Ice and Fire

Chapter 198 Back To The Military's Residential Compound

The call was quickly connected, and she heard John's voice. He said, "Hello, Cherry!"

"Hi, John! Why did you call me earlier?" promptly asked Cherry.

"Yes, " replied John. He continued, "I heard that you're going back to the military's residential

compound to meet with Great-Grandpa."

Cherry was a little surprised, and asked, "How did you know that?"

"Great-Grandpa called me today and also asked me to come together with my family on Saturday; he

said that you'll also be there with Joe." John felt somehow bitter when he mentioned Joe.

"Yes, " calmly replied Cherry. "I haven't seen Grandfather yet since I returned to the city, and I was

planning on taking Joe to meet him this weekend."

John's tone was very calm, with no sort of impulsiveness in it whatsoever. He said, "Well, I'll see you on

Saturday then. I also haven't seen you in quite a while either."

"Okay, " said Cherry.

After she hung up the phone, Cherry felt somehow complex in her mind. She had no feelings anymore

for the person whom she had once loved with all her heart and soul, but his calmness and

understanding made her feel that he had learned a lot over the years. She thought, 'Is he more open

minded? Did he experience something in these past years that drove him to be like this?' She let

bygones be bygones, because the past would never come back.

Cherry then dialled Jackson's number.

The call was soon connected, and Jackson anxiously answered her, "Baby, why didn't you answer my

phone?"

"I was busy at work today, but I just finished, " said Cherry.

"You were busy all day? Ask Selina to give you less work." Jackson was a little worried about Cherry,

because if she was too tired, then he would be sad.

"No, I'm Selina's secretary, and this is my job!" said Cherry. She asked him, "Where are you now?"

"I'm at the barracks, " said Jackson, "I told Bill to pick you up from the JS Group after work."

"Okay, I knew that you would do that, " said Cherry. She then continued to ask, "Will you be coming

home tonight?"

"Yes, but I'll be late. Eat with Joe first, don't wait for me, " said Jackson.

"Okay."

After Cherry arrived back home she saw that Joe was watching cartoons in the living room. With a

bright smile on her face, she said, "Joe, Mommy's back!"

"Oh!" said Joe in a low voice. Ccontent © exclusive by Nô/vel(D)ra/ma.Org.

Cherry saw that there was definitely something wrong with his son when she heard his dull reply. She

went over to him, and asked, "What's wrong? Why are you talking to Mommy like this?" She then sat

next to her son, and judging from his expression, she could tell that Joe was upset about something.

Joe knew that he couldn't hide anything from his Mommy. He looked at her, and with a serious look on

his face, said, "Mommy, do you think that Daddy is a good person?"

Joe's question suddenly left Cherry speechless, and she didn't know how to reply to it. Was Jackson a

good person?

"Why are you asking that?" said Cherry. She wanted to know why her son asked this question.

"I heard my teacher talk with another one about Daddy today, " said Joe, but without telling her any of

the details.

Cherry immediately guessed what had happened. She had also heard many rumors about Jackson,

and it didn't surprise her that Joe also heard some of them.

Cherry then put her hands on her son's shoulders, and as she looked at him, she asked, "Joe, can you

trust your Daddy?"

Joe nodded without hesitation, and seriously said, "I can! Daddy is a good person."

"Yes, he is, " nodded Cherry. She continued, "Then we need to keep believing in him."

She went on even further to say, "Joe, you know your father, so please don't listen to those rumors.

You're your Daddy's son, and you live with him in the same house every day. You have to believe him."

"Okay, Mommy, I know!" Joe's mood then seemed to become much more better.

Cherry wasn't worried anymore when she saw that her son was happy again.

Joe then asked, "Mommy, if things keep going on like this, are you going to make up with Daddy

forever?"

"Joe!" Cherry's face suddenly turned red because her son was talking about her love affair.

"Mommy, " said Joe seriously, "If Daddy doesn't treat you well, we'll leave the Chu Family and this

house! I can't let you suffer!"

Cherry felt warm when she heard her son's kind words. She touched his head and gently said, "My silly

Joe, I know."

"Okay!" said Joe as he smiled adorably.

Then, Cherry helped her son to do his homework as she usually did until ten. After she tucked him in

bed and saw him fall asleep, she left his room.

She also felt tired and went to her room, and after she took a quick shower, she went straight to bed.

At two in the morning, Cherry faintly heard someone coming upstairs, and then heard that her

bedroom's door was pushed open.

Cherry thought that it could be none other than Jackson, and then she saw him walking towards her

bed in the dim moonlight.

Feeling very drowsy, Cherry called out his name. "Jackson?"

