𝙎𝙋𝘼𝙍𝙆𝙎; 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙨𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣

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"You're pregnant?" Mark ran his fingers through his hair and a second later he stood still, just so he could look at her. Any other time he would be thrilled that his wife was pregnant, but not now, not when she needed every pill and every kind of treatment that was all bad for the baby.

"Yeah, two months now." She looked at him. "It never occurred to me to take a test, because I always felt too stressed at work, so the tightness in my chest and my stomach and... I just never thought that any of those things were happening."

Mark took a deep breath, this was getting too much for him to handle. "Let me check the tests, we can talk with the doctors, figure out a plan. We need to save your life, we can make another baby."

"You can't say that Mark. You can't." Natalie shook her head, she didn't even want to hear about that possibility. 

"No, you can't ask me to give up on you." He argued and sat down next to her.

"I am giving birth to this baby even if it's the last thing I ever do. Do you understand?" She asked him and took his hands on his. She didn't break eye contact, as she tried to make him understand that she was serious.

"No, no I don't understand anything!" He exclaimed. "I don't understand a single thing! All I know is that I can't live without you."

"Yes, you can." Natalie squeezed his hands. "When the time comes you're gonna keep going until you grow old, you're going to take good care of our children, forget your sorrows and live, live for both of us." Mark shook his head at her words and took his hands away from her. He buried his face on his palms and quietly cried. Natalie's heart broke the moment she saw him like this. But she tried not to cry, she knew she had to be the strong on in that situation. At least in that moment. So she gently placed her hand on his cheek making him look at her. She wrapped her other hand around his shoulder, half hugging him. "But now I'm here and I am touching you, so it's okay, because I am here." She rested her head on his shoulder and held his tighter. "I am still here."

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Later that night, none of them were sleeping. They just pretending and patiently waited for the morning to come. Amber had managed to calm down after few hours and all she needed was to talk to her mother. So she quietly walked into the couple's bedroom and called out for her. "Mom?"

"Yes honey?" Natalie sat up and looked at Amber. Her eyes were all puffy and red, just like her nose was. And Natalie's heart broke for the second time that night.

"I hate asking that, but can you sleep with me tonight?" Amber's voice broke the moment she let the question slip her mouth. 

"Okay." Natalie whispered and followed her to her room quietly. Mark heard them leaving, but he didn't say anything. He knew how much they needed some time together.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･ﾟ:⠀ *⋆.*:･ﾟ .: ⋆*･ﾟ: .⋆

Natalie was holding Amber trying to make her feel safe in her embrace, but it was impossible when all she could think about was that she was going to lose her soon. "Mom, I want you to know that I love you." Amber spoke, knowing it was the right time to say all the things she should have said years ago. "And I am so sorry for everything bad I've ever said or done to you, I never meant any of it." She sobbed and Natalie held her righter. "I've said some things over the years and... I just am really sorry."