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“Daimon, relax man,” Rafe said, attempting to calm me. “Ease off the doctor. He’s only doing his job.”
“Fuck his job. Just tell her she’s okay. Don’t mention the baby,” I hissed.
“And what if she does?” the doctor retorted as he pushed me away. “Then what?”
“Just ignore her,” I bit out. “Please.”
“Do you think that’s a good idea?” Rafe interjected. “Daimon, you both lost something important—”
“Then what am I supposed to do? Just let her find out by the doctor. No Rafe, I’ll tell her,” I insisted.
I walked in with the doctor and I watched as he checked her, asking her a few questions. Addie wasn’t stupid; she acted like everything was okay, never once mentioning the baby. I stood at the foot of her gurney, the ice-cold expression of her face, the vacant eyes. I didn’t need to tell her. She already knew. The doctor stepped out leaving us alone.
“I want to go home,” she stated as she stared out the window.
“Not yet, but soon,” I answered.
“I lost the baby,” she whispered bluntly. I froze, my body not knowing how to react to her. “I guess it wasn’t mean to be,” she said again, still looking out the window.
“Addie, you did everything right. If anything, it was all my fault.” I lowered my eyes, not able to look at her. Addie didn’t say a word, not one. She laid there still, her silence screaming out her pain and anger and I wasn’t able to do a damn fucking thing. I stepped out of the room, not able to bear her unspoken words. I wandered to the waiting room; Elissa, Darren, Rafe and my father-in-law were still there.
“I'm so sorry,” Elissa sobbed as she wrapped her hands around me.
“It is your fault.” I heard Addie’s father say to me as Elissa let go. His hard stare filled me with shame. In grief, I collapsed onto the ground, kneeling before him. “You and your business did this to my daughter. She lost her baby, because of a grudge someone had for you!”
“Mr. Sakis,” Darren stepped in, “he lost his child too. Daimon is not responsible for what some sick person wanted to do.” Darren stood in front of me blocking Addie’s dad from me, but I knelt there, letting the words of Addie’s father wash over me.
“How could you do this to her?” he kept saying, his broken English somehow making it even more poignant. I didn’t dare look up. I deserved his anger and hatred. “You promised me you would keep her safe, but all you did was hurt her,” he shouted.
“Mr. Sakis, please. Addie might hear you and right now, we need to help them both,” Elissa tried to ease the situation.
Addie’s father stepped away, placing his hands on his waist and looked out the window. His stance was menacing as he quietly seethed. On the cold ground of the sterile hospital, time ceased to exist knowing I was the one who brought this onto our family, onto my Addie.The HomecomingI headed home leaving Addie with her father and Elissa in the hospital. Drako came at me the moment the elevator opened. I crouched down and barely petted him. He whimpered, knowing how I felt as he followed me closely as I made my way up to the bedroom. I dragged each foot up the steps; the world around me was bleak and distorted. One minute, I was a happy father-to-be, a husband, a provider and protector, the next I was a destroyer of all the things that made my entire being complete, alive with life. Addie brought me a salvation I thought I was never to have, and the moment I heard about the baby, it only solidified it even more.
I turned on the shower, cold frigid water spraying down. I listlessly stepped inside, not caring about my clothes. The freezing water hitting me hard like nails, bitterly attacking me. I backed onto the side of the shower wall and slowly sagged down onto the floor. I watched the water pool and escape into the drain in the middle of the shower, my mind and body turning numb. Drako barked twice, waking me up from my trance. Disoriented, I stumbled, catching myself before I fell. I turned off the water, peeled off the cold wet clothes and let them lay on the floor of the bathroom. I opened the door of the bathroom Drako at my feet as I walked around naked, the cold air making me shiver as I dressed in my jeans and a t-shirt.
I headed out of the bedroom and looked across to the finished baby room. I had the men rush through it wanting it done for Addie. I stood numb. Discouraged, I made my way over to the room. The door made a quiet creak as I pushed it open. The smell of new paint hit me. Addie chose a soft green and instructed the painter to draw little cartoons all around the room. A freshly delivered baby crib lay flush against the wall. I let out a dark laugh, shaking my head. I turned to leave, when I was confronted with the tiny little picture of the first ultrasound. Addie had framed it. She placed it on the little white drawer by the door. I picked it up, my hands shaking as I stared at it. As I held onto the frame, something inside me broke and I began to cry.
