Chapter 47

(About an hour ago)
She got excited when Joyce asked if she were pregnant so they went to the drug store to get a pregnancy test kit. She badly wanted a baby. She was sure that Luke would be happy too. She didn’t have any morning sickness but she was really moody these days and she now realized that her period was delayed. After getting the test kit, they quickly went into the restroom. In the cubicle, her hands were shaking from excitement as she was waiting for the result.
"Belle? Is it positive?" Joyce who was right outside the cubicle asked.
"Wait!” she replied as she waited for the lines to appear.
Only one was visible at the moment. She was holding her breath as she prayed for the second line to appear. Then it happened. She closed her eyes and murmured a thank you. Suppressing a very happy sound, she stepped out of the cubicle. An excited Joyce was waiting for her.
"What? Is it positive?"
She faked a sad face so Joyce hugged her.
“It’s okay Belle. You can try again,” she encouraged her when she released her and smiled at her.
“It’s positive,” she announced while trying to make a straight face.
At first her friend’s face frowned and after a few seconds, her eyes widened and she beamed.
“Oh my God! I am so happy for you Belle! Congratulations! I’m sure Luke will be delighted!” she happily said as she enveloped her in her arms again.
"I will surprise him tonight," she told her.
"Now I know why you have become more possessive and jealous!” Joyce giggled and she happily laughed too.
Unfortunately her happiness ended when she got home.
(End of flashback)
(At the moment)
She made a decision after calming herself. She was too emotional again and she shouldn’t decide in a haste. She had to know first why he didn't want a baby. She was going to be a mother soon so she had to be more sensible. She walked to the guest room’s small bathroom. She looked at herself in the mirror. She made sure that Luke won’t notice that she had been crying. She splashed her eyes with water. After wiping her face, she brushed her hair with her fingers. With one last look, she went out. It was time to talk to her husband. When she was right outside their bedroom she inhaled and exhaled deeply to calm her nerves before she opened the door. This time she made a loud sound as she turned the doorknob and she cleared her throat so Luke could hear her coming in.
He was sitting on the couch. He stood up when he saw her. He had a small smile.
"Babe…" he called her and went to her to hold her by the arms. He gave her a peck on the lips.
"I am sorry for what I said this morning,” he apologized sincerely.
She just nodded and moistened her lips. She didn’t expect that he would say sorry but she was glad that he did.
"I’m sorry too."
He cupped her face. "I love you babe" he whispered. "I didn't mean to be harsh this morning and I am really sorry. I had to deal with some problems at work that's why I was testy," he told her.
She just let out a small smile. "It was my fault. I don't know what came over me this morning. I didn't mean to nag," she admitted and Luke chuckled.
"Are you sure you only nagged this morning?” he asked sounding amused and she pouted. "Seriously babe. You don't need to worry about me looking at other women. You know how much I love you,” he added and kissed her on the lips.
She sighed against his lips and kissed him back.
"We better go down and eat. I asked Tina and Beth too cook all the food you like,” he said.
She frowned. “What food?
He cocked one brow. "I know you love squash with shrimps. I also told them to grill some fish and chicken.
The thought of eating shrimps made her a little queasy but she didn’t tell him. She didn’t want him to suspect anything.
***
They were having dinner in the dining room. Isabelle didn’t know that she spaced out because she couldn’t forget what he said to his mother on the phone. She was devastated since she was so excited to tell him the great news but sadly, he didn’t want a baby.
"Babe is something wrong? Don’t you like the food?" Luke asked with a slight frown.
"Nothing’s wrong. The food is fine,” she lied.
"Do you want to dine out?” he asked with furrowed brows.
"No. We don’t want all the food to go to waste. As I said, the food is okay,” she told him in a small voice.
She moved the shrimp to one side of her plate and forked the squash and took a small bite. Luke heaved a sigh but eventually nodded. They finished their meal without talking much. Her husband threw her a glance now and then but didn’t say anything. After dessert, he stood up and held his hand to her.
" Come on babe. Let’s take a dip in the pool,” he invited her.
She released a weak smile and took his hand.
***
They were on the beach chairs looking at the pool. She was in a one piece bathing suit plus a sarong which was wrapped around her waist. Luke was in his black trunks. The side of her head was resting on his chest. He had his arms around her and his mouth was on her head.
