Baby Love Me

by Rosie Praks

  She slipped into the comfy slippers and rushed downstairs.

  Being pregnant made her body move at a slower rate. Even walking, she had to be very careful. She couldn’t even see her own feet with her big belly in front of her. And her hips hurt badly too. But this didn’t deter her from her goal as she rushed like a mad cow to the door. Her heart was pumping and adrenaline rushed through her, as this was the very moment she’d been waiting for all her life. After a whole two months, Hunter had finally come back.

  Hunter, my Hunter, you’re back.

  And then she threw the door open to reveal…

  “Hunt… Oh… hello.” Her face fell flat when she saw Anton and Fern standing at the door, smiling at her. Not wanting them to think she was a rude host, she smiled and invited them inside.

  “Clarice, how are you faring?” Fern asked as she sat down.

  “I’m fine, Fern. Thanks for asking.” Except Clarice knew she wasn’t fine. Not one bit.

  “These are for you.” Anton gave the bouquet of orange roses to her.

  Roses. Clarice stared at the orange blooms. They reminded her of when Hunter was always delivering roses to her. A single rose for love. Tears silently slid down her cheeks.

  “Clarice, are you crying?” Fern asked, getting worried.

  “No, it’s just the fan heater. It’s very strong right now. I’ll turn it down.”

  “Are you sure you’re fine? You don’t look to well.” Anton asked with concern when Clarice came back.

  “Can I help with anything, Clarice?” Fern offered.

  “Tea. Let me bring you some tea.” Clarice chose not to answer their questions, but suggested beverages instead.

  “No, we’ll be fine,” Anton said, holding on to Fern’s hand. “Come, sit down. How’s everything?”

  “I’m… I’m fine. Life is okay.”

  “You’re so big now, Clarice. I’m sure it will be any day now that your little baby comes out to see the world.”

  “Yes.” Clarice smiled softly. “Conrad will be coming into this world soon.” Another tear slid down her cheek, and she turned to wipe them away.

  Both Fern and Anton looked at each other. A silent message crossed their eyes. They knew Clarice must miss Hunter a lot. Was there any way they could get the two together faster?

  Anton gripped Fern’s hand tighter to comfort her. Then he smiled and whispered, “It’s okay, Fern. The plan is proceeding nicely. It won’t be long now before they’ll be both happy again.”

  Fern only nodded and smiled back.

  After they chatted a little more, Fern conveyed information on Hunter’s condition and that the merger between Bass Enterprises and the Silverton Corporation didn’t go through because Caroline had drugged Hunter, causing both families to go into a rift.

  Clarice felt a sudden constriction in her heart.

  It was all my fault. It was really all my fault. Why don’t I have the guts to call Hunter and apologize? Why?

  After bidding the two farewell, Max came to stay overnight. They had dinner of smoked mackerel and spinach pasta. Clarice wasn’t in the mood to eat, so she sat picking her food instead.

  “You should eat something,” Max said, loudly chewing his food. “It’s good for you.”

  “I know, but I’m not in the mood to eat.”

  “Well, at least have a little taste. Big bro… I mean, I researched that eating this dish gives you lots of energy. Good for baby Conrad too.”

  Clarice eyed Max in suspicion when she heard him say big bro. There was only one person she could recall Max calling big bro, and that would be Hunter. But she dismissed it, as she was getting too tired.

  “You eat, Max. I think I might turn in early tonight.”

  “Oh, okay… Good night, then,” Max said. But just before Clarice got to leave, he spoke up suddenly, as if remembering something. “What are you doing tomorrow? Where are you going? Will you be staying at home or visiting friends?”

  “Why so many questions, Max?” She yawned and was about to close the door when Max came to her.

  “I’m serious. I need to know.”

  Clarice shook her head. Since the fight between her and Hunter, Max seemed to have taken more care of her, asking for her whereabouts constantly. In a way, she was happy her cousin took such good care of her.

  “I’m staying home tomorrow,” she said, smiling tiredly. “Happy now?”

