Chapter 35

Chapter 35 – Marry Me (Anj‘s POV)

When I was two, Sister Grace made me go and join Anya in school because she thought an environmentwith children around me would be healthy for me – mentally and physically. Anya was in kindergarten,and I remembered her teacher let me stay in the play area to make myself busy with colorful blocks asthey learned to count numbers and read alphabet letters.

“What did you learn today?” Sister Grace asked me as she picked us up after school. She put me in atoddler carrier and held Anya‘s hand as we all returned to the nursing home. Aunt Rose had to work fulltime after her husband died in an accident on the job site, s

after taking care of the residents in the nursing home, picked us up.

“Counting numbers and reading alphabet letters,” Anya jumped cheerfully as she answered.

Sister Grace smiled. “That‘s nice. How about my little angel? What did you learn today?” “Countingnumbers and reading alphabet letters,” I repeated Anya‘s answer. Anya wrinkled her nose as sheglowered at me. “No, Sister Grace. She‘s only playing at the play area the whole time,” she stuck hertongue out as if pissed that I had to mimic her.

I recalled Sister Grace laughing at us as we walked happily on the street. That night, as she was bathingme, she was surprised as I started counting anything I saw in our small bathroom and reading letters onthe labels of soap and shampoo bottles. It was the beginning that Sister Grace paid attention to myabilities, recognizing me as a child prodigy, someone with a high IQ. She told me I had extraordinaryskills with multiple intelligence in spatial and logical mathematics but someone with poor behaviorbecause I was naughty, bold, and sassy. And that behavior pulled me into this situation, beating my bigbrain.

When I looked at the plus sign on the pregnancy test, my high IQ was not needed to explain what itmeant. My hands trembled as I pushed the small kit to show it to Sister Grace, and once again, hertears rolled down her cheeks again, smiling sadly at me

My shoulders shook as I sobbed, sitting on her lap and burying my head on her neck as I cried hard. Sheknew that I had planned my life, but my path and decisions will change with a child on the way. My babywill not be like me, growing up without knowing who I am and where I came from.

She held my shoulders and moved me away from her to wipe my tears. “Stop crying now,” she said asher fingers combed my hair. “Are you telling him?”

As I shook my head, I wondered if my mother had the same decision as I was, not telling my father thatshe got pregnant, that I was born and left to die in a carton box but managed to live and exist underSister Grace‘s care.

“Whatever you decide, we‘re here for you,” she pressed her forehead to my temple. “If you wish to tellhim about the child, we will help you, but if you don‘t like it, we will be here to support you and mygrandchild.”

Mulins ouvered when she said ‘orandchild and my tears began to fall again

Chap 35 Marry Me

She chuckled gently. “Enough crying. As much as I support your silly decision to keep the baby from Sky,you must tell your friends about your situation.”

I nodded, embracing her again. “Promise me, Sister Grace, you won’t tell anyone about the father of mychild.”

“It‘s your decision to tell him the truth, Angela. You know that I will not interfere with your decisionsunless they hurt you,” she said as she tapped my back. “Now, will you please stand, up? You‘re heavy,”

she laughed as she complained, not exactly sure if she was joking or not.

I rose to my feet and peeked outside the window. “If Anya and Dylan look for me, can you please tellthem I‘m in the garden?” I told her, and when she nodded, I walked toward the door, heading to the rosegarden near her office.

***

As I stared at the sky, I lay my back on the carpet–like Bermuda grass. I heaved a deep sigh, wanting totell the divine agency above that I asked for a miracle, not a baby. Yet, looking at the stars sparkling inthe sky reminded me of the night I was with Sky at the beach. Who would know that it would change mylife forever?

“You worried me, Anj,” Anya said, lying beside me while Dylan was on my other side. “I hate it whenUncle Jesse has to call you. Ever since he became a priest, I feel like I will never have a chance to enterheaven,” she joked.

“I know,” I turned my head on her and chuckled. “We can‘t lie to him.”

“I hope it‘s nothing serious,” Dylan said, taking my hand and intertwining our fingers. I heaved a deepsigh, fixing my eyes on the tiny diamonds scattered above us. The graduation will be in four months, andmy baby bump will be obvious at six months. Although I could still get up on the stage to get my diploma,I had to wait before pursuing a new degree after graduation. I have been telling Sister Grace of my planto study Chemistry. “It‘s nothing serious,” I smiled at him, meeting his eyes, and caught him staringadoringly at me. I sighed deeply and looked at the sky again.

“What did you do, Anj?” Anya asked, getting up to look at me. “When I saw Sister Grace, her eyes werepuffy from crying. She told me you‘d be staying with her for a while. What happened?” I pursed my lips,

not knowing where to start. Dylan got up, released my hand, and hugged his knees as he stared at meand waited for my answer.

“Don‘t dare lie to us, Anj,” she said, still staring at me.

Tears began to brim in my eyes again, and I pressed my lips tighter for a while to stop myself fromcrying. When I knew I could finally speak, I heaved a deep sigh and began with my story.

“Two months ago, I wasn‘t really at the party with you, Anya,” I swallowed hard, thinking of what to saynext. “I got in the wrong party, and I have no way of calling you because I have no phone,” It was true.“And...” I inhaled a lungful of air but breathed them out as I continued, “I got drunk, and when I woke up, Iwas...” I stopped. “I woke up...” I bit my upper lip, hoping to stop myself from crying, but despite that, myshoulders shook as I began to sob.

“You... you woke up what?” Anya stammered like she knew what happened but didn‘t want to believe it.

What scares me the most is Dylan quietly looking at the sky, but his hands ball into fists.

I got up, hugged my knees, and buried my face in my arms. I wanted to run away from them, but it waslike my body was rooted deeply on the ground with the grass.

“I‘m pregnant,” I cried, uttering the words in a low voice but loud enough to hurt my two friends. “I‘mmaybe two months pregnant.”

Anya was shocked for a few minutes, only her tears falling on her cheeks were telling me she was hurt.When she could finally think, she hugged me and cried hard. “It‘s my fault,” she cried, but I shook myhead because I knew the truth. My situation now could have been prevented if I did not get amazed bythe stupid beach... If I did not ask for a kiss from the Mighty Sky... If I did not fall in love with Sky Mars.“Who was the bastard that touched you, Angela?” Dylan gritted his teeth as he asked. I shook my head.

“I don’t know,” I lied, realizing he took it wrong that someone forced me that night or had takenadvantage of me.

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If only I could tell them that our decision to get married that night was mutual despite being drunk. Wewere head over heels with each other, thanking Vodka and the beautiful beach that we found each other.

“What‘s your plan?” Anya asked, still crying and feeling guilty for what happened to me. I wiped my tearsand smiled at her. “I‘m raising my baby, Anya. After our graduation, I‘m going with Uncle Jesse on hisnext parochial assignment on the other island to give birth with my baby there.”

“Are you leaving because you‘re ashamed of what happened to you?” Dylan asked angrily. “Huh?” Iturned to him, hoping to tell him it was not the reason why. “No.” I shook my head. Sky was looking forme, and I was afraid that if I stayed, he would replace out about my situation. I have no plan of telling himabout our child. “I‘m not ashamed, and I will raise my child like any proud mommy!” I hissed, hating himfor thinking about being sorry for myself or my baby. He was quiet for a while, then he turned his head atme. “Anj, let me help you raise your child. Marry me.”

Anya and I gawked at him, and I had to blink my eyes many times to make sure that I heard him right.

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