While they were eating, Angelo decided to ask if it was normal for a baby to look wrinkly. He was curious and deep down..he couldn't ignore being called an 'ugly baby.' Who wants to be called that.. no one.
"Of course it is normal for a newborn baby to be wrinkly. We did fall in love with you despite your appearance. Well, you turned handsome though the moment your wrinkly skin smoothed over. Speaking of babies, Tim is now going to be a father. When will you get married and give me beautiful and handsome grandkids? Hmm?"
"Mom.."
"Don't call me mom. Call me miss."
"You are my mother."
"Yes, but calling me mom makes me feel so old."
"You are old."
In between the mother and son's banter, Rod couldn't help but feel amused. They are truly one of a kind.
"Anyway, don't you change the subject. When will you get married?" Angelo's mom pressed for an answer.
Angelo just looked at his mother not bothering to answer her.
"What? You don't even want to answer your poor mother. How can you find someone if you are not even looking?"
"Mom I'll let fate decide if...." Angelo was cut off by his mom.
"Oh no no no. Don't be such a sucker for cliches. Either you try to look or I will. You choose." His mom threatened.
"Ok. I will... when I have time." Angelo agreed just to appease his mother. But, he will do it on his terms.
"You!"
A phone suddenly rang. It was Rod's phone. He looked at the mother and son pair and asked for permission to answer his phone. It was granted.
"Hello." He listened to the one speaking on the other side with focus. "Ok, thanks." He answered before hanging up.
"Tim's wife has successfully given birth to a baby boy." Informed Rod.
"Oh my. Since we are done eating, let us visit them." Told Angelo's mom excitedly, ignoring the way her son's secretary - Rod, addressed her.
"Mom, you need to calm down. For sure they are exhausted. We will visit them at 3 pm." Despite the news, Angelo won't stray out of his schedule. He has lots of things to do before 2:30. Besides, he needs to use his free time wisely.
"Oh, I almost forgot my manners. For now, let us call them then to congratulate them." Angelo's mother reached for her phone in her bag and called Tim's phone. Don't ask how she got Tim's phone number, she has her ways. The phone call got through.
"Hello, Tim I must congratulate you on being a father now! How's your mother and son pair? Are they doing good?"
"Hello, Ms. Tan. Thank you for calling and asking for my wife's and son's welfare. They are doing fine. Thank god nothing major happened... just that, my wife is exhausted with the long hours of labour."
"That's good to hear. We are going to visit you later at the hospital." Angelo's mom saw her son gesturing for her to pass the phone to him. It seems like he wanted to talk to Tim. "I'm with my son and Rod right now. My son wanted to talk to you." She passed her phone to her son.
"Hello, congratulations are in order. You are now a dad."
"Thank you. I'm sorry for cancelling our meeting. I hope you don't mind, and I also thank you for agreeing for rescheduling."
"Don't mind it. We will visit you later, we will be there around 3 pm. I'll hang up now."
"Thanks. See you later."
"Mm"
Angelo ended the call and gave the phone back to his mom.
"Angelo, we need to buy a present. We can't visit them empty-handed."
"Mom, don't worry. Rod has already prepared a gift."
"Nuh-uh. I don't have any confidence in you two about gifting. I will go buy a gift of my choosing. Besides, I don't want to wait in your boring office."
"Whatever floats your boat mom. Since we are at the end of our meal, we will drop you off at whatever mall you wanted to shop at." Angelo just concedes.
"Well then, what are you two waiting for? I need all the time for choosing a gift. Let's go."
With his mom's order, they left Clover hastily. They dropped her off at one of the Tan's Corporation luxury malls - Crystal Mall. If it wasn't so obvious yet, it was named after the Tan family's 'wild child' - Crystal Tan.
"A driver will pick you up at 2:00 pm sharp, so use the given time wisely mom. He will drop you off at our company, for us to go visit together. Since I already told Tim that we will be there at 3 pm, then we will honour that. I won't wait for you if you're late. By the given time, you should be already in the company waiting with your chosen gift." Angelo gave his mom requirements to comply.
"Are you ordering me on what to do? Hmm?"
"No. It isn't an order. It is a request and I ask for your cooperation."
"But I need.." She wanted to argue but when she saw her son's gaze she stopped. "Ok. I will." Conceded Angelo's mom. She sighed, it is getting harder to haggle with her son.
The president and secretary pair went back to the company. Angelo resumes his work reading and analyzing proposals. He was too engrossed in what he is doing, that he forgot about the model's portfolio that was handed to him. Time flew by and the time to go to the hospital arrived.
Angelo and Rod went down to the lobby, with Rod carrying a gift bag. When they arrived at the lobby, they saw Angelo's mom sitting and sipping tea calmly. She wasn't late.
Upon seeing her son and Rod, she stood up and approached them. "Let's go."
"Where is your gift?" Seeing his mom empty-handed, Angelo couldn't help but ask. 'Don't tell him, his mom still needs time to shop.'
"Oh, the gifts are too heavy. I asked two of your employees to load them up in your car." The two didn't miss the word 'gifts.' This means she went overboard again like she usually does.
"Please don't tell me, you got overboard again. We are going to a hospital. Where are you going to place them?"
"Son, I have my ways. Don't you worry, ok?" She told her son confidently.
The president and the secretary duo could only sigh.
They arrived at the hospital without a hitch. When the driver unloaded the gifts, there were too many and too heavy for one man to carry inside, and so Rod and Angelo helped the poor driver to carry some of them.
They arrived in one of the private rooms. They knocked and were invited in.
"How're the new parents?" Asked Angelo's mom boisterously. Followed by Angelo and Rod's greeting.
"Oh my… Ms. Tan, President, and Mr. Rod. Thank you for visiting. You shouldn't have to. I'm sure you are all busy." Clea - Tim's wife, felt embarrassed but also felt glad of their concern.
"Oh don't worry. We wanted to see you and the baby. How are you feeling?" Angelo's mom asked looking at Clea's exhausted face.
"Exhausted, but worth it." She smiles and looked at her son.
"Is this your son? Oh my..." Before she can say more, she was cut off by her son.
"Mom, you are too loud. You will wake up the baby." Angelo interrupted his mom, because who knows what she is going to say. Might be even worse than the label "ugly baby" that he received upon arriving in this world from his dear mother.
"I'm not being loud. By the way, we prepared gifts for you two new parents."
Rod gave them the gift bag with the present that he prepared. Tim took it and thanked them. "You didn't have to, but thank you." Tim smiled.
"Yes, you really didn't have to." Seconded Clea.
"That is not the only gift. My gifts are in the room next to you. I don't want to cramp your room so I decided to put it in another room. Don't forget. Ok?"
"Uh... ok." Tim can only sigh. He can guess how many gifts the Tan matriarch has bought... again. Every time there is an occasion or an event to celebrate, she would always go overboard in gifts.
Angelo stared at the baby for a while. It does look different from what he imagined a newborn baby would look like. Noticing Angelo's stare, Clea asked him if he wants to hold the baby. "Do you want to hold the baby, President Tan?"
"Uh… it's ok. I might wake him up from his sleep and besides, I don't know how to hold him." Angelo rejected.
They chatted for a bit and excused themselves after seeing the newly made parents exhausted.