Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

Chapter 574

After Natalie made an appointment for Ava, they attended the examination together. The examination

lasted over an hour, and every aspect was normal.

Reviewing the report she held, Ava was puzzled by the lack of fluctuations in the indicators. She

pondered over the possible reasons for this.

In her mind, many question marks were floating around.

With a concerned expression, Natalie took Ava’s hand and led her to the office. “Come on, the results

are all good. Maybe you’re too nervous, or the academic

pressure is too much.”

Ava continued to shake her head. Sitting across from each other, she placed the report on the table,

not planning to return it to the Roberts family. “Sister, let me

tell you something. You have to keep it a secret.”

In a hushed tone, Ava stood up, approached Natalie’s ear, whispered a few words, and then shyly

stood aside.

Upon hearing this, Natalie gazed at her sister in surprise, attempting to read the truth from her

expression. She observed her sister lowering her head, appearing

embarrassed. “Take a seat. Why are you feeling embarrassed? Have you thoroughly considered it?”

Ava nodded. “Yes, I’ve thought about it. Sister, why do you think there is no result even after the

examination? Everything seems normal.”

Contemplating the absence of any issues in the examination, she pondered where the problem might

lie and was eager to uncover it.

From the results, it seemed that Ava’s body was fine. The only possibility was that she was too

nervous. “Ava, don’t keep thinking about this. Relax and let things

happen naturally. If you’re too stressed, it might have the opposite effect. Psychological effects are

particularly evident.”

Natalie felt uneasy delving into further details about this matter. She refrained from elaborating,

particularly mindful of what Frank might think.

Ava widened her beautiful eyes and felt very nervous. “Is this related to nervousness? Is it because |

am nervous?”

Natalie nodded. “You are nervous right now.”

“Okay, maybe a little?”

“If you’re nervous and unprepared, you can wait a bit. There’s no need to pressure yourself. Frank

won’t rush you.”

Ava rested her chin on her hands, thoughtfully responding with a hint of apology, “I know Frank won’t

rush me. It’s just that | feel sorry for him. We originally

planned to graduate this year, and now | want to pursue a double degree, causing a delay.”

“Well, I’ve already decided. This must be done. Sister, keep it a secret for me. Don’t tell your brother-in-

law yet. It wouldn’t be good if he accidentally mentioned it.”

Natalie promised, “Yes, | won’t say anything. Don’t worry.”

Frank arrived in an SUV to pick them up at the end of the workday. When he saw Natalie, he politely

greeted her, but there was a momentary pause before he said,

“Sister.”

Hearing this precise address, Natalie was surprised. After all, Ava had been with Frank for so long, and

it was the first time Frank had addressed her like that. She

smiled slightly and said, “Well, drive slowly. Goodbye, Ava.”

“Sister, goodbye. You drive slowly, too. I’m leaving.” Ava waved her hand.

Frank watched as Natalie’s car quickly drove away. He held Ava’s hands until the car was out of sight.

Then, he walked around the back of the car, heading to the

passenger seat, and asked, “Do you want to go home for dinner or eat out?”

Ava, sitting in the passenger seat, asked, “Is Rose not at the Roberts family’s house today?”

“No, she’s not.” “In that case, let’s go home.” With Rose not at home, it would only be the Roberts

couple, and need to be more lively. Going back home for dinner was a better idea. As Frank and Ava

returned home, the living room was filled with the voice of Rose and the noisy sounds of children, but

the source of the noise was not the living room. It was from the phone. At this moment, Grace was

video-chatting with Rose. The phone’s camera was pointed at a little person, Rose’s son. He was

sitting on the robot vacuum, following it around the large living room, clapping excitedly. The robot

vacuum seemed peculiar. Objects were scattered everywhere, and only Rose could unravel their

mystery. Meanwhile, Ruby was anxiously following by his side, and Hackett’s son sat on the floor,

happily playing with a spinning top. The scene was harmonious. Rose had liberated her hands,

entrusting the child to the robot vacuum, and praised its practicality. “Harper really likes this machine.

He sits on it three times a day. It’s truly a magical tool for parenting.” She freed her hands. The only

flaw was that some modifications were needed so the child wouldn’t fall off the robot. Frank held Ava’s

hand and walked to the sofa. He glanced at Grace’s phone without expression. “Just let Harper call the

robot vacuum the mummy.” Ava chuckled at the amusing image of the child circling the robot. More

importantly, the whole family accepted Frank’s behavior without objection. Rose said, “What’s the big

deal? It’s part of childhood. You used to be mischievous, too. For example, when you needed to pee

urgently.” Frank was concerned that his sister might disclose more information. He warned her,

preventing her from continuing, “Take a moment to think. Choose your words carefully.” Rose could

sense the implicit threat through the screen. She restrained herself from saying what she intended. She

didn’t dare to continue, as she knew urinating in public was an incredibly embarrassing matter to Frank.

“Alright, Ava, you visited Natalie today, didn’t you?” Grace handed the phone to her daughter-in-law

and said, “Sit down.” “Okay.” Ava took the phone and sat next to Grace. “Yes, | went to see my sister

today.” She didn’t mention the reason for going to the base. They chatted for a while, and then Edward

came back and lifted his son from the machine, holding him in his arms. The little one seemed reluctant

to come down from the robot vacuum and wanted to continue exploring around the living room.

However, Edward didn’t indulge him. “Well, I’m hanging up. Goodbye.” “Okay, I’ll come to see you on

Friday.” Since Edward had returned, Rose didn’t plan to chat for long. “Okay.” After making an

appointment, the call ended. Dinner was already prepared, waiting for Frank and others to return.

Ava’s summer vacation was rich and fulfilling. During the day, she interned at the company with Frank.

