"Are you.... mad at me?" Amy asked with caution as she slowly settled back onto the stool.
Stella sighed when she saw the nervousness of the young woman. Her bed had been adjusted so she was half sitting even in her lying down position. She took hold of Amy's hand and caressed it with her thumb.
"I'm not mad at you dear. I'm just... This is the time you should be worried about the little one in your stomach, she will be here soon, there's a lot you have to prepare for. I'm grateful that you helped with the surgery, but this room", Stella looked around and then sighed. "A normal room would have been fine. You should be saving up. Raising a child is not that easy. Babies grow quickly and so do the expenses."
Amy sighed in relief before she gave a soft smile. "I understand what you mean and don't worry about the baby. Everything is fine Stella."
"No, I'll pay you back, just give me so-"
"No. I can't allow you to do that. Did you forget that my husband is loaded?" She gave a cheeky smile. "And after everything you've been doing for me, this is nothing in comparison. So don't worry about this."
Stella still looked worried even when Amy tried to reassure her. "Then let me personally thank him. This is all too much. I can at least do that, right?"
"You mean right now?" Amy's brows Rose in surprise. Stella nodded in response. Amy tried to keep her calm at the sudden request as she blurted out an excuse. "It's not easy to get ahold of him during the day. We often talk late at night."
Well, that was more of the truth than a lie. They do talk more at night than during the day. Stella pouted.
"Really? But I heard you talking to him last Saturday morning when I had come to check if you'd skip the gym too?"
"Oh!" Amy gave a sheepish chuckle. "That was a one time thing."
"Then for now, you can thank him for me. Later on, I'll do it in person. Did he say when he'll be back?"
When will her husband be back?
"He's not sure, probably in a few months", Amy replied hurriedly as she stood up and went to get the porridge container. "Porridge? I'm sure it's very good."
"Yes, I'd like some. Thank you dear", Stella smiled before a dreamy expression settled on her face. "But I have to say, your husband sounds really attractive. His voice could give you an eargasm!"
"Stella!" Amy glared at her to which the older woman laughed.
"Gosh! I missed you", Stella laughed.
Amy chuckled before looking back at the woman with a smile. "Me too."
The two women shared a moment as they looked at each with warm smiles. The older woman excitedly patted her bed as she said, "Hurry with the porridge. My diet ended this morning. You don't know how torturous that was."
"I can only imagine", Amy chuckled as she brought the container forward.
She chuckled when she found that she had packed two spoons. It seemed she really prepared the meal with Stella in mind. Since they were used to sharingost meals, eating from the same container didn't bother them as they shared a conversation over the meal.
Meanwhile, Adrianne had arrived at the library. It seemed Ian was still running late so she opened it since she had remembered to collect spare keys the other day. They all had to get spare keys just in case for instances like these.
Customers came pouring in the moment she opened it. Looking around, the place looked neat.
"I guess I don't need to clean up", she murmered as she took in the people filing in.
Since Ian was not yet there and Amy would spend the day at the hospital, she decided to settle on the front desk.
"Excuse me everyone!" She shouted this getting everyone's attention. "It's just me for now so if you need assistance, come to the front desk! Thank you!"
She went back to the Amy's desk where she settled down. To her luck, most people easily found their way around the library. She had worked here a few times when Stella had just started so she knew her way around things. But what she didn't anticipate was for lunch hour to strike and Ian still not show up. In an hour, she would have to go pick up the kids from school.
She took out her phone and dialed his number, and just like when Amy tried it, it went straight to voicemail.
"What the hell?" She muttered in irritation as she dialed his number again. And it went straight to voicemail again. "Did something happen?"
She went to dial Amy's number which she answered on the third ring.
"Adrie?" Amy called out.
"Hey, have you seen Ian? I've been trying his number and it won't go through."
"Oh?" Amy was surprised when she heard this. Ian's number had stopped working since morning, but until now? "Did you not meet him at the library? That's where he was going after he dropped me off."
"He did call to say he'll be late due to traffic but that was around seven in the morning, till now", Adrianne frowned.
"That's odd! Let me try his number too", she said.
"Okay. I'll just close up for the day. Jared is not doing too well and I need to pick up the kids from school."
"Alright. Take care", Amy said.
"You too", Adrianne hang up and went on her way.
Amy looked up at Stella who had an anticipating look thrown in her direction. "Adrianne said Ian hasn't been to work. And his number is not working."
Amy tried the number on speaker and she got the same response. Richard came into the room right in that moment with a few bags in hand and lunch bag. He kissed his wife on the forehead and gave Amy a side hug.
"What's going on?" He asked as he took in the grave expressions on the two women.
"Were you with Ian this whole time?" Stella asked.
"Actually", Richard scratched the back of his head as he gave her a sheepish smile. "I fell asleep on the sofa while making you lunch and burned it. I had to redo it."
"It's okay dear. But where could he have gone? His number is not working too", Stella had on a contemplative look.
Amy was buffled as well. She had her phone in hand and could have easily hacked the security cameras of the hospital and the one at the intersection they passed through because she had done so the time she was taking Stella to the hospital. But the two older people were close to her so she could do so without them noticing. Richard also had on a contemplative look before a thought came to him.
"Maybe... He's with a girl. He did the same thing last time", he suggested.
"It's can't be....", Stella was doubtful.
Amy, however, didn't rule out the possibility. And without her knowing, she was actually right.
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