora leaned back in her chair, gazing at the stars that were starting to appear in the sky. She looked at her husband and said, "Thank you for bringing us here, my love. It's so peaceful." "That's why I chose this place... I wanted a quiet place to spend twith you guys. No disturbances," Ryan replied. "What did you girls do?" "Oh, we had so much fun, Daddy!" Ella exclaimed quickly as if she was waiting to be asked. She showed Ryan her painted pink nails and uttered, "We painted our nails and them someone cto give ys massages. And then we took spictures." "Oh really?" Ryan remarked. "I would like to see those pictures." "You can check them on Mommy's phone. We took a lot of pictures and the animals were friendly," Ella said, her eyes sparkling with joy.

As tpassed by, the family sat together under the starry sky. Ryan told the children stories about his childhood and Lora told a few of her own. The place was filled with chatting and laughter as they enjoyed each other's company.

Ryan's heart was filled with content as he watched his family, a proud smile curling his lips. The twins' happiness, Lora's at-ease expression- it all felt perfect. And no matter what lay ahead, Ryan knew he would cherish every second of the the had with his family.

When the kids went to bed, Lora cuddled up to her husband. She looked at him, sadness creeping into her as she asked, "Why do I feel like this was a farewell trip?"

Ryan looked down at Lora, guilt filling his heart completely. He sighed and said, "It seems my life is full of regrets in this life. I hurt you, lost you but just when I got you back, I might not stay with you-" "We talked about this, baby. We won't give up!" Lora remarked.

"I know," Ryan replied. "I just want you to be prepared for any situation, It ituation, th doesn't mean I'm giving up. Imagine if just disappeared without leaving any good memories for you and the kids?"

Lora bit her lower lip, her eyes watering with tears. She responded, "I understand... but i have hope that things will get better. I love you so much and I don't want to lose you." Ryan held Lora's chin, caressing it gently as he replied, "I love you most." He leaned down and claimed her lips in a passionate, toe-curling kiss. It was fueled with all the emotions he was feeling at that moment.

The next day, Lora woke up and smiled at Ryan, calling, "Hey, baby. It's morning already-" She paused, noticing how Ryan was curled up on his side. His brows were furrowed and his whole body was covered in sweat.

"Ryan?" She called out, her smile fading. She touched his forehead and her heart dropped to her feet. "Ryan, you're burning up!" Just as she was about to call for the doctor, Ryan's body fell limp and his head lolled to the side.