Broken Hearts

by S. G. Sonysa

I felt the tears rolling down from my face and making its way to my neck. I cried silently, wishing he would wake up and come back to me.

  I needed him to tell me again that he loved me. I didn’t know how long I cried, but sometime later I fell asleep.

  When I woke up in the evening, I hurriedly changed into my jeans and a clean shirt. I searched for Noah but didn’t find him anywhere.

  “Where is Noah?” I asked Eva.

  “Allison took him with Chris and Susan to play in the park,” she replied.

  I nodded my head.

  “Are you going somewhere?” she asked me.

  “Yes, I’m going to the hospital.”

  She stayed quiet.

  After fifteen minutes of driving, I reached the hospital. I went to his room and was shocked to find Cameron with a girl. They were sitting on the couch and looked deep in conversation.

  When they noticed me, Cameron got up.

  “Hailey... This is Bianca, my girlfriend,” he told me while his face turned a little pink with a blush.

  I smiled and extended my hand towards her.

  “Hi. I’m Hailey.”

  “I know. Cameron talks about you and Noah a lot. He even showed me Noah’s cute pictures with you and him in matching outfits.” She shook my hand.

  “Well, I make him wear matching outfits a lot,” I said smiling then my eyes went to Chase and my smile disappeared.

  “I have prayed for Chase. He’ll wake up soon. I never meet him before, but whatever Cameron told me about him, it sounds like he has suffered a lot and doesn’t deserve to suffer more.” She took my hands in hers and squeezed it.

  We talked for a while then they decided to leave.

  “Take care and keep your cell phone close,” Cameron said, hugging me.

  I nodded my head.

  Bianca surprised me when she hugged me.

  She whispered lightly in my ear, “A blessing will always come and take the pain away.”

  When she pulled away from me and gave me a small smile, I felt some kind of calmness wash over me.

  Her words rang in my head even after she left.

  I sat on the chair near Chase’s bed and started talking to him.

  That evening, the nurse entered the room to check on Chase. She was busy with his checkup when sudden nausea hit me. I ran towards the washroom and threw up whatever Allison made me eat in the morning.

  I came out of the washroom, and the nurse was still there waiting for me.

  “Is everything fine?” I asked her.

  “Yes, his heartbeat and temperature are normal.”

  I nodded my head.

  She was staring at me with weird eyes, making me feel uncomfortable.

  “How far along are you?” she asked me.

  “Excuse me,” I gave her a baffled look.

  “Don’t tell me you don’t know? You’re pregnant,” she said, laughing lightly.

  “I’m not pregnant.”

  “Oh! I know when I see a pregnant girl. I’ve got a lot of experience working as a nurse, you know.” With that said, she left the room leaving me to think.

  We hadn’t been using protection since the day we landed in New York. Could I be pregnant?

  My brain replied, “Yes. You could be because both of you are equally crazy.”

  At that stupid thought, my heart started to beat wildly. A layer of sweat formed on my forehead due to the anticipation.

  Then suddenly, I recalled Bianca’s words. “A blessing will always come and take the pain away.”

  I kissed Chase on the forehead and left his room to go and see the doctor.

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  A Surprise Blessing

  A baby is a blessing

  A gift from heaven above

  A precious little angel

  To cherish and to love

  Hailey

  I was pregnant!

  No! Yes! No. No! Yes! Yes.

  I was pregnant. Again.

  The pregnancy test confirmed that I was pregnant again.

  “A blessing will always come and take the pain away.”

  Oh, God. This baby was indeed a blessing in this situation.

  Now, who should I tell first?

  Definitely Chase.

  A smile was plastered on my face, and I ran back to Chase’s room. The people in the hospital glanced at me weirdly when they saw me smiling ear to ear. The nurses I passed by on my way to his room looked at me, frowning.

  It wasn’t their fault. They had been seeing me gloomy and sad for the past two weeks, and now a sudden change was definitely weird for them.

  Finally, I reached outside his room and contemplated if telling him was right or not. Would he respond to this news? Would he hear me?

  He would be happy to know that we were having another baby. I took a shaky breath and went into his room. Taking slow steps towards his bed, I picked up his hand in mine and kissed it.

  Slowly, I leaned down to the level of his ear.

  “I just found out a few minutes ago that I’m pregnant again and you’re going to become a father of another boy or girl. You have successfully knocked me up again, Chase Edwards. Now, what I am trying to tell you is that I am really excited, and I want you to meet your baby. Please, wake up soon or just do something to show me that you have heard me,” I whispered in his ear.

