Chapter 28 Family

<Mia>

"Sure, I'll refer someone to Dr. Chua. They need a CT scan," Ethan's cousin, a woman, replied.

I told you, I don't belong here.

"Nathan, I'll have my facial with you tomorrow. I'll text you to schedule it," I overheard someone say. Was it their cousin or aunt?

I really don't know if they're talking to their uncles or cousins, or who they're referring to.

"I also have a schedule with Jerald for my teeth cleaning," Nathan replied.

"What about you, Mia? Won't you get your teeth cleaned by me?" Jerald, the husband of someone, suddenly turned to me.

"Let's go together, uncle. Schedule her with me," Ethan interjected.

We get free teeth cleanings, free facials, free check-ups. Everything is free. The perks of having a doctor husband and being part of his family.

"Mark, what else do you have planned in your life?" We all turned to their grandfather as he spoke.

"I had a patient who kept coming back to me because she had constant headaches. No matter what medication I gave her, the pain wouldn't go away. Turns out, she was pregnant," I heard one of Ethan's cousins say. The distant relatives were conversing, while Ethan's twin and I were closer to their grandfather.

"Good thing she didn't have any illness, and I didn't prescribe her antibiotics," I overheard the response.

"Mark is planning to be a beggar," Nathan replied while slicing his steak. I couldn't help but laugh, but I hid it.

Ethan kept attending to my needs every now and then.

"You idiot," Mark replied to his brother.

They're so cute when they argue.

"You borrowed money from one of the nurses working at our hospital last year, and you haven't paid her back yet. Do you know how many complaints I've heard about you?" Ethan scolded his brother.

"You have a hospital?" I whispered to Ethan.

He nodded at me without showing any emotion.

"Why didn't you tell me? And why didn't I know about it?"

"The one we visited when you were burning with fever," he answered softly.

I was taken aback. The hospital was complete and spacious. They really are wealthy, and that explains why we always talk about medical matters and patients.

"And you still haven't paid me back for the loan you took five years ago," their grandfather said.

"This old man, so old yet his memory is sharp when it comes to people owing him money," Mark whispered.

"You didn't even make use of your education. I wasted my money on your education, and yet you have so many debts. You're going to end up renting, aren't you? What are your plans in life? Do you plan on being a perpetual bachelor?" their grandfather continued.

"Mark isn't suited to have a family because the woman would suffer, and she might end up shouldering his debts," Nathan chimed in.

"You'll also end up as a perpetual bachelor because no one will have the patience for you. You're so stingy," Mark retorted to Nathan, who was sitting next to him.

"And you too, Nathan, don't you have any plans to return to medicine?" he turned to Nathan again.

"I realize that I am more interested in business," Nathan replied.

"Oh, really? Nathan, can you become a pediatrician? You also love kids," Mark commented. There was a hidden meaning behind his words. I understood it and couldn't help but smile to myself as I remembered Kaye. They actually seem like siblings when they're together. They're so cute, like little ants.

I listened to them while busily eating.

"You can be a beggar because you keep asking for money from us," Nathan bluntly replied.

I almost choked trying to hold back my laughter.

"Careful," Ethan said, gently patting my back and wiping the side of my mouth. He offered me a drink of water.

"How about the two of you, Mia, aren't you pregnant yet?"

I felt pressured. I had been keeping quiet here, and yet he noticed me.

"We're still working on it, Grandpa," Ethan answered, wiping the corner of his lips.

One of the wives of Ethan's uncles suddenly interjected.

"I can check you, Ethan, in case you're infertile," they're so straightforward.

"you've been married for three years, and you still haven't had a child. Maybe one of you has a problem." She added.

I wanted to choke on what she said. No way am I going for a check-up, and nothing has happened between Ethan and me yet, how could I be pregnant?

"We're both healthy, and besides, we want to plan it," Ethan reasoned.

It's such a hot seat.

"Don't plan too much. Your wife might have difficulty getting pregnant, and stop planning, start having kids. You have a job, Ethan, and you're not getting any younger."

Another child topic. I hope their attention shifts elsewhere. They're always pressuring us to have a child.

"At first, you said you weren't ready. Now you're planning. Come on, bro, are you gay?" I couldn't contain my laughter at Mark's question to the person sitting next to me.

Ethan furrowed his brow and glared at his brother. Nathan laughed too.

"Yeah, Ethan, are you gay? You never had a girlfriend and you never introduced anyone to us before," his older female cousin asked.

"Shut up! I am not gay!" he reacted angrily.

"Um, well, my husband is not gay," I said to try to silence them.

"Maybe you're the gay one, Mark," one of their aunts retorted.

"Duh, me, gay? I have girlfriends, unlike Ethan. Tsk!"

"You have girlfriends, but none of them lasts because you keep borrowing money from them," Nathan commented, busy with his phone again.

"No, I don't!" Mark denied.

"All of them are short-term," another aunt commented.

"Well, why haven't you had children yet?" the conversation shifted back to us.

