A New Life: Redemption of souls

Beatrice stayed admitted in the hospital for several days, undergoing various tests and treatments to ensure her and her baby's health. But despite her mother's initial outburst, Rachel didn't come to visit her once during her hospital stay.

It wasn't until her father, Barry, returned from his trip that Beatrice finally received some parental love and concern. Barry walked into her hospital room, a look of relief washing over his face as he saw his daughter sitting up in bed, looking pale but recovering.

"Beatrice, my dear," he said, rushing over to hug her tightly. "I'm so sorry I wasn't here sooner. How are you feeling?"

Beatrice smiled weakly, feeling a lump form in her throat. "I'm okay, Dad. Just a bit tired."

Barry sighed, holding her at arm's length. "You need to take proper care of yourself, Beatrice. You're not just thinking about yourself anymore, you're thinking about that baby inside you."

Beatrice nodded, feeling a pang of guilt. She knew her father was right. She needed to be more careful, for her baby's sake.

As they drove home from the hospital, Barry couldn't stop praising Ethan, the new tenant who had helped Beatrice in her time of need.

"I spoke to the nurse, and she told me all about how Ethan took you to the hospital and even gave you blood," Barry said, his eyes shining with gratitude. "That young man is a hero, Beatrice. You need to thank him properly when you see him."

Beatrice smiled, feeling a warmth in her heart towards Ethan. She had been so focused on her own recovery that she hadn't even thought about thanking him yet.

"I will, Dad," she promised. "I'll make sure to thank him as soon as I can."

But when they arrived home, Beatrice's mother, Rachel, was waiting for her, her face twisted in a scowl.

"So, you're finally back," Rachel said, her voice dripping with disdain. "I hope you're happy now, bringing shame to our family with your reckless behavior."

Beatrice sighed, feeling a familiar sense of frustration. Why couldn't her mother just be supportive and loving for once?

"Mom, please," Beatrice said, trying to reason with her. "I'm sorry if I worried you, but I'm fine now. And I'm going to take better care of myself from now on."

But Rachel just shook her head, her expression unyielding. "You need to go back to your in-laws, Beatrice. That's the only way you'll ever learn to behave properly."

Beatrice felt a surge of anger, but she bit back her retort. She knew that arguing with her mother would only lead to more stress and tension.

Instead, she just nodded quietly, trying to appease her mother. But inside, she was seething with resentment and frustration. Why couldn't her mother just accept her for who she was?

Barry, who had been watching the exchange between his wife and daughter, stepped in to intervene. "Rachel, that's enough," he said firmly. "Beatrice is home now, and she's safe. Let's just focus on supporting her and the baby, okay?"

Rachel's face darkened, but she said nothing more. Beatrice felt a surge of gratitude towards her father, who always seemed to know how to calm the storm.Beatrice sat by the window, her eyes fixed on the locket in her hand. She opened it, revealing the photo of her and Shawn inside. She sobbed uncontrollably as she talked to him, narrating everything that had happened since she'd last spoken to him.

"Oh, Shawn, I miss you so much," she whispered, her voice shaking with emotion. "I wish you were here to help me through all this. Mom is being so unreasonable, and I just feel so alone."

As she spoke, she stared out the window, lost in thought. But then, her gaze fell upon Ethan, who was walking out of the guest house to dispose of some trash. She stared at him for a while, taking in his rugged features and brooding expression.

Ethan noticed her staring and looked back, his eyes meeting hers for a brief moment. Beatrice felt a flush rise to her cheeks as he snorted and turned away, disappearing back into the guest house.

She rolled her eyes, muttering under her breath. "Rude much? Can't even acknowledge someone's presence."

Despite his rudeness, Beatrice decided to go over to the guest house and thank him for his help. She also needed to complete the signing of the lease agreement, which they had started but not finished.

She took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and made her way to the guest house. She knocked on the door, and when Ethan answered, she forced a smile onto her face.

"Hi, Ethan. I just wanted to come over and thank you for your help the other day. I really appreciate it."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, looking at her warily. "It was nothing," he said gruffly. "Don't mention it."

Beatrice felt a twinge of annoyance at his brusqueness, but she pushed on. "Well, I wanted to thank you anyway. And I also needed to complete the lease agreement. Can we do that now?"

Ethan nodded, stepping aside to let her in. "Yeah, sure. Let's get it over with."

As they sat down at the kitchen table, Beatrice couldn't help but notice the way Ethan's eyes seemed to bore into her soul. She felt a shiver run down her spine, and she quickly looked away, focusing on the papers in front of her.

"So, where do I sign?" she asked, trying to sound casual.

Ethan pointed to the relevant sections, and Beatrice signed the papers, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. It was done. Ethan was officially a tenant in her father's guest house, and she could start focusing on her own life again.

As she stood up to leave, Ethan looked up at her, his eyes narrowing slightly. "Thanks for the hospitality, Beatrice. I'll try not to be too much trouble."

Beatrice smiled wryly, feeling a sense of unease at his words. "Just take care of the place, Ethan. That's all my dad asks."

And with that, she turned and walked out of the guest house, leaving Ethan to his own devices.As she returned home, Beatrice handed her dad the paperwork, feeling a sense of relief that the formalities were finally over. Her dad smiled, his eyes crinkling at the corners, and said, "I'm going to invite Ethan over for dinner tonight. I want to thank him properly for his kindness."

Beatrice rolled her eyes, wondering why the formality was necessary. "Dad, really? Do we have to?"

Her dad nodded, his expression serious. "Yes, we do. Ethan is obviously a kind soul. He saved you and even donated blood to help you. We need to show our appreciation."

Beatrice sighed, feeling a twinge of guilt. She supposed her dad was right. Ethan had done a lot for her, and the least they could do was thank him properly.

As her dad beamed and went over to the guest house to invite Ethan, Beatrice rolled her eyes and headed upstairs. But as she was going up, she heard gentle sobs coming from Perach's room. She stopped in her tracks, her heart skipping a beat.

"Perach?" she called out softly, knocking on the door.

The sobs stopped, and Perach's voice called out, "Come in."

Beatrice opened the door and slipped inside. Perach was sitting on her bed, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Beatrice's heart went out to her sister.

"Hey, what's wrong?" she asked, sitting down beside Perach.

Perach sniffled, wiping her nose with a tissue. "I just feel so helpless, Bea. Mom is being so mean to you, and I don't know how to make it stop."

Beatrice put her arm around Perach, pulling her close. "It's not your fault, Perach. Mom is just...mom. We'll get through this together, okay?"

Perach nodded, smiling weakly. "Thanks, Bea. I don't know what I'd do without you."

Beatrice smiled back, feeling a sense of love and connection with her sister. "You'll never have to find out, Perach. We're in this together, always."