PHB 98
“Hey, Dad. How’s it going? Sorry I couldn’t visit sooner. This time, Deasy came to visit you along with the new addition to the family.”
Deasy smiled as she touched the gravestone with Anton Winterborne’s name inscribed on it. Three months after giving birth, she finally had some free time to visit her father’s grave, and once again, she was accompanied by her beloved mother, Diana.NôvelDrama.Org © content.
Before this, Deasy had visited her father’s grave a few times shortly before giving birth. Today, she intentionally stopped by when Jonas had just turned three months old.
“Say hi, Dad. Deasy’s new bodyguard is named Jonas. Jonas Fernando Morales. He’s three months old now. If you look closely, he has a resemblance to you.”
Diana, sitting beside Deasy, smiled too. She touched her husband’s gravestone and started talking, just like Deasy.
“Your favorite princess finally has a child, Dad,” the woman said casually. “I bet you never thought that the spoiled, lazy, food-loving, gossiping, complaining, and sometimes even possessed girl you once knew would change her ways 180 degrees.”
Deasy turned to look at her mother. She shouldn’t be surprised that Mama was speaking so freely. In daily life, her mother loved to gossip about her behavior with Veronica or Lucas as if she had a grudge. Truly, Deasy had no pride left when her actions were thoroughly reviewed by Diana.
“Mom, that’s enough. It feels like I’m being tattled on.”
“Let it be,” Diana said nonchalantly. She didn’t care if Deasy was annoyed by her talk. “So your father knows how his beloved daughter behaves now. Besides, I’m praising you, not criticizing.”
“Well, yeah. Deasy knows you’re praising me. But, you know, it’s not nice to start like that. You could have skipped the bad stuff and just mentioned the good things.”
“Intentional,” Diana responded without backing down. “I did it on purpose so you’d realize how many flaws you have.”
Deasy rolled her eyes lazily. She was tired of arguing with Mama.
“Whatever, Mom.” Deasy then turned back to her father’s grave. She touched the surface of the gravestone again and began talking.
“Now, Jonas is three months old, Dad. It’s so wonderful to see him getting smarter every day. If only you were still here, I’m sure you’d be thrilled to have a new partner and playmate. And he’s a boy.”
“Fortunately, Jonas has Lucas’s behavior, Dad,” Diana chimed in. “He’s still a baby, but he smiles a lot. He’s not fussy. He lets anyone carry him. He’s friendly with everyone. Quite the opposite of his mother’s behavior.”
“It’s like there’s nothing good about me at all,” Deasy added with a sigh.
Deasy frowned instantly. She had always wondered what she had done to her mother to be ridiculed and sometimes even denied as her child. It was really hurtful.
“Mama speaks the truth, Des.”
“But that was in the past, Mom. I’ve repented now. I’ve become a respectable woman. A submissive wife and a responsible mother.”
“Yes,” Diana nodded in agreement. “Thank goodness you’ve repented.” Then Diana turned her gaze back to her husband’s gravestone. She smiled and continued to speak. “Now, your child has become a gentle mother. There’s no more of the old Deasy who was reckless, messy, quick to anger, or would talk nonsense. The one who used to be indifferent now often takes me out for walks and shopping. The one who rarely visited us before now almost comes every day.”
Diana, who had been speaking casually, now slowly became emotional. Her voice trembled visibly, and it was clear that she was holding back tears.
“Just so you know, your child has changed a lot, Dad. She has become a patient wife and mother. It’s a shame you left us so soon. If you were still here with us, I’m sure you’d be very proud of your beloved princess.”
Deasy then reached for Diana’s wrist, holding it tightly, which caused Devina’s defenses to crumble, and she finally shed tears.
“Whether it was Papa’s prayers or Mama’s prayers that God answered, one thing is for sure, Deasy is much better now than she used to be, Dad,” Diana said again.
