PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

I gathered this information with a lot of protection. “Do you want to meet your father now, Joice?” I asked. My beautiful wife nodded, and Jacob hesitated for a moment.

“I’ll tell you, but don’t regret it if what I say is true.” Jacob stood up as if he wanted us to follow him. Anya nodded quietly, as if she didn’t want to miss this opportunity. There was no point in backing down now. I’m sure Anya’s mind was filled with questions and mysteries about her parents, and now they might finally be answered.

During our search yesterday, we only got to meet Jacob, as he promised to show us the whereabouts of my wife’s father. This might be the evidence we were looking for, I hoped. But as a precaution, I asked Daska not to stray too far from us. If something happened, at least Daska could react quickly.ConTEent bel0ngs to Nôv(e)lD/rama(.)Org .

As we followed Jacob, again, we didn’t speak a word. Anya chose to remain silent, but her grip on my hand never loosened. In fact, it felt even tighter. I knew she must be really nervous, especially when the car turned into an old building. The sign read “Long Island Mental Hospital.”

I could sense that Anya felt just as surprised as I did. When we got out of the car, I scanned my surroundings. It seemed safe and a bit deserted. I saw a few people in uniforms moving around the corridor in the building across from us.

“Why are we here?” Anya asked.

Jacob chuckled. “Robert is here, Anya. You can find out his whereabouts.”

We exchanged glances, unsure of what to do.

“I’ll wait here. You can ask the receptionist and his therapist, if possible. Ask them about the exact reasons why he’s here.”

Anya gave Jacob a disapproving look, and he responded with a shrug. I was sure that if this weren’t a public place, Anya would have confronted Jacob.

“If I go in, Robert’s life won’t be safe,” Anya’s fists clenched. Before it was too late, I stood in her way as she marched towards Jacob. I didn’t mind if she wanted to hit Jacob; the guy was a bit rude. But seeing her like this, I had to be the neutral one. I spoke gently, “Let’s just go inside. Leave Jacob be.”

I could hear the frustration in my wife’s growl. She looked like an angry lioness ready to pounce on her prey. Her eyes glared at me, upset that I held her back. But when I signaled her to be patient, she pouted.

Anya’s steps were impatient as she headed towards the building. I followed her a bit hurriedly. Armed only with Robert’s name, I felt a bit doubtful, but hopefully, this was the right way. What I never expected was that Anya’s father would be in this place.

Our meeting was somewhat restricted. There was an elderly male patient with the exact same symptoms we had just heard, surrounding him. It included Anya’s story about not fully believing that her father was accused of being a murderer. But it turned out that it was true.

Although the nurses and hospital staff were skeptical-Robert had spent more than a decade in this mental hospital, and not a single family member visited him. I don’t know why. When all the documents were presented to Anya, my wife read them with trembling hands. This included police investigation files and a certificate from the hospital stating that Robert showed signs of mental disturbance. He could be calm and communicative at times, but his thoughts were fixated on one person, Fiona Oliver, Anya’s mother. I couldn’t understand mental issues centered around love. What I understood was that love should complement each other, not dominate.

Perhaps Robert’s acceptance of his fate was one of the triggers for his condition. Physically, the attending doctor said he was healthy, no serious illnesses. But mentally, he was disturbed. Everything that Jacob had told us turned out to be true. It left my wife speechless after reading all the documents presented earlier.

“Would you like to visit Mr. Robert, Anya?” one of the nurses offered.

Anya looked up, her eyes teary as she gazed at me. There was nothing else I wanted more than to strengthen her heart. I nodded softly, giving her space, and I trusted that the nurse accompanying her would take good care of my wife during the meeting with her father.

I waited for quite a while, probably because of my worries, and it felt like an eternity. When I checked, it had only been thirty minutes since Anya disappeared behind the building’s corridor. There was nothing I could hope for other than for Anya to feel more at ease after knowing everything about her parents.

Less than five minutes later, Anya emerged. I could clearly see that her eyes were slightly swollen. I was sure their meeting had made her cry. That was okay. It was better than keeping it all bottled up inside for too long.

After expressing many thanks for the information and for arranging the meeting with Mr. Robert, we said our goodbyes. As we walked, Anya suddenly leaned on me.

“My life is so full of drama, isn’t it?” Her soft words were filled with sadness. I hugged Anya and planted a quick kiss on her head. Regardless of her past, I didn’t care. All I cared about was Anya. Besides, my own parents didn’t mind. Someone’s past might be related to their personality, but it didn’t mean they deserved unfair judgment.

Anya’s biological parents played a small role in shaping her personality. She received most of her upbringing from Nek Sumi, right? I often heard her talk about how much her grandmother loved her. Maybe this was also a form of Mrs. Sumi’s love for Anya, to keep her from knowing the truth about her parents.

Jacob was still there, loyal as ever. Sitting on his motorcycle while smoking. When he saw me coming out with Anya, he flicked away the cigarette butt and looked like he was waiting for something. I guess he wanted to say, “My story is confirmed, right?” But he didn’t say anything. Maybe he already had the answer he was looking for.

“I… I don’t know what to say,” Anya now stood in front of Jacob. I could tell her heart was in turmoil.

“You don’t need to say anything, Anya.” Jacob say.

We remained silent, savoring the moment.

“Since Mom passed away with one message, I finally realized that we are the same.”

From the corner of my eye, I saw Anya looking at Jacob without hesitation. Her eyes welled up with tears again.

“You were left by Mom and Robert without knowing why. Mom tried so hard to take you, but she was blocked. There are times when I feel grateful for experiencing a mother’s love longer than you. Mom instilled in me how lucky she was to have you. That’s why I can’t bring myself to hate you even though you’re Robert’s child. But at the same time, you’re also Mom’s child. You’re my sibling.”

Anya approached Jacob. Although still within my reach, I had to remain cautious.

“I’m grateful to meet you, even though Mom told me to find you, I was lazy. The pain in my heart is still strong.”

Anya just nodded softly.

“Mom told me about you, without any photos, without any of your favorite clothes or anything that she could bring. I thought you would resemble Robert… but you don’t.”

Jacob himself moved closer to my wife.

“You look so much like Mom, sis. So much.” Tears streamed down Jacob’s face. His sobbing made me suddenly feel sad. I knew Anya had been crying before.

“Can I, Anya? Can I hug you? I’ve missed Mom so much.”