The first story in the Ryan Family Series!
Navy Winters had her life all figured out and then everything blew up in her face in a matter of minutes. Her boyfriend passed away suddenly and here she is six months pregnant and has no one to turn to and...
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A little while later we head to the support group together. We get out and walk in and Louise smiles when she sees us together and I know what she's thinking.
We sit down in our circle and a few talk about their grief and what happened and then I decided to tell them what happened to Gavin.
"I want to share with you all what happened to my boyfriend Gavin. I haven't uttered a word or spoken of this out loud to anyone."
"Gavin had gotten off work and called asking if I needed anything from the store that he was going to a stop and I told him yeah spaghetti noodles."
"When he hadn't shown up at home thirty minutes later I begin to worry. But I was already six months pregnant and didn't want to go out hunting for him."
"Anyway after an hour had passed I got worried and got in my car and drove toward the grocery store. I saw police cars lined up and yellow tape around the parking lot and my heart dropped. I don't remember getting out of the car and running but an officer stopped me and I explained why I was panicked. He asked for a picture of Gavin and I showed him one I had took just days before and he confirmed that Gavin had been stabbed three times and robbed and that he had passed away." I cry.
Kash handed me a kleenex and squeezed my hand.
"Oh goodness dear what a tragedy. Did they ever catch the person?" She asked.
"Not to my knowledge they didn't but his mother doesn't want me to have any information," I said.
"Such a shame because through that child Gavin lives on. Can she not see that?" Louise asked.
"I guess not," I said wiping my nose.
"Thank you for sharing Navy we know that had to be hard," Louise said.
"Thank you all for listening. I have had grief in my life a few years ago but I wasn't pregnant and I don't even know how to put each foot in front of the other most days and cry myself to sleep at night." I said wiping my eyes.
Kash still had ahold of my hand squeezing it which I appreciated more than he knew.
I sit quietly as a few more people shared their stories of grief and before you know it the meeting was over.
Kash walked me out and down to his beautiful car. "Do you want to drive Navy?"
"Seriously? You would let me drive your baby?" I smile.
"No one ever has but I'm offering." He smiled.
"Hell yeah, I do!" I squeal getting in the driver's seat.
You couldn't wipe the smile off of my face and I haven't really smiled in a long time.
When we got to the red light near my house Kash said stomp it one good time and I did spinning a wheel. Not too wild though I mean I am pregnant.
When we pull up at my house I look over at him and smile. "Thank you! I absolutely loved that." I said.
"Your welcome. I know it was hard for you to talk about Gavin tonight and we aren't so different after all when it comes to our losses." He said.
"I'm sorry about Morgan. I don't understand why people do bad things to innocent people." I said as I unbuckled my seatbelt.
"Yeah me either. Let me help you get inside and I'll be on my way." He said.
"Thanks, I appreciate that. I should have left a porch light on." I laugh.
He unlocks the door and flips on the porch light for me and helps me inside. "Is there anything I can help you with?" He asked.
"No, I'm good thanks for helping out Kash," I said.
"It's no problem. If you feel like it come to the shop tomorrow and you can work on those books. I open at 11 am." He said.
"Good gives me time to sleep in." I smile sitting down my bag on the bar.
"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow. Let's exchange numbers in case something comes up." He said handing me his phone.
I entered my number and called my phone so I would get his number too. "Here you go," I said.
"Goodnight Navy." He smiled.
"Nite Kash," I said closing and locking the door.
I make sure everything is locked up and I head up to my bedroom to change and get in bed. I am exhausted but it felt good to finally say what happened to Gavin and to drive that car.
I roll over and rub my hand across Gavin's pillow and cuddle up to his shirt and drift off to sleep.
The next morning I wake up and take a shower and wash my hair pulling it up on my head before putting on a maxi dress and makeup. I have that baby appointment at 10 which I forgot to tell Kash but I'll go to his shop after I'm done.
Once at the doctor's office, everything checked out great and the baby is doing great. I still don't want to know what I'm having. I'm excited for it to get here but I know I'm going to cry and be sad that Gavin isn't here.
I can't believe I haven't seen him in a couple of months or heard his voice. I have some videos of him but I can't bring myself to listen to his voice just yet. I cry enough as it is and I don't want to do that today.
I pull up at the tattoo shop and I see a few cars here already. I look at the sonogram picture a few minutes before I get myself together and put the sonogram in my bag and get out of the car.
When I walk into the shop I see a guy I haven't seen before. "Hi, there!" He smiles.
"Hi! I'm looking for Kash." I said.
"He's over there cutie." The guy said.
"I'm not your cutie but thanks," I said making my way over to Kash.
