[Jay's POV]
The confirmation from Ci N at the hospital was the final green light the family needed to transition from "cautious" to "total saturation." Once we returned to the mansion with the news that the baby was "very good," the Watson family care protocol hit 1,000% capacity.
I wasn't just the Empress anymore; I was the carrier of the Legacy, and the family made sure I felt it every second of the day.
Mamma Serina: The Nutrition Architect
Mamma Serina had effectively taken over the kitchen. She treated my morning sickness like a high-stakes puzzle that only she could solve.
"No, no, the chef's ginger tea is too weak," she'd murmur, gliding into my room with a tray of handmade crackers and a special herbal blend. "Jay, dear, I've balanced the pH of this snack specifically for the first-trimester nausea. It has the minerals the little one needs to build their 'Watson' brain."
She would sit by my bed, stroking my hair and telling me stories about when she was pregnant with Keifer. "He was just as demanding then," she'd laugh. "He wouldn't let me sleep unless I was listening to classical music. Your baby is already showing that same focus."
Pappa Keizer: The Legacy Protector
Pappa Keizer was less vocal but twice as intense. He had already called in the estate's structural engineers.
"The garden paths are too uneven," I heard him shouting from the balcony. "I want them leveled and fitted with non-slip stone. If the Empress so much as stumbles, I'm holding the landscape architect personally responsible!"
He started bringing me "gifts" every afternoon—rare, leather-bound books of fairy tales and vintage wooden toys he'd found in the family vaults. "For the nursery," he'd say gruffly, though his eyes were twinkling with a softness I'd never seen before. "A Watson must start their library early."
The Brotherly Shield: Keigan & Keiran
Keigan remained my silent guardian. He didn't say much, but I noticed that whenever I walked into a room, the temperature was always exactly 22°C, and the air purifiers were humming at maximum efficiency. He even created a private "Jay-Dashboard" on my tablet that tracked my hydration and sleep cycles.
"If the hardware is compromised, the software suffers," he'd say with a shrug. "I'm just optimizing the environment, Jay."
Keiran, on the other hand, was the source of all the energy. He had taken his "Brother-Doctor" Ci N's words to heart.
"Ate Jay! Ci N said the baby is very good!" he'd chirp, sitting cross-legged on the floor by my feet. "So I decided I'm going to be the baby's Chief Training Officer. I've already started a list of 'Cool Uncle' facts. Did you know the baby can't see colors yet? I'm going to paint them a black-and-white map of the stars so they don't get bored in there!"
The Hubby: Absolute Possession
But the center of it all was Keifer. He had completely reorganized his life around my 10-foot radius. He didn't just "care" for me; he worshipped the ground I walked on.
Every evening, he would perform what he called the "Nightly System Check." He would sit behind me on the bed, pulling me back against his chest, his large hands resting firmly but gently over my stomach.
"Is the Glow stable, Wiefy?" he'd whisper into my ear, his voice a low, possessive rumble.
"It's 100%, Hubby," I'd answer, leaning my head back against his shoulder.
"Good," he'd mutter, tightening his hold. "Because Mamma, Pappa, and the boys are already fighting over who gets to hold the baby first. But I've already decided on the priority list. Me. Then you. Then everyone else can apply for a time slot."