Chapter 138
"Is... she okay?" she asked. "Her condition isn’t too serious, right?" she added, hoping that nothing bad had happened to Olivia, that she wasn’t critically injured, that she was okay. Because just when she decided to fix herself, all this happened.
Ethan still didn’t answer. Her tears flowed even more when she saw the sadness in his eyes.
"Olivia is okay, isn’t she?" she asked Ethan, her voice still shaky. She hoped she was wrong, hoped her cousin was okay, that she was alive to start anew with her child, Tyler.
Ethan took a deep breath. "The operation was successful. The bullet was removed from her body. But... Olivia is still in a coma," he answered her. "And..."
"And?"
"She’s pregnant, too."
Her lips parted when she heard what Ethan said. Because she was looking at him, she saw his eyes widen slightly. She could tell from his eyes that he wanted to explain.
"I’m not the father," he quickly replied to her, thinking that was what she was assuming from her expression.
"I-I know," she said to Ethan. She wasn’t thinking that because she completely trusted him. She trusted him not to deceive her because he loved her.
"Is the baby okay, Ethan?" she asked. She hoped he would answer yes because it would be so sad for Olivia’s baby if it didn’t survive.
And she knew Olivia would be deeply hurt if she found out her baby didn’t survive. Because if that happened to her, she would be extremely sad, extremely hurt. She couldn’t bear to know that she would lose her baby. Just thinking about it made her heart ache.
"The baby... didn’t make it, Lane," Ethan answered in a soft voice.
Tears flowed from her eyes again because she felt pain for Olivia. She felt sorry for her. Ethan raised a hand to wipe the tears from her eyes.
"Hush, love. Don’t cry. It might affect you and the baby," Ethan said to her in a gentle voice. She tried to hold back her emotions when she heard that.
"I can’t help but feel hurt for Olivia," she admitted to Ethan.
"Lane, everything happens for a reason. Maybe God has a purpose for why all of this happened, why her baby was taken from her," Ethan said to comfort her.
Lane understood Ethan’s point. Everything happens for a reason. Maybe the baby wasn’t meant to be, and maybe God had a better plan for Olivia.
"What about Uncle Lucas?" she asked Ethan after a moment.
"He is now in the custody of the authorities," Ethan replied.
"And he is paying for all his sins," Ethan added. Lane noticed the tightening of Ethan’s jaw, indicating that his anger towards Uncle Lucas had returned.
"And I’ll make sure he pays for everything he’s done for the rest of his life," he further stated.
Lane was about to speak when they were interrupted by a soft knock coming from outside the private room. Both she and Ethan turned to look at the door as it opened.
Moments later, Ethan’s parents entered, along with their son Calvin. Shortly after, her own parents followed.
"Daddy! Mommy!" Calvin exclaimed upon seeing them. He let go of his grandmother’s hand and ran towards them.
He tried to climb onto the bed, and seeing this, Ethan picked him up. Just as he was about to hug Lane, Ethan quickly stopped him.
"Calvin, you might press on Mommy’s tummy," Ethan said to Calvin. He didn’t continue with his intention but instead sat beside her.
Lane tried to sit up from lying on the bed. Seeing this, Ethan immediately helped her to sit up and lean against the headrest.
"M-mommy..." She noticed her child calling her name. Her lips parted upon seeing the tears welling up in his eyes. Seeing this felt like a tight grip on Lane’s heart.
She opened her arms. "Come here, my Calvin," Lane said. Calvin immediately came into her embrace.
She tightened her hug when she heard his sobs. It seemed her child was worried about her, as he cried while in her arms.
She looked up when she felt Ethan sit on the edge of the bed and embrace them as well.
As Ethan held them, Lane felt the tightness of his embrace, and her heart was filled with peace and assurance. Assurance that nothing would happen to them because he would do everything to protect them.
That is how powerful his love for his family truly was.
"Ethan..."
Ethan paused from peeling an apple when he heard Lane call him. He turned to her and saw her looking at him, her eyes still drowsy from sleep. He put down what he was holding and approached her.
He sat beside her. "What’s wrong?" he asked in a gentle voice. He assisted her as he noticed her trying to sit up from lying down, still supporting her until she leaned against the headboard of the hospital bed.
They were still in the hospital. Lane’s results were all okay, their baby was safe in her womb, moving and kicking.
The doctor mentioned that they could be discharged the next day.
Ethan raised his hand to brush away some strands of hair covering her face.
