Where's My Happily Ever After?

“Oh my God, I’m going to be a dad,” he murmured softly, stepping up to me. I wanted to back away, but he grabbed my wrist and held me there. He looked down softly at my swollen belly and then up to me. “When did this happen?”

“I don’t know. It’s been four months,” I whispered, aware of Quinn and Nathan watching.

“So only two more to go... Why didn’t you tell me?” he asked, hurt. I could see it in his eyes as well as hear it in his voice.

“I tried to, Edwin, I did. But you got to the punch-line before I did and I was leaving before I ever got the chance to tell you. You wouldn’t talk to me, so how could I tell you?” I was close to tears. Edwin knelt down so he could be at eye level with my stomach. He was staring softly at it even still. People in the mall gawked at us, but he didn’t seem to care. He brought a hand up and caressed our unborn baby gently.

“It’s kicking,” he told me quietly. And sure enough my baby boy started to throw another tantrum. I cried out, falling to the floor. Edwin looked startled, but stayed where he was. I reached out for anything to squeeze, but I got Ed’s hand. I tried to let go, but he started biting my insides again and I gripped the life out of Edwin’s hand. I started bawling as he refused to calm down. “What’s wrong!?”

“Fuck!” I screamed, crying my eyes out. “God fucking damn it!” Little kids passing by gaped, but their mothers covered their ears. “Stop it!” I begged, but he did no such thing.

“Is he hurting you?” he asked me, his voice loud so I could hear him over my cries.

“No: he’s putting me through Hell!” I yelled at him, breathing deeply. Why was he acting up so much now? I saw Edwin bite his lip before he opened his mouth to speak.

“Jade, you’re coming home with me,” he told me, pulling me to my feet. My legs buckled.

“No! I can do this by myself! I don’t need you!” I screamed, clutching my stomach. I wanted to die.

“Too bad! I don’t care!” he yelled back at me, pulling me up once again. I just fell right back down.

“I can’t move!” I cried out. “You’re just making it worse!”

“I’m sorry,” he murmured. He still pulled me up again and I felt my legs give out, but his arms were there to catch me that time. He pulled me up to his chest, holding me and the baby—but mainly the baby—close. “It’s going to be okay. You’re going to be fine.”

I didn’t know if he was talking to me or to his child, but I buried my face in his chest, inhaling his scent. I had missed his smell so much. I cried into his shirt as he carried me out of the mall complex. I blacked out as soon as he stepped foot outside.