She didn't mean to be rough; she just found it incredibly fascinating. Was this tiny golf ball-sized bump really a baby?
"Is this what a baby looks like?" she marveled.
"In the early stages, some women can feel it, but you still need a proper hospital checkup to confirm everything," Percy explained.
No matter what, an official medical exam was necessary.
If they hadn't been convinced it was a tumor, Percy wouldn't have made a diagnosis so quickly.
He just didn't want them to panic themselves into a heart attack before they even reached Ferrowland.
Susanna and Hull completely ignored Percy's last comment.
The two of them took turns gently resting their hands against her stomach.
"Isn't it amazing?" Susanna whispered.
Hull nodded. "Yeah, it really is."
"How does a baby end up shaped like this? It's so round."
"Percy said it starts out as a ball," Hull replied.
Percy, Barnaby, and Silas exchanged weary glances.
They were still in the room, for crying out loud. Did those two have to act like they were completely alone?
Susanna giggled as Hull touched her belly. "Be careful, don't squish it."
"It's not a toy," Percy reminded them tiredly.
Barnaby and Silas were speechless. Were they really treating a pregnancy like a new gadget? Were these two going to be the most unreliable parents ever?
They genuinely worried the couple might accidentally poke the baby right out of existence.
Hull finally looked up and shot them a glare. "Get the hell out."
The three men paused.
They quickly realized they were being massive third wheels.
Without missing a beat, they turned and practically fled the room.
Once she and Hull were alone, Susanna finally burst into laughter. "A tumor! Hahaha! What were you thinking? You thought our baby was a tumor?"
"I'm going to tell the kid when they grow up. I'll say, 'Your dad thought you were a tumor!' Hahaha."
Hull sighed quietly.
Susanna collapsed against his chest, shaking with laughter.
Thanks to Hull's catastrophic misunderstanding, a moment that should have been deeply emotional turned into pure comedy.
...
Meanwhile, with Tegan James.
Since she was flying to Ferrowland with Finley Yoder that evening, she had wrapped up her hospital duties early in the afternoon.
Just as she was leaving the hospital,
Uriah Horner intercepted her again. This time, Mrs. Horner was with him. "Tegan, we need to have a serious talk," Uriah said.
Mrs. Horner gave Tegan a deeply hostile look.
Whenever she remembered that Leslie had been severely beaten and hospitalized, her resentment toward Tegan flared wildly.
As far as she was concerned, no matter what wrongs the family had committed, raising Tegan for all those years more than made up for it.
Tegan's treatment of Leslie now was nothing short of ungrateful.
"We have nothing to talk about," Tegan replied coldly.
Her stance was as unyielding as ever, and she immediately tried to shake off Uriah's grip on her arm.
Uriah tightened his hold. "Let Leslie out first, and we can sort out this mess properly, okay?"
"Whatever the misunderstanding, we can resolve it face-to-face."
"Exactly, Tegan," Mrs. Horner chimed
in.
the air in person. If
Leslie really is at faultRE
apologize to you.
Tegan scoffed bitterly.
An apology... How rich.
She forcefully yanked her arm free and shoved her sleeve up. "Do you see this?"
The two stared in silence.
"Severe frostbite from being trapped
in a cave by a cliff. Uriah, what exactly is she going to apologize for? And how will an apology fix this?"
IMS
Uriah stared at the fading frostbite marks on Tegan's wrists and the back of her
hands, the skin still an angry, mottled red.
His expression darkened as Helena's words echoed in his mind: *The weather in Yoreland is awful
anyway. She was out there for days;
getting frostbites completely
normal.*
FindNovel.net
He looked at Tegan, ignoring her question. "Just let her out first, please?"
He emphasized the word 'please' heavily.
It was clear that after failing repeatedly to get Leslie released in Yoreland, his
patience had reached its absolute limit.