When their parents learned that Leena was pregnant, they were all ecstatic. Shannon was so happy that she shed a few tears of joy. They all looked forward to becoming grandparents. In her happiness, Shannon went to the temple to thank Buddha for granting her wish of a precious grandchild. Now, all they wanted was for Leena and the baby to be healthy.
On the other hand, Nathan was all smiles after hearing the good news. He was not one to easily show his emotions, regardless if he was happy or sad. But he called Leena to say a few words to her, mainly telling the mother-to-be to take good care of herself, but in his usual stern and strict way. It seemed that he did not dislike his daughter-in-law after all.
"What did dad say to you?" Kevin inquired. He saw Leena hang up the phone after speaking to his father. He was curious because it was surprising for Nathan to call Leena. As far as he knew, his father never called Leena, not even once. Usually, it was their mother who called.
"He told me to eat more and eat healthy now that I'm pregnant. He also told me to be careful and take care of myself and the baby. He said I should not act childish and go away when I want to, because I am no longer alone," Leena recounted Nathan's words. Biting her lip, Leena thought about her conversation with Kevin's father. As he spoke, Leena didn't feel like it was a scolding. He might have sounded stern as if admonishing Leena for a wrong she had done, but the girl felt her father-in-law's concern for her and the baby. Leena decided it was Nathan's way of showing that he cared for her.
"His tone isn't nice, is it? But that's just how he is. He talks that way even with me, so don't mind him," Kevin comforted his wife. He was worried that Leena would be upset if she felt his father was berating her, so Kevin immediately sought to assure her. He didn't want to see his wife become depressed over something that was due to misinterpretation.
It was Leena's turn to assure Kevin. "I'm fine, don't worry. I'm not upset. Besides, I think that he cares more about me now than he did before. He used to be so indifferent to me in the past. But now, he even called me himself. That's a huge step forward, don't you think so? So I am not going to be upset with his manner of speaking." She had put on a pretty smile. The doctor told her it was not good for the baby when the mother was in a bad mood. So, she tried her best to look on the bright side of things and to always be in a good mood. Admittedly, Leena was beginning to experience mood swings because of the pregnancy. She often felt emotional, and was emotionally fragile these days, but worked hard to control her moods.
"I know you're right. My father is strict and uptight. But, perhaps he's changed. Calling you himself should mean something, don't you think so? I think most of the time he's just too shy to show how he truly feels. Or perhaps, he doesn't know how to deal with you. After all, he's done some not-so-nice things to you before," Kevin said. Knowing his father well, even Kevin felt intimidated by the man. Ever since he was small, he had always been afraid of Nathan because he was strict and harsh. He treated his son as if he was a soldier. And this was one of the reasons why Kevin decided to join the army when he became older. The fact was, being raised as a soldier by his father helped him get through military life, and Kevin would always be grateful to Nathan for that.
"That's right. So, I've decided to think that what your father said to me was his way to show concern for me and our baby. I promise I will not think that he doesn't like me or isn't nice to me based on that conversation. Please stop worrying," Leena told her husband. Nathan's firm nature was totally different from Jonathan's cold-heartedness. But Leena also saw the similarities between the two men. She sensed that Nathan and Jonathan had strong personalities. While they might initially appear indifferent, once they got to know you, they turned out to be kind and generous human beings.
"You're really a good daughter-in-law, and should be awarded for that," Kevin teased his wife. A warm smile spread on his face. Kevin appreciated what Leena said. The woman was indeed very kind, and he felt very lucky to have her in his life.
"Of course, all men are like this," Leena mumbled to herself. Her brows remained furrowed. When she first heard Patricia and Michelle complaining to her about their husbands' overprotectiveness, Leena thought they were only exaggerating. Now, she understood they were telling the truth. Men were all like this. They would force you to eat something they thought was good for the baby in the name of caring about the child's health.
"What do you mean by that?" Kevin stopped in his tracks when he heard her words. He turned around and looked at Leena with curious eyes. He wanted to know why his wife said this.
"You care so much about the baby's well-being that you forget your own wife's feelings," she pouted. Leena knew she was acting childish, but couldn't help it. She was not jealous of the baby. But she did feel it was unfair when her husband thought of the baby first.
"Nana, you're wrong. Let me tell you why. If a man doesn't love the woman who's carrying his child, he'll never embrace the baby in her womb. He won't care about them. You know I love you, that's why I also love our baby," Kevin explained. He was aware there were men who only cared for the child, not their wife. But Kevin wasn't like that. He was a husband first. The only way for him to be a good father was to be a good husband. Yes, he cared about the baby's well-being very much, but it didn't mean he cared less about Leena. The truth was, he cared about the baby's mother very much.
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