Married at First Sight

"Most women gain weight during pregnancy, but look at Serenity. She only has a baby bump-there's not much extra weight on her," Grandma commented, expressing her concern. Zachary responded with a light chuckle, "Grandma, as soon as you see Serenity, you point fingers at me."

Grandma could be quite unreasonable at times.

Serenity stepped in to defend him, "Grandma, don't blame Zachary. I haven't lost weight; I just haven't gained much. I don't want to put on too much weight-it'll be tough to lose later." Serenity was conscious of her sister Liberty's struggles after giving birth to Sonny. Liberty hadn't managed her weight well and ended up gaining more over time.

Serenity was determined not to let that happen to her. Even though Zachary assured her he'd never act like Hank, she still preferred to stay fit.

"Regardless, you're not overweight. Eat more if you can. Go on and have something now, don't stay hungry," Grandma urged, worried Serenity might skip eating because of the conversation. Turning to others, she added, "Young Master Bucham, Miss Caron, please excuse me for a moment." Kiera smiled and nodded as Zachary led Serenity to the dining table.

He sat across from her, watching her eat. There was also a bowl of nourishing soup, but Serenity only drank a single serving before stopping. "You should at least have another half bowl of soup," Zachary coaxed.

"Otherwise, Grandma will scold me again, thinking I'm mistreating you."

He tried to pour more, but Serenity quickly pulled the bowl away, declining, "No, I'm full. If I eat any more, I'll feel too bloated to have dinner later." "Don't take Grandma's words too seriously," Zachary reassured her. "She doesn't mean any harm and doesn't really blame me."

Grandma was truly fond of Serenity. Ever since Serenity joined their family, Grandma's affection had shifted noticeably.

"Grandma dotes on you more than

me now," Zachary teased,

pretending to be jealous. "When the

baby arrives, I might be completely I sidelined." Serenity laughed, "Jealous, are you? My sister is coming back soon. She's always so nige to you; won't that make me jealous?"

"Impossible! Your sister adores you the most and treats me well only because she wants me to be good to you. She understands our relationship-any disagreements we have are just minor." Serenity playfully warned him, "Just don't go complaining about me to her." Zachary chuckled, "Well, even if your parents are gone, I still have your aunt to talk to when I need to vent." Serenity rolled her eyes, speechless.

"It's because you sometimes ignore my advice and do risky things," he added, making Serenity sigh again.

Why did she marry a man who liked running to her family to complain? "I'll only speak to your sister when you leave me feeling completely misunderstood," he added with a grin. Serenity shook her head, speechless again.

"Are you sure you don't want more food, darling made all this just for you." "How can I eat all of this?" she replied. "You cooked so many dishes, I'm full after tasting a bit of

swnovel.

each and having some k

When Serenity stood up to clear the dishes, Zachary stopped her. "Leave it to me. Go and chat with Grandma. Josh and Jasmine are joining us for dinner tonight. You made this

nourishing soup, so let's share it

with Jasmine."

The mention of her good friend's visit lifted Serenity's spirits. At least someone else would help finish the nutritious meal she'd been trying to avoid!