Chapter 11

GRACE

“I was going to stay mad at you forever if you didn’t show up tonight,” Grace, Jayda’s mom, smiled before pulling her daughter into a hug.

“Good evening, Mom,” Jayda chuckled.

“I missed you, princess,” Grace mumbled before she pulled away.

“Mom, I’m twenty-nine,” Jayda groaned playfully.

“I’m aware. Even when you’re ninety, you will still be my little princess,” Grace smiled. “You look different.”

“Mom, I’m still the same. I think what makes me look different is because the last time you saw me, I was an associate, and now I’m a partner.”

“No, not that. There’s this spark in your eyes, and I think you’ve lost a tiny bit of weight. But thank God you’re here for the weekend. I will make sure I feed you well.”

“Where’s Dad?” Jayda asked as she reached for her luggage.

“Your father is in with your brother and nieces,” Grace replied as they made their way into the house.

“Aunt Jayda!” Two voices screamed, and two little girls hugged Jayda’s legs tightly.

JAYDA

She crouched toward her brother’s daughters and showered them with hugs and kisses.

“I missed you guys,” she said.

“I missed you too,” four-year-old Kristy said.

“I lost my front tooth, Aunt Jay,” five-year-old Lydia announced, showing the gap where it had been.

Jayda drooled over her nieces for a while before saying hi to her dad, her brother Lucas, and his wife Christine.

They had a sumptuous dinner, after which they made a toast to Jayda on becoming a partner of Saunders and Co.

***

JAYDA

Jayda had just walked out of the adjoining bathroom all dressed for bed when her mom walked into the room with a blanket.

“Thanks, Mom.” She accepted the blanket and placed it on the bed.

“You’re welcome. Debbie told me you haven’t been feeling too well lately.”

Jayda grumbled and sat on the edge of the bed. “She’s my intern. She’s meant to be loyal to me and not run off telling my mom everything that’s going on with me. What else did she tell you?”

Grace took a seat beside her daughter. “She didn’t tell me anything else. Just that you’re sick, and you refused to go to the doctor. Do you mind telling me about it?”

“There is nothing to worry about, Mom. I’ve just been feeling stressed lately, but I’ll be fine.”

Grace intertwined her right hand with her daughter’s left one. “Remember the first thing I told you when I saw you tonight?”

“You said I had a spark in my eyes, which is very strange because there’s been nothing exciting in my life recently. Well, except for my promotion. You also said that I’ve lost a little weight,” Jayda said. She didn’t want to talk about the breakup with Zach.

Her mom nodded.

“I made your favorite for dinner, and you didn’t eat much. My eyes were on you all through. It was as if you were forcing yourself to eat. And you only had a few sips of your wine. Is there anything I need to know?” she asked with an eyebrow raised.

Jayda had been starving when she got to her parents’ place, but the moment she set her eyes on the food, her appetite went flying out of the window.

She’d known her mom would not be happy if she said she wasn’t hungry, so she nibbled a little. The wine had tasted bitter, so she didn’t drink much.

Grace was a retired nurse. She had retired when her husband, David, stepped down from the family business for their son to take over. They’d worked their asses off in their prime and decided to retire early to spend time together and travel around the world.

“I’ve been feeling a bit weird nowadays,” Jayda confessed.

Grace looked curious. “In what way?”

“I hardly have an appetite, I get tired quickly, and I feel sore around my chest area.”

“I know you and Zach are no longer together, but did anything happen between you two before your breakup?”

“What do you mean?” she asked her mom.

“Were you guys sexually active?” Grace clarified.

Jayda choked. “Mom, I promise you that I’m not pregnant.”

“I didn’t say you are, you concluded that yourself,” Grace defended. “So, I guess nothing happened between you and Zach.”

Jayda looked away from her mom. “No.”

Grace made her daughter look at her. “Is there anything you would like to share? You know you can tell me anything.”

“Nothing is wrong, Mom.”

“I know you well enough, and I don’t believe your answer. If you can’t talk to me, who would you talk to? I’ve never judged you for anything, and neither will I start now. Tell me what’s on your mind. I’m all ears.”

Jayda exhaled. “I got intimate with someone after my breakup with Zach. It was just a night of passion and nothing more. I took a morning-after pill. That’s why I said I’m not pregnant.”

“If you say so. I just want you to know that those pills are not 100 percent guaranteed, so they might not work due to some reasons. Whatever the outcome is, I’ll always be here for you,” Grace assured.

“And make sure you see your doctor on Monday for a general check-up,” she added.

Jayda nodded. She tried to remember the last time she’d had her period but couldn’t. Her heart thumped as nervousness filled her.

~Could she be pregnant with that horrible man’s child?