Chapter 158

"Jeremy!" Stacey beamed at the video call.

Jeremy scribbled on his tablet: I miss you so much!

Stacey's eyes softened. "I miss you too," she murmured, smiling.

Hayden snatched the phone. "Sorry," he said, his voice deep. "Jeremy seems fond of you. Any trouble?"

Stacey shook her head. "Of course not! He's sweet and well-behaved. I like him too."

Back at Hoggard Villa, Jeremy, though out of frame, heard everything. Hayden's slighting remarks stung, but Becky's compliments erased the hurt. His face lit up.

"Really?" Hayden smiled, seeing an opening. "You have two kids? Could I meet them sometime?"

"My kids?" Stacey grinned, thinking of Lillian and Kevin. "Sure!"

Suddenly, Lillian cannonballed into Stacey's arms, yelling, "Mom!" Stacey caught her just in time.

Jeremy, hearing Lillian, leaned closer to the screen. Lillian, unafraid with Stacey holding her, craned her neck, reaching for the phone. She grabbed it, leaving Stacey speechless.

Lillian peered at the screen, confused. "Who are you?"

Jeremy quickly wrote his name. Hayden, seeing Lillian's resemblance to Becky, introduced himself smoothly, "I'm Hayden, your mom's friend."

"What's a friend?" Lillian questioned.

Hayden stammered. Stacey snatched the phone back. "Lily can be a bit mischievous. Sorry about that."

"Same as Jeremy," Hayden said calmly.

Jeremy, having just written his name, heard Hayden's words and furiously erased it, replacing it with: I'm a good boy! He shoved Hayden aside, holding up the tablet for Becky to see.

Becky smiled. "Yes, you're a good boy. Not naughty at all."

Jeremy nodded vigorously. He wrote again, his brow furrowed: Daddy's talking nonsense! Stacey chuckled. The conversation continued until Hayden ended the call.

"You just got home," Hayden said to Becky, smiling. "We shouldn't disturb you. Rest well."

"You too," Stacey replied, momentarily confused by her own words, then dismissed it.

Silence fell. Patrick and Debra turned to Stacey.

"That Hoggard kid?" Debra asked, smiling.

Stacey nodded.

Patrick smiled at Debra and then Stacey. "Hayden's a good guy. He cares about you."

Stacey agreed. The Hoggard family felt genuinely kind.

Debra smiled. "You got back early this morning. Rest. Beauty sleep!"

"Okay," Stacey said, exhausted from a late night with Jeremy and an early flight.

Kevin tried to follow her upstairs but Debra gently stopped him.

"Let Mommy rest," she murmured.

Kevin blinked, confused. Lillian piped up, "Why tired work long time?"

Patrick chuckled. "Work needs energy. Too much energy is tiring."

"Mommy stop work," Kevin declared.