Chapter 18

Ariana handed Jack the signed document and said, "Done. Could your driver drop me at the hospital where my mom is being treated?"

"Yeah, but I thought you would like to meet my son."

"I'll meet him later; I need to be at the hospital," Ariana replied urgently. She couldn't afford to delay any longer. She needed to be there for her mom.

Jack's driver dropped Ariana and her brother at the hospital. Ariana paced back and forth anxiously, feeling the weight of the situation. Mike sat down on a bench and eventually fell asleep. Ariana sat beside him, gently placing his head on her lap as she waited.

Mike woke up, his eyes half-open, and asked, "Are they done with the surgery?"

"No. Go back to sleep," Ariana replied calmly, though she was worried. She needed to be strong for her family.

"Everything is going to be fine," Mike smiled and hugged Ariana.

"I know, honey. Now go back to sleep," she comforted him, patting his back until he drifted off again.

She just hoped she hadn't been too late in bringing her mom to the hospital, and she prayed that her mom would make it.

After what seemed like an eternity, the doctors finally emerged from the operating room. Ariana gently laid Mike's head on the bench and stood up, anxiety building up inside her.

"You must be Ariana, right?" one of the doctors asked.

"Yes, I'm her daughter. How is she?" Ariana inquired, her heart pounding.

"The surgery was a success," the doctor said, smiling. Relief washed over Ariana. She felt serene. Despite her unexpected engagement to Jack's son, she didn't care. Her mom was fine, and Mike would soon be starting school. It was a win-win situation.

That night, Ariana couldn't help but smile. Her mom was finally okay, and Mike was going to school. The feeling of her family being okay overwhelmed her, and she felt like crying tears of joy. However, she had to get Mike home so he could have a proper sleep. It had been a long day.

She tucked Mike into bed and then retreated to her room. She was just so happy that her mom was okay that she cried tears of relief. She knew her dad would be proud of what she had done. Afterward, she went to sleep.

A vigorous shake woke her up, and she found Mike in her bedroom, trying to wake her. It was unusual; she was usually the one waking him up every morning. She had a severe headache, and her body felt hot, like a volcano about to erupt.

"Are you okay?" Mike asked, genuine concern in his voice. He reached out to feel her head but quickly withdrew his hand. "You're burning up," he stated with worry.

"Baby, there's no need to worry; it's just a fever," Ariana tried to reassure him, but her voice was weak and dry.

"No, it's not," Mike replied firmly. Ariana sighed and attempted to get up, but she felt dizzy and fell back onto her bed, groaning.

"You're not feeling alright. Should I call Annie?" Mike asked, his concern growing.

"No, don't call Annie; call Monica instead, please," Ariana pleaded.

"Fine," Mike agreed.

Monica checked up on Ariana and advised her to rest for the rest of the day and take some medication. Ariana didn't go to work, and Mike bought them food to eat. She ate and slept, feeling better the next day. She decided to quit her delivery job in the mornings to focus on taking care of her family.

The following day, she got Mike enrolled at Alice Junior High School, which was owned by Jack. She also visited her mom at the hospital. Her mom had regained consciousness and was doing fine. As Ariana stepped out of the hospital, she noticed a familiar black car parked outside. It looked like one of Jack's cars, and his driver came out of it with a smile. Jack had sent a message to her, saying that his daughter, Anika, wanted to meet her and have a girl's night.

Ariana sighed. She couldn't possibly turn down a request from someone who had saved her mother's life. She had to go, and thankfully, she could bring a friend along. She borrowed Jack's driver's phone and called Annie.

"Hey, Annie."

"Hi, who is this?" Annie asked.

"It's Ariana."

"I know, just messing with ya. What's up? You're late, and whose phone is this?"

"Can you please meet me outside the coffee shop in ten minutes?"

"Sure."

"Make up an excuse for work."

"Why? Girl, what's up with you? Where are you?"

"Just come up with something. See you in ten minutes, and please tell the boss that I can't come to work; my mom's at the hospital."

"What? What happened?" Annie asked, sounding worried.

"I'll explain it to you later. Just do what I asked you to," Ariana ended the call. "Thank you," she said to the driver before heading into the coffee shop.