Chapter 361: Fork in the Road
When Aldrich landed in New York, Barnett came to greet him directly. Inside the expansive Lincoln limousine, Aldrich hadn't gotten any sleep yet was still full of energy, chatting away with Barnett about his excitement over becoming a father.
Barnett was slightly worried, as he kept urging Aldrich to calm down. Having already experienced fatherhood, he understood the happiness Aldrich felt, but he struggled to understand the extreme level of his exuberance.
Of course he couldn't understand. In fact, considering Aldrich's age and the life he had lived in his previous life, he was already in his forties. After living for more than forty years, he was about to have his own child. It wasn't that he had been longing for it but had not been able to do so. It was just that the unexpected joy came like a tide, which was why he was so happy.
Barnett invited Aldrich to stay at his luxurious mansion in the U.S., but Aldrich declined. He was eager to see Melanie and asked Barnett to have the driver take him to the hotel where she was staying.
As Aldrich walked into the hotel and approached Melanie's room, he suddenly felt an unexpected calm wash over him.
Melanie stood there in casual clothes, her lips curled into a smile as she looked at him, waiting for him to rush in and sweep her up in his arms. But instead, Aldrich stepped into the room, gently closed the door behind him, and gazed at her with soft eyes.
"Damn it, Aldrich, what are you waiting for? Come here and hug me!"
Melanie dashed towards him and jumped into his embrace, holding him tightly.
Aldrich reciprocated the embrace but was careful. "Be careful, be careful…"
He gently pressed his hand against her back, urging her to avoid any sudden movements.
Melanie cupped his face with her hands, grinning as she said, "Look at how nervous you are! I don't feel anything! If I hadn't missed my period recently, no one would even have known I was pregnant."
"Not knowing before is one thing, but now that we do, we have to be careful."
Aldrich released her and took her hand, leading her to sit on the edge of the bed.
Noticing the bloodshot lines in his eyes, Melanie asked with concern, "You didn't rest at all, did you?"
Aldrich smiled, "Couldn't sleep."
"Well, you need to sleep now! It's a must!"
Melanie gently took off his clothes, coaxing him to lie down in bed. She removed her outerwear as well, slipping into the covers beside him, leaning against his shoulder, with one hand resting on his chest. "Let's make you more comfortable."
Aldrich breathed in the fragrance of her hair and closed his eyes in satisfied fatigue. As sleep began to overtake him, he spoke to Melanie in a faint voice.
"I've thought of names for the baby. If it's a boy, I'll call him Bert. If it's a girl, she'll be Bonnie."
"Bert and Bonnie. Those are lovely names."
Melanie encouraged him to come up with those two names, and Aldrich felt he had completed his task.
She reflected on the meaning—Bert symbolizing brilliance and glory, and Bonnie signifying elegance and kindness.
"Let's hope our child will live up to their name, just like you, Aldrich. A wise ruler, Hall, the glory of a hero—Aldrich Hall. Haha, the wise and glorious hero ruler."
"That's every parent's best wish for their child…"
Aldrich finally dozed off. Melanie tilted her chin, gazing into his face closely, then gently pressed a kiss on his lips before closing her eyes, peacefully resting in his embrace.
When Aldrich woke up, he found the room dim with nightfall, and the clock on the wall showed it was already 11 PM.
Melanie's suite had a separate living room apart from the bedroom, and she was in the living room watching TV with the volume low.
In his hurry to come, Aldrich hadn't packed any change of clothes, so he put his suit back on, though it wasn't perfectly tidy.
As he walked into the living room, Melanie turned and smiled, "Did I wake you?"
If he hadn't walked into the living room, he wouldn't have even heard the TV. Aldrich leaned down to kiss her passionately before sitting beside her. Melanie called to order food from the hotel.
She had already arranged for the staff to prepare a sumptuous meal, all they needed was for Aldrich to wake up so they could deliver it.
While they were enjoying their meal in the living room, Aldrich suddenly said, "Let's get married."
Melanie was momentarily stunned, and Aldrich continued, "You'll go back to London, and we'll buy a new house. We could even live in the suburbs; it's a bit far from where I work, but that doesn't matter."
Recovering from her surprise, Melanie frowned and asked, "Aldrich, what are you talking about?"
Aldrich responded with a grin, "I'm talking about us. We're getting married, of course we'll have to live together, especially now that we're having a child. We need to raise the baby together, right?"
Melanie retorted, "What about my job? What about my career?"
