08:30 AM: The "Rejected Men" Breakfast
[Jay's POV]
I woke up in Mamma Serina's oversized bed feeling 1,000% refreshed. The "Double-Heir" pressure felt lighter after a night of Mamma's soft humming and vintage lullabies. I waddled out of the room, my lavender silk robe flowing, and headed toward the breakfast nook.
The scene I found there was a total "System Failure."
Keifer and Pappa Keizer were sitting at the table. Neither of them was talking. They both looked like they had been "Processing" a back-end error all night. Keifer was staring intensely at a single espresso bean, and Pappa was frowning at a newspaper like it had insulted his lineage.
The "Low Battery" Vibe: [Keifer's POV]
My "Internal Power" was at 5%. Sleeping without the "Primary Sync" (Jay) meant my "Thermal Regulation" was off all night. The guest suite bed had the wrong "Firmness Coefficient."
I looked up as Jay entered the room. She was glowing. She looked like she had just been "Factory Reset" to perfect health.
"Good morning, Hubby," she chirped, leaning down to give me a quick, 0.5-second kiss before heading straight for the pancakes. "Did you have a productive night 'Optimizing' your solo sleep?"
"No," I rasped, my voice sounding like a "Corrupted Audio File." "The 'Data' suggests that sleeping without you is a 2,000% waste of time. I spent four hours 'Analyzing' the ceiling fan's rotation speed."
The "Snoring" Dispute: [Jay's POV]
Pappa Keizer let out a gruff huff, slamming his coffee cup down. "At least you had a fan to watch, son. I spent the night on the library sofa because your Mamma locked the door. And then this one"—he pointed a finger at Keifer—"refused to let me into the guest wing because of my 'Audio Output'!"
"It's not 'Audio Output', Pappa," I giggled, taking a huge bite of a pancake. "Keifer says you snore like a 'Industrial Drill'."
"I do NOT snore!" Pappa roared, though he looked slightly sheepish when Mamma Serina glided into the room, looking perfectly poised.
"He does, darling," Mamma said, kissing Pappa's cheek. "It sounds like a 'Hostile Takeover' is happening inside his nose. It's a 1,000% sleep hazard."
The "Negotiation" for Re-Entry: [Keifer's POV]
I stood up and walked over to Jay, wrapping my arms around her from behind, my hands immediately finding the "Double-Heir" bump.
"Weify," I whispered into her ear. "The 'Exile' is over. I am 'Re-applying' for access to our room tonight. I've already ordered a new 'Cloud-Memory' pillow set and a 24/7 foot-massage unit. Please 'Authenticate' my return."
Jay tilted her head back, a devious "Empress" smirk on her lips. "I don't know, Keif. Mamma's bed has 'Zero Stress' and 'Analog Comfort'. Your bed has 'Spreadsheets' and 'Security Alerts'."
"I will 'Firewall' the work tablet, Jay," I promised, my voice desperate. "I will even 'Mute' my own breathing if that's what the 'Metadata' requires."
The "Watson Men" Defeat: [Jay's POV]
I looked over at Pappa, who was currently watching Mamma with the same "Puppy-Dog CEO" eyes. It was official: the two most powerful men in the Watson Empire had been completely "Neutralized" by a single night of sleeping alone.
"Fine," I sighed, patting Keifer's hand. "Access Granted. But if you mention a 'Fiscal Quarter' after 9:00 PM, you're 'Back to the Study'."
"1,000%," Keifer breathed, finally looking like his "System" was back online.
Keiran walked in at that moment, clutching his own coffee. He looked at the two older Watson men and shook his head. "Man, you guys are 2,000% whipped. Rina and I are never going to—"
"Keiran," Rina called from the hallway. "Could you come help me move this 'Analog' trunk? It's too heavy."
Keiran dropped his coffee and sprinted out of the room. "COMING, RINA!"
"Whipped," Pappa Keizer muttered, finally cracking a smile. "It's a Watson trait. 1,000%."