"Are you sure you're okay babe? You almost didn’t touch your food,” he observed.
She settled the side of her face more comfortably on his chest before replying. "I wasn’t that hungry. Joyce and I had some sweets at the café,” she lied.
She loved being like this with him because she felt at peace. She wished that they would always be like this.
"That’s good. You know I don't want you starving yourself," he added.
"I don’t do that. Actually I feel I gained weight."
Luke moved and put a little away from her to look at her body. He frowned.
"No you didn't. You look sexier," he commented. His eyes ran on her tits and he noticed that they seemed to be bigger which made him smile. "You look fine babe. I like your body now. I don’t like too skinny females. You are perfect.” He tightened his arm around her again and kissed the top of her head. "You are the most beautiful and the sexiest woman I have ever seen and I love you.”
She stopped herself from sighing. That was music to her ears. She traced his chest with her index finger. She felt him react and she had a feeling that he wanted a sexy time.
"Don’t you want to go upstairs babe? Let's forget about taking a dip," he said against her head while his other hand started to massage her breasts.
"Babe I'm ready to start a family," she said out of the blue.
Her husband's hand stopped moving and she felt his body tensed up. She sat up straight to look at his face. She squinted her eyes because he didn’t look happy. His brows were knitted.
"No." he said sounding clipped.
He stretched his arm to get a can of beer on the table.
Here he goes again with alcohol. She thought.
She knew that her husband drank booze when he was nervous or annoyed. She was sure that this time he was feeling both.
"Why not?"
He pulled the tab and took a gulp before answering her. "I don’t want to see you in the same situation months ago,” he said bitterly.
"But babe, I promised you that I will be careful. I can stay home during the whole pregnancy. I will take good care of myself and the baby inside me. I only lost our baby…” she was startled when he cursed.
He arose from the chair then angrily raked his fingers through his hair.
"How many times I told you that I don't want you to remind me of that!" he hissed.
She lowered her eyes. She forgot that he hated that. She said sorry in a small voice. She heard him sigh heavily. Then she felt him come near her to pull her up. He tilted her chin gently. They are now gazing at each other's eyes.
"Am I not enough for you babe? Don't I make you happy? If you ask me, I am more than happy having you. You are all I need. For me, you and I are enough. I don't want your life to be at risk again. I know you tell me that you will take care of yourself and the baby but I still feel scared. That is how I really feel babe. So please let’s stop talking about this topic. I don’t care if we don’t have any kids. It's only you I want and need," he said emotionally.
"Let's just have one," she coaxed him.
He shook his head. " Evan felt happy that they would have a baby finally after three years of marriage. Claudia had a miscarriage once which almost killed her. She got pregnant again but unfortunately it was an ectopic pregnancy. I don't want us to go through something like that. When I saw your blood...." he closed his eyes as if to erase that painful memory. He opened his eyes again after a few moments. "I thought I will lose you. I almost went crazy with worry while I waited for Dr. Fuentes. I don’t want to go through that again babe. The feeling was worst than an excruciating physical pain," he admitted.
She bit her lip. Now she knew. All was very clear. It wasn’t the baby her husband didn't want. He was worried about her. He was just after her safety. But the reality was, she was carrying his child. She knew that he loved her very much and she loved him with all her heart too. She didn't want him to suffer again but she loved and wanted their baby too.
***
It was 4 p.m. and Luke was really worried. Before he left for the office, Isabelle didn’t tell him that she was planning to meet Joyce. She called him around 2 p.m. to inform him that she was with her best friend already. If he knew she would be going out, he would have called Lila to watch her. What made him less worried was at least Mario was with her. But after an hour, his driver called him to say that Isabelle asked him to go back home without her which really worried him. He tried to call her but her phone was off. Then he decided to call Joyce instead only to find out that they didn't have a plan of meeting that day.
(More than an hour ago)
Isabelle called the right person who could help her and that someone easily agreed and promised that she and her baby would be well taken care of. She was assured that Luke wouldn’t find her. She couldn’t get out of the country because Luke had her passport. While at the backseat of the car, she was rubbing her tummy.
"Sorry baby but we have to leave daddy..." she said in a voice full of tears. She looked out the window. She would miss her husband but she knew that she made the right decision. "I will take care of you baby, " she added.
“You will be okay,” the person she was with said and took her hand and Isabelle couldn’t help sobbing.