C9 Back on Track

“So, you will have to make sure that you take proper care of yourself and your baby. Your body has been through some stress and it’s not helping your situation at all, to avoid any further complications, you will have to reduce workload and rest more, you and your baby need it” Michelle said to the woman who just nods her head.

“But after I give birth to my baby, he will be taken to the orphanage?”

“Yes, he or she will be”

“I think it’s a boy” she rubbed her slight bump.

“Maybe he is” Michelle smiled and she returned a weak one. “Are you thinking about it again? Second thoughts?”

“Maybe but what choice do I have? I don’t have the right resources to give him the good life that he deserves” she shook her head. “I just wish I didn’t listen to his father I took those pills. He promised me and our baby a good life but he left when he couldn’t keep up” she shook her head.

“Take it easy dear, don’t be hard on yourself” Michelle sat on the stool and gave her hand a comforting squeeze “You can’t keep blaming yourself for what happened already, it happened already and you should be looking at the bright side to everything. I can see that you wanted a good future for your child so please stop with all the blame”

“I am sorry Michelle but I just can’t stop thinking of that” she rubbed her stomach as she looked down at it “You are right, I want the best for my son and I do hope he will be in good hands when he gets to the orphanage” she looked at Michelle and she could see the fear she had for her baby.

“Be relaxed, okay? Our focus now should be on how to make sure that you and your baby are okay and well so please take it easy on yourself” she tells her.

“Thank you, Michelle, you are great help when it comes to making me calm, thank you” she smiled and this time her eyes looked happy as it reaches her eyes.

“Don’t mention Pricilla, I am glad that I could help in the way I am” she stood up and took the tray in her hand “We are done here already so you can leave when you feel like okay? Take care” Michelle turned around and left her in the room.

“We will be good” she rubbed her stomach again and looked up at the ceiling “I am hoping that something big can happen to us so that I don’t have to give you up anymore” a sigh left her lips “Pray for mummy” she muttered then closed her eyes.

…

“Hey there man” the guy in glasses he had come to know as Nathan called out to him and he looked up from what he was working on to him and Nathan walked inside his office then took a seat in front of him.

“You really hard working” he comments after a moment of them looking at each other.

“Thank you, do you need anything?” he asked and he shook his head.

“Nothing much but I just wanted to be sure if you needed company as you went to lunch” he said and Cade smiled then continued what he was doing.

“I appreciate the offer but no, I am not” he responded without looking up.

“You have your breaks here in the office?” Cade nods “Why though? We can always have them in the cafeteria and talk about anything” he offered again.

“I do appreciate it Nathan” he looked up at him “But I will have to pass this time, probably later” he added when Nathan didn’t look pleased.

“Okay whatever” Nathan got to his feet and began walking out of his office then he paused and turned to look at him “You should be the one with the glasses since you’re probably the nerd in the office now” he comments and earned a laugh from Cade before leaving his office.

“Strange man he is” he said and opened his drawer to take out his food when he saw the paper, he wrote the address he got from an unknown number some weeks ago.

When Lexi was talking to him about his dad and his supposed crazy uncle who has some crazy plans outlined for him, he had forgot to mention to her that he got a text from an unknown number and would have text it to her if only she had given him her number but her understood her reasons to want to be away from him.

She is only doing what she thinks would protect him and he understand but he so wishes that this wasn’t the case. He wishes that the situation was in a different circumstance where his family wouldn’t want to hurt him.

He had to talk to her about it and maybe he would head for her place of work later after work and see her about it. She might not like it but he has to.

A text came in from his mum while he ate so he read it and smile then called her, she picked it up after the first ring.

“Cade darling” her worried voice came through and e frowned as he thought of what might be happening.

“Is everything okay mum?” he asked and heard her sigh.

“Yes, everything is fine here I was just worried about you for the past days, I haven’t been able to sleep properly because I worry about you Cade” she told him and he smiled.

“Mum, I am fine don’t worry. Everything here is going well and smooth, so you have nothing to worry about” he tells her. “Besides Michelle is taking good care of me” he smiled at the thought of her.

“You’ve mentioned her a few times when we call and I will like to meet the lady taking care of my son”

“Soon mum, soon. She is also eager to meet you but you both will meet soon” he assured.

“Okay but you are sure you are, okay? Where are you now?”

“Am at work and I am eating now, we have lunch break” he told her.

“Okay, sorry for being paranoid but I have had this bad feeling tugging my insides for a while now and I don’t want anything happening to my family and those I care about”

“It’s okay mum, I understand”

“How about Lexi? How is she?”

“She’s good, I haven’t spoken to her in some time now…” he had to hold his tongue back when he was about to spill out the real reason so he needed to look for another excuse that wouldn’t make his mum anymore worried than she was not “She is kind of busy with work so that’s why”

“Okay, she is such a hard worker, please send my regard to her and to Michelle. I will speak to you later, okay?”

“Sure mum, tell Dimitri to be good and dad not to work too much”

“Okay, I will. Bye Cade”

“Bye mum” he said and disconnected the call.

“She would have nothing to worry about when things are sorted out” he said and continued his eating.

…

“Hey Michelle” Dave called out to her when she was about to take the elevator.

