"Mrs. and Mr. Maxwell are in room number 155," the female receptionist said.
"Thank you for the information," Valerie replied.
She immediately led Daniel down the quiet, white-themed hospital corridor, while Hannah followed behind with two bags and a backpack.
"Mama... Hikss..."
Valerie glanced at Daniel, who was on the verge of tears, then hugged him. "You must be tired..."
"After this, are we staying in a hotel or inn?" Hannah asked, struggling with the heavy bags under her and the backpack.
"Maybe we'll stay at my parents' house," Valerie answered, slowing her pace as they reached the row of hospital rooms.
She checked each door number until she stopped at room 155, as per the receptionist's information. Suddenly, her heart raced, and she nervously bit her lower lip.
"Come on, I want to sit down; my legs are sore!" Hannah complained.
Valerie sighed, took a step forward, and the door suddenly opened. Her blue eyes met those of a little brown-haired girl who stared in astonishment.
"Mama!" The girl shouted. "Valerie's here!"
She immediately embraced Valerie's leg. "Why did you take so long? You're mean!"
Unintentionally, tears welled up in Valerie's eyes as she gently released the hug from the 6-year-old girl named Leonne and crouched down to hug her with her right hand while still holding Daniel with her left.
"Forgive me, Leonne. I didn't mean to be mean," she said through tears.
Leonne let go of Valerie, sniffled, and looked at Daniel with curiosity.
"Who is he?" she asked.
"Valerie!"
Valerie looked up, seeing a middle-aged woman coming out. She stood up and immediately hugged her.
"Mom.."
"Valerie... My daughter!" The woman cried, embracing Valerie and Daniel tightly. "Where have you been all this time? Oh, God..."
"Uh..." Daniel felt uncomfortable, squeezed into that tight hug.
Valerie quickly released the embrace, wiped her tears, and, of course, the woman she called "mom" noticed Daniel.
"Dear, who is he?" her mother, Dana Trierweiler Dominguez, asked. Her brown eyes looked at Daniel with surprise.
"He..." Valerie looked at Daniel. "He's my son..."
"Your son?" Dana's eyes widened.
Valerie nodded. "I'll explain later. I want to check on Adriana and her husband first."
"Okay..."
Dana immediately led Valerie into the spacious hospital room with two beds, where a man and a woman lay with medical equipment.
Hannah sat on the sofa, Valerie handed Daniel to Dana, and then she approached Adriana, who lay there looking fragile, her head bandaged.
"I saw the news about their accident on TV," she said sadly.
"They were on their way to the airport, but I don't know what happened... The accident was unavoidable," Dana replied anxiously. "Adriana suffered serious head trauma, and her husband has injuries to his hands and legs," she continued, glancing at the other bed, where a man with a thick mustache lay, using medical equipment.
Valerie fell silent in her sadness.
"They wanted to go to Las Vegas because they heard about you... Their friends told them you were at Jerry's wedding," Dana explained.
Valerie turned to Dana instantly. "So, they had the accident because they wanted to see me?"
Dana nodded.
"Oh God..." Valerie sighed, feeling suffocated, her heart in turmoil, guilt haunting her again. "If only I had realized that I should come back, maybe they wouldn't have had to look for me... Maybe the accident wouldn't have happened!"
Dana remained silent, her gaze filled with concern, feeling disappointed in Valerie but unable to be angry, especially with the sudden presence of Daniel.
"You have to explain everything," she whispered.
Valerie wiped her tears, then nodded.
"I saw Damian cheating after the bachelorette party... He slept with Clara. I was so disappointed; I couldn't face the marriage. Eventually, I chose to leave... Samul and Jerry helped me find a new place, but later, I realized I was pregnant," she explained somewhat nervously, still feeling guilty. "I didn't dare to come back... And I was still so hurt by Damian. I just wanted to focus on my child... I was so selfish, not thinking about all of you," she continued, crying.
"Oh God... You should have told us..." Dana cried again, hugging Daniel. "You must have been in trouble..."
"It's okay... It's my fault..."
"So, Damian doesn't know about your baby?" Dana asked.
Valerie shook her head, lowering her face. "He met us, but... But I told him he's not the father. He was disappointed... He thought badly of me... I... I lied." She shook her head, crying, Damian's face vivid in her mind.
"You can't let that happen. He deserves to know about his child," Dana said sadly.
"That's my plan... I'll meet him tomorrow."
"Mama...!" Daniel reached out to Valerie.
"Yes, baby..." Valerie quickly picked him up.
Daniel patted Valerie's chest.
"He must be tired and thirsty, or maybe hungry? Is he still breastfeeding?" Dana asked with concern.
"He's still exclusively breastfeeding," Valerie explained. "I'll nurse him."
Valerie took Daniel to the sofa and began breastfeeding him. Occasionally, she glanced at Leonne, who continued to watch, while Dana went to buy food, and Hannah slept on another sofa.
"Are you okay?" Leonne asked.
"Yes... I'm okay. How about you, sweetie?" Valerie touches Leonne's somewhat chubby cheek.
"I think about you every day... and honestly, I dreamed of meeting you and you having a baby."
"Oh?" Valerie was impressed.
Leonne nodded. "And it turns out you have a baby." She stroked Daniel's cheek.
Valerie sighed, her eyes glancing around, not expecting to be in her hometown now.
'It's like a dream... And tomorrow, I have to be brave and face Damian and his family... I have to apologize,' she thought.
"Mommy cries every night... She worries about you," Leonne said while holding Daniel's hand. "She's often sick, so Adriana comes to take care of her... Then Dad only comes home for a few days after a few months at sea, then leaves again. Always like that... The atmosphere never improves," she continued with eyes hinting at sadness.
Valerie pondered, once again feeling guilty.
"Don't leave again," Leonne pleaded.
"Of course." Valerie smiled, nodding. "I'll come back to help Mom's bakery business, and maybe you can help me take care of Daniel."
Leonne smiled so sweetly, immediately looking at Daniel. "I like him... He has eyes like yours. But... He looks like Damian!" She pouted instantly.
"I hate Damian. He shouldn't have slept with your friend!"
Valerie smiled amusedly and pinched Leonne's cheek.
"Don't hate him... It's all in the past."
"I want to kiss him..." Leonne approached Daniel.
Valerie nodded, letting Leonne kiss Daniel's cheek.