Good morning world, It's Christmas morning. Merry Christmas to all and I'm officially nineteen years old and one day. Yesterday, I had a good day. Today, I have a promise to keep.
Not one person bothered to wake me so I'm sure that I missed Christmas breakfast. I was okay with that. I was making progress on this whole talking to other people thing, still I liked my space. I valued my privacy and everything that went along with that. I showered today and dressed in a nice dress showing full baby bump and all. Afterward, I wobbled myself down the stairs.
Waiting at the bottom of the staircase like Prince charming himself was Mark. "She comes," he jokes.
I playfully rolled my eyes at him. "Uh huh, you did not wake me."
"I didn't realize I needed to wake you."
"Yes," I stressed as a joke. "I bet a missed breakfast."
Mark nodded. "We did that at like eight in the morning. It's now ten and the kids aren't going to let us wait another minute for gifts."
I followed Mark down the hall and into another room literally filled with gifts surrounding a huge Christmas tree. I paused at the entrance with Mark behind me. "Will they hate me if I didn't bring gifts?"
He laughed. "Absolutely, I'm already angry this is my angry face." He told me while he laughed.
Well, technically I was already here and it was too darn late to run away now. I took a deep breath and stepped into the room. Adam and his wife Michelle were on the floor with their boys as they tore into Christmas packages. The boys resembled Michelle more than Adam since they had her blond hair and pale skin. They couldn't be more than six and four.
Brittany sat with her parents on the long couch. The three of them were dressed pretty nicely for a Christmas morning. It was more like they had an evening planned. I spotted Logan and Vanessa sitting in single chairs watching the boys. Vanessa saw me and promptly rolled her eyes and turned away. Logan's eyes went from mine to Mark and he shifted away in his seat.
He was jealous. He had to be, but why?
I followed Mark over to a two seated sofa and sat beside him. "Lego's Jeremiah, we'll have to put those together."
"Yeah," Jeremiah replied. He's the oldest of the two. He ran up to Mark and showed him his toy secured in a box. Jeremiah finally noticed that I was sitting there. "Is this your girlfriend, Uncle Mark?"
I smiled. I was surprised a child would think of that to say. This is what I had in store for me when my babies grew up. I glanced at Mark for his response. We very well could not explain this complicated situation to a child.
"Yes, yes she is. This is Bella." Mark patted my belly while I laughed. I did not expect for him to say that. "You're going to have two cousins soon."
Jeremiah planted his hands on my belly right by where Mark touched. It was beautiful seeing those little hands pressed against me knowing my babies were probably doing the same exact thing. He looked up at me in amazement with his pretty brown eyes.
"Jeremiah," Michelle called him over. "We have lots more presents to get through."
While he walked away, I scooted closer to Mark and whispered, why he called me his girlfriend. He whispered right back. "Would you rather I said that you were Uncle Logan's baby mama and then we had to explain exactly how that happened since he knows Vanessa is Logan's wife and his aunt."
He was right. Playfully, I shoved him in the shoulder which got a laugh out of him. We all watched the boys open up tons more presents. Then someone called my name and handed me a small box.
"It's from us," Mark's parents called out.
It took me a moment to decide to open the box. I didn't want to, but I also did not want to be rude either so I pulled on the bows; inside is a gift card to a book store. "Thanks," I stated to them as I pulled it out and showed everyone.
More presents were passed around. I was given a book about kids from Adam and Michelle. Brittany had bought me a pretty shirt. Then Logan gave me a present. I was not even thinking that he would give me such a thing. The present was in a jewelry box.
I flipped it open and nearly peed my pants. This necklace looked exactly like the one in the Titanic movie. It was a ruby heart surrounded by diamonds. "Is this real?" I know that's rude, but it just came out.
"Yes," Logan answered.
I felt tears forming in my eyes. I showed the others what he had purchased. I shut the box back and held it to my chest.
"Wow, Logan." Brittany remarked.
"Gorgeous," Michelle stated as she winked at Adam.
He shot Logan a look. "Thanks, man." He replied, sarcastically.
Vanessa was staring open mouthed at Logan. She did not know about his gift. "Yeah, thanks." She told him.
Logan only spoke directly to me. "You're to be the mother of my children. I know that life threw you a curve ball with this pregnancy. It can't be easy being pregnant with two and I doubt labor will be easy either. It is just a thank you."
"You're welcome", I said softly. We shared a look that had me forgetting there were other people in the room with us until Mark coughed.
I turned to him. "My present for you now."
I blushed. "More after this," I still held the box tightly.
"Yes and you'll like my present best."
"Okay."
Mark stood up and went over to a table and retrieved a laptop before he came back over to the sofa with me. "The other night at dinner had me thinking. So, I got your information and I searched for your mother."
