Chapter 20
Elizabeth’s POV
A few hours after Brett arrived, my sobs slowly turned into whimpers.
“Shh, it’s gonna be alright,” Brett said softly into my ear. He brushed my hair from my face, heating my skin with the small sparks that I had once grown used to. They felt alien at the moment, after being starved of his touch for months.
“I m-missed you,” I stuttered, still whimpering. I could only breathe in short, sharp breaths. He didn’t reply for a moment.
“I missed you, too,” he said quietly. I looked up into his ocean blue eyes, eyes that I had missed with every cell of my being.
“I-I love y-you,” I said, trying to get my breathing steady. He gave me a small, sad smile.
“That’s not why I’m here,” he said. His voice sounded strained, as if he was in deep pain. I almost busted into sobs again. I couldn’t handle him telling me that he no longer loved me, face-to-face.
“T-then wh-why are y-you he-ere?” I asked.
“I’m not entirely sure,” he said, looking out the window to Chicago. “I guess I just needed to see the mother of my baby…or should I say babies? I’m not even sure about anything anymore….” As he trailed off, his words mended my heart, then ripped it up again, before it could even begin the process of healing.
“I-I do-on’t underst-stand,” I said, searching his face.
“It’s nothing,” he replied, looking back at my face. The sad smile had made its way onto his face again, and my broken heart ached to make him happy once again. “I came here to comfort you.” I nodded, and pulled my knees up to my chest as best as I could with the baby bump in the way. I rested my head on my right knee, and zoned out.
Why did he have to come? I thought. It would have been so much easier if he had stayed in Florida, and only visited for Olivia. Now he’s only put me in more pain. Can he think about what this is doing to me? When I saw him, standing in my doorway, looking beautiful as ever, I had thought he’d come back for me. That he still loved me. But I was badly mistaken.
“Beth? Beettttthhh?” Kathy said, waving a hand in front of my face.
“Yeah?” I said, snapping out of my thoughts.
“I said, I’m going to show Brett the twins’ room,” she said, and then I noticed Brett had stood up. A sob stuck in my throat, and in just a second I was full on sobbing again. “Oh shit! I didn’t mean to say that!”
Brett rushed to my side again, pulling me close to his chest. I sobbed harder at the thought that he was no longer mine. His scent overwhelmed me, a smell that I had tried to remember, but couldn’t. I tried to memorize it, because soon he’d be gone again.
“Baby, don’t worry, we’ll get through this,” he cooed. I don’t think he realized what he was saying when he said that.
In that moment, the sparks of electricity that had always made themselves present when Brett and I touched, were beginning to die down. I worried that we no longer were meant to be together.
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Brett’s POV
My heart broke, over and over, as I watched Beth sob and sob. She seemed like she would never be able to stop, and I was worried she wouldn’t be able to get over the miscarriage.
A few times, tears of my own would slip from my eyes, but I would quickly wipe them away before anyone noticed.
I continued to wish fervently that I would think of a way to tell Beth that I still loved her, and always had. I’d already implied that I didn’t, but I hadn’t meant to, so now I have to explain to her somehow.
“You okay now?” I asked when her sobs had finally turned to sharp catches of breath.
“I-I think,” she replied, slowly pushing herself away from me. I was slightly hurt at the motion, but when she sat up I realized how large her belly was.
“Your baby bump is no longer just a bump,” I pointed out. The corners of her mouth twitched a little as she wiped away a few leftover tears.
“Yeah, I feel like a cow,” she moaned.
“You look beautiful, Beth,” I said, giving her a small smile. And it wasn’t a lie. Tear stained face, red, puffy eyes, tangled hair, baggy clothes and all, I was certain I’d never seen someone prettier than her.
“Thanks, but I don’t believe you,” she said, smiling a little.
“So, I was wondering,” I said, thinking of a way to cheer her up.
“You were wondering..?” she prompted.
“Are you still ticklish?” I asked with a smirk and a mischievous glint in my eyes. Her eyes went wide.
“Oh, Brett, no, no, don’t tickle me!” she said in a rush. When she had spoken my name, my stomach did a somersault…I had missed her velvet smooth voice.
“Oh, but I must,” I said as I leaned in and started tickling her sides. She erupted into fits of laughter and giggles, trying to fight me off, but unsuccessful. After a minute or two she took and deep breath and hopped up from the couch.
“Now you can’t get me!” she hollered as she stuck her tongue out at me, then ran away.
“Oh no you don’t!” I yelled as I followed her. I stopped to flash a smile at Kathy that said, yeah, I figured out how to cheer her up, when I heard a noise coming from one of the rooms.
I ran to the sound, to see Beth standing in the middle of a nearly empty room.
A white crib was placed in the middle of one wall. I turned all the way around to see the walls and ceiling painted in a beautiful mural. A small changing table was pushed up against another wall, with a few bags on top of it, that looked like they had baby clothes in them.
I turned back to Beth just as she collapsed onto the floor. I caught her, and slowly slid down to the floor with her. Her sobs were quieter, after crying all day, but she was still just as upset.
