7 The Petal Bloomed

Lilian followed Richard as he entered the pediatric clinic room. Aiden was still relishing being with his father, not leaving the comfy embrace he was cited. The naughty baby teased her about how he could take all the attention of the man she dreamed of without much effort when she was a helpless hard worker aiming for a no signboard. She had walked behind that handsome fella, everybody gaped at but he refused to even skim at her for a mere couple of seconds, dissolving all her yearnings she held unconsciously. She was stupidly wishful to harbour him to check on her if she was still accompanying him and not lost somewhere in a magical way. But to be awakened, he never even once looked back. It was a quick realization of the certitude, Lilian didn't know she craved his attention this densely. Was it just a crush or something more than that? She was puzzled, her brain becoming retarded every time she tried to sort her way out.

The hospital procedures were so simple. Richard had filled out a form and once that was done, they were allowed to meet the doctor directly without much of a waiting. The girl had thought they would have to wait at least for half an hour and the scenario that had started setting in her mind was giving her the elation. Sitting close to the man she liked on the congested hospital seats, she was feeling nervous about the conceivable skin contact already. But the Tuckers didn't have to wait in the row of the common populace. As soon as the patient from inside came out, they were authorized inside and here the cloud of dreams was busted, soaking her in the despair of disappointment.

The couple entered inside through the door in a hallway full of baby portraits. The surroundings filled in the lass's eyes as she compared the attributes. The clinic room was much ampler than where she used to work and the modern and rich look possessed superiority. It was all equipped and shiny, not a single thing stood out geriatric and worn out. Even the examination bed shimmered the white mattress with no spot on it, surely rich people have a whole other level of the world. LIlian's attention was soon taken away by the two young women in light pink attire standing beside the doctor's table with an overly professional smile and she couldn't help but compare herself with them. They were more qualified than her, weren't they?

Lilian's eyes met with a pair of wrinkly brown orbs as she glanced around. The white-coated man in his mid-fifties was sitting in his big comfy chair, smiling warmly as he welcomed the duo in his occupied niche.

"Good afternoon Mr Tucker," he greeted with his smile stretching a little more and his wrinkles standing out widely across his eyes.

"Same here, doc." She heard her husband say, passing over to sit in one of the two chairs facing the medicals.

"Oh, this must be your wife," the doctor looked at the lady in white, gesturing her to occupy the empty seat next to the handsome man, who was supposedly her husband.

"Good to see you, Mrs. Tucker. I am Dr. Joe Jones." He added, extending his hand as Lilian sat. The girl nodded and hesitantly shook her hands with the doctor who initiated the gesture.

"It's Lilian. Good to see you too." She replied, feeling ticklish that someone had called her Richard's wife. It was the first time she had heard someone say that. It sounded weird yet exciting. Her hands gripped the purse in her lap, feeling flushed at such a small thing while she tried to suppress her stretching smile.

Dr Jones diverted his attention to Richard, still keeping that tint of a smile on his face, "Sorry I wasn't able to attend the wedding."

"No problem doc," Richard said, withdrawing Aiden's hand which seemed to be busy in trying to grab some of the papers on the table. "I am sure you were occupied," he added.

The doctor chuckled at the energetic baby and skated the important documents out of reach of the infant before they were ruined, "So how's our baby boy doing? I see that he has gained some weight."

"He has. Not that light feather anymore," the father remarked. Lilian could see him smiling in the reflection across the mirror behind the physician. The smile that occupied the straight lips of that rigid man looked utterly beautiful to lose sanity. Lilian shook her head, trying to divert her senses. This wasn't appropriate, not here in a place like this at least.

"Babies do gain weight rapidly. It's a good thing." The medic commented and looked down at the file, maybe it was the form Richard had filled earlier. The old man nodded to himself at the small details he read, closing the file on short notice and paying attention back to the people waiting for him to speak.

"Any recent ailment? Or anything significant?" He asked casually while a nurse approached to take Aiden away.

Richard shook his head as a no, carefully handing over his precious son in the hands of some unknown woman. Doctor Joe got up too and went to the examination bed where nurses had taken the infant.

Lilian had almost gotten up to accompany the little boy but her attention was dragged by Richard who remained in his seat. She wondered why he didn't go and clasped her hands nervously around her purse, scratching its leather as she battled inside on what to do. The uncomfortable quietness was eating her out but she couldn't bring her vocal cords to ask him for details. She was afraid he would fire her with some cold words again and she didn't want to be embarrassed in front of a new bunch of strangers. Each minute felt like an hour, her nails scratched the leather to tear it away. She wanted to go to her little son, knowing he was going to get his painful shots. She wanted to hold his tiny hands and tell him that she was there for him but her feet weren't that courageous to move. She thought maybe Richard would not find it pleasing.

A loud cry filled the surroundings and her eyes watched the doctor breaking the needle of the syringe to discard it away. Aiden was already in the nurse's embrace but the face of her wailing baby was what she could only see. The sound bombarded her heart like a hammer hitting a wall and she was losing the fight with her inner self. Maybe this was what they call mother's love, the feeling you feel like going wild just to take your child in your embrace, not caring for anything else. This was magical yet so annoying that she felt like going crazy now. That's it, she got up from her chair and walked towards her baby. The nurse was rocking Aiden to calm him but she wanted him to be with her. He was her need more than she was his. She wanted to hold him against her chest, Pat his back and shower him with a few kisses to subside his cries. Lilian hurried her steps toward the nurse and took the infant from her. She kept him close to her trunk, rubbing his back while mumbling some loving words, kissing his temples as she felt her eyes wet. She felt it painful to imagine the pain he was in when even grown-up adults fear the needle. The job she did, and the similar experiences she had seen as a nurse felt far away now, none of it giving calm in her motherly heart. Her baby must be hurting a lot, right?

Lilian walked towards the window, trying to distract the baby from the beautiful nature he adored. Aiden wasn't calming down and it was making her more anxious. His cries were feeble but he still worked on his vocal cords. He was tired but it was still hurting him.

"It will be okay baby, calm down. You are my strong boy, aren't you?" She whispered, patting his globular head.

"Lilian."

In the amid of her chaotic heart, she could hear his voice echoing, calling her name so tenderly for the first time. She looked towards Richard.

The man she was confused with was standings there, a few steps afar. He was holding her purse in his hand while the other one extended the milk bottle she had carried along. She felt her eyes dampening as he approached her, giving her the bottle. For the first time, he had that softness in his eyes. Not for his son but for her. The gaze comforted the turbulence in her heart and that's it. All the confused petals fell except the one. She realized her feelings were superior to just crush or like. Damn, she was in love with this man. For all this time. Even before their wedding.

"He will be fine. Let's go," Richard said softly, standing an inch away.

Lilian took the bottle from his hands, gulping the thick saliva. Adjusting the crying baby in her arms, she put the nipple of the bottle in his mouth. Her mouth curved into a smile, seeing Aiden's subtle whimpers replaced by the suckling sounds.

"Let's get going, hmm?"

She heard again and looked at him, a genuine smile curving on her face as she nodded.