My Soul Will Find Yours : The Fulfillment of the Promise

With You By My Side, My love, I'm Ready For Anything

Bitter sarcastic laughter drowned the entire room as the man I used to love and adore so much reacted to what I just said. Aside from his laugh, I could hear my slightly labored breaths as I struggled to recover my calm. I knew I was furious but it wasn't until mum took the phone from my hand and gently held the other that I realized I was shaking.

"Oliver, you heard what Hinata said–" mum started to say but the man she just addressed wasn't finished yet.

"Hinata, you really are my daughter," he let out another bitter chuckle. "You know exactly how to attack; you will go for the jugular to silence anyone you have marked as your enemy."

"Thanks for the compliment but I learned it from my husband," I replied blandly. "The only thing I learned from you is that blood does not guarantee one's loyalty."

"It looks like I won't be able to change your mind."

"I'm glad you're finally catching up, Mr. Yang." I sound callous, I know, but today just solidified the fact that I am nothing to my father.

"I hope you don't regret this. Your sister's blood is in your hands," he said, one last futile attempt at guilting me into submission.

"Your bastard's life does not amount to either Hina or my grandchildren's lives. Get over yourself, Oliver!" Mum was about to end the call when she had an afterthought, "Oh, by the way... Hina wasn't threatening you earlier, she was making a promise. I'd like to remind you that I raised her as someone who fulfills her promises. If I were you and your dumb mistress, I'd wise up and focus on other ways to save your daughter because the only thing you'll get from us is a lawsuit."

"You old hag! I swear I'll–" Maggie the frog screeched but mum just rolled her eyes and ended the call.

"Blocked!" Mum placed my phone on the bed and checked on me. "How are you feeling? I'm sorry, I was so angry I didn't think before putting the call on speakerphone."

"I'm fine," I answered in between calming breaths. "I needed to say those things to him anyway."

Right at that moment, we heard Charles, who has decided to stay with us until a week after I give birth, call from downstairs to let us know he and his father have returned from the supermarket.

My jaw dropped in surprise when I saw how much they bought. The kitchen looked like they were going to throw a party, only most of the items were baby and mommy things like more diapers, wipes, sanitizers, baby laundry detergent, bottle cleaners, pacifiers, my favorite snacks, and a couple of vitamins.

"I wonder if we bought enough?" Charles asked as he sorted through their purchases. "Father, did you see the cashier put the lactation cookie mix? I can't find it anywhere!"

"They're here, all five of them," Kaname responded, as absorbed in their purchases as his son. "We should have bought more of the dark chocolate and skipped this apricot cashew one. It does not look appetizing."

"Oh, but mama loves cashew. Don't you, mama?" Charles asked to confirm and I just nodded blankly.

Lactation cookie mixes... I'm the one who's pregnant but I honestly haven't heard of them until today. I have been taking moringa supplements as advised by my physician and have never bothered to search for other alternatives... This whole situation reminded me of what Kaname said, if there was anyone who's more excited to meet the twins than him and I, it would be Charles. Mum, who still gets weirded out whenever Charles calls me mama, is only a close second... Although I think it would be best to not tell her that lest we start a competition between them both.

~~~

Just as what we were told by my physician, I delivered the twins early at thirty-seven weeks... Plus six days. Despite the stress we have all been going through, everything went smoothly once I was whisked to the operating room. Sure, it was difficult to move about during the last stages of labor as I was connected to a machine to monitor the rice balls but I didn't mind as all that mattered to me was our safety. The epidural helped and was thankfully "just right" because I read some mothers who have had it could not feel a single contraction and the urge to push once it took effect.