"Bestie," her friend called out to her that day.
"Yes, bestie?" Mariely replied.
"Have you told Frank yet? I heard the place you'll be assigned for the seminar has a really weak signal." Her friend reminded her.
"Ah, not yet. But once I get there, I'll call him," she answered.
"Make sure you do, or else he'll be upset with you," her friend teased.
She just laughed softly. "No, I'll make sure to let him know."
They hadn't been spending much time together lately—Frank was always busy with work and often had to fly to the States to handle business matters. But no matter how busy he was, he still called her often, checking up on her, sometimes even scolding her a little, which always made her laugh. They were already so comfortable with each other.
Should I tell him now? she thought.
But Mariely hesitated—she didn't want Frank to feel forced into anything.
Her friend didn't know her secret yet; only her brother and her family knew. She was pregnant. And she wanted to surprise her best friend too, but of course, she wanted her fiancé to be the first to know.
Whenever Frank called, she always tried to muster her strength and act cheerful, but deep inside, she was torn—afraid he might leave her, or worse, take responsibility out of obligation rather than love.
Her older brother often warned her that if she didn't tell Frank soon, he himself would spill the secret. That's why she was always quick to stop him.
Maybe after this seminar, I'll finally tell him. He'll be coming home too, and we can talk about it properly, she thought to herself.
The idea filled her with both nervousness and excitement—how would Frank react?
"Okay, baby," she whispered softly, resting a hand on her tummy, "behave in Mommy's belly while I attend this seminar, hmm? And I hope Daddy will be surprised too. Wish me luck, my love."
Talking to the little life inside her always soothed her heart. She smiled.
She was fourteen weeks pregnant now. It didn't show yet, and her pregnancy wasn't too difficult, except she had become sensitive with food. With a sigh, she reminded herself, "I need to prepare so I don't forget anything tomorrow.
This time, she wasn't with Veron, since her friend had a different seminar to attend. Mariely's required an overnight stay—five days away from home.
She busied herself packing her things at home. When morning came, she left on time along with her colleagues. She even dozed off on the ride, completely forgetting to call her fiancé.
Gosh, his nose will be fuming again, she thought, shaking her head.
By the time they reached the destination, she woke up, checked her phone—and, just as expected, there was no signal. With a sigh, she told herself: You'd better prepare your excuses, Mariely.
She settled into her assigned room. Thankfully, she was paired with another woman to share with, which was a relief. The seminar opened with a welcome, and the first day went smoothly. But even then, her mind drifted often to Frank, wondering how he was doing.
******
Meanwhile, Frank sat in their home, frowning at his phone.
"It's odd," he muttered. Mariely hadn't answered a single call in days.
Frank hadn't told her he was flying back to the Philippines. Even while he was in the States, he often couldn't reach her on Messenger. Now, four days had passed with no reply.
"Frank, why do you look like that?" his mother asked, noticing his troubled face.
He let out a heavy sigh. "It's been four days, Mom. I haven't been able to contact Faith at all."
"What?" his mother asked, surprised.
"I'm not joking, Mom. Four days—no answers on Messenger, no answers on her phone. I'm really starting to worry something happened."
"Didn't Faith tell you anything?" his mother asked again.
"W—What do you mean?" Frank frowned.
His mother only looked at him knowingly, which made his nerves spark with irritation. "Mom, don't look at me like that."
"Didn't Faith say anything to you at all?"
"Just tell me; my head already hurts," he muttered, frustrated, torn between worry and irritation.
"She's at a seminar. Five days. And the place she's in—there really isn't much signal there," his mother finally explained.
Frank froze in place. "She never told me…"
"Maybe she forgot to inform you," his mother said. "Or maybe she planned to, but they had already arrived before she could."
Running a hand through his hair, he sighed. "Why didn't you tell me, Mom?"
"I thought you already knew."
"What's the exact place where her seminar is being held?" he asked urgently.
"You're planning to go there?" his mother chuckled softly. "Well, I know someone who manages the place. I'll get you the address. They usually finish their program after lunch."
"Give me the address, Mom. Don't tell me there's no Wi-Fi either." Frank groaned.
His mother laughed at his frustration but handed him the details. The location was far, but Frank left early, arranging with the owner to reserve him a room near Faith's.
He wanted to surprise her.
When he arrived, he spotted the seminar in session. His eyes instantly found her—his Mariely, standing gracefully among the teachers.
You're really in trouble now, Faith, he thought with a small grin. Even the owner chuckled at his expression as Frank asked him to discreetly hold Faith back for one more night.
After the seminar wrapped up, Mariely was told she couldn't leave yet due to transport limitations. She looked frustrated but eventually nodded, retreating to her room, disappointment written all over her face.
Frank watched quietly. His heart ached with guilt, but at the same time, he couldn't help but smile. She was so sure he'd scold her.
Later that evening, Faith lay on her bed, fiddling with her phone, sighing.
"Zean is really going to be mad at me…" she muttered, rubbing her temples.
Just then, Frank slipped into the room quietly. He crept closer and wrapped her in a sudden embrace, kissing her deeply.
Faith struggled in surprise until she saw who it was. "Zean!" she cried out, almost in tears.
He laughed softly. "I'm sorry. That's your punishment—for not telling me about this seminar. You have no idea how worried I've been, wondering if I did something wrong or why you weren't answering me."
She bit her lip, guilty. "Sorry. I know it's my fault. I just… forgot to call. But what are you even doing here?"
"To surprise you," he smirked.
"Don't tell me… You plotted this with the owner?"
"Yes. Exactly that." He laughed.
She playfully hit his arm. "You're unbelievable. You scared me!"
He only kissed her forehead and cheeks. "So… can we kiss some more now?"
Without waiting for her reply, he kissed her again, this time deeper.
"Let's make our baby now, hon?" He whispered, his hands already wandering.
"Wait—" she pushed him back gently.
"Why?"
She kissed his cheek and took a deep breath. "Because… I want to tell you something first."
"Does it have to be now? We need to make love already," he teased, kissing her again.
But she hugged him tightly, holding his gaze. "We don't need to make a baby anymore… because I'm already pregnant."
His mind blanked. "Say what?"
She gently took his hand and placed it over her belly. "Our baby is already here. I'm fourteen weeks pregnant."
Frank froze, then pulled her into a fierce embrace, tears stinging his eyes. "You're not joking? You're really pregnant?"
She nodded softly. "Yes. I wanted to tell you, but I was scared… I found out at seven weeks, but I was afraid you'd feel pressured or forced."
"Faith…" his voice cracked. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"
"Because I didn't want you to feel obligated. I didn't want you to stay with me out of duty. So I thought… maybe I should wait."
Frank cupped her face, eyes burning with emotion. "I would never see it as an obligation. I want this. I want you. I want our baby. I want to take care of you both."
"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice trembling.
"I'm sure, Faith. I'm going to be here—for every check-up, every craving, every step of the way. I'm going to be the father our baby deserves."
She smiled through tears and kissed him tenderly. "I'm so happy to hear that."
Their kiss deepened, full of love and relief. Instead of igniting passion, the news filled Frank's heart with warmth, calming his earlier desires.
"Damn," he chuckled against her lips, "if you hadn't stopped me, we almost would've made another baby tonight."
She laughed softly, hugging him close.
"Let's just go home tomorrow," she whispered.
"Yeah," he agreed, holding her tightly as though he'd never let go.