Mary's pov:
It's been three weeks now since the whole saga, and I guess you can say I'm now paranoid about everything. I fear for my safety and my baby's safety. I could barely do anything around the house; I stay in bed the whole day and have no energy to move around.
As I sat in the nursery room folding baby clothes, David walked in with a tray of fruits and my favorite green juice.
"You should take a rest and eat something," he said, placing the tray down next to me.
"Thank you," I smiled.
He smiled and patted my head. "Are you sure you don't want me to hire a housekeeper? You're 8 months in, and you're working yourself to the core."
"I told you, I don't want another woman in my house. If you want someone to help me, I'll call my mom to come in a little earlier since she's supposed to be staying with us once I give birth," I explained.
"Okay, whatever you want," he stated, though I could see the concern in his eyes.
I took a sip of the green juice, feeling a bit more energized. "I just want to keep things under control, David. I know you're trying to help, but having strangers around makes me anxious."
He nodded, sitting down beside me. "I understand. I just worry about you. You've been through so much, and I want to make sure you're not overexerting yourself."
I placed my hand on his, squeezing it gently. "I know, and I appreciate it. But having my mom here will be enough. She knows how to handle me," I said with a small laugh.
David smiled, though his eyes were still shadowed with worry. "Alright, we'll call your mom then. But promise me you'll let me know if you need anything else. I don't want you to feel like you have to do everything on your own."
"I promise," I said, leaning in to kiss him on the cheek. "Thank you for being so understanding."
As he got up to leave, I felt a wave of gratitude. Despite the fear and paranoia that had taken over my life, David's support was a constant source of comfort.
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Letter that same afternoon as I got out of the shower I got a call from Stephanie, i answered the call as sat down on the bed drying my hair.
"Hey Steph, how are you?" I asked.
"I'm great how about you?" She asked.
"I've been better." I replied with a slight smile. "I'm really sorry about what happened, it must be hard for you." She replied.
"There's no need to feel sorry, I'm just glad that I and my baby is safe." I stated.
"Well, I hope you get better soon. I just wanted to check on you," she replied.
"Thank you, Steph. It means a lot," I said, feeling a warmth from her concern.
We chatted for a bit longer, talking about mundane things, which was a welcome distraction. After hanging up, I felt a bit more grounded, reminded that I had friends who cared about me.
As the afternoon sun began to dip, casting a warm glow through the nursery window, I decided to head downstairs to get something to eat. but as I walked out of the room I spotted David and his secretary talking at the door.
I let out a sigh as I headed downstairs, she was just a secretary and she's noting to David.
"Thank you Sarah, get home safe." He said as grabbed the papers in her hands and closed the door.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he walked behind me.
"Im hungry." I replied.
"Then let's get you something to eat," he said, catching up to me and gently guiding me toward the kitchen.
We moved through the familiar space, and I took comfort in the routine of preparing a simple meal. David busied himself with reheating some leftovers while I sat at the kitchen island, resting my hand on my belly.
"My mom will be here first thing in the morning, so you won't have to worry about working from home." I said trying to keep my tone light.
"The project you're working on now is very important, so you just can't stay home because you're the CEO." I added.
"You're pregnant, if I have to put the project on pause to stay with you I will." He stated as he slid the plate of food to me. "I've hurt you once and I don't want to hurt you twice."
"I'll be fine, just get back to work. I don't want them to mess things up over there and then you'll be put under a lot of stress." I told him.
He smiled as he stroked my cheek, "It's fi-"
"No it's not, can't you see I also care for you!" I exclaimed, "I'm tired of seeing you staying up late nights overworking yourself, I don't want to bring our baby boy into this world with two broken parents."
"Go to the company and check if everything is alright, make sure everything is to your liking. Make sure your new devices work well, I want you to be stress free." "I want to be the one taking care of you."
David looked at me, his expression softening. "Okay, I understand. I'll go in tomorrow and make sure everything is running smoothly. But you have to promise me that you'll rest and take care of yourself too."
I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. "I promise. And with Mom here, I'll have all the help I need."
He kissed my forehead, his touch gentle and reassuring. "Alright. I'll do as you say, but I'll be back as soon as I can."
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That evening as Felix sat in his office flipping through documents a woman barged in, it was a middle aged woman. Dressed in modest clothes, and she looked very expensive.
"How dare you ignore my calls Felix?" She questioned stumping towards him, "nice to see you too ma." Felix smiled.
"If it was nice to meet me you would've picked all those missed calls!" She exclaimed.
"As you can see, I'm very busy with work." He replied.
"I can't believe you, I can't believe you would hide my grandson from me for five years. Yet you let your good for nothing father and his wife do." She snapped.
Felix smiled as he got up and walked up to his mom, he wrapped his arm around her and led her to a couch sitting in the corner of the office.
"Jay is my son and if I don't want anyone to know then that's final, dad didn't even know Jay existed until he was three." He stated.
"His mother didn't want her son to be in the public eye and I respected that, so I'm sorry ma Jay is a secret child no one knows a lot of things about him except for his parents." He explained.
