The Billionaire's Bundle of Joy

Chapter 20

RIZ

Our morning was pleasant despite Veronica’s earlier arrival. It was awkward, but what made me stay was my husband. He defended me. He made sure I wouldn’t be harmed by his guest. And although his old fiancée had every right to be upset, Justin had a good reason for choosing to marry me.

Now I’m getting ready for my doctor’s appointment. Even though I don’t know exactly where I stand in his life, my heart still swells with joy knowing he is taking care of me and our unborn child. It’s the second day he hasn’t gone to the office, and for someone like him, who seems to live for work, this is a big change.

I tied my hair up and applied some lip gloss. I chose to wear a light blue short dress and a pair of white wedge sandals that aren’t too high. They’re probably less than two inches, so they’re safe to walk in. Justin changed into jeans and a white long-sleeve shirt. He looked casual with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows and the first two buttons undone. He wore brown Birkenstock sandals, and aside from his watch and our wedding ring, he had no other jewelry on. Is it normal for my heart to race like this?

Justin is undeniably handsome, but when he’s in a suit, I can really feel the age gap between us. Now, he looked ten years older. Wait a minute, that would mean I’m a year older than him. So let’s just say he looked younger than his actual age.

“If you want to kiss me, you can.”

“Ha?” Why would I kiss him? Just this morning, a miracle happened in the bathroom.

“You’ve been staring at me for a bit, and I know I’m not looking messy,” he replied, laughing.

Shit. Have I really been staring at him for that long? It felt like just a moment. And just because I looked at him, he thinks I want to kiss him? This Justin is like night and day; sometimes I wonder if he’s the same man I met at the penthouse.

“Are you ready to go? Dr. Enriquez is about ten minutes away. It might be a bit traffic, so it’s better if we leave early. We can also shop for some of your things at the mall. You didn’t bring much with you. If you need anything else later, I can buy it in Manila and bring it back here on the weekend.”

We were supposed to see Dr. Enriquez yesterday, but because of Justin’s sudden wedding proposal, he called the doctor again and said we could come today instead.

“I’m ready.” I checked my shoulder bag to make sure my wallet and cell phone were there.

He walked toward the door and opened it. He let me go out first before he followed. Justin caught up with me and held my hand. For a man who wanted a marriage of convenience, I find him sweet. I didn’t pull my hand away. In fact, I didn’t refuse him. I told myself that I would enjoy what he’s giving me: genuine care and not material things.

When we arrived at the clinic, the old building I expected with an alcohol-smelling lobby was far from what we found. The clinic could easily be mistaken for a hotel lobby. It wasn’t overly spacious, but it was clean and well-decorated. There were many chairs for waiting patients and a flatscreen TV. The receptionist had a tidy desk on the right side and was smiling brightly. Her name was Joanna, and she didn’t look much older than I was.

“Hi, Joanna. Is Dr. Enriquez in?” There were many people in the clinic, and the phone rang non-stop, but she didn’t show any signs of fatigue or annoyance.

“Good day! Yes, sir. I will let her know you’re here with your wife. Please have a seat.”

Justin and I sat down in the lobby. I wasn’t interested in watching TV, so I checked my cell phone. It’s not the latest model, but it’s not cheap either. My father gave me an iPhone when I graduated high school, and even though it’s almost five years old, I haven’t asked him to buy me a new one. It still works, and anything that isn’t broken doesn’t need to be replaced.

“What’s your number?” Justin asked me.

I told him my number, and I was surprised when he didn’t enter it into his phone. It was as if he memorized it just from hearing it once. I felt shy about asking for his number. If he wanted to give it to me, he would have told me by now, but I hadn’t heard anything from him. I decided to let it go; maybe if I asked, he would come up with another idea.

“Do you think it’s a boy or a girl?” he asked me.

“It’s too early to tell, but I think it’s going to be a girl.” I couldn’t help but smile. “What about you? What do you think the baby will be?”

“I think it’s going to be twins.” He chuckled.

I didn’t know how I would handle twins. “Do you have any family history of that?”

“No. But I have a hunch that we can have twins if we have s*x twice a day and— Uhmp!” I quickly covered his mouth.

I hissed at him. “Don’t be loud. If someone hears you, it’ll be embarrassing.”

He took my hand and held it in his palms. His smile was subtle, and he seemed more excited than I was about the check-up. I suddenly wondered: when he leaves later, will he still be like this when he returns? But the real question is, when will he come back?

Breathe, Riz. I tried to remember our agreement. Even though we ended up having s*x on the first day of our marriage, there are other terms, and our agreement is still signed.

“Mrs. Calderon, Dr. Enriquez will see you now.”

It was the first time I was called Mrs. Calderon, and I didn’t know how to feel. One thing is for sure: I’m happy. I’m happy that even if this is all temporary, Justin hasn’t left me in the void.

Justin was still holding my hand as he helped me get up from my seat.

“Did you tell them to call me that?” I hadn’t changed my last name yet, but I understood why they called me that. Maybe it was because Justin’s staff mentioned he was bringing his wife when he booked the appointment. I just needed to make sure.

“No. Maybe Tony said I’m bringing my wife, and they assumed you’re using my last name. Don’t you like it?”

What should I say? That I like it?