I returned home with a heavy heart. I headed straight to Gio and my room. I went into the bathroom to freshen up and change my pad. Aunties mentioned that it might be spotting, so I took a pregnancy test, but it turned out negative. I wasn’t pregnant after all.
There’s still a pang of disappointment every time I remember that I’m not pregnant. They told me that Gio and I can still try; there are cases like this. I know they’re just trying to cheer me up because I was upset about what happened earlier. I sighed and sat on the bed, feeling even more unmotivated.
I sat there in a daze, lost in thought. I heard the door open, but I didn’t turn to look. Was Gio here already? It seemed early, right? What time was it, or maybe I lost track of time earlier, and I didn’t notice how quickly it passed.
“Millie…”
I heard Gio calling me, but I didn’t turn to him. When I blinked, I felt tears welling up in my eyes, which I hadn’t realized before.
I quickly wiped away the tears. I had set my expectations too high; there was nothing to be sad about. Just as they said, there would be other opportunities.
I looked up at Gio when I felt him beside me. I smiled at him even though I knew he could see the hint of disappointment and sadness in my face.
I wasn’t wrong; Gio immediately sat down next to me.
“What’s wrong, Millie?” he asked, his brow slightly furrowed.
“Earlier… I went to Aunt Elsie’s. I thought…” I took a deep breath. “I thought I was pregnant.”
Gio raised an eyebrow at my words, so I quickly added to my explanation.
“But it turned out I was just delayed. I think I got too excited, thinking I might be pregnant, so… a simple period delay made me believe I was pregnant.” I chuckled to myself, but there was a trace of bitterness in my laughter because of what happened earlier. “I’m sorry. I thought I had good news to share with you.”
I held Gio tightly. I lowered my head because I didn’t want him to see the expression on my face now.
Gio remained silent. He just looked at me as if trying to read the emotions I didn’t want to show him.
“Millie,” he called out to me after a few moments. “What’s going on inside your head, hmm? I know something is bothering you.”
I bit my lip. “I wanted to see a doctor.”
Gio didn’t waste any time when I said that, even though it might be late for my doctor’s clinic; he called them.
I was silent the entire journey to the hospital. We arrived quickly as there was no traffic.
I explained my problem to the doctor and shared our plans with Gio to have a child. She ran some tests on both of us to determine if there was any problem.
“Hmm, both of you are healthy. I don’t see any issues,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Are you stressed, Mrs. and Mr. Locatelli? Not just physical stress, okay? Not just because of work or other external factors. Mental stress is often a contributing factor.”
“I don’t think so. I’ve already overcome my past traumas, and I’ve been fine recently. I’m just stressed from work, and…”
“Are you sure? Anything that’s happened to you in the past few weeks? Sometimes we might not be aware that we’re stressed, but deep down, you could be stressing over something.”
Suddenly, I recalled everything that happened in the past, especially the incident with Nicolas. Could it be that I’m still in denial about what happened and not truly okay with it? It’s as if I can’t find closure. I feel like they still have the power to hurt me or my family.
“I’ll give you some vitamins. Avoid stress. You need to rest, Mrs. Locatelli.”
Even without saying a word, it was evident from my expression that I was the one under stress
The doctor also advised us to find the best and perfect time for intercourse. She mentioned that cases like ours exist, but there’s still a significant chance for Gio and me to have a child because we are both healthy and free from any impotence issues.
Despite this, I remained silent on the way back.
The car came to a stop on the side of the road. I looked at Gio due to his sudden halt.
“Let’s talk. I don’t want your silence to continue when we get home. What’s on your mind, Millie?” he asked with a concerned look on his face.
I took a deep breath. I didn’t want to share my thoughts with him, but I thought it might be better to express them, no matter how superficial they seemed.
“I was just thinking, why is it that just when we’re ready and eager to have a child, it seems like we’re being held back? When will the right time come for us to have our child? What if, despite being told that we’re both perfectly fine, we still can’t have a child together? I can’t help but wonder, Gio.”
I really want to have a child, and now that Gio is on board, I thought it would be smooth sailing. I never imagined it would still be challenging.
I sighed, holding back my emotions.
“I just want to give you a child. I want us to have a family, but why does it seem so difficult for the two of us?”
Gio quickly pulled me into a comforting hug, not waiting for me to start crying before doing so. “We’re going to try, Millie. It’s okay. There’s a right time for everything. Don’t think negatively. We’re in this together,” Gio reassured me, and I nodded, finding some calm in his words.
Gio wanted me to take a break from work, but I was afraid I might go crazy if I stayed at home with nothing to do. So, I reduced my daily workload and, when things got too overwhelming, I called Gio, especially during stressful times. He believed it was better for him to be stressed than me.
We were conducting mass hiring because we needed a lot of employees. An expansion was in the works, and we required a considerable workforce. Additionally, I was studying the background of the construction company we were hiring for our company’s expansion project. I was excited about this because it signaled our company’s improved performance. I couldn’t attend the initial meetings with them because I was on leave at that time.
While reviewing the backgrounds of the architects and engineers who would oversee our expansion, my eyes caught a familiar name.
Rory Green.