13 Mutual

On their way home!

Ever since they came out of the hospital, it was like a new side of Nora had awoken up – ' the shopping aunt Nora ' side. She took Linda to the nearby baby care store and whatever seemed like a baby care and fun product, she bought it. It didn't matter to Nora whether it would be useful or not, all that mattered was the pure baby and the new mother's care. Even when Linda almost begged her to stop buying so much, Nora was the one to just not hear, and so after some time, Linda let her be. Linda could only shake her head with an amused smile tugged on her lips, all the way. All this time, the baby had considerably warmed up to Nora as whenever Nora took it in her arms, the baby would visibly smile in its sleep or would just show a toothless grin to her. And as for Nora, she couldn't be any more excited and happy.

She thought that she was not good with babies and children but the cutie baby had proved her wrong. Her mouth was just shaped with an O expression for the 'Aww' expression that she carried on her face.

( :O )

It was as if Nora wasn't just an aunt but another excited elder sibling.

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FINALLY BACK HOME

Linda carried the baby to her room and did the child-care chorus that needed to be done, including feeding and coaxing it to sleep. Nora took out the milk powder and helped herself in the kitchen to prepare the baby milk and soon handed it out to Linda in her room.

A while later, when Linda was done putting the baby to sleep, Nora, who was still waiting patiently for her, looked up at her with a happy smile that made her eyes glow like stars. And Linda couldn't help but return the same. Sitting together, both of them stayed in a comfortable silence for a bit. Finally, when Nora couldn't contain her curiosity, she started off the conversation first as she asked,

"Linda, how did you end up in the hospital and why didn't you call me?"

Nora said with a sad pout on her face, suddenly thinking and getting to remember those restless moments and those sleepless nights that she spent while worrying her life for Linda, Nora couldn't help but feel hurt at the sudden memory of all that. Linda who herself had been looking for an opportunity to explain and apologize to Nora, almost felt her heart prick at the sight of a sad Nora. Linda could imagine the genuine worry and sincere restlessness that Nora might have gone through. Because, had she been the one at her place, she too would have felt the same way and there was no denying this fact.

Linda took a deep breath and slowly and carefully explained her side of the story. At the first part when Linda was chased down, Nora's expression turned from a sad pout to worried lines on her forehead. When she heard that Linda went into labor on the open street, Nora almost felt wholly responsible for all of it.

'I should have been more responsible.' Was all that Nora could think of as a drop or two of her tears, escaped her eyes.

Linda wiped her tears with an empathetic and reassuring smile as she continued her whole side story of how she was delivered to the hospital by a kind man and how her hospital fees were paid as well. Nora almost squealed in joy when she heard the last part of it, as her expression turned from stressed and sorrowful to hopeful and grateful to the unknown man.

Linda didn't tell the whole point-to-point details, as she didn't want to freak the already sorrowful girl out. She also skipped the part of her meeting with Neil Martins in real life and how he had offered her to get a good job and develop some skills that might help her and the baby. Since she had not had the chance to think about that conversation yet, she didn't tell about Neil Martins for now, or else there was a ninety-nine point nine nine nine percent chance that the girl in front of her would pass out of happiness and excitement of having her close acquaintance met with Neil Martins.

'When I make up my mind about it, I'll tell her then.' Linda thought.

And then, after talking about here and there, Nora came to the most important part of the conversation - the baby.

"So.. Linda, what have you thought to give the name to the baby boy? If you have not thought about it, let me give you some ideas. I have made a whole list of boys' and girls' names for babies in these months. These took me so much time to search for. Wait let me show you." Seeing the excited girl sprinting and hopping around in excitement for just the name of the bay, made Linda a bit emotional. She suddenly got reminded of her sister who was as cheerful as Nora.

'Would she have been as much as happy and excited as Nora is right now? I wonder what father and mother are doing right now? And my brother, I wonder what new naught he is up to?'

Inadvertently thinking about her royal family, a few drops of tears trailed down Linda's cheeks, without her noticing it, until Nora touched her cheeks and wiped them off.

"What are you thinking, Linda? Are you feeling pain somewhere? I'm sorry I didn't let you rest and indulge in all these talks -"

Before she could continue, Nora was suddenly pulled into a tight hug from Linda. Nora was stunned for a moment until she realized the back of her shirt getting wet. She then realized that Linda was crying. Nora wanted to ask Linda why she was crying, the reason for her sudden sorrow.. but she was suddenly reminded of the fact that Linda's family had abandoned her. Nora stopped herself from asking anything, as she hugged the crying woman back and let her cry as much as she wanted.

After some time, when Linda felt like she had let all her cries out, she detached herself from Nora and wiped her tears hurriedly, expecting Nora to ask her about her reason for crying. But surprisingly Nora just gave her a reassuring smile and didn't say anything more, and Linda was thankful for it. It would have been a bit awkward and difficult for her to explain the reasons for her sudden crying outburst. It was like, both of them had a mutual understanding bond between them, the one which didn't require words.