Her Return, His Regret novel Chapter 143

“Daddy, are we there yet?” Ella asked, looking out the window at the tall trees surrounding them.

It was days later and the family had gone on a family trip. They first travelled by air to an island and then, they got in a car and Ryan was driving them to a place where they would get on a boat to arrive at their destination.

Ryan chuckled after Ella asked for the umpteenth time. He looked at her through the rearview mirror and said, “We will be there soon, Princess.”

“Yay! I can’t wait!” Ella remarked and pointed at something outside the window, “Look, Ethan, I just saw a monkey!”

“That’s not a monkey, silly. It’s a honey bear,” Ethan corrected his sister.

Ella’s eyes widened. She pressed her face against the window and replied, “Really? It’s so cute”

Ryan chuckled, glancing at Lora in the passenger seat. “It’s nice to see the kids so happy and carefree.”

Lora smiled softly, reaching for Ryan’s hand and squeezing it before saying, “That’s because we are all together as a family.”

The car ride was filled with laughter, Ethan and Ella looking out the window in awe as they watched the beautiful scenery.

They could make out mountains in the distance and the trees along the road gave the place an aesthetic look. It was a warm day with clear blue skies- a perfect day to make a trip.

When they arrived, they parked their car at the parking station and then took a little walk towards the river where they would get on a small boat to transport them to the hotel.

Ryan and Lora helped the children wear life jackets before putting on life jackets themselves. They then got on the boat and started off. On their way, Ryan took pictures of the scenery and asked the guide to get a picture of him and his family.

“Are we there yet?” Ella asked again as she looked around. They were completely surrounded by trees as the boat surged ahead.

“Not yet… we will be there soon,” Ryan answered patiently, a smile playing on his lips.

A little while later, they got off the boat and began to cross a shaky wooden bridge. It was a bit scary for the kids so Ryan and Lora carried them across. But they stopped in the middle to take a few pictures and watch the water flow beneath them.

"Wow, Mommy, it's so beautiful!" Ella exclaimed, looking down at the water waves.

The family stood for a while, enjoying the scenery before finally crossing the bridge and heading towards the tented luxury suites where they would spend the night.

"Wow, it's like camping," Ethan remarked. "So cool!"

"Babe, how did you find this place?" Lora asked as she looked around. Each suite had its own balcony extending over the river with relaxing chairs to the view of the beautiful river and the animals roaming around the nearby river banks.

The tented suites were linked by a raised wooden walkway, making them look like they were floating in the riverine environment.

"Well, I searched on the internet and found this hidden place. Since you love nature, I thought this would be the best place for a family gateway," Ryan replied as they were ushered into their tented suite.

Ryan then glanced at Ethan and said, "Hey, buddy. Would you like to go fishing with me? Let's catch some fish for supper."

The father and son had a good time. Ethan didn't catch any fish at first but he kept trying, following his father's lead.

"This is harder than I thought," Ethan mumbled and pouted. He looked at the bucket and saw that his father had caught a few big fish already. "I wish I could catch fish like you, Daddy."

Ryan let out a chuckle and said, "You're doing so well on your first try. And you know what? Sometimes I don't catch any fish myself."

"Really?" Ethan asked, looking up at his father.

"Yes... but I still love fishing. And I love especially being able to spend time with you like this. Isn't it wonderful?" Ryan remarked.

"Yes, it is! I've enjoyed it even though I haven't caught any fish. But be prepared next time, I'll catch fish bigger than yours!" Ethan declared.

Ryan ruffled Ethan's hair and replied, "That's my boy."

He suddenly thought of something and remarked, "In the future, in case I'm not around, I want you to remember what I taught you about fishing today and apply it in your day-to-day life. Also, Ethan?"

"Yes, Daddy?" Ethan answered.

"Always remember that family comes first. Your mother, your sister and the new babies that are coming, always love and protect them. They will love and protect you too."