HER WOMB, HIS HEART

TYSON'S WORRY

Mrs. Noldi’s phone rang.

“Hello. What’s wrong, my son?”

“Mom, come to Jars Hospital. My wife is about to give birth. She needs you,” said a man who was Mrs. Noldi’s son.

“All right, son. I’ll be there soon!”

“Master Alan, I’m sorry, but my son, who is currently working overseas, just called. He said his wife is in the hospital. My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, and she needs me,” Mrs. Noldi explained.

“Of course, Mrs. Noldi. Go! Stay with your daughter-in-law. Soraya is already on her way home. Don’t worry about Emily,” Alan said.

Mrs. Noldi hurried to the hospital to be with her daughter-in-law. Alan entered Emily’s treatment room.

“Mr. Alan? Why are you here? What if Mrs. Noldi suspects something?” Emily glanced around.

“How are you feeling?” Alan asked, taking Emily’s hand.

“The contractions have slowly gone away, sir. Nurse Dolla said the baby is healthy,” Emily whispered.

“What about you?” Alan asked.

“I’m fine, sir,” Emily replied.

“Forgive me, Emily. All of this happened because of my foolishness.” Alan knelt beside the bed and gently kissed Emily’s hand.

“Sir, please don’t do this. I’m fine as long as our baby is healthy.” Emily gently stroked Alan’s head.

Nurse Dolla stopped in her tracks. She had heard Emily and Alan’s conversation from behind the door.

“Nurse Dolla, where’s Emily?” Tyson asked anxiously.

“Dr. Tyson? He’s already here?” Emily and Alan said at the same time.

**

CHAPTER 17

TYSON’S WORRY

The phone in Mrs. Noldi’s pocket rang.

“Hello. What is it, my son?”

“Mom, come to Jars Hospital. My wife is about to give birth, and she needs you,” said the man, Mrs. Noldi’s son.

“All right, son. I’ll be there soon!”

“Young Master, I apologize, but my son, who is currently working abroad, just called. He said his wife is at the hospital. My daughter-in-law is about to give birth, and she needs me,” Mrs. Noldi explained.

“Of course, Mrs. Noldi. Go ahead. Stay with your daughter-in-law. Soraya is already on her way home. Don’t worry about Emily,” Alan said.

Mrs. Noldi hurried to the hospital to be with her daughter-in-law. Alan entered Emily’s room.

“Mr. Alan? Why are you here? What if Mrs. Noldi becomes suspicious?” Emily glanced around nervously.

“How are you feeling?” Alan asked, taking Emily’s hand.

“The contractions have gradually stopped, sir. Sister Dolah said the baby is healthy,” Emily whispered.

“What about you?” Alan asked.

“I’m fine, sir,” Emily replied.

“Forgive me, Emily. All of this happened because of my foolishness.” Alan knelt beside the bed and gently kissed Emily’s hand.

“Sir, please don’t be like this. I’m fine as long as our baby is healthy,” Emily gently stroked Alan’s head.

Sister Dolah stopped in her tracks. She had heard Emily and Alan talking from behind the door.

“Sister Dolah, where is Emily?” Tyson asked anxiously.

“Dr. Tyson? He’s here?” Emily and Alan said at the same time.

“Doctor, there’s something important I need to tell you,” Sister Dolah said, stopping Tyson as his hand reached for the doorknob.

“Emily is in there?” Soraya tried to open the door to the hospital room.

“Mrs. Emily is sleeping. She’s exhausted after enduring the contractions. Let her rest,” Sister Dolah said.

“All right. I’ll go to the hospital cafeteria. I need some coffee.” Soraya abandoned her attempt to enter and headed toward the cafeteria.

Alan heard everything they said outside. “They’re back?”

“Sir, you should leave,” Emily whispered.

“Emily, is there anything you’d like to eat right now?” Alan whispered.

“I’m not hungry yet, sir. Please go before they find out!”

“If you need anything, let me know,” Alan said before leaving.

Emily nodded with a warm smile.

**

“What did you want to tell me?” Tyson asked.

“What should I do? If Tyson finds out, he’ll be devastated.”

