Elisa remarked, “It’s already 8:00. I noticed you haven’t gone downstairs for breakfast yet. I came up to check on you. Are you alright, sister-in-law?”

Alice, cradling her swollen belly with one hand, smiled and replied, “I’m perfectly fine. I just haven’t been sleeping well lately, so I stayed in bed. I woke up when your brother did and didn’t feel like getting up. Haven’t you left for work yet?”

“I’ll head to the office shortly. Nothing urgent is happening lately, so I’ll just pop in to check things out and then take a stroll at the bookstore. Jasmine is watching over the bookstore, and Serenity is still enjoying her honeymoon and won’t return to work this month.”

After their wedding, Zachary and Serenity hadn’t gone on a honeymoon trip, nor had they returned to work. They spent nearly every day at Wildridge Manor, living a slow and leisurely life, as blissful as can be.

Sometimes, Elisa visited Wildridge Manor to see Serenity and felt a pang of envy witnessing the young couple’s tranquil life.

Alice commented, “Serenity is still in her honeymoon phase; let her savor this joyful time. How is she handling her pregnancy symptoms?”

Alice returned to the room’s sofa and sat down, feeling tired after standing for too long due to her large belly.

Elisa responded, “She doesn’t experience vomiting anymore, which is a relief.”

Elisa joined Alice on the sofa, looked at her belly, touched it a few times, and said, “I think my nephew is the most mischievous one.”

“Absolutely, sister-in-law, he just kicked me!” Elisa exclaimed, feeling the fetal movement and finding it quite miraculous.

Alice smiled and explained, “It’s still morning, so the movements are relatively gentle. They tend to be more vigorous at night. Your brother enjoys…”

“You tease him the most,” she said. When her pregnancy symptoms became severe, Clive contemplated aborting the child. However, once he felt the baby moving and noticed its healthy growth in her belly, he began to develop a sense of fatherly love for the child.

Alice had previously worried that Clive wouldn’t love the baby once it was born, but now she felt relieved. Elisa gently touched Alice’s belly again and said, “Baby, I’m your aunt. Have you woken up? You heard me talking to your mother. If you heard what your aunt said, kick my hand again.”

To their delight, the baby kicked once more. “Sister-in-law,” Elisa exclaimed, “he can hear me and he responded!”

Alice smiled, “If you touch him, he’ll kick you, but it’s not because he can hear you.” She too reached out to touch her belly, enjoying the movements ever since they began.

Elisa asked, “Sister-in-law, when is your next prenatal check-up? I’m available and would love to go with you.” Clive usually accompanied Alice to each appointment, but Elisa noticed he had been particularly busy and tired lately, so she wanted to help lighten his load.

“Tomorrow is the scheduled check-up,” Alice replied. “Now that I’m in the third trimester, the appointments are becoming more frequent…” Suddenly, Alice frowned.

Elisa noticed and asked with concern, “Sister-in-law, what’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?” Seeing Alice’s expression, she added anxiously, “Did I tease the baby too much and cause you pain?”

“No, it’s just that my stomach hurts a bit,” Alice said. “It’s not too painful, just a little dull.”

Elisa stood up suddenly, her face filled with worry. “Is it time for you to give birth? I’ll take you to the hospital right now!”

“Go to the hospital right away,” said Elisa.

“But there are still two weeks left before the due date,” Alice replied.

“I’ve heard that some babies come early—premature birth, yes, premature birth,” Elisa insisted.

Alice, feeling confident that she was not going into premature labor, responded, “I’m already thirty-seven weeks along, so it’s not premature. Elisa, please don’t panic. It might just be the start of labor; it only feels like a dull pain.”

Elisa urged, “If you’re not feeling well, you need to go to the hospital. Our home is a bit far from the hospital, and we can’t wait until the pain becomes severe. What if you give birth on the way?”

Although Elisa was single and had never given birth, she had read many pregnancy-related books after her sister-in-law announced her pregnancy, thanks to her brother’s purchases of those books.

She often said that she would eventually marry and have children, so she believed it was wise to prepare now to avoid any worries in the future.