  “No, you can’t.” Max’s mouth gaped open. “You can’t stay at home tomorrow.”

  “Why not?” she asked. “This is my house after all. I’m not working right now, and I’m too tired to go traveling.”

  “You… you just can’t. Go visit Whitney or Elise in her shop. In fact, Elise said she wants to give you a bunch of roses. She told me to tell you to visit her at the shop.”

  “Really?” she asked in suspicion. “From my knowledge, Elise didn’t text me yet.”

  “She told me to tell you. Saving her money on texting, she said. So go to sleep now. Tomorrow, Whitney will pick you up and take you to Elise’s flower shop. Now go.”

  “You just said Elise wants me to visit her. How come there’s Whitney too. Wasn’t she supposed to be working at the company?”

  Max ruffled his hair as if out of frustration.

  “You’re making it all so complicated here. Just go to sleep. Whitney will pick you up to spend the day with Elise. Now good night.”

  “Fine. Good night.” Clarice smiled and poked her cousin’s ribs in affection. “You sleep well, then. And before I forget, the light bulb broke in the lounge. Could you get that fixed? The height makes me queasy.”

  “Sure. No problem. Good night.”

  After Clarice left for bed, Max took out his cellphone and texted: Big bro. Clarice out all day tomorrow. See you here.

  It was windy outside. Petals of cherry blossoms scattered all over Clarice’s lounge. That was what he got for wanting to air out her room. But it had become second nature to him now to come in whenever Clarice wasn’t around or whenever she was asleep, all thanks to Max. He wasn’t sure when it would be the right time to confront her about their misunderstanding, but for now, he was happy to just see her.

  Yesterday, he could barely make his escape. When he saw her asleep, he was so consumed with kissing her that he didn’t hear the knock until it was almost too late. Luckily, he scrambled to hide in the closet in time. And then he saw her looking at the slippers he bought for her. It made his heart swell up with so much joy to see her little dainty feet fitting perfectly inside those slippers.

  “Who gave her these orange roses?” Hunter asked Max, who was busy vacuuming the floor, when he saw the roses sitting on the kitchen bench.

  “What?” Max shouted over the loud noise.

  “I said who gave her these roses?” Hunter shouted back.

  “Can’t hear you,” Max mouthed back at Hunter.

  Hunter held a grim face and went to turn the vacuum off. “I said who gave her these roses?” he shouted into Max’s ears.

  “Oh, Anton.”

  “Anton? My cousin?”

  “Yep, that Anton. Your cousin. And Fern, of course.”

  For a minute there, he thought his cousin had evil designs on his woman again. His jealous rage was really doing him no good. But after hearing they were from Fern too, his heart calmed down a bit.

  “Well, we better replace them, then. Clarice likes her roses red and white,” Hunter said and started replacing the orange ones with his own white and red roses.

  Hunter was nursing a can of beer and Max has his can of coke after they finished all the house chores. They both sat in the dining room, staring at their own drinks. Suddenly, Max uttered his apology.

  “I’m sorry I smashed your jaw that day,” he said. “I didn’t mean to. I guess I was just so shocked.

  “It’s okay. I guess I needed it. I used to be a Casanova, you know. But there’s not a time now when I think if I could have changed my past, I would be more responsible, learn more and k
eep my virginity intact.”

  “Your virginity intact? Big bro, what are you talking about?”

  “You know when you love someone, you want to be their first. Clarice wasn’t my first, and I regret that.”

  “I think the past is the past. Let it be. Just make the future promising and live happy. That’s my motto.”

  “You’re wiser than me, Max.”

  “Well…” Max goofed up. “I can’t help being smart, now can I?” Then his face fell solemn again. “But I’m really sorry, big bro. From now on, I have your back. I’ll support you and Clarice until the very end.”

  “Thanks, Max. I got your back too,” Hunter said, taking a sip of his beer. It was cool, calming his heart a bit. “Do you think it’s almost time? All this playing hide-and-seek between Clarice and me, it’s really doing my heart in. Yesterday, I nearly got caught kissing her.”

