86. Macy opened her eyes forgetting about eh pain for a bit as she looked at Richard with her mouth agape.
She wondered if she had heard him wrong.
The previous night, she had opened her heart to him and told him everything.
She had told him about the drugging by Angela and the fact that she had had a baby with and for a man she did not know.
She was at a point where she could not keep dragging the issue for long because Angela had already confessed that her baby was alive.
Macy knew that she could not trust Angela but she also hoped and dared believe because at that time, Angela was under the influence of the truth potion and she knew that at that moment, Angela could not have lied.
That was why she had told Richard the truth in the hopes that he would let her go.
She wouldn’t mind because she knew that she didn’t deserve such a good man as Richard.
That was why she even made her heart not even think of falling for him.
She knew that falling for him would just ruin her because such a man like Richard could never love a woman who had already given birth once at the age of eighteen.
But now, she watched in awe as Richard shouted for the whole house to hear that he was calling her Mel’s mama.
“What … ahem… what are you doing?” She asked speaking for the first time and realizing that her throat was perched.
Richard returned to where she was.
He acted as if he hadn’t heard her question as he took the glass jug that was by the side of the bed, poured her a glass of water and gave it to her.
She looked at him and hesitated but that just made him sit by the bed side and start feeding her the water.
She was startled and took the glass form him and their fingers brushed and Macy felt an electric feeling from where their fingers touched.
She avoided his eyes because she thought that he could feel her tremble.
“This is bad. I need to get out of here before I sell myself out,” she thought and made as if to get out of bed from the other side away from where Richard was seated.
“Where are you going?” He asked her as he held her hand and she felt as if her hand was held with a vice.
“I … I have to go. I have overstayed my welcome in your house and it is time I moved out.
Thank you for letting me stay in your house.
I owe you a lot and I will be available any time you need me for something,” she said and Richard did not answer her neither did he comment on it.
“Mel came here earlier but I asked her not to bother you and let you rest and make you ginger soup because I knew you would wake up with a headache after last night’s happenings.
You don’t have to be in a hurry.
You need to take care of your health because you will need it when we start looking for your child.
So, wait until you get better and eat,” he said and at that moment, Mel came running in with Nurse Lin on the tow.
“Mummy, daddy said you are unwell. Are you okay?” She asked worriedly as she climbed on the bed and touched Macy’s forehead.
“Nurse Lin, come here,” Mel called the elderly woman who was carrying a tray.
Nurse Lin placed the tray on the small coffee table and walked towards Macy and Mel.
“What is it young miss?” Nurse Lin asked.
“Touch mama’s head and tell me whether she has a fever,” Mel said as she looked at Macy with worry on her face.
Macy gave Nurse Lin a look and they communicated silently without Mel noticing it.
“Mmmm… let me see,” Nurse Lin said as she took Macy’s wrist and then closed her eyes as she concentrated for a while.
She opened her eyes after a few seconds then felt Macy’s forehead and then looked at Mel after a while.
“Mama has a headache but nothing the soup you made her can’t heal.
All she needs is to take the soup, then rest for a while and she will be as good as new.
It seems like mama really overworked herself yesterday. All she needs is rest,” Nurse Lin said and the young girl smiled.
“Mama, you are going to be okay. Come, I will feed you the soup I made.
Nurse Lin and I made it especially for you and we baked you fresh bread. It is still hot.
Nurse Lin said that sick people should take hot soup and we don’t want yours to get cold,” Mel said as she pulled Macy from the bed and Macy followed her without question.
Richard stood up from the bed where he had been sitting and signaled to nurse Lin to go out.
He then followed the two to the small couch and helped Mel cut the bread into small pieces.
He then poured some soup into a smaller bowl and then tasted it to feel if it was very hot.
He blew on it for a while and then placed it on the table.
He then looked at Mel who took bread and dipped it in the soup and looked at Macy.
“Mama, eat a lot so that you can get well soon,” Mel said as if she was the grown up and Macy was the child.
Macy just sat there looking at the pair of father and child who worked in harmony as if they had planned all this beforehand.
If Macy did not know better, she would have thought that it was all planned.
“No baby, I can feed myself,” Macy said as she took the bread from the small hand and started eating.
The soup was very delicious and that was when she realized that she really was angry.
“Is there more bread in the kitchen?” Macy asked the little girl.
“Yes. We baked a lot for later,” Mel answered with a proud smile.
“Good girl. Please go and ask Nurse Lin to bring us more and to also bring an extra bowl of soup and a soup spoon,” Macy asked her and she jumped from the seat and ran out of the door.
“Why have you asked for an extra bowl? Mel has already taken her breakfast,” Richard asked as he cut her more bread.
“Have you?” Macy asked and that was when he realized that the extra set of utensils she had asked for were for him.
He was touched and to hide his smile, he pretended to cough and so hid his mouth with his elbow.
“Eat more. There is something I want you to help me with after you get better,” he said and Macy looked at him with questions in her eyes but before she could ask, Mel walked in followed by Nurse Lin with a small tray.
“Thank you nurse Lin,” Macy thanked her as she placed the tray on the table.
Mel watched as Macy poured soup for Richard and handed it to him.
She smiled at her father as if she had seen something she didn’t expect or something she had been hoping for all along.
Her father returned the smile and before Macy could look up, they had communicated and pretended as if they had done nothing.
Richard and Macy ate in peace as Mel watched with a smile playing with the edges of her dress.
“Mama, are you going to say yes when daddy asks you to marry you?” Mel asked out of nowhere and since Macy didn’t have as a thick skin as Richard had, she chocked on her soup and she started coughing.
She placed her bowl on the table and took a sip of the soup and cleared her throat and then looked at Mel.
“Baby, your daddy and I are just friends and he is never going to ask me to marry me.
I also think that you should stop…. Stop imagining things,” Macy said switching from what she wanted to say.
She wanted to ask Mel to stop calling her mama but then remembered that the culprit was seated next to her pretending that he had not heard Mel’s question.
She resumed eating and she sighed with satisfaction when she was full.
“Mama, take a nap now and when you wake up, you will feel better,” Mel advised as she looked at Macy expectantly.
“But baby, I just woke up,” she complained but again, the father and daughter duo ganged up on her again.
“She is right you know. Take a nap and you will have enough energy to help me.
I will be waiting for you in the study,” Richard said and Macy didn’t argue.
She walked towards bed and laid down.
Mel and Richard walked towards her and both held each side of the duvet and covered her.
Mel got in beside her and Richard stood there looking at them fondly.