“Dolah!”

“The contractions Emily experienced could trigger dilation of the birth canal. She should stay here for observation. She needs complete bed rest,” Sister Dolah explained.

“Where is Emily’s medical record?” Tyson asked.

“Here, Doctor.”

Tyson looked over Emily’s medical records. “Her condition is serious. The wall of Emily’s uterus is already very thin, and the amount of amniotic fluid has also decreased. We need at least two weeks to reach twenty-eight weeks of pregnancy. This baby will have to be born prematurely.”

“What about Soraya? She’ll become suspicious, won’t she? As far as she knows, Emily is only twenty weeks pregnant. Wouldn’t it raise suspicions for everyone if the baby were born now? Mr. Billy Horison and Mrs. Vior would surely become suspicious too,” Sister Dolah said.

Tyson bit the tip of his index finger nervously as he tried to find a way out.

“I’ll come up with a plausible explanation for the baby’s birth. I’ll go see her.”

Tyson entered Emily’s hospital room.

“Emily, how are you feeling? What are you experiencing? Is your stomach still tight?” Tyson asked.

“The contractions are still there, but only a little. Doctor, how is my baby? Is the baby okay?” Emily asked.

“Your baby will be fine as long as you stay healthy. Now, eat this.” Tyson opened a food container filled with Emily’s favorite chicken mayonnaise sandwich.

“No tomatoes, shredded thigh meat, skin included,” Tyson said when he saw the uncertainty on Emily’s face.

“How do you know this is my favorite?” Emily asked, furrowing her brow.

“Emily really doesn’t recognize me? Should I tell her now? But I’m afraid it will affect her mental state. I’m afraid she’ll become stressed.”

“Of course I know. I’ve seen you eat it before!” Tyson replied.

“When? I haven’t eaten it since seven years ago,” Emily revealed.

Tyson was stunned by Emily’s words.

“Why?” Tyson asked, struggling to contain the emotions surging inside him. He was afraid he would lose control while talking about the past.

“I last ate this sandwich with a friend. That was the last time I saw her, before we parted forever.” Emily wiped away the tears slowly falling down her cheeks.

“She must have been someone special to you,” Tyson said, his expression turning sorrowful.

“She was my first friend.”

**

Seven years ago.

“Beca, drink this!” Tyson handed Beca a bottle of tomato juice.

Beca covered her nose. “Keep that juice away from me!”

“You really hate tomatoes that much?” Tyson asked.

Beca nodded. “I’m sorry, sir. I’m very sensitive to the smell.”

Tyson gave the tomato juice to a beggar. “Sir, this is for you.”

“Thank you, young man.”

“Sir, come on! Follow me! Let’s eat at the new sandwich shop that just opened on the outskirts of town,” Beca invited.

“Oh, so you’re planning to treat me?” Tyson teased.

“You’re right, sir. Let’s go!” Beca said enthusiastically.

Tyson sped toward the sandwich shop. Along the way, Tyson and Beca exchanged stories and laughed together.

“This sandwich shop?” Tyson asked.

“Yes, that’s the one, sir,” Beca replied with a wide smile.

Tyson laughed at how excited Beca seemed today.

“Beca, what made you decide to treat me?”

“A reason? Do you really need a reason to treat someone?” Beca asked.

“Not necessarily, but most people usually have a reason for treating someone,” Tyson replied.

“Hmm, actually, today is my birthday,” Beca whispered, her face turning red.

“Happy birthday.” Tyson handed Beca a small box.

“What’s this, sir?” Beca stared at the small box in Tyson’s hand.

“Your birthday present,” Tyson said with a smile. “Take it.”

Beca was touched to receive a gift from someone other than her mother. “Can I really accept it?” she asked.

“Of course. Take this gift from me,” Tyson assured her.

Beca accepted the small box from Tyson. “Thank you, sir. This is my first gift.”

“Open it. I hope you like it.”

Beca opened the small box in her hands. Inside was a sunflower-patterned hair tie.

“Do you like it?” Tyson asked.

Beca nodded with her sweet smile.

**