Chapter 0503
Chapter 0503
25 BONUS
Maximus felt a surge of fury spread through him like wildfire. He wanted to strangle the boy–Adrian, that foolish, reckless boy. He wanted to scream. Laura, his little girl, his baby, the child he had only recently accepted as his own, was no longer a child. She was a woman, and most likely, she was carrying a new life inside her.
On the other side of the bathroom door, Laura collapsed onto the floor. Her eyes brimmed with tears, and her hands trembled uncontrollably. How could she have been so naive? How could she have believed she wouldn’t get pregnant? Adrian must have known better. Her mind raced with panic, but her phone was back on the chair in front of the doctor. Summoning her courage, she opened the pregnancy test and followed the instructions. Her stomach churned as she waited for the result.
“Laura, you’re pregnant,” she whispered to herself as the two pink lines appeared. She gasped, covering her mouth with her hands, the test slipping from her fingers to the floor.
Hearing the muffled commotion, Maximus and Fred exchanged a glance and moved closer to the bathroom door. Maximus knocked gently.
“Laura, my love, are you okay? Can I come in?”
No response. He knocked again, his hand resting on the doorknob. “Laura… I’m coming in,” he said softly.
The door wasn’t locked, and Maximus turned the knob, silently praying she hadn’t done something drastic. When he stepped inside, he saw her sitting on the floor, clutching the test in her trembling hands. Her eyes and nose were red, her tear–streaked face fixed on the test as if she couldn’t believe what it was telling her.
Maximus’s heart broke. Kneeling beside her, he pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly as he kissed the top of her head and stroked her long blonde hair.
“Sweetheart, everything is going to be okay,” he murmured. “I promise, it’s going to be okay.”
“D–Dad…” Laura stammered, her voice trembling.
“Soon, I’m going to be a grandfather,” Maximus said, looking into her eyes with a faint smile. Though he was barely containing his anger, he wanted her to feel safe.
After that brief but significant moment, Maximus helped her up and guided her back to the chair in front of Fred. Laura handed the test to the doctor, who glanced at it and confirmed the result.
“Well,” Fred said calmly, “now we’ll need to run some additional tests. We know you’re pregnant, but we need to determine how far along you are, check your health, and prepare your medical records as a future mother. I’m not a gynecologist, but I’ll refer you to a friend of mine–she’s excellent.”
He smiled warmly. “Congratulations, Laura. Becoming a mother isn’t something to be sad about. You’re young and inexperienced, sure, but trust me–no one is ever truly ready to be a parent, Look at me; I’m 53 years old, and I only just became a father. There are days I don’t know what I’m doing with my baby, but I wouldn’t change it for anything. And you, Laura, have your father, and that’s more than enough.”
“Wait–you just became a father?” Maximus asked, surprised.
“Yes,” Fred chuckled. “And trust me, I’m far too old for all this! But Laura, dry your tears and stay strong. You’re not the first girl to go through this at your age, and you certainly won’t be the last.”
Maximus turned to his daughter, taking her hand and giving her an encouraging nod. She met his eyes and felt a spark of reassurance in his silent approval.
#25 BONUS
Chapter 0503
After leaving the clinic, Maximus held Laura’s hand tightly. He didn’t know what to say or how to comfort her. He didn’t know how to keep his anger in check, though he was loing an excellent job of holding it in. As they reached the car, instead of opening the door, he pulled Laura into a fight embrace. The strong, imposing man began to cry softly.
“Laura… don’t think I’m crying out of sadness. It’s just… I wish this baby had come later. When you were married, when you had traveled the world, when you had found your footing in life. I don’t know what the future holds, but I’ll always be here for you. Looks like I’ll be changing diapers and making bottles again. I can already hear the jokes your uncle Peter will make…”
“Dad… I didn’t want to disappoint you,” Laura whispered.
“You haven’t disappointed me,” Maximus assured her, his voice thick with emotion. “It’s just that this news caught me off guard.”
“Dad, I need to tell Adrian. I’m not alone in this–he’s my boyfriend, and I know he loves me. I love him too. We’ll get through this together. We’ll be like Uncle Peter’s son. He’s a successful man, and he had his baby at my age. His wife was even younger than me, and they made it work.
Chapter 0504