I felt a cold sweat as they bombarded us with questions. They were boiling us alive.

"We've been busy with work and unexpected events, but we're trying," I lied.

"Who's pregnant?!" We all turned to the newcomer.

It was their sister, Ann, accompanied by her husband and child.

"Sorry we're late. Raf was throwing a tantrum," Ann explained as she greeted each of us.

"What are you all talking about, huh?" she asked again after she sat down.

If I'm not mistaken, her husband is also a doctor. A doctor for those who want plastic surgery.

"Ethan here hasn't gotten anyone pregnant yet."

"Maybe you're using contraceptives, Mia?" Ann asked me.

I shyly smiled at her.

"And don't rely solely on withdrawal, Ethan. After all, there's only a 22 percent chance of not getting pregnant with withdrawal. And with pills, there's a 7 percent chance of not getting pregnant," Aunt Ann provided information.

"You should get pregnant, Mia, because I have a patient who's over forty-two and her baby died after a few weeks because the baby didn't develop properly, and she had difficulty in her pregnancy. She didn't seek medical attention."

She's an obstetrician-gynecologist, by the way.

"Start having children because I'll be the one to provide your check-ups," she said as she fed her child while her husband attended to her.

"You talk too much, sis," Mark commented, earning a scowl from his sister.

"Ethan, I want," we all turned to their grandfather, "I want your first-born child to become a neurologist doctor, and you, Nathan," he directed his attention to the man sneakily using his cellphone, "I want your first-born to become a radiologist doctor." Their grandfather stated it seriously.

"What a dictator," I heard Mark whisper.

I finally breathed a sigh of relief as they started discussing their own matters.

After dinner, the men invited each other for a drinking session.

"Wife, what are you thinking?" We were in his room.

I looked at him, he smelled so good. Like sandalwood.

"I thought you were going to drink with them?" I changed the topic.

"Can I drink with them?" he asked me, his hand resting on my legs.

I pretended to think for a moment.

"Not allowed," I teased, but of course, I had a serious face to make it seem like I was serious.

"Okay."

Well, he's not difficult to talk to.

"Just kidding, you really can't take a joke, huh!" He pinched both of my cheeks.

"Of course, you can drink, and your family is here with you."

I removed my hand from his cheeks.

"Are you sure?" he asked hesitantly.

"I don't want us to fight because I drink."

He really doesn't want us to argue, and he always says that I'm the one who starts our arguments.

"Yup." I gave him an assuring smile. His uncles, cousins, and siblings are here with him.

We're in his room in the mansion. He wanted some alone time with me.

I leaned back on the sofa. He got closer and sneaked his arm around my waist, pressing his face against my neck. He inhaled my scent, like he always does. It's become a hobby of his to smell me, even when I smell strange. Fortunately, he doesn't complain, and he's the one who enjoys smelling me and being particular about it.

He moved closer to me and lay down on my stomach, hugging me tightly.

"Wow, your family can be quite pressuring," I suddenly said, their words from earlier have been bothering me.

We've already arrived home, and it's close to midnight because we had a late dinner and celebration.

"Don't mind them," he said huskily.

"Don't mind them? Your grandfather was so serious earlier," I ran my fingers through his hair.

"He's always like that, you'll get used to it," I felt like he had closed his eyes.

"There are only four of you siblings, Ethan?" I asked curiously.

"And who's the oldest among you?"

"It's Ate Ann," he lazily answered me.

"Then it's followed by Kuya Mark?" I've become curious about them now, I didn't really care about them in the past years, so I wasn't familiar with his uncles, aunts, and their spouses.

He adjusted his position, lazily moving closer to me and made me sit on his lap. He always does this. He hugged me tightly and held one of my hands tightly.

"We are all half brothers and sisters," he rested his chin on my shoulder,.

"Ate Ann is the product of their love, Mom and her legal husband... while Kuya Mark is Dad's child with another woman. And us, my twin brother, we're Mom's children with another man."

"Oh, so both of them had affairs?" I asked, surprised.

He nodded while his chin was still on my shoulder.

"and the original child of both of them is Ate Ann?" I asked again.

He nodded again.

"So, you and your twin brother are children from outside the marriage? Including your brother Mark?" I asked the obvious.

"Yes, baby."

"Then whose child is your Mom? I mean, is she your grandfather's child?"

He nodded again as his response.

Ethan's family is indeed unique, but they don't seem to have any conflicts among the siblings.

"Well, you're already thirty-two, right? What about the eldest?" I asked to have something to talk about and to learn more about him. Lorena once asked me about Ethan's family, and I couldn't answer her because I didn't really know.

"Forty plus," he answered in a deep voice.

"Forty plus?! Why does she look like she's in her twenties?" I asked in surprise. His older sister looks younger, and she has fair skin and a perfect face. Her skin is also smooth, my goodness. Even without makeup, she looks stunning.

"I don't know, babe," he gave me a clueless answer.

I looked at Ethan, who had his eyes closed. He also looks young and handsome.