Emily felt her world slow to a stop and crumble as she heard the doctor's words. How? How could she be pregnant? Here she was, trying to gather the broken pieces of her life and a new life was growing inside her. Not only a new life but Noah's baby! She had gotten carried away by so many things happening around her that she didn't notice her period didn't come the previous month.
The next thing that came into her mind was termination. She would terminate the baby and move on with her life. She didn't want any child tying her down or reminding her of Noah. She imagined having a baby girl who looked so much like Noah. She took her time to think about it, the cons and pros and finally decided to keep the baby. She will not kill her own child because of Noah. However, she made up her mind never to breathe a word of it to Noah. They were divorced now and he didn't deserve to know she was pregnant. She imagined Noah hugging Grace and touching her stomach tenderly. She felt an unexplainable puff in her heart, reminding her that Noah was no longer hers.
The days went by uneventfully and the holiday was around the corner. Fortunately for her, Liam never asked about his father. Instead, he patiently waited for his father to contact him when school resumed. Noah did a great job convincing him that he would be away and out of coverage for a long time. Noah knew he wasn't in position to explain to him that he had left his mother. Emily, who initiated the divorce should explain better to the eight year old boy. Noah realised that in his anger, he hadn't given Emily and Liam a place to stay. He had planned to give them a house after the divorce so that they don't have accommodation issues or any problems but the circumstances surrounding the way he signed the papers gave no room for that. He was angry with her for thinking about divorce when his father lay ill and his sister was missing. He decided to pay her a visit and make up for the shortcoming. There was a great need to provide adequate shelter for his wife and son. The first place Noah went to when he entered the compound was the garden. He admired the beautiful flowers and remembered the times he spent with his son in the garden. He remembered when Liam had him admire butterflies for over one hour. He retraced his steps and found his way to the entrance of the house. He rang the doorbell and a servant opened the door for him.
Liam was seated in th sitting room, watching the television while his mother was on the reading table, working on her laptop. He was so absorbed in the quiz competition program he was watching that he was oblivious of any other thing happening around him. It was when Noah touched his cheek that he sprang up in fright.
“Daddy! You creeped me out!”
“Awwww. I'm so sorry baby.”
“Good morning daddy,” he greeted politely.
“Morning little man, how are you?”
“I'm fine too. Dad, where's your bag?” he asked, looking around his father.
“What bag?”
“Aren't you back from your trip? Where's your bag?” Liam asked again.
“Oh, that? Emmmm…what matters is that I'm here now, okay?”
Liam nodded. Noah's gaze swept across the room and rested on Emily. She was watching the drama between father and son, her eyes were warm and beautiful, beneath them was a gentle glow. He had missed this beautiful woman. He walked towards her, his eyes never leaving her side.
“How are you doing?” he asked calmly. Emily wanted to stand up and fall into his arms. She wanted to cry and tell him that she hasn't been fine since he left. She wanted to tell him that she missed him, she needed him and that she was carrying his child. But when she opened her mouth, she said,
“It's none of your business.”
Noah's facial expression didn't change at her response. He hadn't expected anything better from her. Before he got to the house, he had already made up his mind to accept anything she said to him readily.
“I know it's none of my business, but I still care about you, and I want to know how you have been,” he said and held her hands tenderly. Noah always had his way with words. If it were before, his words would melt her heart and a whole new wave of emotions would flood her heart. But today, she battled with those emotions and struggled to ignore him and focus on her work. This time, Noah didn't press further. Instead, he let her be and walked away from her.
“Daddy, come let me show you my new clothes.”
It was Liam who called his father from the door. Noah obliged him and went with him to his room.
The boy showed his father so many new clothes which his mother got for him. He also showed his father his result for the already completed school term.
“Congratulations, you did well by coming top of your class. What do you want daddy to get for you?”
“Emmmmm, how about you enroll me in the next competition for the show I was watching in the sitting room?” Liam asked, his bright eyes glistering.
“Is that all you want? Just that competition?”
“Yes daddy! I want to win prizes in that competition too. Will you register me, dad?”
“Sure, I will.”
“Thank you so daddy!” Liam nodded exclaimed and hugged his father.
“Will you also teach me? I want to make you proud when I get there.”
Noah nodded.
“Sure, I will.”
“I love you so much, daddy!”
Noah hugged him tightly, he loved his son too and he wished he could do something to save the boy from growing up in a broken home. He was yet to find out that his mother had left his father. He thought it was still the usual business trips.
“Meanwhile, daddy, will you be travelling with us too?”
“Travelling? Where are you going to?”
“Mummy said we are traveling so she bought me new clothes and said these are clothes suitable for the temperature over there,” he said innocently.
Wait a minute, Emily was planning to travel out with his son? Never!