Chapter 44 The Man About to Be Married

After Luke put away their bags, he quickly went to get the children. Caelan and Sofia saw Luke's happy family of four and really wished they could have such a cool surprise too. "Dinner time is coming up. What should we grab to eat?" Luke knew they were new here. "Dinner will be brought to our rooms, no worries! Let's rest up tonight and head out for fun tomorrow." Charlotte felt kind of stiff from the plane ride. "Sitting for so long wasn't fun for my back." Luke saw she looked a bit uncomfortable. "Everything okay?" "Yeah, I'm good. What about you?" While she had been taking care of the children, Luke had been lugging their four big suitcases. She thought he must be more tired than she was. But Luke, used to this kind of thing, just smiled. "I'm doing great." Then, the hotel staff rolled in their dinner and two fancy bottles of red wine. Caelan's eyes lit up. "Ah, you got my favorite! Thanks, Luke!" Sofia got up alongside him, grinning. "You did awesome planning this, Luke. Can't wait for the next time!" Luke let out a laugh. "Feels like you're teasing me for being too good at this." Caelan gave Sofia a playful look. "We're just saying you're doing an amazing job, especially with your wedding coming up. Isn't that right, Sofia?" "Yeah, totally! We would never have thought of all this. You've got the magic touch!" Charlotte clapped her hands together. "Time to dig in, everyone!" Charlotte, who had munched on airplane food, was now ready for a real feast. If it weren't for their joking around, she would have already been enjoying her meal. Sofia wasn't really hungry until she smelled the dinner. She and Caelan casually poured some soda into glasses, making the meal feel special. "Anyone want some wine?" Caelan offered the decanter. Charlotte grabbed her fork and knife, ready to dive in. "I'll skip the wine." Luke shook his head as well. "I'm good. Gotta stay healthy, you know? Not like the old days of just doing whatever." Their first dinner at Tropis Island was a hit, but Lilya missed it because she was asleep. She woke up just as everyone was finishing. Holding Lilya, Luke gently asked, "What do you want to eat now?" Thinking, Lilya said, "Can I get a burger here?" Luke made a quick call, and soon they promised to bring a burger for her. "Really?" Lilya's eyes widened as she looked at Charlotte. She hadn't eaten a burger in a long time. Charlotte smiled at her. "Sure, but just for tonight. We don't want your tummy to hurt again, right?" "I won't forget, Mommy." Seeing this, Luke asked, "Does she have a delicate stomach?" Charlotte sighed, "Yeah, it's been a problem. I have to be careful with what she eats, especially fried foods." Luke thought of a doctor friend who might help. He wanted to make sure Lilya could enjoy her favorite foods without any trouble in the future. Luke reassured Charlotte, "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself. You didn't know back then. It's okay, we'll figure it out when we're back." Charlotte felt hopeful hearing this. "Really? Lilya's tummy troubles have been worrying me a lot." Lilya was curious on the couch. "Does that mean I can have burgers all the time once I'm better?" Luke smiled warmly. "Sure, once you're healthy, you can enjoy whatever you like." "Yay! I can't wait for all the tasty stuff!" Just then, a hotel staff member came in with a burger and warm orange juice for Lilya. She was thrilled, hurrying over to grab it. Charlotte gently reminded her, "Take it easy, sweetie. It's all yours." Lilya felt pretty smart. "Mommy, you grown-ups just don't get how awesome burgers are." Charlotte laughed, hugging her. "I used to love them just like you at your age. We understand more than you think." After a bite and a sip of her juice, Lilya wondered aloud, "Don't you like them now?" Charlotte just smiled. "Some things change as you grow. You'll see." Lilya frowned a bit. "Mommy always says that, but I want to know now, not just when I'm older." "Some things make more sense later, honey." Watching her eat, Luke couldn't help but laugh at how cute she was. Sofia and Caelan, watching from the side, felt a bit out of place, only there because of Luke's big plans.