Chapter 17: Chapter 17

"When is Blue's expected birth?" asked Helena, diverting the conversation to another topic. The video call with her best friend had not been ended. It would probably continue for quite a while, considering their habit of exchanging stories so often that they lose track of time.

Blue was the temporary nickname of the baby Sophie was carrying. Sophie and her husband had not yet decided what to name their daughter. So, for a while, they called her Blue. The reason was that they both liked the color blue.

"Next month. Pray for me for everything to go smoothly," said Sophie at the end of her sentence. Yes, the prayers and support of those closest to her were what she really needed. If Sophie had the opportunity, of course, she would love to meet them face to face, not only face to face via gadgets. However, Sophie didn't blame the circumstances or her decision to stay away from her motherland. After all, Sophie was enjoying her life. There or anywhere, as long as she was happy, then there were no regrets. Just enjoy her life!

"Sure. Keep me informed. I'll fly there as soon as I hear Blue is born." Sophie laughed. She always enjoyed being with her best friend. Oh, she remembered her first meeting with Helena. At that time, Sophie was sad in the airport waiting room after saying goodbye to her family. Her obligation to study in Queen Elizabeth's country couldn't be ignored. This was her choice. And the scholarship that she got was a motivation for her to turn that opportunity into a reality.

Then, where was Helena? The woman around her age tapped her on the shoulder. She comforted her and talked to her throughout their waiting time. Their flight destination was the same, which was England. And yes, Helena also studied there, even though it was a different campus from her.

At the end of their brief meeting, they exchanged contacts to communicate with each other. As fellow overseas students, meeting people from the same area was like reaching distant relatives. The closeness of emotions immediately appeared so that their relationship did not just stop at the first meeting. They began to spend a lot of time together in their first year. And they were getting much closer to the end of their studies there.

"I'm waiting for your arrival. But, sorry. Maybe, I can only greet you with a simple welcome." There was a hint of regret in her voice.

"Did I ask for a welcome with fireworks?" joked Helena randomly. Indeed, who was she to the point where she should be greeted with no simple welcome? Don't make her look like an antagonist who wanted luxury. They were best friends, and she liked the simplicity of their friendship. "Don't worry. I'll prepare a surprise party for you."

"Surprisingly, you've said it now," Sophie replied with a joke that seemed to sound like a satire.

"Just be prepared so you won't be too surprised later," Helena said with a wide grin on her face.

Suddenly Helena's doorbell rang that forced her to end her chat with Sophie. Before the call was closed, she warned Sophie to take care of her health. Vice versa. The older they got, the more they realized that health was of the utmost importance.

Helena ran towards the door that connected the inside of her house to the outside. Her body slightly flinched after finding someone familiar standing behind her. "Mom!" she cried, both surprised and excited. That was right. That person was her mother. More precisely, Mother of Aaron or her mother-in-law. "Why are you here?"

"Why? Aren't you glad Mom came?" Mrs. Houston asked back as she stepped into her son's house.

Helena closed the brown door, then walked with her mother-in-law's steps. "It's not like that," she denied quickly. "You should have given the news first so I can prepare food for you, Mom."

Mrs. Houston smiled. She didn't say those words seriously. Her closeness to her daughter-in-law often made her joked like that. Yes, she really loved Helena like her own daughter. She had no daughter. There was only Aaron, who was the only son.

Since knowing that Helena would be her future daughter-in-law, she thought of her best friend's daughter as hers. She watched Helena grew up and shared her love for her. Their relationship became close even before the status of Aaron's future wife was officially attached to her.

"I'm joking, dear," said Mrs. Houston soothingly. "I've already cooked the food, so you don't need to cook anymore," she added, showing the container in her hand.

"I'm sorry to bother you," Helene replied regretfully. She should be the one treating her guest by preparing dishes for her. Not the other way around.

"You don't seem to know me. My hobby is cooking."

Her sentence calmed Helena to create a smile spreading across her lips. The two then walked towards the kitchen and took some plates to serve some food in the box. They kept the rest in the refrigerator because Mrs. Houston deliberately made a lot so that they could use it as Helena and Aaron's dinner menu. Then, the in-laws were sitting across from each other in the dining room and getting ready to start lunch.

"You should have told me. What if I've had lunch?" Apparently, Helena still wanted to file a protest because of her mother-in-law's sudden visit.

"Then you just have to accompany me to lunch here." Mrs. Houston did not want to lose. To be honest, the urge to visit their house came that morning. And instead of telling Helena, who would most likely be at home, she told Aaron about her plan. Aaron gave the green light with additional information about Helena had no schedule to leave the house on that day.

"You turn out to be good at making excuses too, huh," Helena grumbled when she realized the similarity of her mother-in-law to Aaron.

"Of course. Who else did Aaron learn that skill in, apart from her mother." Mrs. Houston said in a tone as if she was proud of her skills. "You must often lose when arguing with him," she guessed.

"Not often, but almost always lose," she grunted indignantly. Helena remembered how annoying Aaron was at the beginning of their marriage. Her husband was excellent at defending himself and finding excuses to create situations that would benefit him. See how Aaron tricked her. She was even at a loss for words and could not resist all the man's cunning attempts. In fact, she could have maintained her ego if Aaron had remained quiet instead of seducing her, which resulted in fatal consequences for her stance. Damn!

Laughter escaped Mrs. Huston's lips. She imagined in her mind how the argument that took place between Aaron and Helena. Her son obviously didn't want to lose to his interlocutor so quickly though that person was his own wife. Because of this nature, her relationship with Aaron was filled with debates that almost happened every day. If she didn't remember her status as Aaron's mother, of course, she wouldn't easily give up on her son.

"I admit Aaron can sometimes be very annoying," said Mrs. Houston, agreeing with all the poor opinions in Helena's mind. Within a month of their marriage, Aaron must have exposed his natures—good or unpleasant character. "But, you love him, don't you?"

Being shot directly like that inevitably caused Helena in surprise. She was nervous. Suddenly, a blush appeared on her cheeks. She gave a slight nod in response, "Yes, Mom."