  When I finished my rant, he was still the same. He didn’t twitch or made any movement. He did nothing to show me that he heard me.

  The disappointment started seeping into me, making my heart drop to the pit of my stomach.

  He had to be happy. It was what he wanted. He couldn’t abandon the three of us like nothing mattered.

  Tears rolled down my face, and I wiped them. I was determined to make him realize that he had to come back. He just couldn’t stay here motionless.

  I pulled my shirt up a little and placed his cold hand on my bare stomach.

  “Feel it, Chase. It is our baby. Our child will need you. Noah didn’t get to experience the love of his dad when he was still a baby. You… you can’t be this cruel and do the same with this child. Chase, you have to wake up. Damn it! You have to wake up. Do you hear me?” I asked him while crying.

  Suddenly, I felt his hand moving on my stomach.

  I was shocked, and for a moment I thought that I imagined it. But his hand moved again.

  Oh, God! He heard me.

  Suddenly, the room was filled with a loud beeping noise coming from the heart monitor. I became worried and called for a nurse.

  The nurses and doctors came running and started checking him. I was watching everything silently. The nurses were scrambling everywhere, and doctors were shouting orders.

  One nurse saw me standing and told me to wait outside and closed the door. My body started shaking so I sat on the nearest chair and took out my phone from my jeans’ pocket. I called Cameron.

  “Cam… Chase… something is not right,” I stuttered, and it was enough for him to know that I needed him.

  Fifteen minutes later, Cameron arrived at the hospital with his parents, and we waited for the doctors to emerge out from Chase’s room. I was so shocked and scared. Secretly, I started thinking that his condition worsened because of me.

  “If something happened to him because you pressured him by yelling that he has to wake up, how will you forgive yourself? You’re responsible for stressing him out with your rant.”

  These thoughts started making me sick, and I felt nausea starting to build up again. I got up from the chair, making everyone’s attention turned to me, and I puked in the nearest dumpster.

  Cameron came running towards me while I was busy throwing up.

  The tears were running down my face uncontrollably, and my throat felt raw.

  I turned around when I was finished throwing up and glanced at their worried faces.

  “You look very pale, Hailey,” he said to me, touching my cheek lightly.

  Before I could reply to him, I felt my body going limp lik
e there was no energy left in my body. My head felt heavy, and everything was spinning. My eyes rolled back in my head, and I fell down on the floor.

  I heard Cameron shout and others also coming to my aid, surrounding me. With my half-open lids, I saw his extremely worried and confused face staring at me.

  Cameron picked me up bridal style calling a nurse, but I was losing consciousness.

  Finally, I closed my eyes, escaping from all the pain my sensitive heart had been in for weeks.

  When I woke up, I found myself in a white hospital room, and tubes were attached to me. The window in my room showed that it was evening, which meant I had been out for hours.

  My head felt better, and I wasn’t drowsy and weak anymore, so I got up and pulled the tubes off.

  There was no one in my room. I was alone. Maybe everyone was with Chase.

  “Chase… I want to see him. I want to know how he is doing.” With these thoughts, I walked out of the room.

  When I reached outside his door, I heard noises and laughter coming from the room.

  I pushed the door open and found Cameron, Eva and William, and Noah standing around the bed. Allison and her husband were sitting on the couch at the corner.

  When they saw me standing frozen at the door, they stopped talking and stared at me.

  “Hailey are you alright?” Cameron asked me.

  I didn’t hear him. My eyes were stuck on Chase. I was not even blinking just staring at him and thinking that maybe I was still dreaming.

  “Cam is he?” I stuttered.

  I tried completing my statement, but at that moment it was the most difficult thing to do.

  The good thing was, Cameron understood what I wanted to say.

  “Yes, Hailey. He is perfectly fine. He has been awake for three hours now. The surgery went successfully. They made him walk, and he will be fully recovered in a few weeks but…” Cameron said then stopped.

  “But?” I asked him.

  Cameron suddenly took my arm and dragged me towards Chase’s bed. He was just staring at me plainly. There was no emotion on his face. No happiness like he didn’t recognize me.

  Oh, God! He forgot everything.

  “Who is she?” Chase asked Cameron, confirming my suspicion.

  “He forgot everything about you, Hailey. He doesn’t remember you. You’re the unluckiest woman in the world. Your husband forgot you,” my treacherous mind said.

  I stumbled back a little, feeling my heart broken beyond repair.

  I should remind him. He would surely remember me. It was just his brain messing around with him.

  I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. My throat felt clogged with my emotions, and my mind felt numb. I couldn’t stay here and let him look at me like I was a stranger.

