Chapter 98: Chapter 98

" That's great, Vivian..." Morgan heard his wife say on the phone, while finishing decorating the pie she had just taken out of the fridge " Don't be silly, of course I trust you to take care of this alone. I need to rest after this meeting with the dog toy company that wants to partner with us…” she sighed heavily and he worried at how exhausted she sounded “No, I'm fine… It's just… Um, forget it, it must be the flu or something. I'll talk to you tomorrow, okay? I know, I know… We're going to celebrate my birthday at the shelter too, I haven't forgotten…” Charlie chuckled, although she still looked strangely tense “See you later, Vivian…

“So…” he said, smiling when she appeared in the kitchen from the living room “Did the meeting go well?

“Uh… Yes…” she nodded, her eyes focused on the floor “All as expected…

Putting the pastry bag aside, Morgan took a moment to study his wife, trying to understand what was wrong. Everything had been absolutely normal and wonderful until, the night before, she had come home from work with a pale face and an almost panicked expression. However, as much as he had tried to insist that she tell him what had happened to upset her so much, Charlie still insisted that nothing was wrong, even though she was acting in the strangest way he had ever seen her: avoiding his gaze, refusing He kept up a real conversation and always had that same desperate look on his face, like he was expecting the world to fall apart at any moment or something. But what confused him most was that she seemed more needy than usual, always looking for his embrace and kisses, and Morgan had the feeling that this somehow had something to do with his tension.

The last time Morgan had seen her in this state was the two days before their wedding a month ago. But on that occasion, he had fully understood that her reaction was the result of the nervousness that inevitably came with planning a wedding, no matter how small and intimate theirs had been. Not that that stopped Vivian and the other friends Charlie had made in college from being overjoyed at being able to participate in the planning and ending up making his wife a little more nervous than her personality would normally be. Morgan never even knew there was such a thing as Boho Chic before he got married a second time, but he had heard Charlie vent so many times about how difficult it was to choose decorations of that genre, that he now considered himself almost an expert. Thankfully, the instant they'd said yes again in the middle of the little flower-strewn field in which the wedding had taken place, she'd gone back to being the spirited, determined woman he loved so much.

But as far as he knew, nothing that had happened to them lately could compare to the magnitude of the wedding. So then, why was she acting like that?

As if she had read his mind, she suddenly ran from the kitchen entrance towards him and surprised him with an almost desperate kiss, which only ended when he gently pushed her away, determined to try to find out what was wrong. He'd given her all night to get comfortable speaking for herself, but Morgan couldn't take the silence any longer, especially when it was her birthday.

“Did anyone say or do anything at the meetings you had yesterday that upset you...? “ he started the conversation with that fearful question, but she quickly cut him off.

“No, everything is normal. “ Charlie nodded, not looking at him, focusing her attention on the pie on top of the counter “And this pie?

“It's your birthday cake, technically. “He explained, smiling as he saw her eyes twinkle “Chocolate butterscotch pie: her favorite.

“Oh! “ Charlie exclaimed, more euphoric than he expected “Can I have a piece now, please?

“Anything for the birthday girl. “Morgan nodded, silently thinking that he would do anything to see her back in action again that day, as he cut a piece of the pie and plated it before serving it to her.

“Oh, that's wonderful…” she sighed in sheer delight, taking a big bite into her mouth “Looks like you guessed I was dying to eat…

But she didn't have time to finish her sentence before she bolted out of the kitchen at lightning speed, leaving Morgan with her jaw hanging open. More worried than ever, he hurried after her, following the rising sounds of vomiting until he found her kneeling in front of the toilet, holding onto it for dear life as she seemed to regurgitate everything she'd ever eaten in her mouth. your life.

Gently, he approached her and arranged her hair in a ponytail, waiting patiently while she finished vomiting and then brushing her teeth, her pale face looking slightly green.

“Are you feeling sick? “ he placed his hand on her forehead, when Charlie finally looked a little recovered “ Is that why you've been acting weird all day? We should go to the doctor...