Ava was now different from the previous year. She could

ultimately serve as Frank’s secretary with decent execution skills, requiring little guidance.

Every time Frank caught sight of the independent young woman that Ava had become, a subtle unease

settled within him. Witnessing Ava’s growth and

self-sufficiency stirred a mix of pride and concern. It was as if a glimpse into her newfound

independence triggered a latent fear. The fear of her potentially drifting

away, no longer reliant on or closely bound to him

The realization that Ava was evolving into her own person, capable and self-assured, brought forth an

unexpected wave of vulnerability. The looming specter of

aging and the natural evolution of their relationship suddenly became palpable, prompting Frank to

grapple with the inevitable shift in dynamics accompanying

the passage of time.

Frank was unaware that Ava was planning a significant surprise.

It was another month and the day of menstruation again. On this day, Ava doesn’t go to the company

but lies to Frank, saying that her sister invited her to have

lunch together.

Ava nervously waited in Natalie’s office, hands tightly clenched, looking at her phone, then standing up

again. “Sister, how many more minutes? Is it just a normal

delay?”

Natalie stood up and poured a cup of warm water to ease her nervousness. “Don’t be nervous. Just

wait a few more minutes.”

Her heartbeat accelerated, and she held her breath when holding the warm cup.

Tomorrow marked the anticipated day for Ava’s menstrual cycle, yet she arrived a day in advance for

the checkup. Driven by a mixture of anticipation and perhaps

a touch of anxiety, Ava conducted discreet online research. Her findings suggested that detecting

specific indicators at this particular juncture was plausible. The

decision to undergo the checkup a day earlier reflected her eagerness for confirmation and a subtle

undercurrent of impatience.

Soon, there was a knack on the office door. Looking at her still somewhat nervous sister, Natalie went

to open the door. Outside was a colleague from the base. She

took the report, looked at it for a few seconds, thanked him, and said, “Thank you.”

The door was closed again. Natalie smiled and handed the report to her sister. “Ava, the surprise has

arrived on schedule.”

For a moment, Ava was so surprised that she couldn’t find words. She stared at the report in her hand

blankly. The index of the fluffy hormone had soared to over

6000, while the qualified index was 5-10. It seemed severe.

She sought to determine her success. Gripping the paper tightly, her fingers squeezed, and glistening

droplets dampened the black arrow beneath her gaze. Her

vision slowly became blurred.

Natalie knew that her sister wasn’t sad, but happy. She walked over, hugged her, patted her shoulder,

and comforted her. “I will always support your decision. |

believe that you’ve thought about this decision carefully.”

Ava leaned on Natalie’s shoulder, nodding. Tears slid from the corners of her eyes. Frank was no

longer at the bottom. Her lips slightly curled upward as she stepped

back.

Seeing that her sister didn’t immediately call Frank with the good news, Natalie guessed that her sister

must have some concerns. Otherwise, given Ava’s

personality, she would have reported the good news to Frank long ago.

Natalie took a tissue to wipe away her tears and asked patiently, “When do you plan to tell Frank?”

“I want to wait until the child is more stable. I’m a bit afraid.” Since Ava decided to get pregnant, she

has done a lot of self-education.

At the same time, she also learned a lot about the instability and miscarriage in the first three months of

pregnancy.

The good results were not remembered, but all the bad ones were deeply imprinted in her mind. She

also didn’t want to tell Frank immediately, fearing

disappointment.

In addition to the plot of the empress having a miscarriage in the soap opera she had been following

these days, she still felt lingering fear.

Natalie could feel her sister’s nervousness. She patted her sister’s shoulder and said, “Ava, there won’t

be so many uncertainties. You should be fine if you take care

of yourself in the early stages, especially by avoiding stress and not eating randomly. Besides, your

checkup results are good, so don’t be nervous. Relax.”

“However, Sis still suggests you tell Frank as soon as possible. As a father, he would want to be

involved. Think positively about everything.” Natalie advised.

Whether Ava listened or not, Natalie couldn’t say much. She could only remind her as a sister about

some early pregnancy precautions, such as not overexerting.

When the idea first sprouted, Alex was also against Ava Turner doing this. He said, “Let her endure a

little longer.”

Natalie was a little nervous. Her sister was very bold, and she was ina dilemma. If anything happened

during the pregnancy and she kept it a secret, Frank would

probably fight with her.

However, Ava should be the one to tell Frank about this. She could not interfere too much.

He could only repeatedly advise, “Ava, now that you’re pregnant, you must be cautious in every aspect,

especially with Frank.”

Before Natalie could finish, Ava interrupted, “Sister, don’t worry. | have a way.”

Natalie sighed and did not ask Ava for a solution. This girl had already calculated the time. It was

August now, and Ava was pregnant. She figured that she would

give birth next year during the summer vacation, about Ava’s graduation.

With this calculation, he knew this girl had considered this more than once. Even the timeline was

calculated so accurately.

Since her sister already had her own plans, as her big sister, she could not say anything. She could

only instruct her, as an experienced person, to take note of some

things in the early stages of pregnancy. She could not tire herself out, eat randomly, shop for a long

time, and so on.

Ava approached the situation with utmost seriousness and dedication. Recognizing that this child was

a shared bond with Frank, a tangible manifestation of their

love, she committed herself to exercising great caution in every aspect of her life.

Ava’s eyes sparkled with excitement and hope, reflecting the anticipation that swirled within her.

Subconsciously, her hand gently cradled her stomach, creating a

tender and instinctive connection to the life blossoming within. At that moment, a wave of emotions

surged through her. The joy of impending motherhood

Natalie stood at the side and watched silently. She reached out to help his sister tidy her hair and

smiled.