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"Ma_ma! Flour!" Maya squealed the moment Faith stepped into the kitchen. Faith was shocked to see that the bowl of flour that was meant for baking was covering her daughter's hair down to her toes.
"I leave you alone for just two seconds and what did you do!" She couldn't help but laugh at the sight.
"I'm a cake now!" Maya giggled.
"No, you are not. You need a bath right now__" Faith started and Maya crossed her arms, pouting.
"No, I'm cake! Cake don't bathe!" She started to run around the kitchen, spreading flour and making a further mess of the kitchen.
"Maya Hunter! What did I tell you about running around? Stop it!"
"No, Ma_ma chase me." The toddler giggled and ran out of the kitchen, Faith sighed to herself.
Maya was already a handful, stubborn as her father, and seemed to only listen to him as well.
Was it only yesterday that her baby was still crawling around the house, Faith was still amazed at how rapidly she had grown, it happened right before her eyes
"Come back here, you little lady!" Faith started to run after her but was suddenly overwhelmed by dizziness, she grabbed the wall for support for some seconds.
She could no longer deny the symptoms any further, she was sleeping more frequently than usual, not to mention that she was throwing up and was always tired. To top it all, she had missed her flow twice in a row.
It could only be one thing.
She was pregnant!
She heard Maya's squeal and hurried to the living room only to find her in Sterling's arms.
"Daddddyy, Mama says I need to bathe."
"Then, you should listen to her, you need to listen to your mother all the time."
Faith was surprised when Maya nodded, Faith was jealous, It was that easy for him to convince Maya? She was really her father's daughter.
Sterling looked up at that moment. "Ah, here she comes."
"I need to speak to you." Faith stood in front of him, Sterling gently let go of Maya and allowed her to play around the living room.
Faith didn't speak for a while, inhaling deeply when Sterling walked closer to gently grip her shoulders.
"What is it, Faith?"
"I__ I think I'm pregnant."
Surprise flicker in his eyes, followed by his shout of joy.
"Yes!" His fist pumped into the air like a child given their favorite ice cream.
"You have no idea how much I desperately wanted to put another baby inside you."
They said that love changed a person, in her case, it wasn't true.
Sterling was still the same as she had known him, it had taken time but she had realized it. He was still as obsessive as ever and would never be the husband she had ever dreamed of as a girl.
She finally figured it out and understood that she didn't get the hero, she got the villain, and she was trapped with him whether it was hate or love, with no chance of escaping even if she wanted to.
As time went on, she didn't want to run anymore, she had already gotten used to him and his ways.
He brought his hand to rest on her stomach, a weird emotion flickering in his eyes as he stared at her.
"Are you happy, Faith?"
Sterling's breath held, knowing he desperately craved her response.
"Yes, I'm happy Sterling." She whispered and heard his loud sigh, the relief in his eyes. Then, she hugged him tightly, burying her face into his chest.
"I'm happy, I love this child already." She knew how much these words of hers meant to him. It was the one thing he had always wanted but was unsure of because she had never said it.
Her love.
Faith felt she was ready to open a new start of her life.
"We need to forget the past, forgive it, and kill it." She pulled back a bit to stare into his eyes. "From now on, no more secrets between us, you will always tell me how you feel, agree?"
He closed his eyes briefly, his forehead touching hers.
"I can't promise to become a better man, you drive me crazy Faith, I would go any length to keep you, force you if I must, I'm messed up." He murmured to her cheek.
"You don't have to force me anymore Sterling, I'm staying because I'm willing, and I__" She swallowed hard meeting his gaze.
"I love you as much as I love our baby, this makes me as messed up as you are."
He stiffened for an eternity.
Then, his hands__trembling uncontrollably framed both sides of her face. His eyes were a hurricane, she watched him crumble right before her.
"Y_you love me?" His voice was hoarse with emotions. He'd never looked unsure, yet so desperate.
Her arms slowly wrapped around his neck as she planted a kiss on his lips.
"I love you, I choose you, Sterling. We'll forever be a family which will only work if we adjust and understand what the other wants."
He said nothing, but she knew he was accepting everything she was telling him.
"One more time. Say it please." He kissed her forehead, her cheeks, her brow, he kissed her everywhere.
"I love you, I love you, I love you!" She would say it as many times as he needed to hear it.
"Daddddddyy, I want a kiss too." Maya pouted and they both laughed.
"Now, is there anything you're keeping from me, Mr. Hunter?" Faith spoke only half joking.
Sterling's eyes flickered away from hers and she smacked his shoulders.
"There is something?? Oh my goodness!" She yelled burying her face into her palms.
"It's just one tiny secret."
Did she even want to know? She met his stare, since she'd accepted him, she would have to deal with everything that came along with him.
"Tell me."
"__ Remember Dan?" He started, her eyes could only widen in horror as he continued to confess.
"You're truly a monster, Sterling!"