James and Rafaela left the hotel in the middle of the morning, after having breakfast. It was still raining, just like the previous night. It had rain the whole night, keeping Rafaela awake for a couple of time while James slept by her side. She looked out at the window watching the blurred landscape by the rain that tapped on the glass. She was distant and thoughtful.
"Rafi..." James called her tapping a hand on her leg. His wife turned his head and offered him a smile. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing." She said.
"Come on... you've been quiet all morning." He insisted.
"I am a bit tired, that's all." She yawned. "I almost didn't have any sleep because of the rain."
"Talk to me." He held her hand and took it to his lips to place a kiss on it.
"I am just afraid. I am thinking about what she might think of doing next. I am afraid she tries to attack you or even me, who knows?"
"Don't think of that." He squeezed her hand in support, though what he really wanted to do that moment was to hold her tight against his body and kiss her. He knew that would put a smile on her face but then, the yellow car following them since the hotel was also distracting him.
James noticed that car since they had left but decided not to say anything not to worry her more. First he thought it was just a coincidence, but it had been quite some time and the car was still there.
"I try not to think of that James, but I can't!" Rafaela then exclaimed. She noticed his eyes on the rear mirror and she looked back, spotting the yellow car. "Do you know who that is?"
"No!" James said. "How am I supposed to know?" He muttered.
"You've been looking at it for quite some time. I noticed it."
"It's nothing. What time is the appointment?" He changed the subject for he knew that would make her smile again and light her up a bit.
"In half an hour, we still have time." She said.
"With this rain and traffic I don't know."
As James parked the car near the hospital door, he looked around to see if the other yellow car was there too, but it wasn't. Though James was sure he had seen it until they crossed the hospital's property, he was lucky enough to keep Rafaela distracted and she didn't notice it. By then he was sure that car had been following them, but with the rain, not once he could see the plate clearly.
"Mrs. Hetfield." The nurse greeted Rafaela as they entered the obstetrics department.
"Is the doctor free already?" Rafaela asked surprised as usually they had to wait a while.
"Yes! She had no one this morning, maybe due to the rain, some people called to postpone their appointments." The nurse explained with a smiley face.
"Let's go then." Rafaela smiled as she hated to wait.
At least that was a good thing in all that was happening to them. The doctor received them with a huge smile on her face as usual. Then she made the usual questions and examined Rafaela, finally she called James in for the ultrasound. He loved that part and the doctor could also witness how expectantly they always were looking at the monitor that showed the child they were expecting.
"She's getting too big now, so we cannot see her in her entirety anymore. But you know this already from the other pregnancy." The doctor explained.
"Yeah... we get to see her part by part now." James commented not taking his eyes off the screen.
Though they had been through that before, only after the doctor explained what they were seeing they'd recognize it.
"This is her head..." The doctor pointed. The couple smiled.
"I wish I could see her face." Rafaela breathed. She couldn't wait to hold her daughter in her arms.
"These are her legs, look... she's moving." They laughed as they saw one of Ava's feet moving. Then she showed them their hands and counted her fingers, she had done the same with the toes.
"She's strong and healthy and she's growing a lot." The doctor finished. James sighed; it would take him a month to see his baby again.
"I have been feeling good." Rafaela sat and grabbed her shirt.
"I know all you guys have been going through. You need to be calm Rafi. You're going into the last trimester, so anything can pull out a premature labor."
"We're trying to be calm and quiet." James said but knowing things were getting ugly and rough.
"But well, everything is fine and you're doing great and I am so happy that you haven't put on unnecessary weight." The doctor told her.
"I am trying!" Rafaela laughed.
Before leaving the hospital they booked the next appointment. It was always like that and then he was going to take Rafaela back to the hotel, he had to go to the studio, but she surprised him with a request.
"Can we step by home? I want to pick up my car."
"Rafi, I don't know if you should moving around alone." He told her.
"James... I can't hide all the time, and neither can you, besides she doesn't know where we are."
