Ingrid slowly opened her eyes and sensing her surroundings. Her eyes move to and fro as she inspects the room. She felt relieved when she recognized that it"s her room. Her brows knitted as she recalled what happened to her before her fainting. She feels better now.The door then opened. Clifford and Clark emerged.
"Mommy!" the child came running to her. "..are you sick?" the child"s eyes are so worried as he stared at her.
"How are you feeling now?" Clifford also asked with full of concern.
Ingrid looked at Clifford as if asking him what he said to the child. As if Clifford understood what she meant he shook his head. Then she moved her eyes to her son and she touches his face.
"I"m okay darling, mommy"s just tired. What time is it?" she asked no one in particular as she tried to straighten her position.
"It"s almost dinner time, mom... and daddy said that he"ll eat dinner with us and he"ll sleep here, too. Isn"t that great?"
Ingrid glared Clifford. "I don"t think we"ve discussed about you sleeping with us, Mr. Briggs." Her voice was stiff again.
"Yeah, we didn"t but it"s our son"s idea, and since I haven"t "spent" a lot with him lately, so I think it"s the best suggestion actually. And the doctor said that you"re over fatigued and you should avoid being easily angry and stressed again." Clifford said it to her so that she will not protest to their son"s request.
"Yeah, mom, I miss daddy so, so much. Can you just give me this chance please?" Clark then supported his father. Ingrid could not reject her son"s request.
"Alright, alright! You both win." She lost again to their whim, she couldn"t help it but agree.
Sighing to her defeat, she gets up from bed while the father and son are both staring at her.
"Where are you going? You still need a rest." Clifford tried to stop her but she wouldn"t budge.
"Just let me be. I originally planned to cook our dinner, so I"m going to the kitchen. And please don"t stop me!"
"But –" Clifford sensed that someone is tagging his pants so he looked down and saw Clark shaking his head and gestured to be carried by him.
When Clark was in his arms, he whispered to Clifford"s ears, "Please don"t stop mommy, dad... because she seldom cooks for me and I wanna taste the foods she"ll prepare for us tonight." The child then giggled.
"What are you two up to again?" Ingrid said with narrowed eyes.
Both of them denied by shaking their heads and Ingrid wanted to laugh looking at them because they looked so cute, but she controlled herself. And then she looked down and she noticed that her clothes were changed.
"Hey! Who took off and changed my clothes?" she instantly crossed her forearms on her chest as if Clifford stripped off her clothes.
The man chuckled. "Of course it"s not me! It"s nanny Tess..."
"Oh thank G.o.d!" she hurriedly went outside because of embarra.s.sment.
"You"re so immature Ingrid! Why you acted that way! Geez! It"s so embara.s.sing" she scolded herself and her face went red when she remembered her actuation.
When she reached the kitchen, her house helps were talking among themselves.
"Nanny Tess, is he really the father of Clark?" Jeri, one of the house helps, asked Clark"s nanny.
"I don"t know, alright! But I heard Clark keeps on calling him daddy..."
Ingrid did not inform the house helps the truth because she wanted it that way. But they"ll know it eventually so she didn"t bother to explain herself to them.
She knocked on the door before she went inside which makes the house helps jolts in surprise.
"Ma"am Ingrid..." they all said in chorus. They look like a thief caught in the act of stealing.
"Did you prepare the ingredients I needed to cook for dinner?"
"Ahh ye-yes, Ma"am... here it is..." it was all neatly placed in a food container.
"Okay, let"s start cooking..."
Ingrid feels excited to cook again. To her nothing beats a home cooked meal regardless of how simple it is as long as it is cooked with love, it"s still the best.
Ingrid learned to cook from the expert. She enrolled herself in a culinary arts school and graduated. One of her dreams was to become a chef but then business appeals her more.
"Dad, let"s watch mommy cook." The boy suggested.
"Hmm.. will your mom be okay with it? I wanted to watch her cook, though.."
"Come on daddy!" the child shrieked with delight and he pulled him to go out and went to the kitchen.
Ingrid was already busy cooking when they arrived and she didn"t notice their arrival but the house helps did, but Clifford put his point finger on his lips and they hushed, so that Ingrid"s concentration won"t be disturbed.
Clifford is so captivated by how graceful Ingrid"s movement while she cooks. It"s swift and precise. You could tell that she loves what she is doing.
"How did I become so blessed having this woman as my future wife and..." he then looked at his son "the beautiful mother of my child." Clifford contemplated.