UNJUSTIFIED HATRED {completed} (wattys 2015)

CHAPTER 21- APPOINTMENT

 "Good afternoon Mr. Hu.."

"Em. Don't be so formal. I'm your father in-law now so we are family" James interrupted her. She giggled; old habits. She still hadn’t gotten used to referring him as her father in-law; it was still very new.

"Sorry. Hi James" she amended. She heard deep chuckling from the other line.

 "That's better. How are you?"

"I'm fine. Thank you"

 "I have been meaning to call you but I didn't want to disturb your honeymoon". She scoffed quietly; honey moon my ass she thought. There was nothing “honeymooney” about the last couple of days.

"Oh you wouldn't been disturbing us". She would have preferred if someone disturbed them. Please disturb us, she wanted to scream out loud. She was turning grey with her and just Ash in the house; he was a horrible person to live with. Thank God for Gladys presence.

 "Still. I wanted you both to enjoy this short vacation Ash had"

Emily nodded "Oh okay" she muttered. It was a nice gesture on James part but too bad nothing enjoyable was coming out of it.

"So how is marriage life? Everything going well?" Emily contemplated on what to tell him; the brutal truth or what he wanted to hear? Should she tell him that his son had been spending more time out than with her or that he had been with different girls since their wedding night or that he threw her out of his room? She didn’t know where to start, the list was endless.

"Everything is ok" she answered softly. She didn't want to feel Ash wrath when his father scolds him for his behavior. No doubt, Mr. Hurley would confront him about it which would make matters worse for her.

 "Very good then" Emily felt bad for lying to him but it was for the best. She knew he had high hopes they would be good together so she didn’t want to let him down.

"Miss, I'm going to take the street way. There is an accident on the highway okay?" the driver asked from the front of the taxi.

 "Ok that’s fine" she directed at the taxi driver.

"Emily what's going on? Where are you?" James asked.  "Oh. I'm in a taxi. I'm coming from my doctor's office" she explained.

"Oh it's today? How is my grand child? Everything well I hope?" He asked concerned. Emily could hear the change of tone in his voice; she knew he loved the baby already without even meeting him or her.  "Yea. The baby is growing well; no issue what's so ever. Knock on woods" she assured the older man.

"Oh thank God" she smiled at the relief in his voice. It was clear he really cared about the baby unlike his douche bag of a son. Hopefully this ultrasound pictures would affect him the way she hoped. She had fallen more in love with the baby after seeing the baby clearly on the ultrasound; it was amazing she could make out the features. The head was huge though but the doctor told her that was normal and would amend itself.. She felt so relieved, not that it mattered to her the baby's head size; she just felt bad for the poor thing having to carry such load everywhere.

"Hold on. Why are you in a taxis?" James voice brought her back. "Um.." She bit her lips thinking of something to tell him. "Um I can't drive" That was true; she didn’t know how to drive. Never had the intentions too either since having a car was not on her priority list. She could use public transportation all day, it was easier anyway

"Why didn't Ash take you?"  James asked. He wants nothing to do with the baby she wanted to say but settled for half the truth "He was sleeping"

"Oh" she wondered what his ‘Oh’ meant. He couldn't possibly think she was lying right? Maybe he was surprised he could miss their first appointment ; apparently he had other important things to do than to see how his baby was faring.