Part 61

61

"Chelsea's mother is currently 3 weeks pregnant, and her condition is weak. Fortunately, she was brought to the hospital quickly; otherwise, something bad might have happened to the fetus. From now on, I recommend paying attention to her food intake, ensuring a balanced diet and fiber. I also suggest keeping her mental state stable, avoiding stress, especially with so many problems to think about, so that the fetus can stay strong."

Carlos and Vano were still silent; they didn't know what to say because pregnancy was not an answer that had crossed their minds when they saw Chelsea ill.

Carlos also admitted that Chelsea had been quite sensitive lately and would cry often even over minor issues. The worst was when Chelsea found out that Tomas and Margareth were not her biological parents. That had made Chelsea's condition worse.

However, Carlos could swear by anything that he never expected his wife to be pregnant.

"May we see my wife inside, Doctor?" Vano broke the silence among the three of them, also snapping his father out of his reverie.

The doctor allowed Carlos and Vano to enter, but Carlos remained in a daze, not blinking at all. His mind was now wandering somewhere unknown after learning that he would soon have a child.

"Let's go in and see how Mom is doing. It's not that we're happy to hear that Mom is pregnant, but Dad is just silent like this," Vano grumbled, forcefully pulling Carlos into the room. He couldn't wait to congratulate his stepmother.

Once in the room, Vano couldn't wait to hug Chelsea and offer his congratulations, but he remembered the doctor's advice that Chelsea needed a lot of rest now. So he had to be patient a little longer until Chelsea woke up from her sleep.

"Pa, we'll have a little brother or sister soon," Vano whispered to Carlos, who had just sat in the chair beside Chelsea's bed.

Carlos held Chelsea's hand and kissed the back of it. "Our happiness is complete now; soon we will have a child. That means there's no reason for you to leave me," Carlos mumbled without responding to Vano's earlier statement.

He focused more on Chelsea, who now seemed soundly asleep.

"Dad, you're wrong. Even if there's no little brother or sister in Mama's womb, she'd never want to leave you because I know she loves you very much. And, as long as Daddy knows that everything she's done isn't just about pursuing happiness with you alone, but she also wants our relationship to be closer and better. I admit that lately we've argued because of the matter of consent, but in Chelsea's hands, everything melts away, my heart melts, and so does yours.

Now, because of Chelsea's presence, I realize that everything Daddy wanted is a blessing for me. I was just blind and didn't want to listen. So, now I leave it to you, Dad. If you sincerely give your consent for me and Celine, then we will get married. If there's still an element of compulsion or reluctance, it's better for me to end my relationship with Celine."

Carlos turned to look at Vano, searching for any falsehood in his son's gaze, but he found nothing but sincerity and no trace of coercion.

Carlos felt incredibly lucky to have such a kind and perfect wife in Chelsea. Despite her very young age, Chelsea's maturity had drastically changed his and Vano's world. Their relationship had become harmonious, whereas before, Vano used to rebel and resist. He rarely came home, even refused to greet anyone. Despite working in the same office, he avoided any contact. But since Chelsea's arrival, not only did he come home regularly, he also spent more time with the family, even if it was just joking around at the dinner table.

Carlos reached for Vano's hand and joined it with Chelsea's. "I'm very lucky to have both of you. I never imagined I could find happiness like this. It's all thanks to your mother that I've learned to give my consent and give Celine a chance to prove herself to you and to me. The marriage between you two has nothing to do with your mother's accident or business rivalry. It's not that I don't like Celine; she's a sweet and good-hearted girl. But the cruelty of the business world and the unresolved mystery of your mother's death have made me hesitate to let you into our big family. However, your mother has convinced me and asked me to give you both a chance to start a married life.

So, I willingly give you my consent. We'll just have to wait for your mother's condition to improve, and then we can start planning your engagement and wedding."

"Thank you, Dad." Vano hugged Carlos, slightly touched by the events of the day when Chelsea was confirmed to be pregnant, and Carlos had generously given his consent.

This was what he had been waiting for all along, even though today didn't feel as happy as he had expected. Vano tried to appear happy, so as not to feel guilty for being late in seeking his father's consent.

"Mama, wake up, Dad." Vano stood up straight, ready to congratulate Chelsea, who seemed to be blinking her eyes, trying to focus. She looked around and was quite surprised because she had awoken in the hospital. She vaguely remembered being in the car earlier, complaining about a severe headache and dizziness.

