With Me From The Start (With Me - book 1)

Chapter 37

When I blanked out, the pain was gone. I didn't feel any pain at all. I must have been in a dream because nothing seemed in focus like reality. I was walking about in a garden of some sort and heard laughing come from in front of me.

I followed the noise to see a little boy with blonde hair, running away from a man. The little boy ran to me and held onto my legs. I looked down at him and noticed his pale green eyes looking up at me. He smiled then ran away again. I turned to watch him go when he stopped. He turned back to look at me with a smile on his face.
“Mummy, run! Daddy's gonna get us!” He shouted at me before continuing to run.
“Mummy?” I asked myself.
I felt arms wrap around my waist and a head lean on my shoulder.
“He's beautiful isn't he?” Joe whispered into my ear.
“He?”
“Our son. You...it's okay that you don't remember. He's just so amazing. My mum says that he looks so much like me and I have to admit, he does.” Joe answered, moving to run after the little boy.
“Joe!” I shouted. He turned to me. “What's his name?”
“His name's...”
And then I woke up.

I had no idea as to how long I was out for but I woke up in my bed with the covers pulled up over my body. Louise stood by the bed talking to Charlie and Chloe when I heard the front door open and slam shut. Footsteps ran up the stairs and into the room.
“Where's...” Joe panted, coming into the room.
I slowly turned my head round to look at him and he ran over to the bed. He jumped onto the empty side of the bed and took my hand. He stroked my hair away from my face and held me against his chest.
“I knew I shouldn't have left you. I had a feeling that something like this-” He quickly said.
“Joseph...” Louise started.
“No! I don't want to hear it!” He looked down at me. “Get out. Please just get out. I want to be with my wife. Alone.”
“We'll be downstairs if you need us,” Charlie said, ushering his wife and daughter out the room to leave us alone.
I heard the door close and Joe pulled back a little so I was able to see his face.
“I should have been here. I didn't know...” he began to cry.
I used my free hand to stroke his cheek as he kissed my other hand he was holding.
“Don't think that way,” I weakly said to him.
“You could have lost the baby and I wouldn't...I could have lost you.”
“You haven't though. You haven't lost either of us. We're both still here,” I said.
“I'm staying up here with you. I'm not leaving your side,” he said. He let go of my hand and quickly took his shoes and jacket off.
“You don't-”
“Forget it! I am.”
He got off the bed, pulled the covers back then got in. He didn't want to move me, so he moved as close to me as possible and held me against his chest. His left hand rested on my stomach and he gave me a kiss on the side of my head.

We lay that way for a few hours before Louise came into the room with some food for us. She sat it down at the side of the bed and looked at Joe.
“Joseph, can I have a word with you?” She asked.
“Mum, I'm not...” he started.
“That wasn't a question, it was an order.” She said, walking out to the hallway.
“Okay,” he nodded.
He got out the bed and turned the TV on for me. He sat the remote control down next to me on the bed and walked out to talk to his mum.
I put the volume down a little and listened to their conversation.
“Joseph, don't start blaming yourself. It wasn't Mia's fault that she has ended up like this,” Louise told him.
“What do you mean, it wasn't her fault? Who's was it then?” His voice began to rise with anger.
“We were out shopping and the paparazzi weren't for leaving her alone. They got a little too close to her and she sort of stumbled a little.”
“What do you mean by 'stumbled a little'?” He asked.
“We were in a baby shop looking at some baby clothes and a photographer managed to get into the shop. She was looking at stuff, turned round and the flash of the camera went off right in her eyes. Yes, she's used to having cameras round her, but not that close. If you're going to blame anyone, blame the paparazzi.” She told him.
“That doesn't...”
“The doctors at the hospital ran tests and found that she had took a bad turn to the camera being so close to her. Her body went into shock and because of this, the baby reacted to her being in shock.” She finished.
“So, they're both gonna be fine?” He questioned.
“Yes. She's to just stay in bed for a week or so. After that, she'll be fine.”
“Thank you, mum. For everything.”
I quickly put the volume up on the TV as Joe came back into the room.
“Were you listening to our conversation?” He asked with a smirk playing on his lips.
I looked at the TV. “I have no idea what you're talking about.”
He laughed and lay down next me. “You're lucky that I love you.”
“I love you too.” I replied, giving him a kiss before turning back to watch the TV.

At 10:30pm, Joe put on Match of The Day because he wanted me to see him play his first game for Birmingham City. We had both gotten changed because we weren't going to be going anywhere. I wore a plain vest top and shorts while Joe was wearing nothing but his boxers. He sat leaning against the headboard, playing with my hair, while I lay with my head resting on his torso.
For all they didn't win the game and he didn't get a clean sheet, he played rather well in the game. He made a few great saves that stopped Birmingham City from getting beat more than 1-0.
I started to feel sleepy and fell asleep lying across Joe's torso.