Chapter 70 He's not allowed to see his parents.
The car drove smoothly, and about half an hour later, they arrived at the hospital, stopping in front of the inpatient building.
Once the car was parked, Teresa opened the door and stepped out. Gabriel, carrying the sleeping child, got out from the other side.
"Hand the baby over to me!" Teresa extended her arms to take the child as Gabriel approached her, attempting to hold her hand.
Gabriel tried to grasp her hand, "Honey, I'll go up with you."
Teresa shook her head and withdrew her hand from his, "I don't want you to come up. You go ahead with your work."
"......" Gabriel, looking hurt, protested, "We're legally married now. You gotta let me meet your parents at least!"
"I'm not about to divorce you tomorrow. We'll have plenty of time ahead of us. Just go already!" Teresa said forcefully as she reached to pick up the child.
Gabriel didn’t want to upset her, so he reluctantly handed over the chubby creature in his arms, saying obediently, "Alright, I'll wait for you downstairs."
"No need." Teresa, holding her sweetly sleeping son, dismissed the idea without a second thought. "You are not to see my parents without my permission."
"..." Gabriel chuckled, "Sweetheart, your parents are now my parents too."
"..." Teresa shot him a sidelong glance and, cradling her son, turned and walked toward the hospital building, paying Gabriel no further attention.
Gabriel stood there, hands in his pockets, watching them. His face, though bruised and swollen, still radiated an air of distinguished grace and for the first time, was filled with a strong sense of content and happiness.
Once they were in the elevator, Teresa let out a deep sigh.
Reflecting on what happened today, even she found them surreal, as if she were having a dream.
She was supposed to marry Liam and become Mrs. Evans, but in the blink of an eye, she had married Gabriel and become Mrs. Garcia. It was incredible!
But the one thing that brought her back to reality was the fact that her son now had a father. No longer would he be labeled fatherless, no longer would people call him illegitimate.
Hugging her child, Teresa freed her right hand and glanced at the sapphire ring on her finger, a radiant smile spreading across her face.
After a moment, however, she took off the ring and carefully pocketed it. Everything with Gabriel had happened so suddenly; she truly needed time to adjust.
With the ring safely put away, she stepped out of the elevator and walked to her father’s room.
"Dad, Mom."
"Teresa, where did you and Liam go? Did you really head off to the registration office?" Sophia immediately asked upon seeing her daughter enter the room. Catching sight of the sleeping child in her arms, she curiously added, "Didn't Gabriel take Michael? How come he’s back with you?"
"Yeah, Gabriel left with Croissant to head to the bureau, so I brought our son back," Teresa replied calmly.
"Here, hand Michael over to me." Sophia took the sleeping angel from Teresa, gently placed him on the sofa, and covered him with a light blanket.
"Teresa, did you really get the marriage certificate with Liam?" Patrick, initially engrossed in documents, put them aside and looked at Teresa, his face clouded with concern.
When it comes to the Evans family and the Garcia family, there's no question the Garcias come out on top in every aspect. Plus, Gabriel happens to be Croissant's biological father.
But marriage is really about the couple's feelings for each other. If Teresa's heart is set on Liam and she feels nothing for Gabriel, well, then there's not much her parents can do about it.
"Yeah, Teresa, did you and Liam make it happen?" Sophia asked.
Teresa shook her head as she looked at them. "We were supposed to get the marriage license, but it...it just didn't happen."
Hearing they didn't go through with it, Patrick and Sophia breathed a sigh of relief. Sophia, clasping Teresa's hands earnestly, advised, "Honey, if you're thinking about what's best for Michael, I feel choosing Gabriel is the way to go. I can see Gabriel's really into you. Your brother mentioned to us how much Gabriel has been there for the Bennett family over the years, all without any fanfare or even letting anyone know. He didn’t know Michael was his son when he started helping us, which shows you that Gabriel isn't just swept up in the moment. His feelings for you are genuine."
Teresa nodded, acknowledging her mother's words. She knew that ever since Gabriel truly got to know her, he had intended to marry her, and that hadn't changed.
Teresa could tell Gabriel genuinely cared for her.
"Liam's a good guy and he's good to you, but I'm not sure the Evans family would truly accept Michael, especially now that they know the whole story. If you were to join the Evans family, with Michael being a Garcia, there's no telling what kind of drama could unfold between the two families. And the gossip and rumors out there... well, it could get pretty ugly," Patrick added with a sigh.
"Mom, Dad, I'm aware of what you're saying. That's why I didn't make it official with Liam," Teresa said, biting her lip before hesitating and finally revealing, "I ended up getting the marriage license with Gabriel."
"You... you did what, Teresa? You and Gabriel are married now?" Sophia's eyes widened in shock as she exchanged a look with Patrick, who was just as stunned.
Teresa nodded. "Yes, we're legally married now."
"Well, why didn't you start with that, kiddo? You have us worrying ourselves sick." Sophia's worry quickly turned into jubilation, her face blooming with a joyful grin.
It wasn't that she played favorites toward the Garcias or Gabriel. It was just that, aside from wanting the best for Teresa, she had to think about the well-being of the little one, Croissant. She could tell that Yvonne hadn't wholeheartedly accepted Teresa and the baby.
Patrick immediately breathed a sigh of relief, his face breaking into a relieved smile, as he nodded vigorously. "Married to Gabriel, that's fantastic. Now Michael will have parents, the love of both families. No one can deny that."
"Mom, Dad, I'm sorry for making you worry," Teresa said, nodding in apology.
"My girl, worrying about their daughter is what parents do." Sophia held Teresa's hand tightly and replied lovingly.
"My God! What luck for this old man to have such a beautiful granddaughter-in-law and a smart and charming great-grandson all at once."
Just then, a joyful yet dignified elderly voice rang out from the direction of the doorway. Everyone turned to look and saw it wasn't just Mason arriving, but the entire Garcia family.
Following shortly were Gabriel, Raymond, and Katherine.
"Mr. and Mrs. Garcia, welcome!" Sophia rose quickly to greet them, beaming with a smile.
Mason approached, stopping Patrick who was trying to get out of bed. "Now, Mr. Bennett, we are family. You stay put and take care of yourself."
"Exactly, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett, now that Teresa is a member of the Garcias, we're relatives. There’s no need for formalities anymore," Raymond added warmly from behind Mason.
"Mr. And Mrs. Garcia." Teresa stood up as her gaze met Gabriel's, who had just walked in. She shot him a fierce look before quickly shifting her attention away to call out to others.
"Just Katherine." Katherine nodded with a smile, and then her gaze fell on little Croissant, who was sleeping peacefully on the sofa nearby. She whispered, "Did Michael fall asleep?"
"Yes. He's been through quite a morning and must be worn out. He's sleeping so sweetly now," Sophia confirmed with a chuckle.
