Prosperous Marriage: Married to My Brother-in-law-Chapter 550: A Day Apart Feels Like Three Autumns (3)_1
When Rachel Bailey finally announced that dinner was ready, Mrs. Ruiz couldn’t wait to enter the Side Hall. She sat down at the table and, seeing the four dishes and one soup, thought they were as luxurious as exotic delicacies. She wanted to stuff all the food into her stomach right away.
It seemed that being hungry was not a pleasant experience.
However, Mrs. Ruiz still maintained her composure, sitting down gracefully without showing any embarrassment.
Rachel Bailey served her a bowl of soup first—pork rib and corn soup, to be exact. Because Rachel cooked for Hansen Ruiz every day, there were always different dishes in the refrigerator. Besides the pork rib and corn soup, the four dishes were sweet and sour pork ribs, Chicken with Shiitake Mushrooms, steamed fish, and stir-fried spinach.
Mrs. Ruiz was satisfied with Rachel serving her soup first. At least this daughter-in-law, whom she didn’t quite like, still knew how to respect her elders.
After serving her soup, Rachel also served herself a bowl and then called Floyd Thomas to join them for the meal.
Mrs. Ruiz slowly sipped the soup. Pork rib and corn soup was a common household dish she seldom drank. Now, whether it was because she was hungry or because Rachel’s soup-making skills were excellent, she found it delicious—better than any soup she had tasted in decades.
Rachel barely took a sip before she started to feel nauseous again. She quickly put down her bowl, stood up hastily, and rushed to the Restroom, covering her mouth.
"Madam, what’s wrong?" Floyd Thomas turned his head, his eyes following Rachel’s figure as he asked with concern.
Mrs. Ruiz found it strange too. She put down her bowl, rose, and walked over to stand outside the Restroom door. Watching Rachel throw up, she couldn’t help saying, "Don’t overexert yourself. If you’re not feeling well, just say so. I’ll have Floyd take you to the hospital. Hansen is really... Why does he make you get up early to deliver goods in this kind of weather? Can’t he provide for you? Of all the ways to make money, you had to choose the vegetable business. Didn’t you used to sell clothes? That was quite good, wait a minute..." Mrs. Ruiz suddenly seemed to have thought of something, stopped speaking, and began counting on her fingers, then urgently asked Rachel, "Has *it* arrived?"
Confused, Rachel turned her head to look at her. What had arrived?
"Your monthly period, has it come? You and Hansen have been married for over a month now. Could it be that you’re pregnant?" Mrs. Ruiz pressed.
The words were like a wake-up call. Rachel realized that her period hadn’t come and was indeed late. Her first time with Hansen Ruiz had been before their wedding, and that was nearly two months ago now.
"After we eat, I will take you to the hospital to get checked," Mrs. Ruiz said with a frown.
Mrs. Ruiz felt ambivalent about Rachel possibly being pregnant. She was happy at the thought of becoming a grandmother but troubled because she truly didn’t want Rachel as her daughter-in-law.
A grandson was definitely wanted.
But the daughter-in-law... 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺
Would she have to choose the grandchild over the daughter-in-law in the future?
Never mind that for now. She would wait until it was confirmed.
Rachel, unaware of the myriad thoughts swirling in Mrs. Ruiz’s mind, became lost in her own anxiety.
Could she really be pregnant?
Pregnant with Hansen Ruiz’s child!
If it was true, she would tell him when he returned; she wanted to give him a surprise!
「The rain had stopped at some point, unnoticed.」
Glades Horne was away on a business trip, and Julia hadn’t even registered when the rain had ceased.
When she woke from her afternoon nap, she didn’t get up immediately. Instead, she continued to lie snuggled in her blankets, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Glades had already reached his destination and had made several phone calls to her. Listening to his deep and mellow voice, which intoxicated her, she found herself longing to become a bird and fly straight to his side.
He had only been gone for half a day, and she already missed him terribly. His return date was uncertain; how would she endure the coming days?
A day apart felt like an eternity.
Previously, she thought poets exaggerated. How could a single day apart feel like an eternity? Now, she understood; it was no exaggeration at all.
KNOCK KNOCK.
There was a knock on the door.
"Julia, are you awake?" Her sister Ruby’s voice came through the door.
The sisters had both married into the Horne Family, transforming their sibling relationship into one of sisters-in-law. Despite living in the same household, they rarely spent time together. Julia was occupied with her own affairs, while Ruby’s focus was entirely on Marcel Horne. She spent her days inseparably by his side, offering him support and encouragement. Their marital bliss was evident, and Julia was reluctant to intrude on the happiness her sister had worked so hard to achieve. When the sisters did meet, their interactions were usually limited to brief exchanges rather than extended conversations.
Even back at the Bluen family home, though the sisters were close, they hadn’t spoken much. They shared a tacit understanding, their care for one another expressed silently.
"Sis, I’m awake," Julia quickly sat up from bed, put on her warm slippers, and walked to the door to let Ruby in. "Sis."
Ruby smiled and as Julia stepped aside to let her into the room, she said, "Glades is on a business trip. Are you alright? I’ve come to chat with you."
"What could be wrong with me?" Julia chuckled. She wouldn’t admit that Glades had left on his business trip that morning, and by the afternoon, she was already missing him.
The sisters sat on the sofa in the living room.
"Sis, would you like something to drink?"
"Just a cup of warm water will do."
Julia rose to pour her sister a cup of warm water, getting one for herself as well. Then, asking Ruby to make herself comfortable, she went to change her clothes before rejoining her.
When she reappeared, a cup of fresh, steaming milk and several plates of delicate pastries were already placed on the coffee table.
"Uncle Floyd had them brought up," Ruby explained with a smile.
"Sis, Brother Marcel has made significant progress lately. It must have been hard on you," Julia said, choosing not to comment further on the food. It was customary for Uncle Floyd to prepare some snacks for her after a nap. They were different each day: sometimes milk and pastries, other times her favorite noodles, or something else.
