One Fateful Night (ON GOING)

Chapter 11

Half an hour after Mew called his in-laws informing about Gulf, Hera quickly rushes to the hospital followed by his husband few minutes later which puts Mew in a rather unpredictable atmosphere.

“Uh, D-Dad, Mom, what do you want for lunch?” Mew questions awkwardly. Addressing his in-laws as mom and dad still leaves a foreign aftertaste in his mouth.

Mew has explained what happened to the both of them and although none of the parents blamed him for what happened in words, he can feel differently from his father-in-law’s gazes.

Since the arrival of his in-laws, Gulf never opened his eyes. He has been sleeping after he cried earlier. Mew can’t help but sigh. He has to put his act together.

Instead of answering to his son-in-law, Hera gives Xander a look. “Xan, you order your own food and stay with Gulf, I will borrow Mew here as my lunch date.”

The old man can only shake his head and agree.

Although bewildered, Mew simply follows his mother-in-law. Mew can’t help but assume a good nagging because he is aware how the old woman is overprotective of her youngest. He can only gulp, already anticipating the worst.

The two ends up in a garden within the hospital grounds. Mew holds the drinks from a vendo machine—something his mother-in-law insisted to have.

“I’m sorry,” Mew utters quietly the moment they settled down on one of the benches. He is sitting beside his mother-in-law. He can’t help but hung his head and clasps on the can of soda with his hands.

A gentle hand is put atop of Mew’s hands wakes him from his sentiments.

“It’s not your fault, son.”

His mother-in-law’s soft voice almost brings him to tears. He can feel the lump forming in his throat so he shuts his eyes tight to hold his emotion.

Hera can’t help but smile even if she is met with silence. If there is one thing that she feels thankful for amidst everything, it’s her son-in-law. She can see that Mew is good man and definitely will be a good father. She has seen how hunted Mew’s face is and she knew she can trust Mew with her son, just like how her husband said.

At first, Hera is honestly mad to her husband, she can still recall the conversation they had…

“Why are you playing a matchmaker on this, Xander?!” Hera exclaimed completely against the idea of her husband. “We’re talking about our son here!”

She couldn’t swallow the thought of giving her son to a stranger.

“He will be a good father, Hera.”

“And how do you know that?”

The old woman couldn’t believe a word her husband said. Her husband wanted to marry off their son? Her Gulf?

“I know because I talked to him. Trust me on this.”

“How can I trust you? And how can I trust anyone with my son?” she bombarded her husband. “Xan, Gulf is my son. I can’t just marry him off to some random people.”

“He is my son too and he is carrying our grandchild, Hera,” explained the old man. “I don’t want my grandchild to be seen as a bastard!”

The old man couldn’t help but raise his voice. His family is his core and he wanted no harm to come their way as much as possible.

“Is this the only reason, Xander? Not some reputation and people?!”