Angelina met herself in a beautiful forest, and she looked around, seeing nothing, just trees, and birds chirping. She smiled and walked forward until she saw a big tree.
She smiled, seeing a ripe cherry on it, and she beamed happily, removing her shoe and throwing it at it. The force of her slippers hit the branch, making cherries fall on the ground.
Angelina picked the big and red ripened one, caressing it in her hands, transfixed at how shiny it was until the cherry became a tiny cub.
She sewed, looking at the tiny cub snuggled closer to her, rubbing its head on her chest, purring while at it as Angelina giggled, scratching the cub's head.
Angelina walked aimlessly in the forest with the cub in her hand before sitting under a big tree for a shade over the scorching sun. She placed the cub on her lap, singing it a lullaby as tiredness washed over her, and she slept with a smile on her face.
***
Angelina woke up groggily, feeling her head pound and lightweight as she squinted her eyes, blinking due to the light. She held her head tightly, groaning as the front door was yanked open by smiling jasmine.
Last night's event rushed through her head, making her stomach knot, and she felt a sharp sting in her stomach. She collected the glass of water jasmine passed to her, gulping it down, feeling the knot in her stomach loosen.
She returned the empty cup to Jasmine, who eagerly collected it and sat at the edge of the bed, patting Angelina's hand softly, grinning ear to ear.
"Since when have I been out?" she asked, wiping her mouth.
"More than 12 hours," she responded while Angelina was shocked. She looked around and saw no sign of her husband. Where was he?
"Where is—?"
"Oh, that stupid son of mine," she gushed out, "he went to buy the drug the doctor —" the door was opened, showing a distressed Nathaniel, who rushed to her. He touched her face and neck, then stopped at her stomach; his eyes shone with tears before he pulled her into a hug.
His body shook, burying his head on her neck, "don't ever scare me like that again. I thought everything was over. I was scared," he mumbled; his voice was shaky while Angelina looked dumbfounded. What happened? Was she fainting last night to get a troll on him? And she patted his back to tell him she was okay now. She was shocked when she felt her shoulder dampen a little with his tears.
Jasmine laughed, pulling Nathaniel away from Angelina, which made him quickly turn her back and wipe his eyes. Angelina saw the back of his neck redden embarrassedly.
At that moment, Bell and Nicholas walked in, holding hands before Bell came and hugged her, "Congratulations, bestie,"
Angelina had a shocked expression, "did I pass my thesis?" she asked nervously while Bell asked, "You are—" Nicholas covered her mouth to muffle her words as she glared at him for interrupting her.
"You guys are behaving somehow," she voiced out, since the moment she woke up, these people behaved sketchily, like hiding important news from her. If it were bad news they had, she would accept it like that, and she fiddled with her fingers, waiting for one of them to talk.
"Is there something wrong with me?" she inquired. Did something happen?
"Sweetheart," Jasmine started, "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you," she assured, then turned to others, "did we show it?" she asked.
Bell held out a parcel and gave it to Angelina. Angelina raised her brow in question, then swiftly unwrapped it as her heart was beating loudly. As she opened the lid, a spring baby cartoon popped out and sang, "mummy, thanks for having me,"
Angelina looked from them to her stomach, then touched it, "I'm pregnant?" she asked slowly.
"Yes!" bell screamed, "I'll be the best godmother!" she squealed, jumping while Angelina felt happy tears blur her vision. She looked at Nathaniel to see him frown, and she shot him a smile.
Angelina touched her stomach, and she couldn't believe it. A little Nathaniel and she was going inside her. She was going to be a mother. Being a mother was never part of her line, but she didn't care now it had happened. She could feel the protective instinct warming in her heart.
"Nathaniel told me what happened last night," she gritted, "that mother—" she paused, cautioning herself not to curse as she fumed in anger. No one could cross their family and go away with it! She was happy when she heard what Nathaniel and Nicholas did and commented well, but that didn't stop her from admonishing Nathaniel for exposing Angelina to gore.
Jasmine was happy that it was the sweet Angelina who would give her a grandbaby. She had been waiting to call grandma.
Bell scrunched her face remembering what transpired at the event yesterday. Even if the people were to sell her yesterday, they would have already. She didn't understand what the women were saying, and she thought they were gossiping about everyday things. If not because of Angelina's outburst, she wouldn't have known. She followed Nicholas to the basement and saw what Nathaniel had done to them, and felt satisfied.
Bell came in the morning to check on her friend because she heard she fainted but was fortunate to listen to the doctor tell Nathaniel his wife was pregnant, and she screamed excitedly.
"I'll be the best grandma," Jasmine grinned, taking her phone to tell her husband about their grandbaby.
