PREGNANT AFTER ONE NIGHT STAND

Maybe Papa’s, Mama’s, and Krystal’s prayers have been a great help to me. Oh, don’t forget Anya’s two closest friends who never miss any updates. Every day, both of them come just to check on Anya’s progress and also to encourage me. Sometimes, they also take a quick look at Baby.

It’s been three days, and Anya is still faithfully sleeping. She doesn’t want to wake up, huh? Meanwhile, I’m feeling completely restless. My only job every day is to sit by her side. Sometimes, I receive reports that I don’t even know if I’ve done correctly or not. I leave everything to Daska, luckily this trustworthy person can be relied upon.

I don’t know what would happen to my café if it weren’t for Daska.

This situation seems to be affecting Krystal too. I got a report from Naomi that Krystal often gets angry for no apparent reason. Maybe she’s also worried about Anya. So, she neglects checking all the reports, and when it’s time to execute, something goes wrong. Krystal rarely tolerates mistakes, indeed.

“Anya, you look so comfortable sleeping. Wake up, will you?” I gently hold her hand. Nothing has changed since the first time I entered this hospital room. Her eyes are still closed. All the medical devices are still attached to her. There’s no significant sign of improvement. I don’t know medical terms; I’ll learn them later. All I need is for Anya to wake up. That’s all.

Last night, I read one of Anya’s favorite novels. How did I know? She has this cute habit. For things that become her favorites, she’ll have duplicates. Like this novel. One is neatly wrapped and in perfect condition, sitting on her bookshelf among her numerous other novels. When I bought the bookshelf, she said it wouldn’t be enough.

So, I prepared a special room in our new home. A reading room specifically for storing all of Anya’s book collections, as well as mine. And in the future, it will grow with the addition of many books for Baby. I really hope Anya will be the one to choose reading materials for our child. I’m sure she’ll be excellent at it.

Back to Anya’s book. The ones she reads frequently tend to be a bit worn out, with lots of folds and scribbles indicating parts of the text she likes. Like the pink-marked page in the book “Aroma Karsa.”

“I’d rather live a short life filled with love than be imprisoned.”

But I don’t want a short life filled with love. I want to spend more time with the person I love. The imprisonment mentioned must refer to something else. I don’t quite understand because I only read a few early chapters and found these marked quotes.

And there’s Anya’s neat handwriting below it.

I don’t feel imprisoned by Cedric’s love. On the contrary, his love makes me feel like I can fly like a bird. Of course, when I’m with him. I can’t imagine living without Cedric. Yes… I love him that much.

P. S.: I hope he never finds out about this quote! It would be so embarrassing!

I smiled slightly as I read that note. My love doesn’t belong to me alone, right? My love also belongs to Anya. We belong to each other. I can’t imagine being separated like this; it’s just too much.

“Please wake up,” I said again, feeling weak once more. It’s okay, though. I cry for the love in my heart. I deeply feel how much I hope for Anya to return the grasp of my hand as she usually does.

I don’t know which prayer was answered. Was it mine? Was it my family’s prayers? Was it the religious gatherings that my mother organized at home to help her daughter-in-law wake up soon? Ah… I feel that God is truly good. He gives me many chances to embrace true love. The love for Him.

Anya wakes up and returns the grasp of my hand. My heart races uncontrollably. And the first thing she says is, “Were you crying?”

****

Even though I still wanted to be with Anya, at least to tell her about everything that happened while she was unconscious, as well as the moments with Baby that seemed to miss being near her. But I was pushed away. As soon as I informed Papa, Mama, and Krystal that Anya had regained consciousness, they rushed to be with her. I know they all deeply miss and love Anya.

To make matters more lively, the noisy duo is also present. They are now keeping Krystal company while she enjoys a cup of coffee in a café near the hospital. Oh well, I’ll step aside. It turns out that many people have been waiting for Anya to wake up. When her eyes opened, and the first person she saw was me, that was more than enough for me.

It means I never had any intention of leaving her, not even a bit. I want to accompany her for a lifetime, until the end of time.

Well… let it be. I’ll just sit on the long sofa. Observing my dearest wife surrounded by sweetness, much like sugar. This happened after the doctor declared that she can communicate well now. For me, that’s a tremendous relief. I have no other desire than to see and witness Anya’s consciousness.

Thank God, I’m so grateful.

Perhaps due to exhaustion, I didn’t even realize that I fell asleep on the sofa. It was Mama who woke me up. She said Anya needed me. I quickly approached. As our eyes met, I could clearly see the smile that I’ve been longing for these past three days. Slowly, I took Anya’s hand, which I usually hold and kiss, and touched her cheek. I sat beside her, feeling her presence so close to me.

