Chapter Sixteen

"What happened?"

Banging the cupboard where she took a glass, she murmured as she filled the glass with water.

"Mom fainted."

"What?"

In sync, AJ and Tristan exclaimed. They quickly rushed behind her when she left the kitchen and power walked back up the steps.

Upon arrival, she spotted Clarice drilling a hole in the floor. She hurried over to her. AJ and Tristan rushed to stoop near Helena.

They both breathed a heavy sigh, for she looked fine.

"What happened?"

AJ asked, his eyebrows meeting his hairline as he turned to look at Clarice.

"It is a long story."

Groaning, Clarice murmured.

"This is confusing."

AJ and Tristan mused.

Sharlene became flustered.

Passing a hand through her hair, Clarice gazed up at the ceiling to gather her wits as if the wooden plastering had answers. She had finally stopped pacing.

"Let us all talk about this together when mom wakes up, okay?"

A chorus of okay's circulated her.

Sitting down on the opposite side of her mother, who was slowly gaining back consciousness, Sharlene tensely smiled while tightly holding onto the warm glass of water.

"I just had the worst dream."

Muttering, Helena took the outstretched glass from her.

"What was it, mom?"

AJ inquisitively asked.

Gulping the water in one swallow, Helena gazed at Clarice, AJ, Tristian, and then Sharlene.

"It was about my younger daughter falling pregnant. How comical is that?"

Humorously chuckling, she once again passed her eyes between a nervous Clarice and Sharlene.

"It was a dream, right?"

"I only wish it was mum."

Muttering, Sharlene rushed to grab her mother's hands, for the glass was about to slip through her fingers. AJ and Tristan's mouth flew agape. They were too shocked to speak. Helena was about to put her hands on her mouth due to shock, but Sharlene stopped her. She did this because she peed on the pregnancy sticks earlier. Placing the abandoned glass on the end table behind her mother, she sighed.

"Why... How did that happen?"

Confused, Helena's face turned pale, and in a small voice, she barely spoke above a whisper.

"Was it a one-night stand?"

Gasping a bit taken aback by her mother's audacity, Sharlene became flustered.

"No, mom, I would never embarrass myself like that! What gave you that idea?! You raised us with better judgment!"

Watching her breathing a sigh of relief, Sharlene quickly added.

"I am still, and proudly, a virgin."

"How is that...? Oh god, this is confusing."

Not wanting to confuse her mother, sister, AJ, and Tristian any further, Sharlene quickly explained as best she could.

"This happened because of an insemination."

Their expressions were priceless, their words coming out in sync as they all tried to wrap their heads around the information.

"In...Insemination...? How...? But...? Oh my god, this is confusing. Was it not a Pap smear you did in the hospital three weeks ago?"

Sharlene had black hair, but her mother, sister, and AJ had blonde hair, the only distinction that set them apart from having green eyes. Helena and Clarice appeared more like twins than mother and daughter. Their personalities, expressions, and even how they spoke were the same to the extent that it was creepy.

"How did an insemination occur?"

Placing a hand underneath her chin, Sharlene shrugged as she answered her sister's question.

"It is complicated. The assistant of the doctor called and told me this happened because of a mix-up. The nurse who had done my examination mistook my information for another patient, but I have no idea how exactly this happened. She told me to come to the hospital so that they could investigate the matter further."

Questioning with raised eyebrows, Helena was confused.

"The assistant? Who?"

Glancing with a sheepish smile in her mother's direction, Sharlene sighed.

"It was she who called earlier."

"But I thought you said it was a spam call."

Sighing heavily, Sharlene passed a hand through her hair.

"It was difficult to wrap my head around the news that I could be pregnant with an unknown man's baby, so I lied and said it was a wrong number. I was nervous."

"I understand, honey."

Nodding, her mother understood from Sharlene's viewpoint.

"So, when did you find out you were pregnant?"

Her sister curiously asked.

Sharlene imputed with a sigh.

"Well, I officially found out today, but I had a terrible idea that I was a week ago. When I had felt upset because of everything I smelled and eat, I knew it was not the flu. I also dismissed the thought of being pregnant, though Rita had similar symptoms because that was impossible."

"You are rambling, Sharlene."

AJ inputted with a frown. His hands were against his chin as he contemplated on the sudden news.

"I am? Oh sorry. I am just so nervous, angry, and..."

Sharlene began, but before she could ramble further, Clarice interjected.

"And it is okay to feel this way, Shar."

Suddenly standing, Helena caught everyone off guard with her sudden determined shout.

"Okay!"

"Mom, are you alright?"

Clarice questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"Mm? Of course, I am Clair."

Harmonizing, Helena gazed in confused Sharlene's face.

"I am ready to get going."

"Ready? Ready for what exactly, mom?"

Averting her eyes to stare in Clarice's direction, Helena smiled.

"Ready to go to the hospital, or are you planning to stay here? We need answers, and they are willing to offer it."

Gapped mouths, Sharlene and Clarice quickly jumped to action. There is one other thing Sharlene knew about her mother. She became a breathing dragon when something goes wrong in her family.

"Of course, we are coming with you, mom."

Nodding, Helena commanded in a soft tone of voice to AJ and Tristan.

"Take care of the house, boys. We might be back late."

They curtly nodded.

"It is safe to bring those Pap smear forms with us if there was an under-the-rug decision, Sharlene."

Sharlene innocently asked after nodding.

"What are we going to do when we arrive at the hospital, mom?"

Helena scoffed.

"Why sue them. I will get James as our lawyer by next week Tuesday. You know of how he owes me a favor for so many years your father helped him."

Watching her mother's shoulders tensing, for her father was always a touchy subject, Sharlene slowly nodded.

"Whether the hospital is new or not, it is not my problem, but you and your situation are. I do not—and I also taught you, girls, abortion is not acceptable, neither is adoption. So, to take care of this child, I believe you need money, right, Sharlene? Your job may be paying well, but with a baby on the way, you will not be able to work overnight again. So in a good way, that stuck up woman, you call boss will do her work by herself."

Hiding her smile behind a cough, Clarice nodded. She knew her mother's mind was made-up. She had also detected a tone of relief in her voice, but she dismissed it. With that said, the trio, Helena, Clarice, and Sharlene, left home and drove to the hospital.