By my side

When Jenny saw the speed in the rapid fire of information lower and it became clear her mother had said that which had been on her mind and on her chest, she smilingly said, "Mom, I know you are concerned and that you wish you could be here by my side. But that doesn't have to remain a wish. You probably haven't noticed but your booklet had an few extra pages. Those pages contain four open airline tickets with no set date. So, you can come and go whenever you want. If those tickets have been used up, I will make sure to buy more for you. So, don't for a second think you are not part of this. I might be grownup and be well on my way to become a mother myself, that does not mean that I don't need my own mother by my side during a time like this or in general for that matter."

Mary didn't wait for Jenny to finish talking as she walked back to the kitchen with her phone, where she had left the box with the ingredients for the bun and took out the booklet with the recipe. When she turned to the last few pages and saw that there were indeed four tickets in her name attached to the pages. The moment she saw the picture of the ultrasound and the word 'Grandparent' that even she recognized, she had dropped the book from her hand and had ran to the living room to call her daughter. Now that she saw what her daughter had arranged for her, she felt herself getting emotional once more. With a quivering voice and dampened eyes, she said "Thank you my dear. This must be the reason god gave mothers daughters. When men fall in love, they only have eyes for their wives but daughters never forget about their mothers. Taking care of me every step of the way, before I even ask you to do a single thing. You can expect me on the first flight over."

Jenny smiled and felt herself becoming a bit emotional from seeing her mother like this. "It is nothing compared to the years of care I have received from you mom. You deserve every bit of it and even more. Let me know when your flight is planned to arrive. I will make sure me or Jason will come to pick you up from the airport. You can stay in one of the guestrooms for however long wish." Though Mary had spoken with such conviction before, it appeared that she still had some concerns regarding a long visit. She requested to be taken off speakerphone and talked to Jenny in private as she asked, "You shouldn't be treating it as your own house. Don't forget that you are still living with your in-laws. Though they are very kind people, are you sure they are okay with me staying in their home for a long period of time? Maybe it is better if I stay at their house in the city or at a hotel or something. I don't want to inconvenience them." Jenny, who had wondered what her mother wanted to talk to her about that she needed to take her off speakerphone, started to laugh at her mothers unneeded concerns.

"Mom, there is no need for such worries. This house has more rooms and space then we know what to do with. I have lived here for almost four years now. I think it is fine for me to invite guests. Especially my own mother, who is more part of this family as well than someone who is considered a real guest. Mother and father, who would never consider you staying here an inconvenience either, reside in an entirely separate wing. Meaning you could never be in their way or be a bother to them. So, put all your worries aside. Just pack your bags and get yourself ready to come over." Susan and Stephen, who caught wind of Jenny's conversation and could conclude what the conversation was about, chimed in as well in order to reassure Mary that she was more than welcome. "What do you think all those guestrooms are for dear Mary? If not to allow family to stay in our house, what use are they?"

After some convincing, Mary accepted their kindness and hung up to start her packing. While Jenny became preoccupied by the third in line who had managed to crack the code and had called to express their congratulations and to talk to her, Jason, who got the gist of what was going on during the previous call as well, stepped into the other room to call his mother-in-law on his own. "Mother, sorry I didn't mean to disturb you during your packing but I wanted you to know that I care for you as I do for my own mother and you staying here could never be an inconvenience. So, please stay here as long as you wish. Even if you stay here for the rest of Jenny's pregnancy or even beyond that, I welcome you and will even be glad to have you with us so nearby during all of this."

Though Jason had made Jenny felt blessed more than once during their relationship, he had now managed to do the same for Mary. She was very happy to know that her daughter had married into such a kind hearted family and that her son-in-law was such a good man, who not only knew how to consider his wife's feelings but even knew to show concern for the feelings of his mother-in-law. When Jason returned to where the others were, Jenny had just finished listening to Jason grandmother being overjoyed by the news as well. Feeling happy that her wish had been heard and that she would be meeting her great-grandson or great-granddaughter very soon.

Now that all the people who deserved to know first had received the message, they could finally share it with their close friends. Jason was tasked with informing their friends in England, while Jenny sent a message to her dearest friends in the Netherlands. Causing another flood of well wishes and congratulatory messages. Though some held some concern for their own situation!