I could clearly hear that James was getting impatient, but Mrs. Sullivan kept nagging: “She’s very satisfied with you, but you’re just cold towards her, not even replying to her messages. How can you be so impolite?”
“I already replied that I was busy. She’s the one who keeps sending messages non–stop. Who’s being impolite?”
“But you can’t just…”
“Mom, get up.”
“What’s wrong?
James spoke while pushing Mrs. Sullivan towards the door: “I’m full now, I need to take a nap. I have a surgery this afternoon.”
With that, he closed the door.
Mrs. Sullivan grumbled a few more words in the corridor before leaving.
Swoosh-
James pulled the curtain open directly.
I waved awkwardly, “How did you know I was hiding here?”
James looked at me deeply.
“I know all your little tricks, don’t I?”
Iwaved my fist at James’s back.
To my surprise, there was a full–length mirror in front of me!
James, walking in front of me, could see my little gesture clearly in the reflection!
He sat down speechless and opened the other two lunch boxes.
“Eat.”
Although it was food I liked, I had no appetite at all. I waved my hand, “No need, I don’t want to eat.”
James frowned, “Wait for me to come back.”
“Hey..”
Before I could speak, he had already turned and left.
In the blink of an eye, James returned with a jar of preserved plums in his hand: “Eat some of these.”
My eyes lit up, and I quickly took them.
This was exactly what I needed!
“Thank you.”
I ate two preserved plums directly, then handed the jar back to James: “I go buy some myself later. I’m leaving now.”
As I reached the door, I couldn’t help but pause: “James, if she’s a good giri, I suggest you try to get along with her.”
“You need to move on so others can get close to you.”
Afraid that James would argue, I hurried away as soon as I finished speaking.
After leaving the hospital, I didn’t contact James again. I even deliberately took detours, continuing my daily routine between home and work. Only at night did I have trouble sleeping.
I gently placed my hand on my still–flat stomach.
Feeling a small life quietly growing inside.
“Baby, what should I do?”
I knew well that single–parent familles are not easy, neither for the mother nor the child, but I really couldn’t bear to give up
Ring ring ring!
I fumbled around for a while before finding my phone.
It was my mom calling!
“Hello, Mom?”
the baby.
10:31 PM
<
“Hello, Mom?”
“Have
you been very busy lately? You never call home.”
Hearing the sounds from my mom’s end, I knew she must be preparing some roasted meats, ready to deliver door–to–door later.
My mom’s roasted meats are delicious, so she started a small business selling them.
“Why aren’t you saying anything?”
My mom stopped what she was doing.
Hearing my mom’s voice, I suddenly realized it had been over a year since I’d been home. My eyes stung with tears: “Mom, I…”
“What’s wrong? Did that manager bully you again? Sweetie, if you don’t want to work there anymore, just quit. Come back home, we can work together selling roasted meats. Business will definitely boom!”
My mom’s words made me laugh, but inexplicably, I felt more like crying.
“It’s not that, Mom, I…”
Probably hearing the choke in my voice, my mom became anxious on the other end of the phone: “Sweetie, what’s wrong? Tell me quickly, do you want to worry your mother to death?”
“I… I’m pregnant, but the baby’s father doesn’t know.”