I narrowed my eyes, suddenly feeling very angry.
"Listen, before you speak. I had an investigator track down your birth certificate and get her name." Mark fired up his laptop. "We got her name and he took the liberty of tracking her down on social media."
"Mark, no-"
He cut me off. "Yes, you need to see this."
I shook my head as he clicked on the internet on the laptop. "I don't. She abandoned me to a man who beat me."
Mark ignored me and he began to read a poem:
Silent Cries
Yesterday
I held you in my arms to keep you warm and safe, in my embrace
Today
All I have left is a fragmented memory
Yesterday
You were a dream shining in the suns rays
Today
Every dream is shattered by our nightmare
Yesterday
I imagined your first birthday
Today
I only hope that you have continued to age
Yesterday
You took your first breath
Out of the womb
You came prepared
You were light as a feather
And as soft as silk
I was glad to be your mother
As you took your first drink of milk
Fifteen years went by
Until God blessed us with your life
You were daddy's little girl
The second you came into the world
Taken in the night
Nothing remained except your silent cries
Stolen from our sightless eyes
All we hear are your silent cries
This poem is for the child stolen from us when she was less than a year old. We tried for several years to get pregnant and went through countless procedures and nothing ever happened. Oliver and I were convinced that we could never have children. Our marriage went through terrible ups and downs because a huge gap was left open in our lives.
Then by surprise after so many years, a plus sign showed up on a routine check up. An angel lied inside of me a product of our love. All nine months long we showered you with joy and love. We uprooted our lives and I retired. I was going to be the stay at home mom and your father had so many things to design for you.
Then you began to come and everyone was so excited. The hospital room was packed and I was afraid your dad would have a heart attack. Through all the screams and tears, my love you were here. You barely cried when they lied you on my chest and looked in my eyes. I stare at that picture everyday. I wonder if you remember me.
We took you home and held you tight. Your father and I ran to your every cry. Sometimes, I'd wake to see him rocking you in the chair, he never wanted to sit you down. You'd be spoiled that's for certain. He'd never let anyone harm you. We didn't leave your sight for countless nights.
I was in a deep sleep when your father jumped out of the bed. He was used to the times you cried and you hadn't made a sound. When he saw your empty crib, he let out a roar as a part of him hid. You were gone and we did not know who or why.
Our angel, Isabella, we love you more than life. We pray everyday that you are alive. We love you, happy nineteenth birthday, our beautiful dream baby.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"There's your picture," Mark told me.
I looked at the screen for the first time. I saw the poem and her words. I saw my picture and then I saw the woman. "She looks like me," I whispered as my heart sat frozen in shock. "What does this mean?"
"Your mother did not give you up. Should we send her a message?"
I shook my head as I stood up. "No. I-I need to think. I mean, are you-are you sure?"
Mark smiled. "You said it yourself. You look like her."
"If that's true, why would my father say those things?"
"Because he was sick and was probably in love with a woman who didn't know he existed so he stole what he could have, you."
I took a deep breath. This was all way too much. "Hey, here's another present for you," Michelle said. "I didn't even see it. It was stuck on the tree."
"Another one. No more surprises, I can't take it." I pulled off the wrapper. "A CD." I looked around and no one was owning up to the blank CD in my hand.
"Here," Mark held his hand out for the CD. He slipped it into his laptop and I turned to see what would pop up.
At first it was the cloudy screen like on old televisions. Then the screen changed a person clothed in darkness came onto the screen with a disguised voice.
"Hello, Bella. I suppose you are wondering who I am. You and I will meet face to face eventually. This tape is simply a warning from me to you. I tried calling and giving you a warning the polite way, but you aren't getting the message. Stay away from Logan Spade. I love him and if you get in my way I will not hesitate to kill you. I can find you anytime anywhere."
The screen faded to show me asleep in my own bed. I was sleeping above the covers because being pregnant has made me super hot at night. I tended to sleep in my bra and underwear. My pregnant belly was visible and all I see on the tape is a black gloved hand with a long knife aimed at my throat. I am just lying there blissfully unaware that an intruder is in my room.
"See, Bella, anytime anywhere. Do not make me kill you. Logan Spade is mine and will always be mine. I love him more than you ever could. I never worried about him and Vanessa because the two have always been oil and water. You on the other hand are like a brand new house. Of course, he wants to try you out, but he might get too attached and think about living there permanently. You need to change his mind. Keep him away from you or you're dead."
The tape cut out.
I looked up at Logan who appeared as shocked as I was. The world seemed to fade to black. The last thing I saw was Mark's face rushing to mine as he said something I was too far gone to hear.