  “Did you kiss her again?” Max asked, not at all surprised at Hunter’s mischievous antics.

  “Yeah,” Hunter replied, like he’d been caught red handed.

  “While she was sleeping?”

  “Yeah,” Hunter said again, sweat trickling down the back of his neck. Somehow their casual chitchat had turned into an interrogation, and that made him nervous.

  “Did she say anything?” Max continued.

  “She said she wants to see me.” Hunter bent under the pressure.

  “With or without her eyes closed?”

  “Uh… with her eyes closed? Jesus, Max, what’s with the twenty questions? You’re making me nervous here.”

  “See, big bro.” Max seated himself more comfortably on the couch before explaining his theory. “I think internally or on a subconscious level, Clarice is ready to see you now.” Max then gave Hunter his megawatt smile. “Big bro, I guess it’s not too long to go now.” He slammed Hunter on the back to congratulate him.

  After their man-to-man chitchat, Max slid off of his couch and left the house, explaining to Hunter that he needed to meet a friend. He told Hunter to lock the door after he left. Now all alone, Hunter sat by himself, basking in the glory of being home again, inside Clarice’s house. Deciding Clarice might be home soon, he got up to finish the tasks for the day.

  The light bulb blew a fuse, Max had told him. He got up and changed that. Clarice might be tired from visiting Elise, so he took out a bowl of cup noodles on the table and boiled some water for her. When Clarice came over, she could have her quick snack of noodles in a cup before dinner.

  Satisfied now that everything was clean and tidy and comfortable for Clarice when she returned, he decided it was high time he headed to the merger press conference, or what now should be called the big gossip press conference, since there would no longer be any merger going on between the two companies. He was so not looking forward to this.

  No sooner had Hunter left the house than Clarice came in the front door. She sighed, seeing food on the table and a fresh bunch of red and white roses standing in the vase. Elise must have delivered the flowers, she thought but then was quite surprised why Elise didn’t give the flowers directly to her. Sighing again, she mindlessly flipped the light switch before realizing the bulb was supposed to be dead. But light poured out of the lamp, lighting up the whole room.

  Clarice’s heart fluttered. Could Hunter be here? He knew she liked her cup noodles, he knew she liked roses, and had he fixed the light too?

  She frantically searched the room while her eyes scattered from left to right, her pain, regret, and love all rolled into one.

  “Hunter, Hunter, are you here? Where are you?”

  Her heart was so compressed with stress that her voice came out as a tight, small whisper. Suddenly, the phone rang, disrupting her quest. She rushed to the phone and picked it up, thinking perhaps it might be Hunter calling her.

  “Hi, cuz,” Max said before Clarice got a word in. “How are you feeling?”

  “Max. Max.” Clarice was almost on the verge of a breakdown when she realized it was only her cousin. A small piece inside her was slightly disappointed. Would Hunter ever come back to her? Did he hate her now? Was their relationship over now?

  “Cuz, are you still there? Everything okay… Hello?”

  “I’m here Max… I’m… I’m… okay,” she managed to say.

  “Listen, cuz, you know about that bunch of flowers thing and the broken light, I’ll—”

  “It’s okay, Max. It’s fine. Thank you for replacing the light bulbs and flowers.” And then she put the phone down.

  How pathetic. Clarice crumpled on the couch. Here she thought it was Hunter. She must really be going crazy from missing him.

  Clarice laughed drily. She needed to get out of this place. Everywhere she turned, she would see Hunter. Glancing at the kitchen, she saw him cooking dinner for her. Seeing the dining table, she saw Hunter in her mind’s eye, setting out their dinner. Even sitting on this couch, she was reminded of how Hunter used to kiss her or lie on her lap, watching TV. There were too many memories of them together. She needed to clear her head. So she walked out the door.