Aldrich replied matter-of-factly, "Geri has decided to leave the group, and the other Spice Girls—Victoria wants to quit too? If it weren't for Beckham becoming a scapegoat in France, they all should have been married by now. Your career has been successful, but I think now is a great time to step into a new phase of life."
Melanie shook her head resolutely. "Are you implying I should just be a housewife? Aldrich, I can't control what others decide. Geri's exit is her choice, and if Victoria chooses to marry Beckham and take on the role of a full-time wife, that's her decision. I'm not done; my career has only really taken off in the past three or four years. Sure, the Spice Girls have had their victories, and while there's talk of a breakup, that doesn't signal the end of my career. I believe I can achieve success without the other members."
Aldrich furrowed his brow slightly and replied softly, "I'm not doubting your ability to succeed without the Spice Girls. I just think that to build a complete family, we should at the very least live together, especially considering we're having a baby."
"I don't think having a child means we need to have a parent home 24/7! Many couples do just fine. I see no problem with that!"
"No, you're missing my point. I want a complete family—with me, with you, and with our child. I want to come home after work to see my wife and child at the dinner table, discussing anything about life, rather than always feeling like we're just dating intermittently."
Aldrich stood up, raising his voice with a serious expression.
Melanie also stood and faced him, "You have a career, and I have one too. Why should I give mine up? Why can't you give up your job to be with me instead?"
Aldrich was left speechless.
Yes, why should he ask Melanie to give up her career to fulfill his desires?
Having lived in Europe for over a decade, Aldrich was finally experiencing the differences in Eastern and Western perspectives firsthand.
When it came to family values, he was somewhat traditional. He believed a family should have a man working outside while, if conditions allowed, the woman should stay home, especially with children to raise.
The living room atmosphere turned tense, both of them silent and avoiding each other's eyes. Melanie turned her head away, while Aldrich placed one hand on his hip and the other on his forehead, slightly bowing his head.
He was clearly deep in contemplation.
However, his thinking caused Melanie to feel a rising panic.
Aldrich was not the type to make unreasonable scenes or explode in anger. After years of being together, she had come to know him well; if there was no harmony, they would simply go their separate ways.
His contemplation was undoubtedly about making a decision.
He was a stubborn man, particularly when someone craved something deeply; the strength of that desire could make one's stance incredibly firm.
Feeling aggrieved, Melanie's eyes glistened with tears as she instinctively sought to pierce the heavy silence with the most natural reaction for a woman.
Venting her feelings.
"Aldrich, I love you, and I know you love me too. But you say you want to marry me without even preparing an engagement ring, mentioning it so lightly! I don't expect grand romance, but shouldn't a proposal be more formal?"
By bringing up marriage, she simply wanted to remind Aldrich of the reality of their relationship.
Aldrich lifted his head and said calmly, "Marriage? I don't know. If our situation doesn't change before and after marriage, then what's the point? I was wrong earlier; I shouldn't have taken for granted that you would give up your career. But if we can't agree on this, I feel like things won't move in the direction we hope for. Melanie, please consider my request seriously. I know that transforming from Melanie Chisholm, the singer, to Melanie Hall would require a significant sacrifice on your part..."
Before Aldrich could finish his thoughts, Melanie shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes, and exclaimed, "No, I can't accept that! You've spent years learning, traveling throughout Europe, and attending football academies to achieve your success. What about me? I've dedicated my sweat and effort day by day to get where I am! You can't give up easily; why should I? Aldrich, we can choose not to get married, and maintaining our current situation—even with a child—wouldn't have a big effect. We can hire a nanny and have family to help us out..."
"But that's not what I want," he insisted. "My job is different from yours. You're in Berlin today and Paris tomorrow, enjoying the scenery while working. For me, most of my year revolves around training fields and clubs. I need more elements of life in my routine. I want to come home excited after work, knowing someone is waiting for me. I want to see my wife, to see my child, so I can forget my exhaustion and feel fulfilled! That's what I want. Can you give that to me? Can
Aldrich's tone softened, sounding almost like a plea.
But Melanie remained silent, tears stream down her cheeks.
Aldrich had received his answer.
He looked down and let out a self-deprecating smile.
He had been so naive.
Love and life, sometimes, were two entirely different things.
He walked back into the bedroom to slip on his shoes and then returned to the living room by Melanie's side, attempting to wipe away the tears from her cheeks. But Melanie forcefully swatted his hand away.
"Take care of yourself."
"What does that mean? Are you breaking up with me?"
Melanie turned to stare into his eyes, unyielding.
Aldrich said softly, "I just want you to take some time to think clearly."
"I don't need that!"
He gazed at her deeply for a moment before heading to the door, opening it, and exiting.
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