Chapter 284 - Pregnant (2)

Tobias was momentarily silent. Although his expression didn't change at all on the outside, inside he was deeply shaken. His head was completely blank. He looked down dazedly at Mimi's flat abdomen. Subconsciously, he reached down to stroke her stomach.

"Do you know how long?" Tobias's voice was slightly hoarse.

"...One month," Mimi answered quietly.

One month.

Long before their engagement.

The two words seemed to falter the last bit of calm he had. For an entire month, he held, touched, and spoke to Mimi. All the while, she was bearing their child.

Tobias stared at her, a rush of emotions passing through his eyes, joy slowly surfacing brightly in his gaze.

"A baby..." Tears began to well in his eyes. "Mimi, we're having a baby."

He pulled her into his embrace, hugging her waist gently and stroking her smooth hair. Mimi was shocked for a moment before returning the embrace. There was a faint smile on her lips, eyes dull.

...

By the time Mimi woke up from her nap, the sun had long set. She blinked, feeling her head rest upon an arm while a hand lay on her flat stomach. She leaned back closer to his warmth, eyes lowering to his resting hand.

"Mimi..." Tobias pressed a light kiss to the back of her head and her ear. "Did you sleep well?"

Tired, Mimi nodded her head. She set a hand on top of his, gently playing with his fingertips.

"You should rest more. You and the baby need plenty of sleep."

Hearing his words, Mimi tensed, her hand quickly letting go of his. When she didn't answer, Tobias carefully set her on her back before he bent his head to gaze down at her. All the while, his hand was placed carefully over her stomach.

"What's wrong?"

Mimi said nothing. Her eyes never looking at his but rather her abdomen. There was a look of hurt in her expression. The worry in Tobias's heart only grew.

At that moment, she suddenly looked up and stared blankly at him. "Tobias...I can't be a mother."

Her words left him feeling cold. The hand on her stomach trembled slightly.

"You...You don't want the baby?" His voice quivered.

A series of painful emotions welled up in Mimi's face. She pursed her lips slightly and said reluctantly, "I can't..."

"What do you mean you can't?"

"I just can't, Tobias! I can't be a mother!" Mimi snapped and sat up, leaning over the edge of the bed, her back faced to him.

Tobias quickly rushed to her side, kneeling on the ground, and grasping her hands.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry." He kissed her hands and looked up at her. "I didn't mean to upset you. I just...I thought you would be happy."

Mimi looked down at him stiffly. She swallowed. "This is all too sudden for me...I'm not...I don't know what I should do."

The mere thought of human life inside her...it was terrifying. Brick by brick, her walls came tumbling down. Everything she had ever forgotten in her life resurfaced. Her life crumbled in her fingertips.

How could someone like her become a mother? How could she when she never even knew what a mother was like? What it was like to be loved by a mother, she never knew...

A single tear slid down from her glassy, violet eyes, followed by another one, and another one, until soon, a steady stream of salty tears flowed its way down her pale cheeks. The sadness and sorrow that had been held inside of her for all this time-released, but still she did not make a sound.

Tobias fell silent, holding tightly to her suddenly trembling hands. Tears fell on the back of his hand.

"Mimi..." Seeing the large drop of tears falling down her eyes, he felt a sharp pain in his heart.

"I...I'm scared. I can't be a mother. What if I end up being like him, and I..." Her voice trailed off, covered by choked sobs.

Tobias slowly understood. The 'he' she referred to was none other than her father. Despite seeing him weekly at the hospital, the girl was still scarred by her childhood. Everything she had moved passed from seemed to resurface after learning of her pregnancy.

Tobias used his finger to gently wipe off the tears on the corner of Mimi's eyes and comforted with a soft voice, "You are nothing like him, never will be. You are kind, loving, and capable of caring for others."

Mimi stared at him with teary eyes. "But what if I disappoint you. I...I don't want you to be alone on this..."

"I won't be alone. We'll have each other. If either one of us is struggling, the other will support. You're not going to be alone in this either, Mimi." Staring into her eyes, he softly grazed her cheek. "Every step of the way, I will be there for you. After eight months, a little you will be running around and calling us mother and father."

Mimi paused. There were still drops of tears on her eyelashes. "A little me?"

"Yes. There will be a little you." He smiled.

Mimi sniffled. "I would prefer a little you running around. Another me would be too scary."

Tobias chuckled and softly kissed her eyelids. "All right. Then a little me." He kissed her again and whispered in her ear. "Who knows, maybe we can have both..."

With a scowl, Mimi lifted a hand and pinched the handsome man's cheek. "Don't even think about it. Although with stamina like yours, your wish might happen."

A faint blush appeared on the man's cheeks. He smiled and leaned up to kiss her lips softly. Mimi made no move to stop the man's affection. How could she when he had such a foolish grin on his face?

Placing multiple kisses all over her face, Tobias lowered his head to her stomach and settled another kiss.

"Our baby is in here..." He whispered before hugging her waist close to rest his head upon her lap.

"Thank you...Mimi."