While holding Jonas, this time Deasy tried to give her mother a hug. She embraced her briefly, trying to comfort Diana, who was now immersed in a sea of emotions.
“Dad, rest assured up there. Don’t worry or be anxious. Here, Deasy promises to always take care of and look after Mama.”
Deasy and Diana talked at length in front of Anton Winterborne’s grave. They discussed who knows what. After nearly two hours there, they decided to leave and continued to take Jonas to the hospital.
***
“Deasy!”
Hearing her name called, Deasy immediately turned around, trying to locate the source of the voice. She soon spotted Joseph walking towards her.
Thirty minutes ago, Deasy had just come out of the pediatric clinic. According to the schedule, she had brought Jonas to the hospital for his routine vaccination today.
While waiting for her ride, Deasy had chosen to sit in the hospital lobby. Her mother, on the other hand, was strolling around with Jonas to keep the baby from getting bored and fussy.
“Hi, Jo,” Deasy greeted when Joseph stood in front of her.
“What are you doing? Are you here for treatment? How are things?” the man asked, genuinely curious. He took a seat in one of the available chairs, as if intentionally wanting to engage in a conversation with Deasy.
“I just finished bringing my child for his vaccination.”
“Oh, the monthly vaccination? How old is he now?”
“He’s three months old.”
“Did you get him vaccinated by Dr. Steffi? Or Dr. Laura?”
“I’ve been going to Dr. Laura since the beginning for my child’s vaccinations.”
Joseph nodded in understanding, then invited Deasy to continue their conversation. From the expression on his face, it was clear that he was delighted to meet Deasy.
“How have you been? Are you doing well?”
Deasy nodded repeatedly. She wasn’t just doing well; her life seemed prosperous at the moment.
“So far, I’m doing fine. How about you?”
“Same here. I’ve been pretty much the same all along. By the way, it’s been a long time since we last met. The last time was when you had your pregnancy checkup, right?”
Deasy nodded again. Apparently, her ex-boyfriend still remembered their last encounter a few months ago.
“Yeah, that’s right,” Deasy nodded several times. “Even that meeting was completely by chance.”
“Yeah, it’s like fate allowed us to meet again after years of being out of touch.”
“Right,” Deasy agreed. “Once we meet, you’re already a successful obstetrician.”
“Just like you, Des,” Joseph responded. He smiled as he looked at Deasy sitting in front of him. “Since we last met, you’ve become even more beautiful.”
Deasy blushed. She couldn’t handle even a bit of praise. Typical.
“Oh, come on. Haven’t I always been beautiful?”
Joseph laughed. But he didn’t deny what Deasy had just said. From the first time he met her, through their relationship, Joseph admitted that Deasy had always been beautiful and had a lovely appearance.
“I believe you. You’ve always been beautiful. Otherwise, why would I fall for you? But, I mean, you’re even more beautiful now, like on another level.”
“Oh, you’re just being sweet.”
“No, really, you are getting more beautiful. Your maternal aura is shining through.”
“By the way, speaking of which, how’s your wife and child? You’re married and have kids now, right?”
Joseph smiled and then shook his head in response to Deasy’s question.
“Far from having kids, I’m not even married.”
“Seriously? You’re not married? Ah, you’re kidding.”
Joseph nodded repeatedly, confirming that what he said was true.
“Seriously. I’m not married. Still single and available to this day.”
“How’s that possible?”
Deasy squinted sharply. From her expression and the look on her face, it was clear that she was skeptical and couldn’t believe that a handsome man like Joseph was still without a partner.
“Even in terms of age and career, it seems like you meet the standards for marriage. Weren’t there plenty of girls interested in you back in the day?”
“I just haven’t found the right person to settle down with yet. Besides, I was waiting for you, but you got married first.”
Once again, Deasy smiled to herself upon hearing Joseph’s sweet words. However, as she raised her head slightly, she was taken aback. Lucas had been standing there, watching her the whole time.