Chapter 93: Chapter 93

After Andrea tendered to Pearl, she went into the kitchen to make breakfast with Elena's assistance. Andrea chuckled softly as she rinsed the vegetables in the basin. "You know it's been like ages since I last prepared a meal with you."

She turned around and grabbed the knife on the kitchen counter, accidentally causing it to slip from her hand and land in between Elena's toes. Andrea gasped out loud, stunned to realize that Elena didn't notice anything that had happened. She gently picked up the knife and tapped Elena by the shoulder.

Elena, who jolted out of her thoughts, stared at Andrea curiously with a smile. "What? Why are you looking like you saw a ghost?"

"Lena!" Andrea called out to her softly before pulling her into a tight hug.

"Hey! Why are you crying? Elena pulled away from the hug and wiped her tears. "Lena, what were you thinking about that you didn't know a knife landed in between your toes?" Andrea sniffed back her mucus.

"A knife? I was just thinking about resigning from my job and starting afresh here in New York." Elena confessed and then added, "I mean, it's not like I have any family members there; ever since you left, everything feels different; besides, that place reminds me of Ryan now." Elena sighed deeply, lowering her head to the ground.

"I understand; you have lots of memories with Ryan in New South Wales that you don't want to remember, but you worked so hard to get the duty of head nurse, remember? Are you ready to throw it all away just because of him?" Andrea tried to reason with her.

"I don't know, but I don't think I can ever face him again or stop myself from having these crazy thoughts. Andrea, it's not just about him this time; it's more about my sanity," Elena replied, placing a palm on her forehead.

Andrea smiled and gave her a hug. "Maybe you should give yourself some time to think it through; I'm sure you will make the right decision at the end."

Elena nodded in agreement. "I'm going back to Australia the day after tomorrow. I will be going to work while at the same time coming to a decision on what step to take next."

"Sounds like a great plan. No matter the decision you make, I will support you," Andrea said, giving her hands a tight squeeze.

After preparing breakfast, they sat down together to have their meal while laughing and reminiscing about the past.

***

"Agnes, I will be out for a while. Please take proper care of the kids till I return," Andrea instructed while putting on a black coat underneath her cashmere sweater.

Andrea gave both Pearl and Ruby a kiss on the lips. "Bye, babies, I promise to return home early. Please be good till I get back," she coaxed them softly.

"You are leaving?" Elena said with her arms crossed over her shoulder as she leaned on the door frame.

"Do you want to come with me?" She asked, turning around to face Elena.

"No, you go; I'm on the twins' side," Elena replied.

Andrea let out a chuckle. "Okay, then bye!" she waved at Elena before walking out of the room.

"Bye. Don't stay out too long," Elena reminded Andrea as she left the room.

****

Andrea took deep breaths before knocking on the door to her aunt's apartment. Not long after, the door burst open, revealing Jasmine, who had a sweet smile on her face.

"Sis," she whispered softly as she pulled her into a hug.

"How have you been? Jasm," a smile appeared on Andrea's face as she stroked Jasmine's hair before pulling away from the hug.

"I have been doing well. I missed you very much. Please come in," she said, paving the way for Andrea to come in. "Mom is in the kitchen, preparing all of your favorite dishes." Jasmine, who sounded excited, whispered this into her ear.

Andrea gave her a smile and dropped her bag on the couch before sauntering over to her aunt in the kitchen.

"May, you are here already? I thought you wouldn't be coming till noon." Tessa let out her thoughts.

" Mhm. I came much earlier because of the twins. They only let me put them to sleep in the afternoon, so I thought maybe if I came now I'd be able to make it back home on time."

Tessa nodded her head in understanding. "Andrea, is he treating you well? Are you happy with your marriage? I hope he didn't force you." She laid out all of her concerns in an uneasy tone.

Andrea teared up, listening to her aunt, and hugged her. How could she get mad at this wonderful woman?" was the thought lingering in her mind.

"Mom Tessa, I'm so sorry for getting angry and for speaking to you in that manner. Please forgive me," she apologized, clutching her arms tightly around her.

"Oh my, relax, dear. I'm not mad at you. I understand that you were angry with me for keeping the secret from you. Andrea, you know how much I love you." She stroked her hair gingerly, and Andrea sighed in contentment, feeling better in her embrace.

They disengaged from the hug, beaming with smiles. "Thank you, Mom Tessa. Mr. Wilson has been treating me nicely so far; he respects my every decision, and we are both in love each other.

"What about the twins? Does he treat them like his own? Aren't you worried that he might not be uncomfortable around them?"

Andrea pressed her lips together, suppressing the urge to laugh. "Mr. Wilson is actually the twins father," she said, this time bursting into laughter.

" Huh? Are you pulling my legs?"

Andrea munched on the grapes that were kept in the bowl beside her. "I'm serious. I found out months ago, but I felt embarrassed to tell you about it. I didn't know how you would react to it knowing Sean got engaged back then."

Her eyes went wide as Andrea spoke, "That's great news. I'm so happy for you and the twins, dear," she said genuinely, but deep down, Tessa found it quite hard to digest this sudden revelation.

"Jasmine, you can come out now. I can see you'' Andrea giggled sweetly.

"Sean Wilson, your ex-boss, is your husband and the father of the twins. Wow Andrea!" Jasmine, who had been eavesdropping on their conversation, came out of her hiding spot.

Andrea nodded and pulled her ear slightly. "Now let's assist Mom Tessa in making lunch," she said happily, and she began to chop the onions.

After they ate a table filled with all of Andrea's favorite meals that they had prepared for lunch, Andrea and mom Tessa finally settled down to converse while Jasmine excused herself, going into the kitchen to do the dishes.

A restless look clouded Tessa's face. "Andrea, are you sure you would like to know who your biological parents are?" She asked again for the second time.

With her lips pursed, she nodded. "Yes, mom Tessa. Knowing who they are will never change the relationship I share with you. I promise everything will always be the same, and to be honest, I have been curious to know everything about my biological parents.

"It's not that, Andrea. I trust you completely. It's just that these people we are talking about are very influential and wealthy. I have nurtured you since you were a baby, and I know your kind of personality. You have always dreamt of a very simple lifestyle, but I'm afraid that can never be the case."

Andrea's heart sank deeply, and at that moment she felt her breath get stuck in her throat. The discovery was already making her dizzy and her palms moist before she even got the chance to find out.

Mom Tessa sighed deeply and said, "Your biological parents are Richard Jones and Irish Brown; you also have an elder brother, Jacob Jones. You must have heard of the Jones family in New York."