“I-I j-just wanted m-my ba-babies,” she said through sobs. “But ap-parently I c-can’t ev-ven ha-have th-that in m-my li-life.” Her breathing was so labored, it broke my heart. I could feel a small tear, as it was slowly slit, all the pain in my chest becoming even worse than it had been in the previous months.
“I know,” I whispered as I began unconsciously stroking her hair. “I know, Beth.” I waited a while until I thought she had cried herself to sleep, then I gently picked her up from the floor.
I walked into the foyer of the apartment, seeing Kathy standing in the kitchen.
“Where’s her room?” I asked quietly, so as not to wake her. Kathy pointed to a door off the side of where I was standing. “Thank you.”
I began walking to the room, quietly taking steps. When I walked into her room, the first thing I noticed was a photo frame placed on her dresser.
It was one she’d taken with my camera; I was laughing at something she’d said, my white teeth all showing. My hair was tousled, and the button up shirt I was wearing had a few buttons undone at the top. The sunlight was hitting me perfectly, and the moment brought a smile to my face.
As I gently placed her in her bed, I saw another picture frame on her night stand. This one was both of us, holding hands, standing at the edge of the water. We were facing the sunset. We probably hadn’t even known the picture was taken. I sighed at the happy memories we had together.
I pulled the covers up to below her chin, when I heard her glorious voice.
“Brett, how come you don’t love me anymore?” she asked softly, her blue eyes searching mine. I paused.
“I do love you, Beth,” I whispered back. I kissed her forehead as her eyes fluttered closed. “I never stopped loving you.”
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Elizabeth’s POV
I awoke the next morning feeling refreshed. However, it was only six in the morning. Groaning, I pulled myself out of bed and went to my bathroom.
I looked like a complete mess; my hair was so tangled it seemed impossible to get out, my eyes were so swollen and red, and my back ached. I turned on the shower then brushed my teeth thoroughly. After that I took a relaxing, long shower, using lots of conditioner in my hair for the knots.
I stepped out at seven thirty, and saw my eyes already looked better. I quickly dressed in a light blue maternity top and jeans with a super stretchy waist band for my stomach. I dried my hair and wobbled my huge body into the kitchen for breakfast.
I found Brett standing at the stove, his back to me. I took a seat at the breakfast bar and opened the newspaper that was in front of me. Kathy walked out of her room, still in her pajamas.
“What’s for breakfast, bro?” Kathy asked Brett. I chuckled.
“Bro?” I said, still snickering.
“Oh, Beth, I’m half asleep, I don’t know half the words coming out of my mouth,” she mumbled. Brett turned around, holding a frying pan, and placed two plates in front of Kathy and I, who had sat next to me.
“Eggs and bacon,” he stated as he put the food on our plates.
“Um, no bacon for me,” I said, pushing mine onto Kathy’s plate. I stood up and walked to the fridge, searching out for my already prepared diced fruit. When I found it, I put a huge helping on my plate, then poured myself some orange juice. I sat back at the bar.
“Oh, I didn’t think about that,” Brett said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry.” His adorable face made me yearn to throw my arms around him and never let go.
“It’s okay,” I said as I began eating.
When my plate and cup were empty, Brett reached out to take them. I had picked them up at the same time, so our hands brushed. I dropped the items as I was physically burned.
“Ow, shit,” I said, rubbing my hand.
“Oh my God, I’m so sorry Beth,” he said, the plate and cup forgotten.
He went to the sink and pulled out a towel, running cold water over it. He ran to me and pressed the towel on the spot I was rubbing. What he didn’t know was that the burn was only for a second, and by the time he put the towel against my skin, it had felt like the sparks I’d once known.
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As Brett drove me to the doctor, I was shedding silent tears. Kathy had reminded me that I had an appointment at the hospital to deliver Oliver, where they would find the reason he died, then we were allowed to bury him.
“You holding up?” Brett asked, looking at me as we stopped at a red light. I sighed heavily, wiping away another tear, and looked into his deep ocean blue eyes. I gave him a small smile.
“I guess,” I said. “I just wish we could be a happy family together. You know, us married, Oliver and Olivia running around in a grassy backyard, playing tag as we watched from the porch, and me carrying another baby. Couldn’t it just be that simple?” Brett sighed.
“I don’t know if anything is ever that simple, Beth,” he said sadly. I looked out the passenger window to the busy streets of Chicago.
“I have to go back to college tomorrow,” I said. “They only allowed me two days off, because when Olivia is born, I’ll need more time off.”
“Do you want me to leave today?” he asked. My heart broke at the thought of him leaving.
“Don’t you have to go to college too?” I asked, looking at him.
“My university got a random week off,” he said. “The staff didn’t tell us why…I was visiting my parents in Destin, so I can stay for a while longer.”
“Please?” I asked, feeling tears prick my eyes. He nodded slightly, focused on the road.
“I’ll do whatever you need me to do, Beth,” he said. I took a deep breath.
“Thank you,” I said quietly, then turned back to the window. It had started raining.
He pulled up to the hospital a while later, and helped me get out. I wobbled into the hospital, still carrying two babies.
Hours later, I walked out, only carrying Olivia in my womb.
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Author's Note: I just finished writing this, so hope there aren't any mistakes. If there are, please comment, I don't bite!!
<3 you guys!! Thanks for reading!!!