My Dreamy Old Husband

The talk in the living room resumed shortly after Carmen retreated upstairs. The whole family could sense that it was a crucial time in her life since she was about to transition from a teenager to a young adult—a process that was otherwise known as ‘the transition’.

It was at the start of the family discussion when Sophia first made the announcement that a historical revolution was slated to happen at around the same time Carmen transitioned into young adulthood.

“Carmen is going to start using condoms soon,” Sophia declared slowly with a sigh. “She’s all grown up now. She’s no longer the kid she used to be.”

Upon hearing the news, Cooper and Anna felt their hearts sink. Linus, too, looked as if he was in despair.

Carmen’s words would leave the family heartbroken for an entire year.

Her generation had evolved and using condoms at eighteen was commonplace. While the adults in the family were acutely aware that it was a rite of passage, they could not help but feel as though they were about to lose their little girl—whom they had raised for seventeen years—to some filthy boar-headed boy.

Sophia figured that Carmen would be done with her shower by the time the discussion was over, so she knocked on the latter’s bedroom door before entering.

She tried to come to terms with the fact that her daughter was growing up. Carmen no longer needed a nanny and she had been weaned off the bottle for years. Now, she was a teenager whose bedroom door was always locked and no one could enter without her permission.

Carmen is a big girl who wears a bra now, Sophia reminded herself.

Carmen was about to sleep when she heard the knock on the door. With a tired look on her face, she opened the door to reveal an enthusiastic Sophia.

“Darling, don’t you have to get ready for finals now that it’s a new school term? How about I look through the mock papers with you?”

“Mom, I graduated with a PhD,” Carmen pointed out as she looked at her mother through bleary eyes. “High school exams are a piece of cake.”

with your boyfriend today. Do you want me to beat his head into a

sighed. “Mom, you can’t go around beating people’s heads into a pulp—it’s

if we go through

glanced at the kid’s watch on her wrist. “Mom, it’s eleven! We’ll go through the thesis tomorrow. Can you please let

out of the room and responded,

index finger to form a heart. “Here’s

a kiss

the ceiling, which was simulated to resemble a starry night sky. I’m practically an adult. Can all of you please stop treating me like

with aromatherapy and temperature-control features and it was made to perfectly conform to one’s sleeping habits, thereby bringing out the best sleeping experience. For Carmen, who was already worn out, that meant she was close to

was as if she had

kill her. She was frightened and scrambled to hide under a table, which was when she heard a voice that said,

someone’s arms. She could still remember the feeling of being held that way—it felt safe, reliable, and

the process. She kept her eyes closed all the way, afraid to open them, but the moment she did

her down in front of her parents and he slowly stepped back

so scared that she broke into ugly sobs. By the time she finally calmed down,

morning while yawning as she perched

did not age a day ever since he started using the three-step age-defying skincare collection that was manufactured through a collaboration between the Michel Medical Technology

did they launch the Premium High-Tech concept, the cosmetics department in Ronney Group had also partnered with Michel Medical Technology Group to produce several skincare and cosmetic

Theo leisurely pedaled his bicycle with his granddaughter perched behind him as they headed down the familiar road that led to the school. His schedule was synchronized with Carmen’s. He was the security guard stationed by the school entrance and every morning he would scrutinize every person who entered and left the school

at the school and saw that the elite institution was brightly lit. It seemed as if everyone

used to their sneers and paid no attention to them as she walked toward her seat. She