Chapter 122

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‘ As for Teresa’s child … Well , he’s my nephew , and I’m his aunt . Helping out isn’t a big deal , Jennifer thought .
The person on the other end paused briefly then asked , “ Is it about your sister – the one a year younger than you ? ”
“ Yeah , that’s right , ” Jennifer downed another drink .
“ Have you reconnected with her yet ? ” the person asked .
“ Not yet . I’m worried I’ll scare her away , ” Jennifer chuckled bitterly , but a small flicker of hope appeared in her heart .
Meanwhile , Teresa had settled into Rosary Estates . But , now that Sherry would no
longer be returning there , it would be just her and Michael .
Sherry reached out to Teresa with sad news – Christian’s father had passed away after battling advanced – stage cancer . Sherry and Christian had cared for him in his final days , but despite their efforts , they were powerless against fate .
Teresa sighed and murmured , “ How could this happen ? Not to mention , right before New Year’s Day . ”
What was supposed to be a joyful day would now be marked by grief , and the Dunn family would be missing from this year’s festivities .
“ Christianis really struggling , and I need to stay with him ,” Sherry said . “ I’ll only come back to Nareigh after the new year at the earliest . ”
There were still funeral preparations to finalize , family obligations to meet , and countless other tasks to handle . Oncé Christian’s situation had been taken care of , she intended to visit her own family back home .
Teresa said , “ Take your time . Don’t overwork yourself . ”
Teresa’s phone rang again just after she had spoken to Sherry . She hesitated before answering when she saw the unknown yet familiar number .
“ Hello ? ” Evelyn asked . Her speech seemed to be slurred with sorrow and alcohol .
Teresa panicked, wondering what had happened .
“ I had a couple of beers to take the edge off,” Evelyn muttered . “ I saw a girl who looked just like your sister – the spitting image of her . I thought it was her , but I was wrong . ”
Teresa solemnly said , “ It’s been 20 years . How would you know what she looks like ? ”
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Evelyn replied , “ A mother never for still look like you did when you were young . If Hannah were ord be the same . But she’s gone . She’ll never come back . ”
Teresa sighed , feeling the weight of Evelyn’s sorrowful words . “ Take a shower and get
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some rest , ” Teresa suggested . “ Drink some hangover remedy . Get your husband to make it for you . ”
But Evelyn kept rambling on . “ I failed Hannah … I failed her more than anyone else .
“ At least I did something for you . I raised you until you got married , but Hannah … She fell off the cliff so young . She probably hates me and thinks I didn’t do enough for her . I ‘ ve sinned against her … ”
Teresa shouted , “ Enough ! Just go to bed ! Hannah’s gone ! What’s the point of going on like this ? If you feel guilty , do something good for your daughter now . ” With that , she hung up abruptly .
Teresa was still fighting off a cold ; and , after an exhausting move , she felt like she was running on empty . Evelyn’s drunken calls only added to the strain . ‘ How does she still drink so much at her age ? And she reached out with that nonsense .
‘ I told her to stop calling me , and she agreed , but she still calls when she gets drunk .
‘ Hannah’s been gone for years : The police have already presumed her dead . What can I even do ? All these calls just frustrate me – they serve no purpose than to make me feel worse , Teresa thought helplessly .
She was about to step into the shower when Cheryl’s call came . Evelyn cried , and now Cheryl was sobbing too .
“ What should I do , Teresa ? ” Cheryl’s voice cracked with fear . “ I bumped into a table , and now my belly hurts . Could I be having a miscarriage ? What should I do ? ”
Teresa fought the headache threatening to take over , thinking , ‘ Seriously ? In the middle of the night ? ‘ She responded , “ Call 911 right now , or get yourself to a gynecologist . ”
“ I’m too scared to go alone , Teresa ! Can you come with me ? Please ! I’m terrified ! My parents aren’t home , and I can’t tell them about this ,” Cheryl pleaded .
Teresa was speechless . She drove to pick Cheryl up late at night . As Cheryl got into the car , Teresa pulled a piece of tissue to wipe her nose .
“ Do you have a cold , Teresa ? ” Cheryl asked .
“ Yeah , still fighting it off , ” Teresa muttered . “ I was about to shower and go to bed when you called . Maybe drive yourself to the hospital next time ? ”
“ I don’t know how to drive . Besides , I don’t even have a license , nor do I want one ,” Cheryl protested . “ My belly doesn’t hurt that much anymore . I’m just so scared . What if I start bleeding? ”
Teresa noticed Cheryl’s flushed cheeks and comforted her . “ Relax . I bumped into things all the time when I was pregnant , but Michael turned out fine . ”
At the hospital , Jennifer was on shift when Cheryl rushed in and grabbed her arm while pleading , “ Doctor , please check me . I was painting at home ; and , when I stood
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up , my belly accidentally hit a table . Am I going to lose my baby ? ”
“ It’s okay . Let’s get you checked . Take a deep breath and relax ,” Jennifer comforted .
After the examination , Jennifer reassured her , “ Everything’s fine . The baby’s in the right place . A light bump isn’t a concern . Just avoid strenuous activities . ”
Jennifer then asked , “ Are you planning to keep the baby ? ”
Cheryl met Teresa’s eyes and nodded firmly . “ Yes , I want to keep it . I’m going to love this baby with all my heart .”
To Teresa , Cheryl herself seemed like a child – constantly worried , always overthinking . “ Cheryl , have you really thought this through ? Are you sure you want to keep the baby ? ”
Teresa asked .
Cheryl responded firmly , “ I’m keeping the baby , no matter what . I’ll go abroad to give birth then bring it back to tell my parents . They won’t be able to do anything about it . I ‘ Il have Donald talk to them and smooth things over . ”
“ And what about marriage ? ” Teresa inquired again , “ Are you planning to raise the baby alone without marrying ? ”
“ I’ll marry whoever doesn’t mind me and my baby , ” Cheryl replied casually .
Teresa chuckled bitterly . In this day and age , no man would want to raise someone else’s child – not unless he was the father .
Teresa apologized , “ Sorry to keep you up so late , Dr. Nelson . If there’s nothing urgent , l ‘ Il take her home now . ”
Noticing the fatigue in Teresa’s eyes , Jennifer was heartbroken at how hard Teresa pushed herself every day .
“ I’ll prescribe some prenatal medication for her ; but , since the pharmacy’s closed , you’ll have to come tomorrow to pick it up , ” Jennifer said .
Teresa nodded and left with Cheryl . However , the always thoughtless Cheryl wanted to stay the night . Michael was already asleep , so Teresa asked Cheryl to stay in the guest room .
Teresa managed to catch a few hours of sleep before heading to work early the next morning . She left Michael in Cheryl’s care for the day .
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