#Chapter Five
"Oliver is already starting to babble," Mary said proudly. "And he's babbling so much, I hardly have a moment of silence!"
"That's so adorable," Nora cooed.
"Wait till he is able to string a sentence together," Francesca said. "Leah is always asking me questions I don't know the answer to."
"What questions?" Serene asked as she picked up a cupcake to bite into it gently. She raised her handkerchief to her mouth and wiped the corners with little dabs.
"Leah asked me where babies came from," Francesca said and the group of women laughed.
"Oh, such a question," Jenny said.
"What did you tell her?" Delilah said as she softly placed her cup back on the saucer and set it on the table, one pinky in the air.
"I was honest," Francesca said. "I told her the truth. And then she asked me another question that made me laugh so hard."
"What did she ask?" Serene said, and a yawn left her lips. Why was she here? She was so bored, she wanted to be back at the mansion reading.
"She said, 'did the doctors watch you do it'!" Francesca exclaimed and everyone burst into feminine laughter.
"Oh, how adorable," Nora said.
"You women are lucky," Mary said. "Oliver is a handful."
"Wouldn't it be great if the men tried helping for once?" Nora said. Serene yawned again.
"Well, I can't imagine that happening," Delilah shook her head.
"Men, all they care about is bedding you and then running off to drink with their friends and gamble!" Francesca said. "My husband does that all the time. He used to try so hard when we courted, but now he's such a bore."
"Oh, mine is so big, he had to get pants tailored exclusively to him!" Nora said and the women frowned in disgust.
"I wish I had your marriage, Serene," Mary said.
Serene's ears perked up and her eyes widened a little. She liked the sound of that. "Oh, thank you."
"I remember being a newlywed," Jenny said in admiration.
"You look head over heels in love with Frank, I can tell that," Mary said. "The spark is alive and well."
Serene straightened her back. "Yes, we love each other so very much."
"How is life in the bedroom?" Delilah asked behind a gloved hand, a naughty shine in her eyes.
"Oh," Serene said. "Beyond exciting! We can hardly stop. We're so in love."
"That sounds amazing," Nora said. "I'm so so jealous!"
Serene put her nose in the air. "It's nothing. There are so many other couples who are more in love."
"Well," Francesca said. "I find that hard to believe!"
"You're so lucky!" Nora said.
"How I wish I had a love like that," Jenny said.
"How do you guys keep the spark alive?" Mary asked.
"It's really nothing," Serene said with a slight laugh. The women continued praising Serene and she smiled timidly the entire time as she fanned herself.
And she realised that she was suddenly thoroughly awake.