32: CAN WE SEE HIM?

CAN WE SEE HIM?

1"I... I ha-have a s-son." Ingrid confessed while kneeling on the floor. She could not raise her head to face their scrutinizing gaze.

"What?!" both of them were caught in surprise.

Her mother came to her senses first; she bowed herself to her daughter, took her by the hand, assisted her to stand up, lead her to the couch to sit down.

"Let us sit comfortably first. John, go, sit over there while I pour the tea for you and what would you like to drink, dear?" her mother never failed to amaze her when it comes to dealing with complicated situations such as this.

She is still full of grace, even in the midst of a chaotic situation.

"Just a glass of water, mom..." she said, her gaze still glued on the floor.

She poured her a glass of water and then served the tea to her husband. John was still quiet and only sighed deeply. He uttered not a word.

"Okay, now that we are settled, may I clarify what you said earlier, Ingrid? Is it true that you have a son?" Ingrid just nodded slowly.

"What is his name?"

"Clark."

"How old is he?" her mother asked.

"He is already five years old, will be six years old in seven months time."

"Where is he now?"

"He's at home." Rose looked to her husband and motioned to speak.

"Can we see him?" his father asked her, which makes her mouth wide open.

As she imagined that her father would hurl hurtful words at her and would judge her decision, worse yet, disown her.

"Yes, of course, dad. I have been planning to introduce him to both of you, but my confidence falter everytime I attempted to go back home, thinking that I disappointed you again." His father again sighed deeply.

"Will you introduce us to the father of my grandson?" his father's voice seems agitated.

She could not respond to her father's question because even she doesn't know who the father is, and she resolved even before she conceived that she wouldn't have any connection with the child's father.

Judging that such connection will only add complications to her and the child. She wanted none of it. This has left her in a daze again.

'How should I explain it to them? Will they understand my reason? Will they be able to accept my decision? Oh God, help me!' she mull over.

"Ingrid?" her father called her.

"Huh?" still recollects her thoughts on how to explain to them.

"I asked who the father of my grandchild is." John reiterated.

"I do not know." She answered unwaveringly.

"Oh God! What do you mean by you didn't know? Were you drugged? Or abused perhaps...?" her mother almost panic-stricken.

"God, no, mom. I conceived Clark through IVF."

"IVF? In vitro fertilization? Why?" her mom asked successively.

"I just want a baby but not having the complexities of a husband. It seems like to me that having a husband may slow down my career or he may be a hindrance in achieving my dreams or the plans I have in my life and the child."

"Oh dear..." The horror on her face was so evident with her eyes widened, and her mouth gaped, then she covered it with her hands.

Her mom was speechless upon hearing her reason. Rose pondered where did she acquire such kind of thinking. She questioned herself where she or her husband lacks in raising their daughter.

"Is there no possibility of you being married? What if your son will ask for his father? How would you answer him?" his father asked.

"He is already in that stage, dad and I really don't know what to do... when it comes to marriage; I am considering it, but not now. I don't want anybody to get in the way with the way I raise my child."

"Have you not considered to know who the person was?" her father raised a possibility of it.

"I did plan to do it, but I am afraid..."

"Or maybe he is also searching for you and your son?" her mother then said.

"What will you do about it?" the questions raised left her to analyze and evaluate her situation, acknowledging that those questions have possibilities to happen in the future.

"I don't know mom. I just hope that he didn't.."

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