Encounter

Matthew was still waiting for Aleia when he received a call. It was Aleia’s father who called him and told him that Aleia was involved in a car accident. He felt his hands go numb after answering the call. He even dropped the phone. Instead of picking it up, he started at the phone for a moment.

Aleia was supposed to meet her father after the incident at their house. But she met an accident on the way and was critically injured at the moment. His father-in-law was so mad that even yelled at him on the phone. He did not know what to do also.

He started blaming himself. If only she refused to drop Nathalie home, or if only he did not tolerate her craziness-maybe her wife is safe in his arms. He was so weak as a man to waiver right away.

His hands were shaking and his heart was racing so fast as he imagined Aleia’s image that was covered by the blood. That was the time that he picked up his phone and stormed right away to the hospital.

The nurse on the information told her about where to go. Aleia was still inside the operating room and her father was waiting outside walking back and forth. Matthew hesitated at first to approach him but he knew he needed to do it. He was willing to accept any punches from him for putting his daughter in this dangerous situation.

But he noticed Matthew first. Matthew even saw him clench his fist.

“Dad.” His voice cracked and he needed to clear his throat. “How is she?”

Instead of answering his question. He just looked at him.”Maybe, I should be the one asking that. We agreed to meet to discuss something when she called me. She told me that she needed to pick you up at my house. Why were you there in the first place?”

Matthew heaved a sigh and was ready to explain everything when the doctor came out from the operating room.

“Doc, how is my daughter?” His father-in-law asked. He even took some glances at the room to see her.

“She is still sleeping but we are done stitching her wounds-“The doctor paused for a while. Looked like she still has something to say.” Are you the husband?” Matthew nodded. “Were you aware that your wife is pregnant?”

Matthew was speechless as he met his father-in-law’s questioning look. It never crossed his mind and Aleia did not mention pregnancy to him. It could be possible that she was also unaware that she was already pregnant. He could almost hear his heartbeat.

“No,” he answered.Content property of NôvelDra/ma.Org.

“Wait! What?” His in-law interrupted.” Aleia is pregnant.” And how’s the baby?”

The doctor shook his head in disbelief. “She was three weeks pregnant. And the baby’s heart was not beating anymore when they arrived here. We need you to sign the papers. We need to get the baby inside her.”

“Why! No. Maybe we could still save him.” He cried.

“It was too late already. All we can do is to get him out of her womb. We’re very sorry. We did our best.” The doctor signaled the nurse to come nearer so that Matthew could sign the papers. Matthew’s tears busted out while signing it. It felt like he killed his child.

“Maybe we can still do something.” He begged. But the doctor shook his head. The doctor went back inside after he signed the papers and all they did was wait.

They were just sitting side by side without even talking. They were staring elsewhere and watching the medical staff pass by them. It was an environment of busy people, trying to save some lives but their world seemed to stop spinning for a while.

He felt shocked and dumbfounded after everything he knew. His tears kept on flowing. The last time he cried hard like this was when her mom passed away. And now, he lost another important person, their baby. He may lose his wife, too. Maybe he was destined to be alone.

He knew all her wife’s struggles but he added more to them. How can they tell her that she once had a baby and lost him before she gets to know him?

“Dad, I’m so sorry. This is all my fault. I don’t know how to break the news to her.” H bowed his head after saying sorry to him.” She saw me kissing Nathalie. Nathalie promised to get away from me if I kiss her, and so I did. But she framed us.”

“My goodness! I was not expecting this to happen. I treated Nathalie like my own child.”

‘Yes, more than Aleia’ Matthew would like to add but he kept it inside. “What do you mean like your own, dad?” he said after realizing something.

“Yes. Aleia discovered the truth that’s why she was supposed to meet me. But then she went home and caught you with Nathalie. My wife came to see me, too, knowing that Aleia discovered the truth.”

Matthew covered his mouth in shock. It was all a lie. Aleia suffered a lot because of them. And worst, they lost their baby.

“I made a lot of mistakes, Matthew. Aleia became so aloof thinking that I love Nathalie more than anyone. I love them fairly. It was Nathalie and my cunning wife who took advantage.”

“How are we going to tell her, dad? It would break her heart.” He messed his hair like a madman while crying.

They sat there for almost an hour. Aleia was asleep during the operation. He was unconscious and they just went to the recovery room the moment the doctor told them that it was done.

Hours passed, and she still did not wake up. They were patiently waiting and discussing how to tell her about the loss of the baby.

“Dad,” Aleia called. He opened her eyes slowly and scanned everyone in the room. When her eyes stopped on Matthew, she looked away. Matthew was hurt. That’s not how she looked at him. She always looks at him with love and admiration. As if, he was the most beautiful thing on earth. He knew she was just holding back her tears. She kept on looking away.

“Reign, thanks, God. You are safe now,” her dad said. He leaned and kissed her forehead. Matthew was envious- he also wanted to do that.” How are you feeling now?”

She smiled sadly.” I think I am good. But why do I feel something is not fine, dad,” she said, touching his abdomen. “Did something else happen?”

Matthew gazed at the floor. It was the moment that they feared most. They were all silent when the doctor broke it.

“She needs to know, though,” the doctor said looking at Matthew and his father-in-law.

“Why, dad?” Aleia asked, confused. Matthew came closer to him and tried to hold her hand but she threw it away. Matthew withdrew like a soldier lost in a battle. He could not even utter a single word.

“Can you promise to calm down before I tell you?” the doctor asked her. It was her father who held her hand tightly.