Music Lover's Alert: If you like to listen to music while you read, I recommend "True Colors" by Phil Collins and "California" by Savage Garden just to set the mood.

Chapter 22 Busy

Seto was already in the dining room with his laptop and his breakfast in front of him when Mokuba, Serenity, and Janet entered. They took a seat and served themselves from the bounty in the middle of the table while Seto remained glued to his computer screen reading an important document. Serenity clutched Janet tightly with one hand as she forced a few spoonfuls of oatmeal into her mouth. Mokuba took a plate full of various items and pushed them around with his fork like a painter trying to blend several colors into the perfect hue.

Seto typed rapidly on his keyboard for about five minutes, then grunted and looked up. "Hey sleepyheads," he said with a lighthearted fondness. Despite all the stress of managing Kaiba Corporation, his icy blue eyes turned warm when he looked upon his family.

Serenity swallowed hard and returned his greeting by mimicking his tone of voice as closely as she could.

Mokuba avoided answering by yawning.

"How late were you up?" Seto asked.

"How late were you up?" Mokuba said in a sassy tone.

"I stayed up as late as I needed to stay up to keep the company afloat," Seto replied sternly.

"Seto?" Serenity asked timidly.

"What?"

"Do you think we could spend some more time together? I hardly get to see you these days."

"I'll have my secretary look into it," Seto said absently.

Serenity stared at him with her big, olivine doe eyes, but Seto wasn't even looking at her anymore. He had already gone back to his computer. Serenity shifted her gaze to Mokuba. Mokuba looked at her for a moment, but then returned to playing with his food. There was simply nothing else worth saying while Seto was absorbed with his work.

Seto shoveled the last bite of his breakfast into his mouth and chewed it quickly. Then, he drained his coffee cup. He plunked the cup down on the table and closed his laptop in one continuous motion. Then, he stood and tucked the laptop under his arm. He walked over to Serenity and gave her a quick peck on the lips followed by a peck on the forehead for Janet. Then, he nodded at Mokuba and said, "Take care of my girls."

"I will," Mokuba responded automatically.

Then, Seto was gone. Mokuba and Serenity looked at each other uneasily.

"Do you think he really meant that in every sense?" Serenity wondered.

"I wish I knew. Either way, I will take care of you in any sense you desire," Mokuba assured her.

Mokuba's words made Serenity purr, and she shifted to a chair beside him. She held Janet to her bosom and laid her head on his shoulder. "Mokuba, I'm so lucky to have you in my life. It baffles me why no other woman ever fully appreciated you."

"It baffles me why Seto is not appreciating you at this very moment."

"Maybe he's seeing someone else," Serenity whispered.

"Don't say that! Of course he's not."

She glanced up at him, and her olivine eyes connected with his violet ones. "Why not? I'm seeing you."

"Is that really the right term to use? I love you, Serenity, but I decided a long time ago that I would never get in-between you and Seto. Besides, I'm still looking for someone else to love."

"Are you saying that you would leave me for some other girl?" Serenity's eyes brimmed with tears. In that moment, she felt more fragile than she felt confused. If two men would leave her, what good was she to anyone?

"I don't know what I'm saying. I want someone to love, and I love you. It's just that Seto loves you, too. I know he does, so I should really keep looking for someone else. Otherwise, my heart is always open to you. Always."

Serenity balanced Janet between them and wrapped her arms all the way around Mokuba. She put her ear to his chest and listened to his heartbeat. She let herself be comforted by its steady rhythm until she found the strength necessary to face the rest of the day.

Serenity kissed him and thanked him, and then picked up Janet and got ready for her shift at the hospital. Her maternity leave was over, but there was an excellent daycare right in the hospital facility for the nurses who worked there. What she did not know was that most workplaces did not have such excellent facilities, and that Seto had asked his secretary to bribe the hospital to provide better care for his daughter.

At the daycare, Janet received the most attention and stimulation. Certified childcare specialists fed her with the breast milk Serenity pumped on short breaks during her shift. They gave her large alphabet letters to play with and played classical music constantly. Although Janet was still too young to understand any of it, her time there primed her brain for rapid development.

Closing Note: Please review! Oh, and guess what Janet's first words are going to be.