  Sitting in the park in front of her house, where she usually spent time with Hunter on some evenings, Clarice held a faraway look in her eyes. Silent, soft tears flowed easily down her porcelain cheeks, but she didn’t wipe them or stop them from flowing. She was basking in the glory of her gloomy life, a life without her lover, a life without Hunter.

  The blue sky now turned a dusky orange. It was late afternoon. Taking a deep breath to settle her heart, she concluded it had been two months since Hunter and herself had that fight. And each day that passed wasn’t getting any better. She knew she was wrong. She wished she could take back those words she’d said to Hunter. She missed him gravely.

  She sat on the swing and looked down at her stomach. One hand caressed it while the other hand gripped onto the rail of the swing. Her belly was growing fast. If only Hunter was here to see her body changing too, that would be nice.

  Oh how she wished Hunter would embrace her like before, hugging her from behind and kissing her like before. Her hips hurt due to the weight of their baby, and her legs were constantly tired. She wished he were here to help her with this pain. He liked to massage her feet when they were sore. She wanted to see him again, to feel him and kiss him again. She missed him so much.

  But those intimate memories of Hunter and herself were now long gone and would no longer be in her future. She should just give up and learn to live her life again. Except picking up after your heart had shattered was the hardest thing she’d ever done. Loving Hunter was the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she didn’t want to give up on him. Not yet.

  Oh how she wished he would come begging for her like he had all those other times before. She would forgive him in an instant.

  And then it suddenly struck her. Why was she waiting for him to come to her? Why didn’t she go to him instead? In a relationship, both must work hard to be together.

  With a determined look, she stood. If Hunter didn’t come for her, then she would go to him. They would talk and get through everything together. Their waiting game would only result in both parties feeling pain. And right now, she was running out of time.

  Chapter 19

  “Are you sure this is what you want?” Anton asked his cousin. “You have grown up so much since you met Clarice. I think you should reconsider.”

  Hunter laughed humorously at his cousin. “You think I can change my mind now? The press is everywhere. We don’t want to bring shame to our family’s name. Don’t worry, Anton.” He patted his cousin’s shoulder in reassurance. “I’m more capable than you think. I’ve got everything planned already. Let me try to live without you and Dad spoon-feeding me all the time.”

  “What are you planning?”

  “I’ve got it sorted.”

  “Whatever you’re doing, I’ll support you.”

  “Thank you.”

  “Ahh,” Clinton said, coming into the office to bear hug his two precious sons. �
��It brings tears to my eyes to see my two sons talking about the future.” Then he turned to Hunter and gave him sympathy eyes.

  “Dad.” Hunter went to hug his father.

  “Are you all right, my son?” Clinton asked in concern, patting his head.

  “I’ll be fine. I’ve decided to confront Clarice after this. No matter what happens, I’m not giving up on her.”

  “That’s the way to go,” Clinton said.

  Hunter saw Betty standing next to the door, so he walked to her and gave her a hug too.

  “Betty,” Hunter said, burying his head on her shoulder.

  “My son. I’ll always support you in whatever venture you pursue.”

  Never had Betty called him son. He felt proud, happy, to finally be accepted by her.

  After the family reunion, they all went out into the press conference room.

  Hunter was met with flashes of lights, almost blinding his eyesight. He blinked, making his way to sit on stage.

  There were so many people. Must their news of not merging with Bass Enterprises cause this much distress that mass media was crowding on their front steps? Had he made a mistake in involving personal matters with business?

  Hunter glanced at Anton, who sat next to him. Anton only patted his shoulder and gave a reassuring smile.

  It didn’t reassure him. This was all his fault. How should he explain to the media that it was just because of one small misunderstanding?

  But it wasn’t a small misunderstanding. What would happen if they couldn’t even see eye to eye with the Bass family, especially since daughter and son from respective families had a fight?

  Hunter chewed his lips, eyes in distress. Then his heart shook. Was it his apparition? Did he just see Clarice among the crowd?

  Hunter looked again and sure enough, it was really his imagination. Clarice wasn’t there.