Mrs. Hart flew in from back home in a frantic hurry.
Worried about her daughter being pregnant and alone overseas, she had rushed over without even telling Liliana, simply catching a cab to the apartment herself.
So when Liliana woke up and came downstairs to find her mother in the kitchen making soup, she blinked, rubbing her eyes in disbelief.
“...Mom?”
Liliana stood frozen on the spot.
Hearing her voice, Mrs. Hart emerged from the kitchen with a wide smile, waving her over. “Liliana, just a moment. I’m making you some soup. It’ll be ready soon.”
Mrs. Hart’s gaze shifted to Liliana’s slightly showing belly, her expression momentarily complex.
But it was just for a second.
Her warm, kind smile returned immediately. “Go sit down, and be careful. The first three months are the most crucial.”
Mrs. Hart still felt a shiver of fear thinking about it.
As she headed back to the kitchen, she started fussing. “You silly girl, always so independent. How could you not tell me something as big as a pregnancy?”
“Keeping it a secret like that... what if something had gone wrong in those first few months?”
“If you had told me sooner, I never would have let you run all over the place. I would have found someone to take care of you right away.”
Mrs. Hart’s chatter wasn’t a true scolding or complaint; it was born of genuine fear.
Liliana was her only, precious daughter.
Whether her grandchild would have a father or not, she had only one wish: that her daughter and granddaughter would be safe and sound. Nothing else mattered.
As long as they were safe, they could do whatever they pleased.
Listening to her mother’s familiar nagging, Liliana felt a sting in her nose, her eyes welling up.
She went and hugged Mrs. Hart around the waist, a bright smile on her face as she wheedled, “Mom, I knew you were the best to me.”
Liliana glanced down and saw her mother was making her favorite savory stew.

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