Angelina didn't know Nathaniel could be overprotective, and he'd moved all his work to home; he rarely went out except if it was extremely required. Angelina could see he was trying, and there were nurses around the house who monitored Angelina's daily food and nutrients. And any noise or disturbance from anyone, they would be fired.
Angelina giggled, seeing no issue with Nathaniel's protectiveness. Rather it made her heart warm because she felt loved. And she could see Nathaniel trying to come to terms with their baby, and he took classes with Angelina on parenthood. He'd even designed one of the rooms as a nursery for the unborn child, learning how to wear diapers and make baby's food.
Whenever he tried to use the baby mannequin to practice, his hands trembled as he knitted his brow in seriousness. Angelina would laugh and collect it from him, then teach him.
After their heated argument about keeping the baby, Angelina called her father to inform him about the joyous news.
"Old man!" Angelina's voice chirped, waving at her dad excitedly, and she couldn't wait to tell him.
"Denike," he smiled before he furrowed his brow, "I don't know how many times I'd tell you ain't an old man," he muttered.
"Whatever," she waved her hand dismissively while Nathaniel massaged her legs. "You are sha my old man," she beamed, and Richard groaned, slumping his shoulders in defeat. He couldn't win against her.
"I've news to share with you!'' Both of them exclaimed excitedly as they both stared at each other and laughed out loud.
"Go on first," her father said while she shook her head.
"You go first, old man."
"No— female first as a gentleman I am,"
"Papa!" she groaned, knowing she won, and smirked mockingly.
"That's cheating,"
"No—it's knowing the way out of an argument."
"Okay ooo," he dragged, rolling his eyes, "ihaveagirlfriendnow," he rushed out in a bit, making Angelina's face scrunched in confusion.
"Naani? I don't understand your new language," she tched but stopped. She'd never seen her father nervous, and he was always calm.
He sucked in a deep breath, "I have a girlfriend," he repeated clearly. The nutrient juice Angelina was drinking drooled back to the cup as her eyes widened in shock while Nathaniel went to bring a towel, collected the drink from her, and wiped her mouth. He turned to the screen and bowed in greeting before getting another nutrient juice.
Angelina was lost in thought, her eyes were glued to the screen, but her mind wasn't there. It met her in surprise, and it was overwhelming. Her old man had a girlfriend? She was trying to process the news. Her old man has been there for her all her life, and now another woman has come. Would he remember her? Would he give his love to another? Though she was always pestering him to move on from her mother, she didn't know it would be too soon. Was it too soon? But why was she thinking like that? — she needed to support his old man in whatever he wanted, and she needed to be there for him because he'd always been there for her. He never for once shouted, beat, or abused her. He did everything possible for her happiness.
"Denike?" she was jolted out of her thoughts as she chewed on her bottom lips while a worry was marred on her father's face.
"Yeah," she responded absentminded. Would she be an unfilial child if she didn't want her father to be in a relationship? She hated sharing what was hers, what she had attached with. It was like sharing a favorite thing with a stranger. Her father was her everything: her hero, her best friend, her mother, and her number one follower.
"Say something na," her father's voice dripped with concern and heartbreak. Richard was nervous, and her daughter had the upper hand in this decision, which was why he'd been pushing it until he'd have the courage today to inform her.
She smiled awkwardly, "Ah," she scratched her head, "it is too sudden and…" she trailed off, fiddling with her fingers.
"If you don't want me to be in a relationship, I can't stop it," her father said while she raised her hand and looked at him. If she said she wanted him single, would he?
"Papa," she sighed. Could she share her father? If for his happiness, then yes? He had always sacrificed everything, and now it was time to sacrifice half of her attachment. "You can do what you want."
"Can I really do that?" he asked unsurely while she nodded…
"It's about your happiness. You deserve to be happy after all," she shrugged dismissively. "who is she?" she inquired. She wanted to know who was the one who was able to steal his father's heart. Many females were always running after him, but he never gave them attention.
"Ah-—" he blushed. His ears were red in embarrassment as he looked everywhere. He looked like a teenager, meeting his first crush while she laughed at his love-sick face.
Papa deserved the world! He deserved to be happy.
The twinkle of his eyes, the way he used his hand to rub the back of his neck embarrassingly, and the darting of his eyes gave away his nervousness, "she's a divorced woman who is working in my restaurant—"
Angelina interrupted him, wiggling her eyebrows teasingly, "your worker, ehn?"
"Don't think naught!"
"How did you know I'm thinking naughty?"
"a divorced woman?"