"Daddy," she whispered, looking at Carlos who was smiling at her. Carlos and Vano exchanged glances, silently deciding who would deliver the good news to Chelsea. Finally, Carlos nodded and gestured for Vano to share the wonderful news that the doctor had just conveyed a while ago.

"What's going on? Why are you both smiling like that? Are you happy to see me with a fever?" Chelsea sighed, slightly pursing her lips because she didn't see any signs of sadness on her son's or husband's faces when they saw her lying in the hospital.

"Of course, we're not sad to see Mama like this because Mama's illness doesn't come from an actual sickness, but it's due to the presence of your little one in your womb."

"Little one?" Chelsea repeated, looking at Carlos, demanding an explanation about Vano's earlier statement.

"You're pregnant, Honey. We're going to have a child soon." Carlos gently stroked Chelsea's belly, which was still covered by a blanket.

"A child? A-Am I pregnant, Dad?" she asked again, trying to reassure herself that she hadn't misheard Carlos's statement.

Carlos nodded, leaning in to kiss Chelsea's forehead.

"Yes, Honey. We're going to have a baby. That's why you've been feeling sick and uncomfortable with your digestive system."

"So, that's why I had a high fever and was vomiting like that, Dad?" Chelsea innocently mentioned how she felt at the moment.

"That's right. It's very normal for a mother in her first trimester of pregnancy to experience those symptoms."

"So, I'm really going to be a mother and give birth to our child soon?"

"Yes, my love, our child, the fruit of our love, and the one who will unite us so that no one will ever leave each other, even when significant challenges threaten our marriage. Because..."

"Ahem," Vano cleared his throat to interrupt the romantic conversation between Carlos and Chelsea. "So, you mean there's only one child, and you won't want to have more later? I would have liked having more siblings to tease in the future. I also want to protest because right now, Daddy has two children, not just the one in Mama's womb."

"All three of you," Carlos corrected his statement, making Chelsea laugh softly as she watched the interaction between her husband and stepson. It was indeed a heartwarming and familial sight, something Chelsea had longed for. Seeing her husband and son getting along and showering her with love like before. Bankruptcy had taken everything away from them, but today, Chelsea felt complete, even though the composition was quite different. She had become the perfect complement to Vano and Carlos.

Now, with the impending arrival of their future child, their happiness as a family of three was complete.

"Now, it's just a matter of how to tell your mother that we are already married and, since you are now pregnant, of course, you will have to take a leave from your studies temporarily, and we need to plan our wedding reception. I don't want our child to be labeled as born out of wedlock because they don't know that we had our marriage ceremony long before they came into our lives."

Chelsea turned to Carlos. What her husband said was right. It would be impossible for her to suddenly appear with a swollen belly. She would undoubtedly become the subject of gossip, and the same would happen to their child.

"I'm ready to tell your mother about our marriage whenever you're ready, even if it means enduring her anger and curses as she did before."

"There won't be any anger or curses directed at you because I will never allow that to happen."

"I know that. There's no way you'd let anyone hurt me, even if she's my own mother."

"You know that. I don't want anyone to hurt any of you, both you and Vano. In my eyes, you're equally important, especially when it concerns our future child."

"That's why I leave it all to you, Carlos. Arrange it as you see fit, and I'm sure you'll know when the right time is to convey all of this. I also..." Chelsea paused, leaving her sentence hanging.

"You don't need to worry like that, Chelsea. I'm sure Daddy will find a good solution for Aunt Margareth. I also don't agree with her staying under the same roof as us, which could damage your relationship with Daddy. In fact, I'm willing to let her stay in my apartment until she finds her own happiness with her boyfriend," Vano spoke wisely, understanding what was going on in Chelsea's mind because they had talked about jealousy that morning.

Chelsea had been honest with him about feeling a bit jealous, even though she knew Carlos was a faithful man.

"Thank you for your help, my beloved son," Chelsea said, pulling the corners of her lips into a smile. Her happiness seemed to be growing even more complete. Having a good relationship with her stepson was already a source of happiness, and now receiving his help and soon welcoming a child was beyond her wildest dreams.

Vano was very enthusiastic about her pregnancy, and that was all Chelsea had hoped for. As for Margareth, she would leave everything to her husband so as not to overthink it.

"Pa, if it's still three weeks away, does that mean we have to wait a long time before the launch?"

"Of course. Did you think your sibling would arrive through a d******d?"

"No, Dad. But I can't wait to hold my little sibling. He or she will definitely be a handsome or beautiful baby," Vano expressed his eagerness without any burden.