HIS SALVATION

27

~CLAIR~

"Are you ready?", Matteo asked me. I took a deep breath and nodded. Knocking on the door, he gave me a gentle squeeze and the door opened. The maid greeted us with a warm smile and ushered us inside.

"They are all in the kitchen", she informed us and we followed her direction. Both of our families were talking and drinking in the kitchen. "Sorry we're late", Matteo apologized as we walked into the kitchen.

My family decided to host a dinner for both families, so I decided to tell them the news at dinner. "You look so cute in your purple V neck dress", Arianna complimented me. I blushed and said, "Thank you". I looked around to see her kids but they were nowhere to be found. "Where are the kids?", I asked.

"Oh, they're being babysat", she answered and I nodded. "Hey, Bunny", Aiden said as he approached me and kissed my cheeks. "Hi", I hugged him back. He tapped my nose and walked off to where Matteo and Dominick were standing.

"Let's start dinner, shall we?", mom suggested and we all nodded.

*

*

*

"How is the search going?", Matteo's dad asked. I tensed a little as I swirl my fork in my pasta to get myself distracted. My father cleared his throat and spoke, "We haven't gotten any report but we're getting somewhere". "How are you doing Clair?", Matteo's mom asked me making me look at her. "I'm fine thank you", I forced a smile.

Matteo laced his hand in mine and gave me a soft squeeze. "I have something to say", I breathed out. "What is it?", Taylor asked. She was sitting by my side while Matteo was at my left. I eyed her now bigger stomach as I dropped my fork.

"I know this came at a wrong time but I'm just going to say it", I said. Matteo began to draw circles on my hand with his thumb as I looked at my laps. I cleared my throat.

"I'm pregnant", I quickly say as I looked at my father and mother.

"Really? That's great news, Clair", mom said happily. Everyone seemed happy except for my dad. He looked worried but tried to hide it with a fake smile. I was a daddy's girl so I knew when he was faking it or not.

After dinner, I walked to my dad's study where he was staying. I knocked on the door.

"Come in".

I opened the door and walked in. He was standing by the window with his hands crossed at the back.

"Dad?", I called.

He turned around and flashed me a smile. "Hey sweetheart, how are you?", he asked. "I'm fine, dad. What's wrong?", I asked him. "Nothing's wrong. Why would you think that?", he asked. "You're not happy that I'm pregnant, are you?", I asked him.

His eyes widened and he shook his head as he approached me. "No, Clair I'm more than happy that you're pregnant. But I'm scared for your safety. I don't want anything to happen to you and now, your baby. It's all so sudden", he said as he put my hands in his.

"I'm so sorry for all the stress I've caused", I told him him as I looked down at my feet. "Come here", he said and pulled me in his warm embrace. "You haven't caused me any stress. I love you, your sister and brother and I'll always protect all of you. Now you're going to be a mother and I'll soon be a grandfather of two kids", he said and I giggled.

"Mine and Taylor's?", I asked him. "Yup and I couldn't be happier", he said grinning down at me and I mirrored it. "I love you, dad", I hugged him tighter. "Never have I ever stopped loving you, not even for a second", he said as he hugged me back.

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"And we kissed. We actually kissed and he told me he loved me!", Sam explained to me. I grinned at her disheveled state. "Why are you grinning at me like an idiot?", she asked with a frown. I shook my head still grinning at her.

Earlier this morning, showed up at my house looking like train of emotions had hit her in the guts. At one point she was laughing and then she'd be sad. Now, she was explaining her rollercoaster of drama to me.

"It's creepy", she shivered dramatically. "Remember that time in college when we were in our final year, when Colton Weathers asked you out?", I asked her. "That guy that was super cute with blonde hair?", she asked and I nodded. "I remember clearly rejecting him then and there. It's not my fault he's not my type", she defended.

"Well, we do like guys with brown or black hair", I mused with a shrug and we laughed. "So are you guys a thing now?", I asked her. They better be a thing. I even planned a cute name for their first born child.

"I don't know", she said honestly. Down falls the plan.

I looked at her like she had grown three heads. She must be joking. "Are you serious? You don't even know where you guys stand?", I whisper-yelled at her. She shrugged and popped a grape into her mouth.

"When the time comes, he'll ask me to be his girlfriend", she shrugged. "More like propose to you", I teased and she blushed. "What about the baby?", she asked me. I pointed at my still flat stomach, "Sometimes, I still wonder if it's actually real". She chuckled. "Remember Life skills class?", she asked and I nodded.

"Mrs. Walkers said that when you're pregnant, it won't be obvious until you're about a month or two", she said. "So you can still enjoy your sexy body", she grinned and I rolled q my eyes at her.

I sighed and stooqd up from my bed. "Why don't we go out and have some fun?", she asked. I turned to face her, "Why?". "It's a Saturday and we're both free so we can go out. Girl time, shopping, gossiping and other stuffs we did before", she shrugged.

"Let me get changed first", I said and run into my wardrobe. Grabbing a pair of dark wash high waisted jeans and a gray loose sweater, I got dressed.

"I love the way the sweater falls off your shoulders showing the creamy skin", Sam said in a ding ding voice as I step out of the closet. "You sound like an obsessed creepy man", I stated and she smiled back.

I brushed my hair and plaited it in lazy twin braids. "Smokey eye shadow and pink lip gloss", Sam ordered me and I rolled my eyes but I still did as she said. Sam pulled out a tube of nude lipstick from her purse and applied a layer.

I slipped on my Nike vans while she got off my bed. "Let's go", she said and we walked out of the room.

"Martha, we're going out", I informed the woman that was busy dusting the glass figurines. "Okay, sweetie. Have fun, girls", she said with a cheeky smile and we waved at her before leaving.