Chapter One

When the bus came to a halt at her stop, Abigail rose to her feet, reached for her old leather suitcase that was by her seat and made her way out of the vehicle, leaving a few passengers in it.

As the bus drove away, She stood still, closed her eyes and inhaled the fresh warm breeze. She had missed her home, the famous Buxton town.

After what felt like forever, Abby continued her journey to her home which was not that far from the bus stop. She returned the greetings of some familiar faces and also stopped for a few seconds to say Hi to some little children who couldn't stop staring and smiling at her. Even though her heart was heavy due to the fact that she was still trying to process the news about her pregnancy, she greeted the children with a kind smile then continued her journey.

When Abby got to her house, She opened the small wooden gate and entered. Scanning through everywhere, she noticed the environment was pretty much the same since her last visit.

A chocolate brown bungalow house with a short white wooden fence and gate that separated her home from that of their neighbours. Short grasses in the front yard with a pathway in the middle, leading to the front door. She loved her home; It was very quiet, cosy and neat.

Abby played with her fingers as she waited patiently for her mom to open the door after she had knocked twice.

Sarah expected whoever was at the door to be anyone else but her daughter.

"Abigail?!" She voiced out, shocked, but happy to see her only child.

Tears welled up in Abigail's eyes and she tried to keep them at bay. "Hi mum," She pulled her mother into a hug.

"I missed you so much, princess." Sarah returned her daughter's hug.

"Missed you too, mum." She managed to say with the lump in her throat.

“Mum, you look lean. Haven’t you been taking your medications?" She asked when she pulled away from the hug and took in her mother's appearance.

Abby was almost her mother's height and they looked very much alike. While she was putting on a knee-length dress, her mother was in a long blue dress with her hair parked in a ponytail. Even in sickness, you could see how beautiful the 44-year-old woman was. Abigail definitely inherited her beauty from her mum.

“I take them regularly, my dear. I guess it's normal for me to lose weight with my condition. Why don’t you bring your suitcase in and tell me how you've been doing.” Sarah completed.

She opened the door wider for Abigail to come in which she did after picking up her suitcase. Sarah locked the door behind her daughter and joined her in the living room.

Their house was small but comfortable for them. A two-bedroom bungalow with a bathroom down the hallway, a kitchen, living room and a very small corner which served as their dining room.

There was nothing much in the living room. Just a Sofa, two single couches, a television set, an air conditioner that was no longer working which was why they had an old standing fan that stood at the edge corner of the living room and a couple of pictures framed on the wall.

They own the house so they had no rent burden as it was inherited by Sarah's late husband, Ben.

Sarah took a seat beside her daughter on the Sofa. She knew something was wrong with the sudden visitation. She took Abigail's hand in hers. "What is it, my dear?"

When Abby gave no reply, Sarah spoke, "Don't tell me nothing is wrong. I'm your mother and I know that look on your face."

Abigail heaved a sigh. Her mother knew her too well for her to start telling lies.

“I quit working for the Williams”. She answered.

Sarah never wanted her daughter to work as a maid. She wanted Abigail to get a degree at the university which would provide a good job so she (Abby) could have a better life. But since her husband died when her daughter was eleven, It gradually became difficult for them to live comfortably and things became worse when her sickness started.

Sarah did her best by doing two jobs per day. That was until she became sick and could no longer work. By then Abigail had completed secondary school.

And despite her Mother's disapproval, Abby decided to take up a job as a maid. She persuaded her mother that she would use whatever money she earned from working for the Williams for her university education. But deep down, she was going to use the money for her Mother’s surgery. Her mum meant a whole lot to her than furthering her education.

“Why? Did they treat you badly?” Sarah asked with a heavy heart.

“No mom. I just decided that.......”

Before Abigail could go any further, She felt nauseous and fled to the bathroom down the hallway where she emptied the content in her stomach.

After puking her gut out, She felt dizzy so she sat on the floor, resting her back against the bathtub.

After observing her for a while, Sarah approached her daughter and helped her to her feet. She ushered her to the sink, splashed water on her face, made her rinse her mouth, then encouraged her to sit on the edge of the bathtub. All that was done with Abigail looking everywhere except into her Mother's eyes.

Sarah raised Abby's chin so she could look into her eyes. As soon as Abby saw her Mom's pained expression, She broke into uncontrollable tears.

"I'm so sorry, Mum." She cried.

Sarah sat beside her daughter and did what Abby least expected which made her cry even harder. She hugged Abigail who buried her face deeper in her mother's chest and cried.

“I know you are disappointed in me. I swear I'm also disappointed in myself. Please forgive me, Mum, I'm so sorry”. She cried.

After Abigail’s unending apology, She explained to her mom all that happened between herself and Liam and how she found out she was pregnant which was why she resigned.

And when she was done talking, She burst into another round of tears.

“Abigail look at me,” Sarah commanded, taking her daughter's face into her hands, using her thumb to wipe away Abby's tears.

“This is unexpected for both of us. I honestly don't know how to feel but what good will it do me or you if I turn my back on you? It's enough that you hate yourself already."

"It has always been you and I since God called your father to rest and in a situation like this, I  don't know how but we will find our way around it. Me, you and the baby, we have each other and that's what matters." Sarah said with tear-filled eyes.

“Thanks, mum. I don't know what I'll do without you. Thank you for not judging me." Abigail said as she wiped her tears with the back of her palm. The more she wiped them, the more the tears rolled down her cheeks.

Sarah gave her daughter's shoulder a light squeeze and seeing that that wasn't enough to reduce the sobs, she pulled her into a hug.

After a few minutes of crying her heart out in her mother's chest, with Sarah whispering soothing words in her ear, Abigail finally calmed down.

"Take a shower while I make us something to eat. My grandchild must be hungry." She added, hoping to ease the tension within Abigail.

Abby's lips curved into a sad smile making her mother smile in return.

Sarah kissed her daughter's forehead before excusing herself to go start dinner.

Abigail was about taking off her clothes when she remembered she needed a change of clothes. She went in search of one in her bedroom.

Stepping out of the shower, Abby looked into the mirror that was on the wall, above the sink. She searched for any changes in her body but there was hardly any. Her belly was still very flat. Her eyes were red and her face was still puffy from crying. She inspected her boobs but they were pretty much the same except her nipples which were sore.

For the first time since the doctor broke the news to her that she was pregnant, Abigail placed her hand on her belly to acknowledge the little human that was growing in there.

"Hi, baby." She whispered as a tear rolled down her cheek.

"We will be fine, I promise. As Grandma said, we have each other and that's what matters. I love you, pumpkin."

After dinner, Sarah filled Abigail up with what had happened in their hometown since her last visit. Abigail also confessed to her mum about working as a maid to save up for her surgery (her mum's surgery) and not for school. And now that she had saved quite a sum, they would be visiting the Doctor tomorrow.