"Nothing," she replied to him
"Are you hungry?" he asked next. "I’m peeling the apples that Mom brought. Do you want that or do you want to eat rice? Just tell me what you’d like to eat, and I’ll make sure you get it," he added.
She shook her head at him. After that, he lowered his gaze to her hand as he held it. He stared at it briefly before returning his gaze to her face. "So, what’s wrong?"
"Come with me, Ethan," she said to him in a soft voice while looking intently at him.
He frowned slightly. "Where are you going?" he asked Lane.
"To Olivia," she replied. "Come with me to see Olivia," she added.
"Olivia is still in a coma, Lane," Ethan replied.
"You won’t be able to talk to her," Ethan added.
"I... just want to see her, Ethan," she said to him. "Help me see her. P-please?"
He felt the tremble in her voice as she looked at him. It seemed Lane really wanted to see her cousin. When Lane was asleep, he would go out to check on Olivia. And during his visits, he always saw Tyler’s real father there.
He didn’t reveal himself. He just wanted to check on her condition. But one time when he checked, the man noticed him and they talked briefly. He already knew him because he had investigated him before. The man was Tyler’s real father and possibly the father of the child Olivia was supposed to be carrying.
He didn’t like what Olivia did, putting herself in harm’s way to protect them from her father. Nonetheless, he was still grateful to her because she saved their lives.
If it weren’t for her, one of them, either he or Lane, might have been in her condition. He owed Olivia a great debt, one he would remember for the rest of his life.
Earlier, she held his hand, but now he was the one holding hers. He gently squeezed her hand.
"You don’t have to beg, love. I’ll let you see her," he said to her in a tender voice.
She smiled at him. He couldn’t help but gaze at Lane. Even without looking at his reflection in the mirror, he knew that the love he felt for her was evident in his eyes. It was overflowing. He didn’t look away because he wanted her to see the love he felt. He wanted to show her that overflowing love.
Damn. He loved this woman so much. He would give up everything just for her. Before, he thought that marrying Lane was the biggest mistake and regret of his life. Now, he didn’t feel that way anymore. Marrying her had been worth it all. He even felt grateful for the drunkenness that led to her pregnancy and compelled him to marry her. Because if not, he wouldn’t have gotten to know Lane well, he wouldn’t have loved her, and he thinks he wouldn’t have been as happy if Olivia had been his wife.
He admitted he wasn’t proud of what he did to Lane before, but he regretted it deeply. That’s why he was making it up to her. As a way of making amends, he would love her wholeheartedly. If he could offer his heart as atonement for all his wrongs, he would. That’s how much he loved Lane.
"What?" Lane asked him when she noticed he was staring intently.
"I love you, Lane... so much," he whispered, his gaze locked on hers.
He noticed her expression soften as she met his gaze.
"I love you, too, Ethan," she said to him.
He couldn’t help but feel his heart racing when he heard that from Lane. He had heard it from her many times before, but it felt new to his ears, as if her love was his breath.
He gazed at her for a moment before standing up from the side of the bed. Then he held her to help her get off the bed. He wrapped her hand around his arm.
He grabbed the stand where her IV was hanging. "Let’s go?" he invited.
When she nodded, they started to walk out of the room to go to the private room where Olivia was.
It wasn’t long before they reached a door. Ethan knocked to announce their presence before opening the door, and then they entered.
Upon entering, his gaze immediately fixed on the man sitting by Olivia’s bedside. He saw that he was holding Olivia’s hand when he looked up at them.
Seeing them, the man released Olivia’s hand and stood up to face them.
"Ethan," he said, mentioning his name.
From the corner of his eye, he noticed Lane glancing over. Even without looking at her, he could tell she was curious about who the man was and why he seemed to know him.
"Nathan," he mentioned the man’s name in greeting.
"Lane wants to see Olivia," he said to the man in a serious tone. He noticed Nathan glancing at Lane and saw a hint of hesitation in his expression. He immediately understood what that look meant.
He was about to speak when Lane interrupted. "I just want to see Olivia. I mean no harm," she said.
"I’m sorry," the man replied.
"It’s okay," Lane answered.
"Hmm... I’ll just be outside," he said after a moment, perhaps wanting to give them some privacy. Before he completely left the room, the man glanced back at Olivia.
Ethan saw himself in the man because that’s exactly how he looked at Lane.
It seemed that Olivia had found the right man for her. He hopedthat when Olivia woke up, she would feel the love she deserved. He had a lot to apologize for to both Olivia and Lane because he never got the chance to explain his side when he married Lane.
He found that love with Lane, and he hoped she found it with Nathan too.