The Color of Love

Chapter 9

A year has passed and Alice couldn't be happier. Saying yes to her relationship with Vincent was one of the best decisions she has made in her life. She wished her parents were both there to see how successful and how happy she has become as a mother and as a careerwoman. She dreamed about introducing Vincent to her parents. She was sure that they would be proud of her for learning from her mistakes in the past. They have not talked about marriage yet. They were taking it slowly but surely. They both see no point in hurrying things. As of the moment, they just wanted to enjoy what they had.

It seemed as if fate had dealt the same cards for Liam. He was now in a nine-month relationship with Lilly. Liam has never felt the same for any woman before. He knew that there was no one like her ever since the first time he heard her voice. When Liam became sure about his feelings for Lilly, he told his mother at once. He never kept any secrets from his mother. The next day, he found himself introducing Lilly to Alice and they clicked right away. Alice loved Lilly the instant she saw her and she knew Lilly was the right one for her son. 

It was mid-January. Liam and Lilly were celebrating their tenth month together as a couple. Liam was on his way to Lilly's house to pick her up for their date. When he got there, he parked his car across her house and rang the doorbell. Her father was the one who answered the door. 

"Good evening, Mr. Dupont." Liam greeted him politely and shook his hand.

"Liam, good evening. Come in. Have a seat. Lilly will be down in a minute. Scotch? Whiskey?" Mr. Dupont was holding a glass of whisky in his hand. Instead of drinking coffee, he always had a shot of any type of alcohol after dinner. 

"No, thank you, sir. I'm fine." Liam answered while taking a seat on the leather sofa. 

"Okay. Anyway, I need to go. Football's in ten minutes." Without waiting for Liam's reply, Mr. Dupont made his way toward the den. When Lilly told her father about her relationship with Liam, he had no objections. Lilly was of age and he trusted the judgement and discernment of his daughter. After all, she grew up without her mother who died of a heart attack when she was still a baby. The death of Lilly's mother opened her eyes to the realities of life at a very young age. But she was very thankful to her grandmother who stood by her father's side in helping him raise her. Her father had girlfriends here and there but never came to marry any of them. Lilly's grandmother passed away when she was in college. Now, she lives alone with her father. 

A few minutes later, Lilly was down the living room. Liam stood up from the sofa and planted a soft kiss on her cheek. 

"You're beautiful." Liam said. She was wearing a haltered little black dress and a black pair of strappy stilettos. Her hair was in a loose bun with tendrils falling randomly at the sides of her ears. 

"Thank you. Did you see dad?"

"Yes, he opened the door for me. He told me he was gonna catch the football game."

Lilly chuckled. "The football fanatic." She said while shaking her head. "Hey, dad!! We're leaving."

"Yeah!! Just lock the door when you leave." Her father's voice echoed from the den. A faint sound of a whistle and a screaming crowd could be heard. Liam and Alice giggled at each other and closed the door behind them.

Liam brought Lilly to Christos Steak House. They ordered fried calamari with tomato basil sauce for their appetizer, the resto's signature porterhouse, and roasted garlic mashed potatoes. While eating, Lilly excused herself to go the ladies' room. After a few minutes, she came back. She suddenly didn't seem to have the appetite to eat anymore. 

"Hey, are you okay?" Liam asked. He looked worried. He noticed Lilly's loss of appetite these past few weeks. 

"I'm fine. Just my hyperacidity kicking in again." She wiped the sides of her mouth with the table napkin. 

"I think it's time you see a doctor. This seems to be happening more frequently as of late."

All of a sudden, Lilly became serious. She looked Liam in the eye and then glanced back down at the food on the table. She gave big worried sigh. "I just did yesterday." 

"What did he say?"

"I'm pregnant," she said without raising her head.

The unexpected news didn't register at once so he had to ask again. "You're what?" 

"I said I'm pregnant... six weeks." Her eyes still lowered down at the table while feeling for Liam's reaction.

"Oh... Lilly, that's great!! Why did you just tell me now? I could've gone with you to the doctor."

"I just wanted to make sure before I told you." He wanted to envelope her in a tight embrace but he thought that the place was inappropriate for it. So he just held out his hands across the table and gave hers a firm squeeze. He noticed the worried look on Lilly's face.

"Honey, what seems to be the problem?"

"No... nothing... I was just worried about how you would take the news 'cause we've only been together for ten months..."

He let out a lighthearted chuckle and lifted Lilly's chin up with his hand. "Look at me, baby..." He said while looking her in the eyes. "So what? Time was never an issue. I love you, Lilly and it's all that matters. You should know that by now. We're having this baby, okay? I'll never leave if that's what you're worried about."

Lilly eyes were suddenly filled with tears while her heart welled up with so much happiness. All her fears were washed away instantaneously. This baby just proved how much Liam's love for her was. 

"Stop crying now, honey. I'll tell our parents. You don't need to worry about anything."

Lilly nodded her head in approval and gave Liam a little smile. In his heart, the love she felt for Lilly has transformed into something deeper. She was going to be the mother of his child and the thought made him love her even more.

When he took her home that night, he saw life change right before his very eyes and he was thrilled.

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