A Touch Of Happiness. Juan Moisés De La Serna

so I took a step back, but instead, she approached me with a big smile, hugged me and said,

      - My little girl, who has already become a woman, how come I didn’t realise that you have grown so fast?

      I was still feeling insecure about the situation, because I wasn’t sure if this was a sign that she agreed with what I said or she felt sorry for my situation, so I asked her,

      - Aren’t you angry?

      -No, not at all, my girl, she said, kissing my forehead.

      I returned a big hug, feeling calmer now, still afraid of the future ahead of me, I didn’t even know if my partner was going to accept what I had inside, but now I was sure that I had the support of my mother.

      -Let me be the one to tell your father tonight during dinner- she said in a soft voice.

      -Is it necessary? I asked uneasily, looking her in the eyes.

      -Don’t worry ,I’ll be delicate when I mention it -she answered winking at me.

      I was much more relieved after telling my mum, although I had not been too subtle but I preferred to be blunt because of the importance of the topic.

      I went to my room, undressed to change and took the opportunity to look at myself in the mirror; I looked at myself from the side and did not notice anything, I placed my hand on my stomach, trying to figure out where that small being was but I didn’t feel anything.

      I took a cushion and put it on my belly, then I put on a blouse and I looked at myself again in the mirror, I didn’t like that silhouette, it made me look fat and I’m sure it would weigh too much.

      I had always measured my eating, avoided fats and bread so as not to get fat, and now my figure was going to change so monstrously and I wouldn’t be able to do anything about it.

      I’m sure when this advances I will not be able to practice as much sport as I like, run in the park or to do an hour of static bicycle; and when the doctors send me absolute rest in bed, I will get much fatter, besides that it is very bo-ring.

      Now I remember I have not said anything to my mother about who the father was, she had assumed that I had a stable partner and that it was his, although I did not want to contradict her at any point I will have to tell her the truth.

      This was strange, I felt guilty for having something inside me that no one had prepared me for, when I got the loving acceptance of my mother, she had made me stay calm. I finished dressing up and I went to the dinning and when I fi-nished my dad said

      -Hello to the whole family, you must know that today I am a lucky man.

      - Why do you say that? my mother asked, surprised at his joy.

      -You should see the lottery man, he was plethoric, he guaranteed that today he felt happy, and that this could be a sign that he was going to distribute a prize so I bought him two numbers.

      -Two for what? I asked with a smile.

      - One for your mother and one for the home.

      -For the home? I asked, surprised.

      -It spends as much as your mother, with all the bills we have to pay, he said, nodding and guiding my mother’s eye.

      -Well, well, sit down, it seems that you’re right and I’m going and you are going to win the lottery -said my mother when she turned around and smiled at me.

      I understood what he was referring to, my mother was softening the situation to tell him, I was very quiet during dinner, although my father did not realise until a certain moment when he said,

      - Daughter, you look radiant today, did anything happen to you?

      - No really dad, well to tell you the truth when I was walking in the park back from school I sat for a moment and there was a lady with her son, and I don’t know why she transmitted a lot of joy to me.

      - It would be good to meet such people every day- my father remarked.

      We continued having dinner, talking about banal issues, it seemed to be co-ming to an end and my mother had not told him yet, so I made a sign with my head to tell her and she answered with a nodding of her head. My father realis-ed and asked in a suspicious tone,

      - Do you have something to tell me?

      -Well, it’s more about mommy -I answered looking at her.

      -Me? She asked, surprised by my response.

      -Well, I mean it’s about me, but mom is going to tell you, I said rectifying.

      -Well…. yes … she said haltingly. Let me see how to tell you.

      - Go straight to the point, please, it’s late and I’m a bit tired, and although I’m happy about the lottery, I’d like to rest watching a movie before going to bed.

      -Don’t worry I’m not going to take away too much of your time

      I simply think that you have already won the lottery- my mother said quickly, almost without being understood.

      -What do you mean ?, it has not been played yet, until nine o’clock the lot is not going to be held, replied my father, surprised.

      -No, it’s another lottery- my mother said in a low voice.

      -What other lottery? … don’t tell me … that you’re pregnant.

      My mother was surprised by her husband’s words and quickly said,

      -No, no, it’s the baby.

      -The … baby … -he said with surprise.

      I did not say anything, I just smiled at him. He seemed confused or rather sca-red, a little disconcerted, as he got up from the table and went around the room and after a while he came back and asked my mother,

      - Does she know?

      -Sure, dad, it’s me who told mom, I said with a smile.

      - Ah, of course how else, he said clearly affected. But … how? … no don’t tell me.

      -Quiet, you knew that sooner or later I was going to happen, she is a woman- said my mum supporting me

      - Right … well … yes … but I thought it would happen in another way, that she would find a boy, get married and start a family, just as we did.

      - I have someone who loves me, I said, believing that it would make him hap-py.

      But nothing was heard for a moment, it was a strange situation, because we all seemed happy for one reason or another, and what I thought was going to be the cause of anger at home did not go beyond an initial fright and little more.

      Now my parents were thinking about how to face the new situation, without worrying about what the neighbours or society would say .

      Before talking to that woman in the park, I thought that having a child was a tragedy, that it hurt a lot and marked your life, limiting it and making you al-most a slave to your child, with no time for yourself.

      But that woman had told me about all the positive aspects of being a mother, besides she looked very happy with her son.

      What I now feared the most was that the father of the child would go away from my side when he found out about the news, although remembering the words of that woman at the park it had become clear to me that the man who flees does so sooner or later and does not need excuses for it.

      The truth is that now I felt strangely calm, because I saw my two most dearest things to me, my parents, accepting what I thought would be a shame for them; even my father, who was more conservative in his thinking, had not recrimi-nated me at all.

      While in these thoughts my father said,

      -I need a family hug.

      The three of us hugged each other strongly and I felt strengthened in my situa-tion, they might not like the idea or they needed more time to assimilate it, they might know what would happen to me in the