He had already walked up to Cheery's bed, and whispered to her, "Uh-hum, I'm back."

"Why did you come back so late?" Cherry reached out with her hand to turn on the bedside lamp.

"I actually wasn't planning to come back since it's already too late, but I was worried about you, so I

decided that I better should, " said Jackson as he laid beside his wife in bed after he took off his

clothes.

He then hugged Cherry tightly and felt satisfied to smell her hair again.

"Why were you worried about me? I'm at home. Don't come back so late next time, it's not safe to drive

at night." Although she said this, Cherry actually felt very happy, because Jackson seemed to genuinely

care about her.

"Baby, I want to be with you every moment of my life, " said Jackson slyly, while he kissed Cherry's ear.

His kiss tickled Cherry, and after she smiled and moved aside, she said to Jackson, "Okay, stop it now,

it's time to sleep."

"Okay, " agreed Jackson while still holding Cherry in his arms. He was about to turn off the light when

he saw that Cherry had already closed her eyes.

Jackson then suddenly saw Cherry's phone on the bedside table, and because he was curious, he

checked it's call log.

When he opened it, Jackson's face changed instantly. His initial relaxed expression had now turned

into a frown, and as he stared at John's name, his heart throbbed wildly in his chest. He thought, 'Does

she still keep in touch with John? I wonder what they talked about... Does she still love John? Hasn't

she forgotten him after all these years? John betrayed her; isn't she supposed to hate him?'

He had so many questions, and with each one of them he felt more and more angry and frustrated. He

continued his train of thought, 'What does my nephew want to do? Why can't he let go of my wife?

Cherry is my woman now! No, I won't forgive anyone who likes her!"

"Why aren't you asleep?" suddenly said Cherry, when she felt that Jackson hadn't turned off the

bedside lamp yet.

Jackson then quickly put the phone back to it's original place where he found it and immediately turned

off the light. He still tightly held Cherry in his arms without saying a word. Cherry was by his side and in

his arms now, and if he were to ask her about the issue, she would definitely quarrel with him because

of her stubborn temper. He couldn't afford to lose his moments of serenity with her, because he was

feeling very satisfied and at ease.

On Saturday morning, Joe got up early and shouted in the living room, "I'm going to visit my Great-

Grandpa, and I'm going to play with my new friends!"

While she was packing the tonics for Jackson's Grandfather, she said to her excited son, "Joe, please

be patient, we'll soon be there!"

Joe suddenly felt a little nervous, and ran to his mother to ask, "Mommy, do you think that my Great-

Grandpa will like me? Will he think that I'm too naughty?"

Cherry smiled and then touched her son's head. She said, "Do you think that you're a naughty boy? If

you do, then behave yourself when we arrive at the military's residential compound. Be polite to Great-

Grandpa, okay?"

"Okay, I will, " said Joe, at the same time wondering how many children would be in the military's

residential compound since he would like to play with them.

Then, Jackson walked inside, looked at both of them, and asked, "Are you ready? Let's go."

"We're ready, Daddy, let's go!" said Joe as he took his father's hand and walked outside.

Jackson glanced at Cherry without saying a word.

Inside the car, Cherry was a little nervous, and looked out of the window without saying a word. Joe sat

in the back seat and played games on his iPad.

Jackson glanced at Cherry and saw that she wasn't herself. He asked, "What's the matter?"

She looked at Jackson, and said, "I'm a little worried, because I'm afraid that Grandpa will ask me why I

left five years ago."

Seeing the worried look on her face, Jackson drove with one hand on the steering wheel, while with the

other holding Cherry's hand tightly. He comforted her, "Don't worry, I'm here; it'll all be alright."

After she felt the warmth of Jackson's palm, Cherry gradually calmed down, and thought in her mind,

'Yes, you're here, what am I afraid of? You're my husband, and you'll always protect me.'

"Okay, " nodded Cherry.

Jackson kept his eyes on the road, without looking at Cherry's face at all. He also was a little worried,

because John would also come to meet Joe and Cherry. He remembered that he saw John's name in

Cherry's call log, and wondered what was their current relation.

When they arrived, Jackson saw that his Grandfather and Derek waiting for them at the door.

Immediately after he saw Jackson's car, Andrew cheerfully said to Derek, "They're here!"

"Yes, " replied Derek, who was also very happy.

Jackson parked the car, and Cherry and Joe got out of it.

Cherry felt somehow sad when she saw Andrew again, and noticed that he had become older; his hair

was whiter, and his skin was more wrinkly than the last time that she had seen him five years ago.

"Grandpa, " called out Cherry. She wanted to say something, but she didn't know what.