Chapter 99
Morgan, still with a racing heart, walked to the pediatric ward. He observed his daughter through the nursery glass and saw that she was in a calm environment, surrounded by care and equipment. As he approached, a nurse informed him:
"Please come in. Your daughter is fine, and we can discuss the next steps."
The nurse was holding a baby and seemed a bit overwhelmed. Wanting to help, Morgan approached and offered his assistance. Relieved, the nurse accepted his help, and without thinking too much, Morgan took the baby she was holding.
He did not realize he was holding Miran, Laura’s newborn. Miran looked up at him with his big, curious eyes and, with his tiny fingers, grasped Morgan’s hand.
"What a strong little guy you are," Morgan murmured, smiling warmly at the tiny grip.
At that moment, Fabian and Owen entered the nursery and saw Morgan holding Miran.
"Morgan? What are you doing here?" Fabian asked.
"And with my nephew in your arms," Owen commented.
"Your nephew?" Morgan was confused.
"Yes, Laura’s son is with your brother," Owen explained.
"I didn’t know. The nurse was a bit overwhelmed, and I wanted to help. I’m here for my daughter," Morgan said, slightly embarrassed.
"Could you please give him to me?" Owen asked.
"Goodbye, little buddy. It was nice to meet you," Morgan said to the baby.
Morgan felt awkward about the situation and returned the baby. Owen and Fabian looked on, enchanted by the beauty of little Miran. Morgan shifted his focus back to his daughter, but he couldn’t help thinking about the connection he felt with Miran. He was genuinely happy to have met the baby. Meanwhile, in the car, Loren was adjusting herself with Nick beside her. Loren fixed her clothing on the car seat, smoothing out the fabric and adjusting the creases. She checked her reflection in the rearview mirror, trying to fix her disheveled hair. Carefully, she adjusted each strand, making sure everything was in place before leaving.
Nick, sitting next to her, was doing the same. He adjusted his tie and smoothed his shirt, looking in a mirror as he combed his hair to make it look perfect.
Loren glanced at her phone and noticed several missed calls from Morgan. She frowned, surprised by the number of calls. Without hesitation, she picked up the phone and began checking the voicemail and notifications. Loren’s face lit up with concern and curiosity as she tried to understand why Morgan was so persistent. With a sigh, she decided to return the call, feeling a growing unease about what might be happening.
“What happened?” Nick asked.
“Be quiet, I’m returning the call to your brother, who’s called me numerous times,” Loren said, signaling for him to be quiet.
Morgan had left the pediatrician’s office and, seeing his phone ringing, realized Loren was finally calling. He stepped outside to avoid the noise of the office and answered the call with a sigh of frustration.
“Finally, you remembered you have a phone,” he said, his voice heavy with irritation.
“What happened? You called me several times,” Loren asked, worried.
“You left early and left our daughter with the nanny. She’s been unwell and has a fever, and it seems your milk isn’t enough. She’ll be under observation today.”
“What hospital are you at? I’m coming there.”
“Hospital Mercy. I wonder what kind of mother you are. How can you stay away from your newborn daughter all day?”
“I had things to take care of. I went to my dad’s house and didn’t realize it would take so long. I’m on my way and will be there in 15 minutes at most.”
“Okay, Loren.”
Morgan ended the call, still unable to accept Loren’s excuses.
On the other end of the line, Loren put the phone away in the car, feeling a wave of nervousness. Her mind raced as she struggled to process the situation.
Nick, noticing Loren’s sad expression, asked with concern, “What happened?”
Loren replied with a trembling voice, “My daughter is in the hospital. She had a fever.”
“So, what are you waiting for? Come on, let’s go see your daughter,” Nick insisted, trying to offer support.
Loren sighed, a look of frustration crossing her face. “I need to wait a bit. How can I get there quickly if I tell Morgan I'll arrive in 15 minutes?”
Nick decided to go up immediately. “I’ll go up then. Laura’s about to give birth, and I want to be with her.”
“Okay, I’ll be up shortly,” Loren responded, understanding the urgency of the situation.
Nick kissed Loren before leaving the car. He took the elevator to the floor where Laura was about to give birth. Upon arriving, he found a nurse at the door and asked if it was time for the delivery. The nurse informed him that Laura had already given birth. Nick felt a surge of anger at having missed this crucial moment.
Desperate, he went to where he thought Laura might be but found no one there. Nick started searching the hospital, his mind clouded by frustration and the need to be with Laura and the baby.
Laura was walking with difficulty towards the pediatrician’s office, still catching her breath after the delivery. Upon reaching the door, she came face-to-face with Morgan, who was tense and worried. Her heart raced at the sight of him. His presence stirred a mix of emotions in her.
Laura, seeing Morgan at the pediatrician’s office door, asked in confusion, “Morgan? What are you doing here?”
“Don’t worry, I’m not here for you. I’m here for my daughter, who’s not well,” Morgan replied, his heart racing.
“But what’s wrong with her?” Laura asked, concerned.
“The milk isn’t nourishing her properly, and she had a bit of a fever,” Morgan explained.
“I hope she gets better. Children are very strong,” Laura tried to comfort him.
“Speaking of strong children, I happened to meet your son. He’s a very strong child. Congratulations,” Morgan said, trying to be polite.
Laura felt a wave of anguish hearing Morgan talk about Miran, not realizing that he could be the father of her son. “Thank you. He’s strong, like his father. I’m sure he’ll be like him when he grows up.”
“May God keep him from being like his father,” Morgan replied sadly.
Laura’s words struck Morgan deeply, making him believe that Miran was Nick’s child. Unable to contain his pain, he quickly moved away from Laura, walking to the end of the hallway. As he walked, he bumped into Nick, who was searching for Laura. Nick looked at Morgan with a hint of mockery and approached Laura, placing his hands on her shoulders. “Our son was born, love. I’m so happy.”
Morgan, looking back, saw Nick and Laura together, and the scene left him deeply distressed.
“Why are you doing this?” Laura asked, understanding Nick’s game.
“Doing what?” Nick asked, pretending not to understand.
“Getting close to me just because your brother is here,” Laura complained.
“No, dear, I just wanted to show that I’m happy about our little Miran.”
“Don’t do this, Nick. I didn’t marry you to be caught in the middle of this. Please don’t use me to hurt your brother.”
“I’m sorry. That wasn’t my intention.”
“Okay, I’m going to see Miran. Are you coming?”
“Yes, let’s go. I was handling some things and came back only to find he had already been born. Forgive me.”
“Don’t worry, my grandma stayed with me.”
“I know she stayed, but I didn’t want to miss such an important moment in your life.”
“You’re here; that already counts.”
Nick felt happy hearing Laura’s words. They walked together to the pediatrician’s office.