Married at First Sight

"Seren, come here," the old lady called, waving Serenity over.

She didn't really need to wave; every time Serenity came downstairs and saw her mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law in the hall, she always joined them for a chat. "Grandma, Mom," Serenity greeted warmly, and then turned to Julian and Kiera.

Julian nodded in acknowledgment, and Kiera smiled, saying, "Serenity, it's been a while."

Noticing Serenity's growing belly, Kiera asked, "When are you due?"

"End of May on the Gregorian calendar," Serenity replied.

Kiera did the math in her head and smiled. "So, a little over three months to go."

She glanced at Serenity's belly and hesitated, unsure if she should continue.

Serenity took a seat beside the old lady, joining the other two women on the long sofa. With no room left, Zachary sat on a single chair.

"Miss Caron, just say what's on your mind," Serenity encouraged gently, sensing Kiera's hesitation.

Everyone turned to look at Kiera, making her a bit flustered. She explained,

"It's nothing really. I work at a martial arts gym and interact with many parents and expectant mothers. I've noticed that Serenity's belly looks like she might be carrying a boy.

"Usually, when I tell people they're

having a boy, they're thrilled. But the

York family seems to have a different expectation. I was worried saying it might disappoint you, since everyone's hoping for a girl," Kiera laughed nervously and added, "Of course, it doesn't really matter. Our generation doesn't favor Boys over girls."

The room went silent for a moment. Then, Serenity laughed and said, "It's not up to us women to decide whether it's a boy or a girl. Regardless, this is Zachary's child, and he'll have to accept it." Zachary quickly responded, "I don't favor girls over boys, but Grandma might."

The old lady shot her grandson a sharp look, cleared her throat, and said,

"I've been eagerly waiting for a great-grandchild, whether it's a boy or a girl. Of course, I'd be delighted to have a great-granddaughter, but that doesn't mean I favor girls over boys. Do you have any proof of that?" Tania, Zachary's mother, muttered under her breath, "Mom, that's only because you've never had the chance to."

The old lady never had a daughter, nor did her daughters-in-law. She ended up with no granddaughters, and if all the great-grandchildren turned out to be boys, she'd never experience having a little girl in the family. The old lady turned and glared at Tania, who tried to stifle her laughter.

Serenity and Kiera couldn't help but giggle too, while Julian struggled to hold back a laugh, afraid the old lady might hold it against him later.

Undeterred by her mother-in-law's stare, Tania straightened up and continued confidently, "Mom, you can glare at me all you want, but I'm not wrong. It's just that you haven't had the opportunity. If you had a daughter or granddaughter, you'd definitely favor them over the boys."

The old lady patted Tania's arm and huffed, "How can you say I haven't had the chance? It's because you and the others weren't determined enough! Why give me so many boys? A sweet, little girl is so adorable, and yet you didn't even give me one granddaughter."

She sighed wistfully, "Look at how

cute Avah is. Every time I see a little girl, I just want to take her home and raise her myself. The old lady from the Johnson family is always on high alert around me, like I'm going to steal her great-granddaughter. She already has a daughter, after all."