After everyone hovered over Angelina, talking about their plans for the unborn child, talking and chattering happily, only Nathaniel didn't have any input. Angelina started to feel uneasiness in her heart.
Angelina watched Nathaniel close the door behind him as he walked to her, holding a glass of water and medicine. Angelina collected it from him and looked at the medicine hesitantly, and she didn't know why she didn't do that, but she felt begrudged to wash it down her throat.
"What drug is this?" Angelina didn't know what led her to ask. She looked at the drug, and she felt her stomach twist.
"Are you asking me?"
"Why won't I ask you?!" Angelina rhetoric back.
"Just use it," he muttered.
"I can't just use any drugs," she rolled her eyes.
Nathaniel sighed, rubbing his face, "it's abortion—" he couldn't finish his statement before Angelina threw the pills at him.
"Get out!" Angelina screamed while Nathaniel shook his head and took the tablet.
"Take it and let that thing flush away," he murmured, giving her another pill while Angelina stared at him in disbelief.
"My own baby is not a thing. He's a human, a flesh made from mine and yours!" she reprimanded, eyeing him in disappointment.
"I don't want to stress you because the doctor said—" he face-palmed himself. "You can't have the baby! I can fucking give you anything but not the baby."
"There's no need of you caring for my unborn child, and I can take care of him perfectly without —"
"Angelina, why don't you understand!" he shouted, "the doctor said giving birth is difficult!"
"I don't fucking care if it's difficult or not! I'm giving birth to this baby," Angelina stood from the bed, her eyes blazing with anger.
"I can't fucking lose you because of a fucking thing that we don't know whether it would exist!" Angelina raised her brow in anger, her chest heaving, raised her hand, and slapped him across the face.
"I've told you don't fucking call my child a thing!" everything was silent. Only their angry breathing could be heard.
"You fucking slap me?" he gritted, taking a menacing step forward.
"Yes, I did," Angelina replied defiantly, "if you say anything you aren't supposed to say, I'll gladly slap you more!"
He grabbed Angelina's shoulder, his hands trembling, "You are my fucking first priority. I can't allow you to leave me! I won't fucking allow it!"
Angelina pushed him away, stepping back, taking some steps back until she reached the nightstand, took the lamp there, and hit it on the edge of the table, making it shatter on the floor. Blood was oozing out of her injured hand because of the glass that pierced her hand, but that didn't stop her from taking a shred and holding it near her neck dangerously. "if you come near me, I won't hesitate to kill myself now."
Nathaniel's eyes widened in shock as his breathing ragged, "you'll kill yourself?" he asked in a trembling voice. "you choose to leave me because of a child we don't know whether it would exist?"
"I don't bloody care,"
"You are always my fucking priority! My number one! But I think I'm nothing to you,"
"Don't fucking deny me of the joy of motherhood, Nathaniel!" That was the first time she called him by his name.
Nathaniel didn't understand why she would be so attached to a baby she just knew about today. The first time she was taken to the hospital when she fainted, the doctor told him that Angelina had a weak body and had a low chance of her being pregnant. Nathaniel didn't care as much as Angie was always by his side. Then this morning, that quack doctor informed him Angie was pregnant. The baby could lead to her early death. The fuck would he allow that baby to kill his Angie!
Nathaniel pinched the bridge of his nose to see why this baby would cause a disagreement between them.
"Angelina, please hear me out," raw, sad emotion dripped from his voice, "I can't lose you. You are my everything."
Angelina walked to him, "Nathaniel, please lemme give birth to this child, and nothing will happen to me. Trust me," she tugged the sleeve of his shirt.
"Angelina, it is hard to even think of losing you," he mumbled, holding Angelina in his arms. His Adam's apple bobbing, tears filled his eyes, and his fingers were white.
Angelina cupped his cheeks in her hands, "Nathaniel, I never knew I could be a mother. Motherhood has never crossed my mind because of the pain of growing up without a mother," she whispered, "then now you give a chance to explore motherhood with our baby," she stared at him to see his strong denial, slowly reconciling.
"Angelina…"
"I'm here, Nathaniel," he dropped his head on her shoulder, "I'm not going anywhere,"
"Please, don't leave me."
"I won't ever dream of it.
After Nathaniel cleaned the floor, he carried her to the shower, dressing her wounded hand gently. Angelina took his hand and placed it on her stomach as his hand trembled, touching the small, unnoticed bump. He felt his heart skyrocket, rubbing it gently.
He carried her to the bed, and Angelina snuggled close to him and immediately went to sleep as Nathaniel held her tighter, looking at her sleeping face.
"Angie," he caressed her puffy cheeks, "I'm unwilling to lose you."