Mother-in-law is Pregnant with Her Second Child

I rushed to the hospital.

The doctor had already scheduled my mom's preliminary tests. My parents were waiting for the results in the waiting area.

As soon as I saw them, my eyes filled with tears. My dad, ever the stoic, patted my shoulder without saying a word.

My mom, on the other hand, seemed upbeat. She's a petite lady in her early sixties and pulled me aside, trying to reassure me.

"I have to say, your future mother-in-law sure is something else."

She rolled her eyes, a familiar look I've seen many times when she used to complain about other people's mother-in-law's troubles. She worked in women's services before retiring and always had stories to tell.

I was a bit confused, momentarily feeling like we were back in our living room and not the hospital. My mom, quick as ever, gave me a knowing look.

The thought made my tears flow again.

She patted my head, "Why are you crying, silly girl? We don’t know anything for sure yet. Let me ask you, did you know Linda was five months pregnant?"

I shook my head vigorously. Of course, I didn’t know.

My mom had that "I knew it" look on her face and then spat out in disgust.

"How shameless to plan this! Five months along means no turning back now. They’ve got you cornered!"

I was a bit confused, but also starting to get it.

She sighed, "Your dad and I spoiled you too much. You’ve never had to deal with anything like this, so you’re too naive."

"Albert's family thinks that since you're engaged and the wedding is so close, even if you have second thoughts, it’s too late."

She rolled her eyes again, snorting through her nose.

"Once you’re married, in less than six months, you’ll be taking care of Linda during her confinement. If you don’t want to, it’s too bad for you. By then, you’ll be married, and if you refuse, it’ll just cause issues between you and Albert."

A chill ran down my spine, but I still tried to argue, "It can't be that bad. Linda doesn’t seem like that kind of person."

"Are you that naive?"

My mom poked me in the forehead. Suddenly, her face turned pale, and she started breathing heavily. I panicked and told her to stop talking, then rushed to find a nurse.

After a chaotic scramble, running up and down the hospital for tests, admission procedures, and picking up medication, I finally checked my phone. It was already dinner time.

Albert had sent me a few messages.

"How's your mom doing?"

"Are you free tomorrow? How about coming over for lunch? The fish I bought is still in the tank, fresh and lively."

I didn’t reply.

I stared at Albert’s last message, feeling a shiver run down my spine. [You didn’t come. Honestly, my mom’s pretty disappointed.]

I was cold inside.

To be honest, I was just as disappointed in Albert.

The initial results from my mom’s lung tests weren’t good. The doctor said we’d need more tests to figure things out.

It felt like a weight was pressing down on my chest. Coming home to the dark, empty house made me feel disoriented like I didn’t even know what day it was.

In just one day, I’d been through so much that it felt overwhelming.

When Albert came home that evening, he asked why I hadn’t replied to his texts and then whispered in my ear, “Can we talk about something?”

I wasn’t in the mood for affection, so I pulled away and asked what was up.

He had this annoying tone, like he was saying, "Look how considerate I’m being," and said, “How about we move in with my parents for a couple of days? My mom’s pregnant and still handling cooking and chores. It’s really tough on her.”

I looked at him and asked, “Tomorrow or the day after?”

He brightened up immediately, “Tomorrow, tomorrow! See, I’m even asking for your opinion now.” He sounded a bit too pleased with himself.

I wanted to ask if he didn’t realize his mom was struggling with chores before we started dating. Couldn’t he help out? And what about his dad? Isn’t he supposed to help too?

I also wanted to know if he and his parents had already decided that we’d move in tomorrow, and he was just letting me know.

But the words stuck in my throat, and I swallowed them back.

Under the soft light, Albert’s usually sharp and handsome face seemed softer. I suddenly realized I didn’t know him as well as I thought I did.

We met in college. He was two years ahead of me. Despite his tough look, he was like a playful puppy with me—always using his tall frame to cuddle and being so mischievous that he made me laugh and cry at the same time.

Even when I wanted to break up, he’d be outside my window, crying and staring up at my room until I came down to comfort him.

With family, he was responsible and took on a lot of the load. When it came to marriage and the future, he was proactive—supporting my career, not rushing into having kids, and even looking forward to having a daughter, becoming a total softie for her.

I always thought I could rely on him forever.

But today, I realized he seemed more like a big kid dreaming of being a responsible man, while his sense of responsibility was far from what he imagined.