2: 2
The moment Seth James saw me, he froze for three full seconds.
Then, without a flicker of hesitation, he walked straight toward me.
"Autumn, don't cry."
"Autumn, why have you gotten so thin…"
He brushed my cheek lightly, his voice low and gentle.
I wiped my tears and knocked his hand away.
Within ten minutes, his mother, my mother, and his cousin all arrived one after another, as if it had all been arranged.
Seth explained it to me line by line.
"I only found out after Willow was already pregnant. Her health is fragile, she couldn't get rid of it."
"I couldn't let my child come into the world with no father."
"There was no way I could take care of both of you at once, so I had to 'disappear' first, and come back for you after the baby was born."
He took my hand, his eyes earnest.
"Willow and I have registered the marriage, but it's only a temporary measure, just to get the child on the household register."
"Wait for me. Once she's finished her postpartum recovery, I'll divorce her, and we'll get married right away."
"And the child will go under your name from then on. We'll raise it together."
Willow came over right on cue, eyes lowered, her voice soft and small.
"I'm sorry… I didn't want this either, but the baby is innocent."
"Seth already told me it's only temporary. Don't worry, I won't try to take him from you."
She dropped her head, wearing the face of someone who'd suffered the greatest wrong in the world.
His mother pulled her close, aching for her, then turned to look at me.
"Autumn, you're twenty-nine already."
"When you marry Seth, you'll have a ready-made child, without going through the pain of childbirth. Straight to motherhood, no labor pains at all. What could be better!"
My mother edged in too and patted my other hand.
"Autumn, Willow's young and doesn't know any better. Seth was backed into a corner. Be gracious about it. We're all one family. There's no wound that can't be smoothed over."
I let out a soft laugh.
"She's twenty-six. Does that still count as young and not knowing any better?"
My mother got frantic, her whole face saying, how can you be so difficult.
"Autumn, can't you show a little understanding for Willow?"
"She's a young woman, pregnant before marriage. If word got out, her reputation would be ruined. How would she ever face anyone again?"
Every one of them was accusing me, completely convinced they were in the right.
Every one of them was waiting, as a matter of course, for me to nod.
I looked at my own family, and all at once I felt very tired.
They were supposed to be the ones standing behind me.
"I need time to process this."
Then I turned and got into the taxi.
As the door shut, I heard my mother say to his mother behind me:
"See? I told you Autumn wouldn't say no. She's always been soft-hearted, ever since she was little."
