"You're in no condition to be doing all this right now, sweetheart," Shiu said with a disappointed sigh, sitting down on the edge of the bed and handing you a cup of warm tea. He had just returned from work, only to find you in the kitchen, trying to juggle the preparation of three different meals at once.

You’d caught a nasty flu, and before Shiu left for work that morning, he made sure to tell you - very clearly- that you needed to stay in bed and rest. But of course, you were too stubborn to listen. He knew how stressed you’d been lately, with Christmas approaching and the pressure you put on yourself to make everything perfect. It frustrated him to see you pushing yourself so hard, especially in your condition.

"Let me take care of it, okay?" Shiu’s voice softened as he raised his eyebrows, his hand rubbing your sore back in a comforting gesture. His other hand rested gently on your round belly, where the life you two had created was growing. Shiu shifted closer on the bed, wrapping an arm around your shoulders and pulling you into a gentle embrace. "Christmas won’t be ruined just because you didn’t get a few dishes done on time, you know?"

He teased lightly, looking down at your feverish face as he cupped your cheek with one hand, his touch tender and reassuring.