Penelope was finally starting to feel happier. She held onto his arm as they entered the elevator. “How are you planning to cheer me up?”
“We’ll go home and watch a movie.”
“Just that?”
“What else would you like to do?” He leaned in closer to her ear, emphasizing the word “do.”
Penelope’s cheeks turned red. She tiptoed and whispered something.
He asked her, “Is that so? Well, then I have to see how it works.”
She pinched his butt and teased him, “You’ll definitely be pleased…”
****
At the start of her senior year, Penelope had only a few courses on her schedule. She found herself frequently rushing to the bathroom to pee.
The girls in her dorm knew she was pregnant and often looked out for her. They placed a lot of orange peels on the tables because Linda had mentioned that orange peels could help with nausea.
During their last year of college, students were busy applying for postgraduate programs or searching for jobs. Penelope struggled with her pregnancy and was often in a bad mood. She couldn’t help but go to Warren to vent her frustrations.
“I’ll always support you, whether you decide to work or pursue further studies,” he assured her as they sat together on the sofa.
Penelope grumbled and leaned on Warren’s shoulder.
“But considering your current situation, postgraduate studies might be a bit challenging. Finding a job isn’t very practical either. You could…” Penelope interrupted him and pushed him away.
“Leave me alone,” she said, aware that he was skilled at changing her mind.
“Don’t be upset. I’m just thinking about what’s best for you,” Warren said, holding her hand.
“So, I’d just stay at home and take care of the kids?” Penelope was genuinely frustrated.
Warren suggested, “Let’s focus on having the baby first. We can postpone postgraduate studies and job hunting for later, alright?”
Penelope stormed upstairs, unintentionally waking Chris as she passed by his room in her anger. However, she was so upset that she walked right past the poor little boy.
“Woo…” Chris stood in the hallway with tears in his eyes. Warren comforted him.
Penelope cried in bed. Her mood was unpredictable at this stage, and sometimes, she couldn’t understand why she couldn’t control it. She just felt like crying.
She yearned to go back to college. She believed there was more to life than just having children. She cried and eventually fell asleep, drifting into a childhood dream.
In her dream, her adoptive father sat in the living room, smoking. She was endlessly sweeping a dirty floor as thunder and rain raged outside. The rainwater flooded the room, and she couldn’t seem to get the floor dry. She started crying miserably.
“Penelope…” Her adoptive father called to her from the sofa, pointing to a contest on the TV. He said, “If I win the prize, I’ll buy you a nice dress.”
Penelope lowered her head and said nothing. She didn’t want a pretty dress; she just wanted his love. The dream felt so real that she couldn’t help but weep.
Warren lay beside her, reading a document, and heard her whimpering. He saw her in tears and felt heartbroken. He didn’t understand what had made her cry.
“Penelope… baby…” His heart ached as he wiped away her tears. Penelope woke up and rubbed her eyes.
Warm light emanated from the bedroom lamp. Warren was holding her and gently patting her back. His eyes were filled with self-blame.
She cried out and clung to him. “Honey, you can do whatever you want. I’ll never interfere with you. Please don’t cry,” Warren was almost frantic with concern.
“What were you dreaming about?” He asked while patting her back.
“It’s my fault. I’m wrong…” She said and burst into tears. It felt like everything had built up, and she couldn’t help but cry, even though she didn’t know exactly what was wrong.
He hadn’t stopped her from working, nor had he taken away her freedom. He was only concerned that she might be overexerting herself and wanted to encourage her to take things one step at a time. Why had she lost her temper so unreasonably?
People need to learn to reflect on their actions.
Pride and selfishness can cause happiness to slip away like sand through their fingers. Time doesn’t wait for anyone. “Warren, I love you, and I shouldn’t have been angry with you. I’m the one who’s wrong…” She cried sadly as if she had lost him.
Warren felt helpless, so he kissed her passionately. Sometimes, physical touch is more effective than words, especially when comforting someone. Gradually, she began to feel much better, and their love for each other deepened.
As Penelope worked on her thesis, she made a suggestion. “Can we have an argument every two months?”
Warren shook his head firmly.
“You don’t want to improve your relationship with me?” she asked.
“I don’t want to improve it that way.”
The couple understood that their love was strong and their relationship was solid. While the possibility of a breakup might have seemed significant for some, Penelope and Warren held each other close, finding comfort and support in their warm embrace.
Knowing that Penelope was still working on her thesis even at six months pregnant, Grandma Duncan decided to visit them in person.
“I’ll talk to your dean. You don’t need to continue with your preparations,” the old lady insisted.
Penelope was shocked, and Warren immediately refused, saying, “She’s well-prepared. You don’t need to worry.”
“But I don’t want her to be under this kind of pressure. Look at her condition!” The old lady was determined to ensure Penelope’s well-being.
Penelope assured her, “Please, don’t worry. I’ll be okay.”
“But you’ve been arguing and even crying at home,” the old lady scrutinized them. It seemed that there were no secrets when Grandma Duncan was involved.
Penelope replied indignantly, “If you interfere with my studies, I won’t give birth to the baby,” as if she could actually stop the pregnancy from happening.
“What are you saying?!” The old lady became upset.
“Pregnancy has delayed my life plans. Why should I go through with it?” She turned her head away as if she had made up her mind.
The old lady understood that Penelope was not thinking clearly. Grandma Duncan quickly comforted her by promising not to intervene.
Penelope winked at Warren, pleased that her little trick had worked.
Warren was left speechless and decided to use a colored ultrasound to comfort the old lady. “Look how quickly your granddaughter is growing. She looks wonderful,” he said.
The old lady smiled and gazed lovingly at the picture. Seeing this, Penelope calmly left and continued working on her paper.
Penelope efficiently met the June 15th deadline for her thesis and also successfully passed her final undergraduate exam.
During her graduation ceremony, Warren brought Chris to watch. Chris was very curious.
“Dad, what’s happening?” Chris reached out.
“It’s your mother’s graduation ceremony,” Warren pointed to Penelope, who was proudly standing on the stage. He felt fortunate to have been there for every significant moment in her life since she was twenty-one.
After the ceremony, Penelope took them to the entrance of X University. She pointed at the school gate and smiled, “You brought me here four years ago. Now, let’s make a good ending.”
He looked up and smiled. “Okay.”
He held four-year-old Chris in one arm and embraced Penelope with the other. They all smiled brightly as their driver captured a picture of the family of four at the place where Penelope’s dream had begun.