" No! “She exclaimed immediately, however, realizing that her reaction was a little too exaggerated, she seemed to try to compose herself, opening a nervous smile“ I mean, you don't have to. It was just a malaise, nothing more. Also, I don't want to miss out on my 21st birthday getting scrutinized. “ Charlie shrugged, though he could clearly see there was more to it than that. “She commented, with an expression that made it look like she still couldn't believe it had finally happened.

" He is sure? “ he questioned her, watching her tie her hair in a bun, as if she was afraid the sickness would come back “Hopefully it won't be anything more than a cold and we'll be back soon…

“None of that! " she denied again, this time more normally, but still with that hint of panic that was making him anxious " Besides, you spent the whole month piquing my curiosity about my birthday present ... " she poked her chest his, bossy “ You're not going to make me miss this just because you're worried about a little irrelevant nausea, are you?

“Well…” he paused for a moment, knowing by her determined expression that he wouldn't be able to talk his wife into anything while she was in that mood. “Then I guess I'll throw that pie away. Some ingredient must have spoiled in the fridge and I didn't realize...

" No! Don't throw it away! “ she pouted, suddenly hurt “ It's my favorite pie! I want to eat, when I'm better! Besides, I'm pretty sure it was because of her that I threw up...

“But if it wasn't the pie, what other explanation can there be then? he questioned, causing her expression to turn alarmed at the same moment.

“Y-you said so yourself…” she stammered, staring at the floor as she walked out of the bathroom, moving away from him quickly, “Must be a common cold or something. I'm sure tomorrow I'll be much better...

“Do you want to take some medicine, then? “ he offered, kindly.

“Uh… No, better not…” Charlie's brows furrowed, as the possibility of medication scared her, for some inexplicable reason “I'm fine, really. What time is it anyway? “She asked, although it was very clear that she was just trying to change the subject “If you've already finished the pie, why don't you show me my surprise? “She held her hands out towards him, clearly pretending to be more excited than she really felt.

“ Well, your surprise, at least theoretically, is not something I can give you. At least not in the sense of putting it in your hands. “ he commented, enigmatic, hoping that birthday present could really cheer her up a little and, who knows, even make her reveal what was wrong “ We'll have to take a little car trip so I can show you - it to you...

“ Wow, how much mystery... “ she laughed, interested “ Well, then let's go there right now! I want to find out what this gift is anyway.

Obeying her, Morgan took her hand and guided her to the car, starting to lead her to the place of surprise in friendly silence, hoping that would help make her feel more comfortable. However, it seemed to have the opposite effect, as whenever he watched her out of the corner of his eye, he would see her crossing and uncrossing her thumbs nervously, apparently lost in thought enough to not even notice that they were entering a large condominium complex. .

Finally, he parked in front of one of the houses, a spacious building with modern architecture, surrounded by a large swimming pool and a well-tended garden. Happily, he watched Charlie's eyes widen with pure delight as she finally realized where they were. He knew that extremely luxurious environments with old-fashioned touches bothered her, reminding her of Anthony's decadent mansion, full of unnecessary opulence. This place, however, despite being far from simple or humble, had a very cozy atmosphere and ample space that, with luck, would be put to good use.

“ What a beautiful place! “Charlie exclaimed, impressed, as she got out of the car “Is it a restaurant or something?

" No. “ Morgan laughed, taking her hand again and starting to lead her inside “You'll understand soon...

Going up the long ramp in the middle of the garden that led to the main entrance, the two of them entered through the long front, which was unlocked, as the realtor had promised Morgan. Inside, the house was sparsely furnished, but the details in wood and porcelain made it very beautiful and well lit. Looking around with awed eyes, Charlie spun around the massive rooms, as if she was anxious to see everything at once.

“Look at that! “ she pointed out, as they reached the back of the house, where there was an even more spacious lawn, with trees and bushes full of flowers distributed around “Wow, I could raise fifty animals here. They would have plenty of space to play and grow safely...! “Charlie stopped, just as she seemed to realize something. “But why isn't anyone here? Is this place for sale? “ she looked around again, distracted “ Was it already bought?

"Well...that depends..." he commented, shrugging.

" Like this? She raised an eyebrow, confused.

“ It depends on whether you like it or not. “Morgan smiled, stroking her cheek.

" What? “ Charlie gasped, shocked “You mean...?