She was done with her shift and wanted to go to the store to pick up some toiletries and sanitary pads for the rest of the week. She turned to him and smiled as she waits for him to walk over to her.

“Hi Dave” she greets when he stood a foot close to her.

“Hi Michelle” he greets again and they chuckled “You’re heading home now?” he asked.

“Not yet, I still have to pick up some things from the store before heading home” she tells him and he nods then smiled.

“Okay cool, cool” silence befell them and they just looked at each other with small smiles on their lips.

“I will be going” she said when nothing was being said.

She didn’t feel weird around him, he is her friend even though they have an history together, they were still best friends and she was comfortable around him. He never gave her a reason not to be.

“Wait Michelle” he reached out and held her arm which she looked at and he released them then stood straight and put his hand inside his pockets.

“Yes… Dave? Everything good?” she asked when he didn’t say anything again.

He looked like he wanted to say something but felt hesitant to speak it out and she wanted to hear what he has to say to her. They were friends and never felt scared or hesitant to tell each other anything that’s why she wanted to know what was up.

“Uh… yeah, everything is so good, I just wanted to ask something” she nods as if telling him to go ahead. “Cade, the rich man… is he… is he treating you well?” he asked and she felt herself relax and grinned before going in for a hug.

“Aww, you were so worried for me that it took you the whole year to ask me that” he rolled his eyes and waited for her answer “Well, Cade is in fact a great man and boyfriend, he treats me right so you have nothing to worry about” she assured and he nods then showed a small smile.

“Okay, I just wanted to be sure. You know your past experience wi-”

“I understand your fears, Cade isn’t anything like him. He is himself caring, loving, thoughtful, kind, nice, adorable, responsible… all anyone could ask for in a man” she told him and he nods.

“Okay, I hope he keeps treating you right and let me know if anything”

“Sure, thank you” they shared another hug and he helped her press the button for the elevator to open and when it did, she entered and waved at him till the door closed back.

In a few minutes she was already at the store and in line to pay for her goods, after she paid and her good were packed and handed to her, she walked out and to the bus stop to wait for a cab that would take her home.

She looked to her left then to her right and was about to cross when someone spoke from behind her so she turned around to see who it was and saw Lexi standing behind her with a dark hoodie on and loose old jeans.

Michelle wasn’t feeling as upset as she was at Michelle after she made Cade sad with their first meeting, Cade had talked to her and explained that things were okay between him and his mum and he understood the decision she had to make just to protect him and she has come to terms with it.

“Hi Lexi” she greets with a small smile which Lexi returned.

“Hey Michelle, how are you doing?” she asked.

“Very well, and you?”

“Great thanks… how is Cade? Anything suspicious happening?” she asked.

“Cade is very well thanks, he misses you a lot and would like to be in contact with you”

“You both didn’t notice any strange thing happening?” she ignored Michelle’s last statement.

“No, everything is good” Michelle assured her.

“Okay, I am glad. Please tell Cade that he should leave as soon as he can, I can’t bear to lose him” she shook her head “I lost his dad and I don’t want to lose him too”

“Why don’t you come and talk to him? You both can still keep in touch without that man knowing” she tells her with concern.

Concern was what she felt for her because she can’t begin to explain how is it to leave the one you love not because you want to but because you have to just so that the person is protected.

“I have to minimize our communication, please understand” she pleaded.

“I do but…” she let out a sigh “Fine, I’ll deliver your message to him when I get home” she told her.

Lexi came closer to her by a foot and held her hand “Thank you so much Michelle, for being there for my son and… just for everything. I am glad he has you in his life, you also should be careful, okay?”

“Sure, no problem. I will, thank you” she nods “You too, stay safe”

“Bye” Lexi turned around and left her staring at her till she turned a corner.

…

“Maybe you should listen to your mum and leave” she suggests to Cade when she set the table for them to have the dinner Cade made them.

She informed him of her encounter with his mum on her way from the store and what his mum said to her but he was standing by his choice on staying.

“I am not a coward, I’ll stay and see what’s coming for me” he told her and she sigh.

“This is not the time to be a hero” she placed both hand on her hips and he stopped dishing the food “Your mum knows this man more than you do and she has had near death experience with him so she knows what she is say. You haven’t even met him yet or have any idea how he looks like” her voice rose an octave and he sighed then walked over to her.

“Look babe, I am not playing hero here. I want to stay here because I like it here and no wealth-crazy man will chase me out of where I feel happy and content” he touched her arms and rubbed them “Don’t be worried too much, things will fall into place”

“Not only am I worried, even your mum is worried and scared of what your uncle might do to you. I suspect that he had something to do with the little accident you had on the day of the festival” she tells him and walked past him to get the remaining plates and the dishes he had served.

“We can’t point fingers even though his will be a first suspect”

“Only suspect you mean” she corrected and he finished up dishing the food and walking to the table with her to eat.

“Still, we can’t just go and report him” he shrugged then they prayed before starting to eat.

“Yeah, I know that. You haven’t met him before so it will be crazy how come he is a threat to you” she agreed “But… whatever you do or any decision you make, I’ll support you but please make sure your safety is assured” she pleads.

“Sure babe” he leaned in and pecked her lips then they continued eating in silence before he asked her about work and she told him how her day went and what happened in the hospital.