Unexpected Reunion: My Baby Daddy Returns

Antonio rushed into the ward where his father was hospitalized. He was already placed on a drip with an oxygen mask on him.

“Doctor, doctor, what’s wrong with him?” Antonio rushed to the door immediately he saw the doctor closing the ward door.

“Are you the relative of the man?” The doctor asked him. He had a file in his hand.

“Ye- yes, I am his son. Will he be okay?” Antonio asked as he held Ariel’s hand tightly to him.

“I can’t say anything to you here especially in front of your daughter so please see me in my office.” The doctor replied.

“Daughter? What daugh-” Antonio was trying to reason what the doctor said as he knew he had no daughter when the doctor turned and looked at him then had an eye signal to little Ariel clutching his hand.

“Oh, I’ll see you right away doctor.” He replied as the doctor went ahead.

Antonio heaved a deep sigh as he squatted and held Ariel’s two hands.

“Darling, I need you to sit here and wait for me okay? Don’t go anywhere far from this settee, just remain here alright? Let me go and see the doctor and then I’ll come and be with you. Promise me?”

Ariel nodded as she joined her fingers in a pinky promise with Antonio who smiled at her and left. Ariel sat on the settee while she played with her puppy.

***

At Bright nursery and primary school;

Mia came back from work to pick up her daughter at school but she didn’t see her anywhere. She searched around where she knew she might be there but still didn’t see Ariel so she proceeded to ask around but they gave her the same response, they didn’t see her.

She decided to ask the security guards who asked her the name of her child. He checked if she was picked up and yes, she was and he told her but didn’t tell her by whom but just told her where to find them.

“How can you just let a stranger get away with my daughter? Have you ever seen anyone except me pick her up? Where is she?” Mia ranted so angrily.

“Calm down ma’am, she is safe and she is at Govard Private Hospital with the man that picked her up. Please if you didn’t find her there then you can give us a call.” The guard told her but she just stormed out of the office and left the school.

“Ariel please be fine… I’m sorry I came late.”

****

In the doctor’s office;

“…. thank you doc, I appreciate your help and I’ll try my best for the old man.” He replied and they exchanged a handshake and he left the office.”

As soon as he came out of the doctor’s office, he sighed deeply with his eyes closed for a few minutes and Ariel spotted him.

“Uncle are you okay?” Ariel asked him as she got up to meet him.

“Yes yes, let’s go.” He replied as he tried hard not to show the sadness written on his face.

***

In the ward;

Ariel and Antonio are seated beside the bed of his father. Antonio held his dad’s hand and patted it gently.

“Father, I told you to take care of yourself and not to let things worry you but you refuse to listen.” Antonio spoke to his ill dad who was sleeping. Ariel wore a sad face as she patted her dog who kept looking around and spotted a cat in a woman’s hand outside the door. It jumped out of her hand and began to run towards the cat. The door was half opened so it got out and followed them while Mia ran after it.

“Pinky wait!” She called after it as Antonio smiled at her.

The cat jumped down from the woman’s body and ran away as the puppy chased after it and Ariel followed them behind. Just as they ran past the door, Ariel ran into a woman, almost crashing herself on the floor but the woman was quick enough to catch her.

“Watch where you are going kid.” She said to Ariel as Ariel apologized and carried her puppy. Just as she turned to leave, Mia entered into the hospital building but she didn’t see Ariel, only a glimpse of her shadow that was past her.

Mia asked around for Ariel but they told her there was no child hospitalized today. She took permission to search around for her daughter as she was sure she was brought here.

“Uncle.” Ariel ran into the ward to meet Antonio who was going through his phone.

“Where did you go?” He asked her.

“The receptionist. Pinky chased a cat down there….” She explained on and on and on non stop.

“Uncle when are we going?” Ariel asked him.

“We can’t leave now darling until mummy comes okay?” He told her as he patted her on the head.

Mia was about to lose hope on finding her daughter as she checked the corridors just in case she might see her daughter.

She then spotted a school girl in ward 047. She walked close to the door and saw a small girl seated and talking to a man but she could only see his back view.

After close to three minutes of their conversation, Antonio excused himself to use the bathroom as he was pressed.

“Ariel…” Mia called softly as she placed her hand on the door.

As soon as Antonio stood up, she could clearly see her daughter. However, she couldn’t see him clearly, only his back view but she couldn’t care less as she rushed into the ward.

“Ariel! Oh my God I almost thought I’d lose you. Are you okay? Are you alright? Come here baby…” She said to her as she hugged her daughter so tight.

“Mummy I’m fine, look, uncle gave me a puppy.” She happily showed it off to her mum.Text property © Nôvel(D)ra/ma.Org.

“Ariel, let’s get out of here.” Mia replied as she sensed danger lurking around her daughter.

Why will anyone bring my child to the hospital when she is not sick? A man for that matter? No!

They left the hospital to get back home. Antonio came out of the bathroom but didn’t see Ariel nor her properties.

He went outside to look for her but when he couldn’t find her, he asked around and the owner of the cat whom Ariel’s puppy chased told him that a woman walked out of the hospital with her.

“Oh, that must be her mum.” He thought to himself as he thanked her and went back to the ward.