His Contractual Mistress

Vince is trying to process the possibility in his head. 

He and Hailey have been living for months already. He somehow figures out what food she likes and how health-conscious she is. 

It is impossible that her diet would suddenly change without any reason, especially how she consumes sweets lately. In the past, she was careful not to take too much sugar, but now, she is requesting a pancake with lots of strawberry syrup and chocolate on them. 

Combining strawberry and chocolate syrup seemed weird to him. But seemingly, to a pregnant woman, that is heavenly food. 

With a tray in his hands, Vince carefully looked through the food Hailey had requested. Toasted bread with peanut butter on it, a pancake she plans to top with strawberry and chocolate syrup, and then a hot chocolate. 

The hot chocolate alone is too sweet already. How come the peanut butter and pancakes? 

The older maid reminds him to bring Hailey to an OB-Gyne to consult about her pregnancy so that the doctor would explain how important a balanced diet is for a pregnant woman. 

Aside from Hailey's eating disorder, he noticed nothing unusual about her. She hasn't had her morning sickness yet, like nausea. Oh. Hailey throws up once. But that was during the time she shot Liam down. 

Can that be considered a symptom? 

What else did changes in her lifestyle's behavior? How about their s*x drive? 

They were making love every day when they were together. If there are any changes to that, Hailey has been asking for more lately. If they confirm she is positively pregnant, they should lessen the times they would do it, and it should not be wild as they used to always. 

Vince has now arrived in front of the door. It was left open with a small space. He pushed the door using his right foot. Inside the room, he found Hailey resting on the headboard, typing on her phone.

Upon seeing he was back, a beautiful smile appeared on her face, and her eyes twinkled to see the food in his hands. He placed the tray on the bed, reminding her to be careful of the hot chocolate. 

Vince suits himself, watching Hailey eat. Witnessing how she seemed in heaven munching those peanut buttered-toasted bread, she still added strawberry syrup pairs to hot chocolate.

He could not imagine what it tastes like, but most pregnant women would undoubtedly only have these kinds of cravings. 

"Do you have any particular dishes for lunch later?" he asked afterward. He wants to know if the food she would request is something unusual again. 

"Um… A steak, maybe? But I'm not too fond of tomatoes in the salad, and the bell peppers should be fried, burnt, and crispy. I want more cheese on it. And…" Hailey fell silent to ponder what food she would like to eat for lunch. 

Honestly, she hasn't finished having breakfast yet. But she is already thinking about lunch. What's wrong with her? She isn't in her usual appetite. 

On the other hand, Vince is trying to work his head. However, he is clueless about this whole thing. He doesn't witness during his sister's pregnancy. He may have cousins and cousins-in-law who got pregnant, but he does not know how their husband manages that throughout the pregnancy.

Vince excused himself to make a phone call. He went to the balcony to have a secret talk with this person. He closed the glass door, not for Hailey to find out what he's doing. 

"Hello, mom?" 

"Vincent? Did you and Hailey arrive in Sydney now?" Hilda asked. She was actually surprised that her son would phone her out of the blue. 

He replied, "Yes, we are, mom." 

"What's wrong? Did something happen?" She's anxious. Vincent wanted to talk to Jacob Davies regarding marriage to his only daughter, and so she is worried if Hailee's father would reject Vincent's proposal. 

"Um… nothing, mom. But there is something I wanted to ask you. I mean…" On the other hand, Vincent had difficulty opening up with his mom.

He thinks that his sister should ask. But why does it was his mom he remembered first? Is it because she was the most experienced one? 

Anyway, she conceives him and his two siblings. Seeking his mom's help would be the best choice after all. He clears his throat then continues. 

"Mom, what do you think if a woman began craving unusual foods?" 

Hilda was a bit surprised by his query. But she needs not to ask. Clearly, Vincent began suspecting that his girlfriend is pregnant. 

"Is she pregnant?" she asked. She didn't need to name her. 

"Well… the older maid thinks so. And I guess Hailey has no idea about it yet."

"That's for sure. Of course, it was her first time to experience all of this," she explained.

"What should I do, mom? The older maid told me to consult an obstetrician. She's been craving sweets, and it's unhealthy, right? We need to consult a doctor to advise her." 

Hilda replied to her son. "She should see a doctor soon, yes. And it would be best if you encouraged her to have control, son. And avoid not intake too much food that will cause some problems in her pregnancy. She should have a balance about it. It's common advice for pregnant women." 

"Alright, mom. I understand. Hailey is a very health-conscious person. She seemed to have forgotten this when she began having these cravings." 

Vince says his goodbye not long. In the end, he phoned the right person. His mom can be of much help since she's more experienced. 

Her nagging would be helpful soon. Vince thought. 

When he went back inside the bedroom, he found Hailey lying on the bed. She already finished eating, and now she's sleeping. 

"Is this okay? She's full. Then she goes to sleep." Vince kept mumbling while he placed a blanket on Hailey, then picked up the tray. 

He's becoming worried about her symptoms. He needs to pay attention to her from here on.