Chapter 37 Awaiting The Baby

• Adela was three months into her pregnancy, and the symptoms of morning sickness had hit her especially hard. Every night seemed longer than the last, her unsettled stomach often making sleep elusive. Despite her exhaustion, she had to admit that she was eating better than ever—each day, someone hired by Layson Norman delivered carefully prepared meals tailored to meet her nutritional needs. It was evident he wanted her to remain healthy for the sake of the baby.
• Still, Adela felt strangely detached from the life growing inside her. From a young age, she had believed children should be born into a loving relationship, yet here she was, expecting a child conceived more out of necessity than desire. Instead of excitement, she felt burdened, as if the baby were a reminder of a painful chapter of her life. She made every effort to remain calm, yet the thought of what lay ahead—giving birth, then heading off to a new place—occupied her mind constantly.
• One bright afternoon, Adela decided to head to a local bookstore. The sun filtered through wide glass panes, illuminating rows of shelves and making the polished floors sparkle. She wanted to search for books about studying abroad. Though she hadn’t publicly declared her intentions, she had been quietly planning to leave the country after the baby was born. In her mind, a fresh start in a new place felt safer and freer than remaining in New York with so many people from the Walton family—her biological relatives—trying to pull her back into a life she’d never known.