Chapter 463: Chapter 463: A Perfectly Fine Person Became a Fool
Perhaps from overthinking for the past few hours, Zane Lynch stared blankly for a good while before he finally processed it, his eyes widening in astonishment as he looked at Arabella Donovan and Eloise.
"What do you mean? Her... Me... You..."
"Enough with the stammering. Let’s get off the plane first. We can talk once we’re in the car."
Since Eloise Donovan had spoken, Zane Lynch couldn’t very well keep asking. He gathered his things with all possible speed and led the two women off the plane.
It wasn’t until they were settled in his car that Zane Lynch could no longer contain his curiosity, turning his head to look at the two women in the back seat.
"What in the world is going on? Me... her... you two..."
"Alright. Stop with the guessing games. It’s just that you can all hear my thoughts and know what I’m thinking, right? My parents already came clean to me about it."
"They came clean?" Zane Lynch cried out. He immediately realized the heart of the matter and shot Eloise Donovan a mournful look. "Then why didn’t you tell me sooner?"
A flicker of guilt crossed Eloise Donovan’s face, but she quickly regained her composure. "If I’d told you sooner, how could I let Arabella tease you? Cousin, I’m doing this for your own good."
Zane Lynch: "..." ’I don’t see how any of this is for my own good. All I see is you using me to let your sister blow off some steam.’
’Then again, why am I always the one who gets hurt?!’
Zane Lynch felt a mix of annoyance and amusement, but it was true that he also felt an unconscious weight lift from his shoulders.
"So, when you were muttering to yourself earlier about me being responsible for a life, that was on purpose? You deliberately lied to me and kept me on pins and needles this whole trip?"
Arabella Donovan nodded and answered honestly, "It was intentional, but I wasn’t trying to lie to you, just keep you in suspense. Cousin, you really did accidentally create another life."
Zane Lynch: "???"
Zane Lynch: "!!!"
"What?!"
Zane Lynch slammed on the brakes, nearly flinging the two unprepared women in the back seat into the front.
Eloise Donovan couldn’t stop a curse from slipping out. "Calm down! Don’t get our two deaths on your conscience before you’ve even figured out the first situation."
Zane Lynch was speechless, but he realized he had just done something incredibly stupid. He quickly plastered on an apologetic smile. "My fault, my fault. Little sis, my lady, your highness, my queen, please just stop playing games with me. Have some mercy and tell me what in the world is going on, will you?"
Eloise Donovan exchanged an amused and exasperated look with Arabella Donovan. "You dolt, you still don’t get it! What Arabella means is that your wife is pregnant again. You’re going to be a father again. Eason is going to have a little brother or sister."
The answer was so far beyond Zane Lynch’s expectations that his brain buzzed and completely short-circuited.
He didn’t snap out of it until the car behind him laid on the horn, protesting his ill-mannered decision to stop in the middle of the road. He touched his face and chuckled foolishly. "I’m gonna be a dad... I’m gonna be a dad again..."
Arabella and Eloise: "..."
"Sis, has he gone stupid from happiness?"
"Who knows?" Eloise Donovan said in exasperation. "In any case, with him in this state, I don’t dare let him drive anymore."
Luckily, Eloise Donovan had gotten her driver’s license after starting college. After a speechless moment, she marched over, shooed Zane Lynch into the passenger seat, and took control of the vehicle.
Perhaps because they knew Arabella Donovan would be coming along, the Lynch family had gathered in full force. Aside from Melody Lynch, who was abroad again for her studies, everyone else had estimated their arrival time and was waiting at the entrance to greet them.
The moment the car came to a stop, everyone surged forward, only to see Eloise Donovan emerge from the driver’s seat.
"Eloise, why are you driving? Where’s Zane?"
Mrs. Lynch had barely finished speaking when her eldest son climbed out of the passenger seat. He met everyone’s stares with a couple of foolish giggles.
The Lynch Family: "???" ’What’s going on? He goes on one trip and comes back an idiot?’
To keep their imaginations from running wild, Eloise Donovan explained with a sigh, "On the way back, Zane accidentally found out from Arabella that his wife is pregnant with their second child. He got a little too happy and... well, he became like this. I was worried it wouldn’t be safe for him to drive, so I drove back for him."
Arabella Donovan, climbing out of the back seat, also nodded in confirmation of her sister’s story. "Yep, that’s what happened."
Silence descended upon the entryway. After a few deathly quiet seconds, the rest of the Lynch family finally processed what the two sisters had said, and an excited buzz erupted.
"Juliet is pregnant with a second child? How long has it been? How come you never mentioned it?" This was from Mr. Lynch, who was just as stunned and at a loss for words.
"You two are unbelievable, hiding something so important from us. Just the other day I had you and the child come with me to pick bayberries outside the city. All that climbing up and down... what if something had happened? What would we have done?" This was from a horrified Mrs. Lynch, who couldn’t help but feel a pang of retroactive fear.
"...I-I didn’t know either." This was from the person in question, Juliet, who had been completely baffled from the very start.
"Mommy, what’s a second baby?" This was from little Henry Lynch, who hadn’t quite grasped the situation.
Juliet Lyons froze, unsure of how to explain the concept of a second baby to her son. She was even more worried that the arrival of a new sibling might affect his already sensitive state of mind, especially since he had only just gotten settled back into the Lynch family.
Seeing her hesitation, Eloise Donovan stepped forward to help explain. "A second baby means that your mommy has a little baby in her tummy. You’re going to have a little brother or sister! Does Eason want a little brother or sister? Which one would you like?"
A child’s attention is easily diverted. Hearing Eloise’s explanation, even though he didn’t fully understand what this "second baby" was, he still answered obediently, "I want a little brother."
Arabella Donovan smiled at his answer, then turned to ask Mr. and Mrs. Lynch, "And what about you, Uncle and Auntie? Are you hoping for a grandson or a granddaughter?"
"Either would be wonderful. Of course, it would be absolutely perfect if they could have one of each, a boy and a girl, just like Solara and Melody."
"I see." Arabella Donovan stroked her chin, a thoughtful expression on her face.
Everyone’s hearts leaped into their throats. They thought they were about to get a definitive answer, but instead...
’That works. Whether it’s a boy or a girl, one side is bound to be happy.’
The Lynch Family: "..." ’That answer is completely airtight. Incredible!’
Juliet Lyons: "???" ’I’m not even sure if I’m actually pregnant yet, and you’re all already discussing this? Isn’t it a little too soon?’
It was true that the young couple wasn’t yet sure about the second baby, but it was also true that Arabella Donovan wouldn’t joke about something like this.
After discussing whether the baby would be a boy or a girl for a while, it finally dawned on them that perhaps they should take Juliet to the hospital for a check-up first, to confirm the condition of the mother and child.
And so, after swinging from utter despair to elation, Zane Lynch—having finally recovered his wits—hustled his wife into the car and rushed to the nearest hospital, hoping to bring everyone the best possible news as soon as he could.
Mr. and Mrs. Lynch needed to stay behind to look after Henry Lynch, and since Arabella Donovan and Eloise Donovan were there too, they decided to wait for news at home, inviting the two sisters to stay for lunch.
In the end, however, Arabella and Eloise weren’t able to stay for lunch at the Lynch home.