James remembered the car that followed them earlier, he wasn't so sure about that, but still he drove her home. There they talked to the police and learned that no fingerprints were found and were advised not to come back there just yet. They were counting on that.
"Rafi, you go to your mother and then to the hotel, don't go walking around." James pleaded as he had to leave her.
"I will, don't worry about me." She promised.
"Maybe I shouldn't go to the studio and just stay with you." He said decided. He was afraid to leave her. He didn't want to leave her alone not even for a second.
"No!" She said firmly and shaking her head. "You go to the studio James! We go on with our life, we won't give her that. We won't show her fear and terror."
James sighed and nodded but his heart was just too fearful to fully agree, still, he did as she said. Their ways separated. Rafaela drove to her mother's; it would be too boring to spend the day at her suite no matter how gorgeous and comfortable it was. Home is home.
"So now you have to stay there?" Her mother asked as they had lunch together.
"Yes!" Rafaela puffed a bit so fed up with the situation. Cynthia grabbed her daughter's hand.
"Be patient sweetie. Soon enough they'll catch her, and this will be over."
"Mom... I am afraid. I mean, she's done all this because of James, it's so clear. I am afraid she does something to him." Rafaela confessed what her biggest fear was. It was not even the baby she had in her belly; it was him. Inside her head Kelly would go after him and not after the baby.
"I don't know how she is managing to escape the police's eye." Cynthia sighed.
"She will make a mistake and she'll get caught."
As the day went by, Rafaela decided to leave. Her mother made her promise she'd go straight to the hotel and she had agreed but at the last minute and taking the opportunity it wasn't raining, she drove to the cemetery. There she crouched in front of the grave.
"Justice will be done sweetie." Rafaela whispered reading her son's name. "Soon..." Just then her cell rang. Her hands trembled a bit as she saw another anonymous number. Usually these were dead calls, no one would answer.
"Hello?" Rafaela answered hoping that time would be different but nothing, no sound at all. In fact what was different on that call was the quietness, and not the noise of the cars. "I know it's you..." Rafaela said feeling the rage taking over. She was tired of that game, tired of the whole situation. Tired of running away when they were the ones that hadn't done nothing.
"Answer me!" Rafaela provoked feeling her voice choke as the tears probed in her eyes, but she didn't want to cry. She clenched her jaw. "I know it's you Kelly." She said again between her teeth.
"Rafi..." She heard her voice and then a malefic laughter. She had never heard her laugh like that. So much hate.
"Why? Why Kelly? Just tell me why. He was just five years old, so innocent." There Rafaela cried.
"I had to take away from you something just like you have taken away from me. I thought of breaking you up with him but then I realized you two had a more important thing, it was Liam and that way I punished both of you. I deprived you both of something you loved just like you two have done with me."
"Liam was innocent, you bitch. You wanted to take revenge; you should have taken it on me not on an innocent child." Rafaela felt all her hate surface over her. "He had nothing to do with this, nothing!"
Kelly laughed again. "Rafi... I want a wound that will last forever."
"You're going to rot in jail for what you've done." Rafaela said.
"You got everything. You took him away, then you had a perfect family. I thought about letting you die but no... I wanted you to live, missing your son forever. You guys got married... you're going to pay. I am not done!" Kelly menaced again. " I am far from being done."
Rafaela shivered listening to her cold and calculating tone. "You're not going to do anything. You hear me Kelly? If you lay your hands on him I'll kill you. Don't think I won't do it because you killed my son you son of the bitch."
"Let me just tell you how innocent you are Rafi. You're just so innocent. You know, you look kind of elegant for someone who's almost seven months pregnant." Kelly said laughing.
Rafaela thought that comment was weird and stayed still and silent. She began to look around and her heart started racing.
"Aren't you going to say anything? Let me also tell you that black shirt you're wearing looks good on you." Another laughter, this time louder and Rafaela began to panic. The quiet place... she was in the cemetery...
"Oh Rafi... so careless. I told you I would get you without him around." Kelly said.
Rafaela span around to see if she could spot anything and then took off running. She heard steps behind her but didn't dare to look back, her only goal was to get to her car.