"Yeah," he trailed. He knew people had a prejudice against divorced women. They thought they weren't good enough as wives, which was why they divorced. Society scorned women that weren't married. But he knows his daughter's view of him being with a divorced woman.
"Hmmm, I can't stop you from loving who you want; it's your choice. If you are okay with her, I've no issue," she said dismissively, "but if she breaks your heart, I shall hunt her down and be her worst nightmare," she enunciated. Her father had been lonely for so long, and he deserved a happy ending. While her father smiled at her threat, Angelina had always been stern about family.
"So, how is she?"
"She's good, nice, and lovable. You'll like her if you see her," her father blushed.
"Old man, are you blushing?"
"Shut up!" he stumbled on his words. "So what news did you have for me?" her father swiftly changed the subject, making Angelina smile knowingly.
"I'm pregnant!" she squealed, clapping excitedly, grinning ear to ear.
"Naani?" he asked in surprise, "you are pregnant!" he shouted, standing from his seat abruptly, having a comical look on his face.
"Yes papa," she nodded.
"My princess is pregnant!" he yelled, making Angelina smile happily. "God! I'm a grandpa; I'm now a grandpa!" he danced around while Angelina giggled. "I'm going to name him -—Oluwaseun, Oluwaseyifunmi, Oluwabukunm—"
"It's okay, Papa," she stopped her father before he started listing names. Yorùbá tribe, if Nigeria can give a child more than twenty names in as much, they are good names. Anyone close to the baby's parents could give the child a name.
After Angelina finished her discussion with her father, hearing the latest news, and gist from him, she hung up and looked at her screen longingly. She wished her dad should be here before she gave birth.
***
Angelina waved at Nathaniel, who looked reluctant to leave her alone, while Angelina smiled. She met up with Jasmine and Bell to make Nathaniel calm his heart down, and she allowed four bodyguards to follow her in secret and a nurse. If she felt any discomfort, he'd ask the nurse to bring her home.
"If the noise is too much, make sure you call me."
"If you are feeling tired, make sure you call me, eh."
"If you are stressed, make sure you call me,"
"if there's —"
Angelina cut him off, pushing him inside the car, and lecturing her daily. He was behaving like a mother hen, "your mom and Bell will take care of me perfectly," she mumbled, smiling at him.
He tried to turn, "or should I just cancel the meeting and follow you?" he said suggestively as Angelina stared at him sternly, and he dropped his face in sadness.
"Buy me my favorite drumstick when you are coming," she hollered, waving again while he nodded and drove away.
Bell and Angelina sat beside Angelina; they put a pillow beside her to relieve her from side pain. While Angelina giggled at them hovering over her, asking her a series of questions.
" Are you okay?"
"Are you comfortable on the chair?"
"Do you want anything?"
"I'm okay!" Angelina screamed, God! She thought she could escape Nathaniel's nagging, but here she was, receiving nags also.
"Oh sorry," they apologized.
"It's okay," she responded in a small voice.
"How is the baby now?"
Angelina's eyes lit up, "Nathaniel and I went for the third-trimester scan. We told the doctor there's no need to reveal the gender," she clapped her hands, "we are going to wait for the surprise," she narrated excitedly, torching her bulge stomach.
"The baby kicked some time ago. It was surprising, " she smiled, remembering the teary face of Nathaniel when he felt the baby's kick. He cried — sometimes Angelina did wonder if she was the one pregnant or him with his unstable emotions.
"Awwww," Jasmine and Bell cooed, looking at Angelina's baby bump.
"What of you?"
Angelina hummed, "I don't notice anything, just I sleep and eat a lot," she grinned cheekily.
"Good," Jasmine said, "when I was pregnant with that boy, god! I felt like dying," she exhaled, "I even threatened to castrate my husband if he came near me again."
"Angie, the internship program is out," Bell informed, rummaging her back before handing an envelope.
"Can I skip it?" she asked, looking at the letter.
"It's very easy to skip. Just tell your husband to sign it for you. You are done with it," jasmine injected, seeing the worried look on her face.
"Where are you doing yours?" Angelina asked, and Bell's face flushed red.
"I'm doing it at Nicholas' firm," she answered as Jasmine and Angelina looked at each other and burst out laughing.
"It's not what you think!"
"What do you think we thought?"
"Nothing is going on between us, and we are just—."
"Just—?"
At that moment, Bell's phone rang, and Nicholas' name flashed on the screen.
Angelina smirked, "And nothing is going on?"
***
A filler Chapter for the next drama 😉