Marie finally nodded and waved at Nathan, standing nearby.
Nathan let out a sigh of relief and gave Tina a grateful glance.
Inside the house.
Marie carried the groceries into the kitchen, saying she wanted to heat something up.
Tina, not giving it much thought, hung up her coat and went to the living room to turn on the TV for Sophia.
Just as she sat down, a thought struck her. She got up and walked into the kitchen, only to see Marie calmly moving aside the herbal medicine that Uncle hadn’t had the chance to pour out. She placed a new pot on the stove.
If she and Uncle hadn’t left in a hurry, leaving the kitchen in such a state of disarray, she might have thought she was hallucinating.
Did she just miss it?
Impossible.
When Marie turned around and saw Tina standing behind her, she waved her off. “I’ll handle this. Go sit in the living room. No need to come in here.”
Tina hesitated, thinking of Uncle’s reaction the last time he was stirred up. She knew she had to clarify things to prevent a repeat of what happened before.
“Mom, this medicine is for me.”
Marie’s hand froze, and the spoon she was holding clattered into the pot. She turned abruptly, her eyes wide as she stared at Tina. “It’s for you? What’s wrong with you? Did the doctor make a mistake?”
That was a lot to process at once.
Tina couldn’t guess what Marie was thinking, so she decided to reassure her for now. “I’ve just had trouble eating lately. This medicine is just to help with my appetite.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the full truth either.
She was well aware of how much the Farrell family valued her. If her pregnancy were revealed, she’d probably be confined to the house, and even if she went out, she’d be followed by countless people. It was better to follow Uncle’s advice and wait a little longer before announcing it.
Hearing Tina’s explanation, Marie nodded, completely dismissing any suspicions. “That makes sense. You’re too thin, and with how busy you’ve been, your body won’t hold up if you don’t eat more. There’s not much medicine left. Should I buy more for you?”
Tina’s brow twitched hard. “No need. I’m fine now.”
Marie, speaking from experience, advised, “These herbal medicines work slowly, but they’re harmless to the body. Taking a few more doses to nourish yourself wouldn’t hurt.”
Tina was speechless.
If she kept drinking it, she feared she’d be pickled by the medicine.
The matter passed without further incident.
Ten minutes later, Marie brought out a few of Tina’s favorite dishes, steaming hot, and set them on the table. She even served Sophia half a bowl of rice and joined Tina for the meal.
Sophia had no choice but to sit at the table, nibbling at her food.
Tina placed some food on Sophia’s plate, and the little girl’s face lit up. She picked up a piece of rib and placed it in Tina’s bowl. “Tina, you eat too.”
Marie, sitting on the side, added a piece of fish to Tina’s bowl. “Tina, eat your food. Don’t worry about her. Try the fish-it’s fresh. I went to the seafood market myself to get it.”
Tina nodded, picked up the fish, and was about to eat when her face suddenly changed.
She put down her chopsticks and rushed to the bathroom.
Sophia was startled. “Tina, what’s wrong?”
Marie was also stunned.
She glanced at the bathroom, then at the food on the table, unsure of where to focus for a moment.
Jared walked in to find his mother and sister arguing over a dish at the table.
“Is it too spicy?”
“Tina’s appetite hasn’t been great lately. If I’d known, I would’ve made it braised.”
“It must’ve spoiled on the way here. Tina doesn’t like strong flavors, especially anything fishy. I told you, Mom, but you wouldn’t listen.”
“The seafood vendor said fish is nutritious. I wanted to make something Tina might like…”
Not seeing Tina, Jared’s heart tightened. “Mom, where’s Tina?”
Seeing Jared, Sophia quickly pointed toward the bathroom. “Tina wasn’t feeling well and went to the bathroom. Go check on her.”
Jared strode over, his worry mounting.
Hearing the sound of running water, he relaxed slightly and knocked gently. “Tina, it’s me.”
Hearing Uncle’s voice, Tina took a deep breath and opened the door. “Uncle, I’m fine.”
Jared steadied her with one hand and touched her forehead with the other. “Why are you throwing up again? Did you eat something bad?”
Tina shook her head. “I didn’t even eat. I just smelled the fish, and it made me nauseous.”
Jared’s brow furrowed deeply.
Tina patted his arm. “Uncle, Mom doesn’t know yet. Don’t let it slip.”
Jared nodded but couldn’t hide the concern in his eyes.
When they returned to the living room, the dish was already gone from the table.
Marie looked at Tina with worry. “Tina, it’s all my fault. We’ll skip that dish. There are plenty of others. Just eat a little more.”
Tina pressed her lips together.
She couldn’t eat anything at this point.
Sophia tugged at Marie’s hand. “Mom, Tina’s not feeling well. She won’t be able to eat anything. Don’t force her. If she throws up again, it’ll be worse.”
Marie, remembering Tina’s pale face earlier, felt a wave of guilt. She was about to clear the table when something occurred to her.
Sitting back down, her eyes lit up with excitement. “Tina, have you been feeling nauseous lately, even from the slightest smell?”
Tina shook her head without any visible reaction.
When dealing with someone experienced, silence was the best defense.
“Then recently…”
Jared interrupted. “Mom, we went to the hospital a few days ago. They said Tina’s just having some stomach discomfort. She just needs to watch her diet. You saw the medicine.”
Marie nodded, though her thoughts were still racing.
That’s true. If they’d been to the hospital, they wouldn’t have missed anything.
Maybe she was overthinking it.
Before leaving, Marie reminded Jared, “Son, you’re newlyweds. Don’t focus all your attention on work like before, you hear me?”
Jared nodded.
Marie, still feeling unsatisfied, glared at him. “And your grandfather is desperate for a great-grandchild. Are you going to fulfill that promise or not?”
Jared froze, then thought of the baby in Tina’s belly. A smile tugged at his lips, impossible to suppress. “Tell Grandpa to rest easy. It’s happening.”
Marie raised a brow. “Big words. Let’s see you deliver a little girl for us.”
Jared just smiled.
He had calculated everything. The child would arrive in a season of blooming flowers.
Maybe it really would be a girl.
Seeing her son’s silly grin, Marie rolled her eyes, too tired to argue further. “Tina’s not feeling well. Take good care of her, understood?”
Jared nodded, escorting her to the car and opening the door for her. “I know. With me here, you and Sophia don’t need to worry or visit too often.”
Marie, displeased, huffed. “That won’t do. If Tina were fine, I wouldn’t need to come. But now that her appetite’s poor, how can I, as her mother-in-law, pretend not to notice?”
Jared sighed.
He’d never realized his mother had this side to her.
Even his father had never seen her cook like this.
As the car pulled away, Marie waved. “Alright, go take care of Tina. I’ll be out of town for a wedding in a few days. If you need anything, just have it sent over. Don’t worry about me.”