"But his my grandson I have the right to know, how dare you keep secrets from your mother." She added.
"You were busy off from country to country, I found no right time to tell you that your now a grandmother." He remarked.
"But if Jay who you want to see, I'll take you to Jay." He smiled.
"So how has you're two year traveling around the world been going?" He asked.
"It was exhausting but fulfilling," she replied, her tone softening a bit. "I met so many wonderful people and saw incredible places. But I missed my family. I missed you, Felix."
Felix nodded, a hint of guilt flashing in his eyes. "I missed you too, Ma. And I'm sorry for not telling you about Jay sooner. I just wanted to respect his mother's wishes and keep him safe."
His mother sighed, leaning back into the couch. "I understand, Felix. But I want to be part of his life now. I want to make up for lost time."
Felix smiled, relieved to see her calm down. "You will, Ma. Jay's a wonderful kid, and he'll love you."
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30 minutes later at Felix's penthouse:
"You know you didn't have to buy him all of those stuff, his father won't be happy with you spoiling him. He told his mother as typed in the house code.
"Is you're wife an hood hag or something." She stated, "please ma, respect my woman. That's his mother and what she says goes." He replied.
"Yeah, yeah whatever." She rolled her eyes.
As he opened the door, Jay came running and jumped into Felix's arms.
"Hey buddy, you missed daddy?" He smiled as they walked into the house.
Jay smiled and nodded, "Can you play Spider-Man with me!"
"Yeah but look who came with daddy, grandma!" He revealed. "I have two nana?" Jay asked confused.
"Yes, and I'm going to be your favorite Nana!" Felix's mom said as she carried Jay into her arms and walked with him to the couch.
"Nana, brought you so much toys you can play with." She remarked.
Jay's eyes lit up with excitement as he glanced at the bags his grandmother had brought. "Really, Nana?" he asked, his voice filled with wonder.
"Really," she confirmed, her smile broadening. "Now, let's see what we have here."
Felix watched them with a mixture of joy and apprehension. He was happy to see his mother bonding with Jay, but he also knew how Steph felt about spoiling their son. He decided to let this moment unfold naturally.
As his mother unpacked the toys, Felix headed upstairs where he found Stephanie in Jay's room folding his clothes.
"Hi my beautiful wife." He smiled as he entered the room and kissed her cheek, "I'm not your wife, also who's downstairs?" She questioned.
"My mother, she wanted to see Jay, after all she has never seen him." He replied, "you're mother is here and you didn't tell me!" She quietly exclaimed.
"What, it was a surprise to me too. She just showed up at the company unannounced." He replied.
"Oh my god!" She sighed as she got up and headed downstairs.
Felix followed Stephanie downstairs, hoping to mediate the meeting. As they descended, Stephanie took a deep breath, preparing herself for the encounter. When they reached the living room, Jay was happily playing with his new toys, and Felix's mother looked up, her face lighting up when she saw Stephanie.
"Stephanie, it's wonderful to finally meet you," Felix's mother said warmly, standing up to greet her.
"Hello, Mrs. Langston," Stephanie replied, trying to keep her voice steady. "It's nice to meet you too."
Felix's mother reached out and took Stephanie's hands. "Please, call me Helen. And I'm sorry for the sudden visit. I just had to see my grandson."
Stephanie smiled tightly. "We're glad you came, would you like something to drink?"
"No thank you," she smiled.
Stephanie looked at the unboxed toys on the floor and looked over at Jay who was busy playing with the toys. "Ma, it's almost Jay's bed time so Steph has to take him."
"Aw, I just got here." She sighed, "maybe next time ma." He remarked.
Felix's mother nodded, though a hint of disappointment lingered in her eyes. "Of course, I understand. It's important for him to stick to his routine."
Stephanie knelt down beside Jay. "Alright, buddy, it's time to start getting ready for bed."
Jay pouted a little but nodded. "Okay, Mommy." He picked up his new toys, giving his grandmother one last hug. "Goodnight, Nana."
"Goodnight, my sweet boy," Helen said, hugging him tightly. "I'll see you soon, okay?"
"Okay!" Jay replied, smiling.
Stephanie took Jay's hand and led him upstairs, leaving Felix and Helen alone in the living room.
"Thank you for understanding, Ma," Felix said, sitting down beside her.
Helen sighed, but she smiled. "You're girl doesn't seem to like me."
Felix shook his head, "She's just protective of Jay, she did give birth to him alone." "She would do anything to protect him." He added.
"So you got her pregnant and abandoned her." She questioned, "I was young ma." He replied.
"You're lucky she even let you see your son." She added.
Felix nodded, accepting his mother's words. "I know, Ma. It was a mistake, and I've spent every day since trying to make up for it. Stephanie and I have worked hard to build trust and create a stable environment for Jay."
Helen looked at him thoughtfully. "I can see that, and I respect her for being such a strong woman. But you need to understand that I also want to be a part of his life. I want to help, not cause any more stress."
Felix reached out and took her hand. "I know, and we want that too. Stephanie will come around. She just needs time to adjust. This is all new for her as well."
TBC