Even though she still looks pale, the glow of happiness is evident. Maybe it’s because she has seen Baby and is surrounded by all the people who love her.

“I miss you,” I said as I kissed the palm of her hand.

“Me too.”

“I was afraid… I was so scared that you-”

“I’m here, Cedric.”

Honestly, moments like this make me very emotional. Tears once again fell from my eyes.

“I won’t leave you, just like you won’t leave me. Right?”

I nodded without hesitation. I kissed her hand without caring how many kisses I gave.

“Don’t be sad. Let Baby’s dad cry. I’ll be the one acting like a baby. I’ll be the one who’s clingy. You have to be strong.”

“I’ll be strong if you’re here.”

Her pale lips curled into a smile at my words. But I was serious; that’s how it truly is.

“My surgical wound is starting to hurt, it seems.”

“Be patient. I’ve asked the doctors; it needs some adjustments,” I reassured her softly. The sparkle in her eyes that had been so bright started to dim. I became anxious. Why? “Joice?”

“I’m so sad… I can’t breastfeed Baby. I’ve been trying, but my condition is like this,” she said as tears suddenly fell.

I kissed her forehead, using my thumb to wipe away the tears that came unexpectedly. Gently, I embraced her as she lay there weakly. “We’ll figure it out, okay? Maybe with therapy or something-I don’t really know. We can consult with experts.” I looked into her eyes intensely. “But one thing you must do for sure.”

Her forehead slightly wrinkled.

“You need to get better first. Once you’re healthy, we’ll fight for breastfeeding, and I’m sure we can do it.”

“How do you know so much?” she asked.

I grinned. I didn’t really know that much, actually. I just asked a few questions yesterday because Baby needed parental consent to be given formula milk. They said breastfeeding was the best option. I asked further about Anya’s condition when she wakes up, whether she can breastfeed Baby or what steps I need to take in the future. The nurses and doctors emphasized that breastfeeding was the best.

I’m a hundred percent sure that Anya would want what’s best for Baby. She has collected and read books about parenting and baby care countless times. I’m sure she’s aware of all this.

Maybe because I didn’t immediately answer her question, she sighed softly. “I’m thirsty, Cedric. Can you get me some water?”

I fetched the water and slowly gave it to Anya.

“Kiss me,” she said after her lips became moist from drinking. Her words shocked me!

“You, seriously. You know your wife has been sleeping for a long time, and you wake her up with a romantic kiss like in a storybook.”

Can I burst out laughing?

“Even though you can only say… Joice, don’t leave me. Don’t go alone. Take me with you.” Her lips moved, even though they were stiff, but I knew she was teasing me. “But there’s no action behind it.”

“What kind of action do you want?” I asked.

“Kiss me!”

Oh well, Anya was indeed created to be the sweetest temptation in my life. So, what can I do but indulge her?

Unlike usual, I didn’t hesitate to give her a passionate kiss. The kiss I gave her conveyed how grateful I was that I could still feel this sweetness being reciprocated. How God has been so good to both of us. I gently caressed the lips that I had just kissed. My gaze was fixed on her, not looking away.

“I’m so grateful that you’re back,” I whispered.

She nodded softly.

“God has been so good to us, Na.”

Again, she nodded, and tears welled up slowly.

“I’m sorry if I haven’t been a good husband in recognizing how merciful our God is, Anya.”

“I prayed, and my prayers were answered. I feel like such a failure as God’s creation if I don’t learn to be obedient,” she said, and I wiped away the traces of tears, even though I could feel her shoulders trembling as she held back sobs.

“We both learn to become better individuals, right?” I cupped her slightly pale face. “Together. With Baby, who will grow up with us.”

“Yes, Cedric. I want that. Let’s improve ourselves together.” She sobbed, and I could feel it because her eyes couldn’t deceive me. “I was so scared I wouldn’t see you again. I was afraid I couldn’t take good care of Baby. And… God gave me the chance to come back.”

I didn’t care about all the explanations the doctors gave about Anya’s condition during those three unconscious days. For me, the most important thing was that Anya was conscious now. That’s it. That was more than enough for me to be incredibly grateful.

“In the darkness that enveloped me yesterday, the only voice I could hear was yours. Thank you, Cedric, for calling me continuously.”

When we exchanged vows at the wedding yesterday, I was nervous, but not as dramatically as this. This moment truly made me believe that opportunities always come when least expected. Maybe only once, or maybe several times. It depends on the individual, whether they choose to seize the opportunity to change or ignore it as a passing breeze.

If we both agree to head in the direction of self-improvement, we will achieve it together.