Chapter 147 Gratitude
Kimberly felt greatly comforted upon hearing Lauren's words. She realized she and the Walkers owed Lauren too much.
Kimberly gently patted Lauren's hand and said, "Don't talk about that. You don't know how loudly this little guy cried when the nurse brought him out of the operating room. He's truly a little man."
Lauren smiled as she looked at the still-sleeping baby. Seeing him safe and sound made all her sacrifices worthwhile.
"What time is it now? Grandma, where's my phone?" Lauren asked as she suddenly remembered Quentin and wondered why he hadn't shown up yet.
Jessica handed over the phone and said, "You've only slept for three hours. Rest more. With your mother and me here, you can relax."
Lauren smiled and said, "It's okay, Grandma. Haven't you and Mom stayed up all night? It would help if you went home first. I have a nanny here to take care of things."
Lauren checked her phone but found no news regarding Quentin, which upset her. At her happiest and most needing moment, Quentin was not by her side. She had no one to share her sorrows with.
Jessica noticed Lauren's concern and was also quite angry with Quentin. Since he left yesterday during the day, there had been no news from him. She had arranged for someone to call the company, but Quentin wasn't there either.
'So, where exactly has he gone to? What could be so important that he leaves Lauren alone in this cold hospital to give birth?' Jessica thought.
But she couldn't tell Lauren these things now to prevent further upset and worry.
"Lauren, I've already contacted Quentin. He went to a remote place for business, but his phone couldn't get a signal. He ran into some trouble there, but he's on his way back. Don't worry or get anxious," Jessica told a white lie, hoping to calm Lauren.
"Trouble? What kind of trouble? Can it be resolved?" she questioned, anxiously. Lauren's heart tightened. She realized something must have happened to Quentin. Otherwise, he would never leave her alone in this cold hospital to give birth.
Jessica said calmly, "It shouldn't be too troublesome. Quentin had to go far to make that call. He did not say much other than that he would return as soon as possible. He asked me to take good care of you and said he would apologize to you when he returned."
Lauren felt somewhat relieved when she received news about Quentin. Although she didn't know what trouble he had encountered, she believed he could handle it and would soon be back by her side.
"Okay, Grandma, I understand. Don't worry too much, either. Please go home and rest," Lauren insisted as she was very concerned about Jessica's health.
Jessica didn't refuse. She also wanted to go back and arrange for someone to find out more about Quentin and bring him to Lauren as soon as possible.
Kimberly looked at Jessica with a conflicted expression. She did resent that Quentin hadn't been there when Lauren gave birth.
"Go ahead. I'll stay here and take care of Lauren myself," Kimberly said.
"Alright. Thank you so much. I'll come back to see Lauren in the afternoon," after saying this, Jessica bid farewell to Lauren and left.
But it was as if Quentin had vanished from the face of the earth. No one saw or knew where he went.
Lauren waited anxiously, fearing that Quentin might really be in some danger, which was why he hadn't returned. Although Jessica told her they had contacted Quentin, she felt even more uncertain without hearing his voice.
Due to the C-section, Lauren endured physical pain, but she also had to suffer the agony of longing.
Lauren started to wonder, 'Quentin, where have you gone to? When will you come back?'
Lauren gazed at the baby's little face and fell into deep thought. 'How I wish Quentin could have been with me to await the birth of our child. How I wish he were here now to help care for the baby.'
But Quentin was nowhere to be seen, and Lauren was on the verge of breaking down.
Kimberly had advised her not to cry, but whenever she was alone, she couldn't help but think of Quentin, or speculate about the troubles he might be facing, and then sigh and shed tears.
The feeling of waiting now was entirely different from the previous two years. Back then, Lauren was waiting for Quentin, who might never return. Now, she was waiting for the father of her child, her beloved.
Kimberly saw that Lauren had lost her appetite and was constantly waiting for Quentin. She finally couldn't hold back any longer.
"Lauren, what happened between you and Quentin again? Why hasn't he come to see you? You're his wife, not some object he can discard at will. How dare he treat you like this!" Kimberly said.
Lauren looked at Kimberly awkwardly and said, "Mom, don't worry, nothing happened between us. He suddenly had an urgent matter to deal with before I went into labor. He didn't expect that I would go into labor the night he left. Quentin surely didn't expect it either. I think he must be in big trouble right now. Since I've already given birth, I'll wait here for him. I believe he will come."
Kimberly's concern wasn't whether Quentin would come, but he might have had a change of heart. Otherwise, it made no sense for him to be absent at such a crucial moment. She feared that once Lauren had the baby, there would be nothing to stop Quentin anymore.
"Lauren, you're too naive. People's hearts are more treacherous than you think," Kimberly remarked as she hoped that her worries were unfounded.
Lauren felt she had to trust Quentin. During this time, Quentin's care and tenderness had deeply moved her. She believed Quentin loved her as deeply as she loved him, so she had no doubts about him.
Another day later, there was still no news of Quentin. In the middle of the night, Lauren woke up feeling increasingly aggrieved and secretly wiped away her tears.
At that moment, Ethan walked into Lauren's hospital room. With quick and light steps, he cautiously made his way to Lauren's bedside.
Seeing Lauren crying quietly with her head tilted, his heart ached for her.
"Lauren, I'm here," Ethan said gently.
Lauren was surprised. She wiped her tears and looked at Ethan, unable to react for a moment.
"Ethan, why are you here?" she asked.
Ethan smiled and said, "I know you'd be scared and crying here alone, so I'm going to accompany you."
Lauren smiled. She nonchalantly said, "Thank you, Ethan. You caught me. But it would help if you didn't laugh at me. I'm crying because the wound hurts too much."
Ethan's gaze was profound, knowing why Lauren was crying without needing to ask.
He didn't expose her. Instead, he smiled and said, "Not laughing at you is impossible. Now that you are a mother, you still cry. You know, crying makes you look like an ugly kitten."
"You're ugly all over," Lauren retorted without thinking. "But really, thank you so much. If it weren't for you stepping in last night, the baby and I might have been in danger."
Thinking about it made Lauren scared. How helpless and uncertain she felt at that time.
