Chapter 54 Michael Went to Take Care of Personal Matters.
Michael was thinking, ’She should be at Nancy's place.‘
Elizabeth, with her face all puffed up, definitely wasn't heading back to school.
The bodyguard came back quick, "Mr. Thomas, here's the phone number and address of Mrs. Thomas's mom, Nancy,. Check it out."
Michael grabbed it, pulled out his phone, and dialed. But the system just said, "The number you dialed is out of service."
Michael's brow furrowed hard. He paced around the living room, wondering why both numbers were out of service.
He thought, maybe Nancy's house had crappy signal.
Michael told the bodyguard, "Let's head to Nancy's place."
At Nancy's place, the bodyguard used his tools to pop the door open and let Michael in.
They wandered around the house, but it was empty.
Michael plopped down on the couch in the living room, looking around the small house.
The place was old, but everything was neat. The floor and furniture were spotless, showing Nancy liked to keep things tidy. The house was small, but cozy.
Michael was starting to get a bit anxious.
Ever since he met Elizabeth, his mood had been all over the place, always being led by her.
Early this morning, she had vanished. She wasn't at Nancy's place, either. Where could the mother and daughter have gone?
Michael pulled out his phone and called Daniel.
Daniel picked up right away, "Mr. Thomas, what do you need?"
Michael gave a quick order, "Cancel all my meetings and appointments for today."
Daniel responded fast, "Got it, Mr. Thomas."
When Daniel took the call, the secretary was right next to him.
He asked, "Mr. Taylor, is Mr. Thomas not coming in today?"
Daniel replied, "Looks like it. He canceled everything for today."
The secretary asked, "Is Mr. Thomas dealing with personal stuff?"
Daniel said, "Don't stick your nose in Mr. Thomas's business."
The secretary clammed up.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth was on a bus heading to a remote town.
She was going to the place where her mom Nancy had grown up.
The bus bumped along the town's small roads for three hours before they got there.
Elizabeth and her mom got off the bus and grabbed a taxi to a local hospital. After getting a check-up slip, Elizabeth lay down on the ultrasound bed.
The doctor doing the ultrasound told Elizabeth, "You're having twins. The babies are doing great."
Hearing that the babies were fine, Elizabeth finally felt relieved.
After the check-up, she took the report to the obstetrician. The doctor looked it over and reminded her to stay in good spirits, keep a regular schedule, eat healthy, and get some exercise.
Leaving the hospital, Nancy suggested they grab a bite at a nearby restaurant.
They walked hand in hand along the town's small roads.
Elizabeth curiously checked out the surrounding shops and street scenes.
Every now and then, a bicycle would pass by with a ringing bell.
A bunch of kids were running around with their ringing laughter.
Young couples strolled by slowly, with their kid scampering few feet ahead.
Elizabeth thought, that kid must be super happy.
The small town had this chill vibe, a gentle hum of everyday life. It was a total difference from the hustle of Aurora Bay, where everyone was always in a rush and the streets there were always packed with cars and blaring horns.
The buildings there were so tall, they blocked out the sun.
Elizabeth asked, "Mom, is this where you grew up?"
Nancy, getting all nostalgic, replied softly, "Yeah, when I was little, your grandma worked at the hospital and often pulled overtime. After school, I'd come to the hospital to find her. Lots of people at the hospital knew me and super nice to me. I've walked this road a million times since I was a kid. Now, it's changed a lot. The old school buildings are gone, replaced by new ones. The old playground was all dirt, but now it's got a rubber track and a basketball court. The old iron gate's been swapped out for an automatic one."
Nancy pointed to the nearby shops, "These used to be small houses selling breakfast. Tons of people would come here to eat 'cause it was cheap and tasty. After school, I'd often come here to eat before finding your grandma."
Elizabeth gently hugged her mom's shoulder and said, "Mom, you must miss Grandma a lot, huh?"
Nancy's eyes got all teary, "In life, parting is inevitable. But I'm lucky to have you, my sweet daughter. And," Nancy said, gently touching Elizabeth's belly, "I'm about to become a grandma. I'm gonna love these two kids so much."
Elizabeth imagined a future where two kids would be calling Nancy Grandma, and Nancy would be holding one in each hand.
The thought of that scene filled her with mirth.
Elizabeth told herself that the past hardships would pass. Her happy life was on its way.
Elizabeth and Nancy found a small roadside restaurant and each ordered a plate of pasta.
Nancy sighed, "Even though the owner has changed, the pasta in this small town still tastes like it did when I was a kid. Elizabeth, try it. This was my favorite food when I was little."
Elizabeth realized she rarely paid attention to Nancy's likes and dislikes. She didn't even know Nancy loved pasta. She hadn't cared enough about her mom.
Elizabeth reached out and gently held Nancy's left hand, saying, "Mom, you don't have to work so hard anymore. I'll learn to cook and make lots of yummy food for you."
Nancy laughed, "I'm not so old that I can't move. I don't need you to take care of me. Just take good care of yourself, and I'll be relieved."
After finishing their meal, the mother and daughter took a taxi to the bus station and hopped on the bus back to Aurora Bay.
On the bus, Elizabeth fell asleep on Nancy's shoulder.
All day, Elizabeth had her hair down, covering her face.
Nancy wondered why Elizabeth suddenly stopped tying her hair.
At that moment, Elizabeth's left cheek was exposed.
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