  I turned to leave the room when his words stopped me.

  “My Princess,” he said.

  Completely stunned, I turned to face him.

  He was the only one who called me princess. Oh, God! It meant he remembered me.

  “Come give me a hug or kiss. I don’t mind if you give me both,” he said, winking.

  My breath hitched.

  “You… you remember me?” I asked him confused.

  “Yes. I remember you. You’re not someone who can be easily forgotten, Hailey. I was just messing with you.” He was smiling like he just didn’t turn my world upside down a few seconds ago with his stupid prank.

  I strode towards him and punched him in the stomach, hard.

  “Ouch! Woman! Don’t hit me so hard. I just woke up from the deathbed,” he said with a teasing smile playing on his face.

  “Whatever. I don’t care. You played a prank on me, on your wife who has been hell worried about you.” I was angry.

  He got up and walked to me.

  “I know that was a shitty prank and I’m sorry,” he said, giving me his puppy dog eyes.

  “I know you’re not sorry so don’t act like you are.” I glared at him.

  “You know me too well. Can I calm you down with my magical kiss?” he asked me, giving his sweet smile, and it melted my anger.

  “You can try.” I had a small smile on my face.

  He didn’t need any more encouragement to plant his lips on mine.

  His minty breath and the feel of his lips on mine made me feel like I was home after a tiresome long vacation. Placing his hands on my waist, he pulled me closer to his body and deepened the kiss, blowing my mind away and numbing the pain and stress. His kisses were my very own sedative.

  When we pulled away from the kiss, I looked around the empty room.

  “Where’s everyone? I asked him.

  “They left us when I kissed you to give us some privacy.” He pulled me closer to his body.

  “Chase, I’m pregnant,” I told him.

  “I know. I heard your pain-filled voice. I felt your skin under my palm. It made me fight. Your voice pulled me out from the abyss I was in. The news of the baby illuminated my empty mind with the light of hope. You’re my life, Hailey. But from now on you own my life.” He kissed my head.

  We stayed in an embrace for few minutes

  “It’s going to be a boy,” Chase said.

  “Really? How do you know that?”

  “Well, I just know. Father’s instinct, you know,” he said, shrugging his shoulder.

  “Oh. If it will be a girl what will you do?”

  “We’ll see whose right shortly,” Chase said, moving away and dragging me towards his bed.

  “What are you doing?” I was baffled by his actions.

  “I’m tired, and I have been up for three hours waiting for you,” he said, pushing me on the bed and pulling a sheet over me.

  Then he moved to the other side and slid beside me in the bed.

  “Don’t you think the bed is too small to accommodate two people?” I asked pressing myself to him.

  “It is small. But if you sleep pressed up against my side, we will be fine.” He pulled me closer to his body.

  I bit my lip to stop the smile that was threatening to appear and adjusted my head above his chest. The rhythmic beating of his heart was a lullaby to my ears.

  “Sleep, Hailey,” he lightly murmured in my ear. After the stressful weeks and many sleepless nights, I fell asleep with a wide smile in the arms of my husband, my first and only love.

  Epilogue

  Hailey

  [Five years later]

  I was in the kitchen preparing breakfast when I heard loud, angry footsteps coming downstairs.

  “Mom, do you know where my soccer ball is? I kept it near my bed last night. I have practice today, and it’s missing,” Noah frantically said.

  Turning around from the stove, I walked to him, and asked, “Did you check under the bed?”

  “Yes, Mom. I have checked all the possible places,” he answered me upset.

  “Well. Then I think you know where it could be.”

  The realization dawned on him. He groaned and started walking in the direction of Brandon’s room.

  I pulled him back and said, “Noah honey. You know, you were the one who demanded a brother. Now deal with it.” I gave him a teasing smile.

  “Mom, I know. Don’t remind me again, please. I should have known from the start that he’s the little thief in our home. I could have saved fifteen minutes, which I wasted to find that ball,” he said, groaning, and I laughed at his misery.

  “My poor baby!” I cooed to him. “You have to be polite with him, especially when it’s his first day in kindergarten today,” I said, placing a kiss on both Noah’s cheeks.

  Then he went to Brandon’s room, and I got busy in making breakfast.

  After I was done setting breakfast, I leaned on the kitchen counter and stared at the space. Waiting for them to come and join me for breakfast.

  Suddenly, my mind started wondering how fast time flies. It still seemed like yesterday when Brandon was born. My cute little baby brought extreme happiness in my life.

&
nbsp; When doctors assured us that Chase’s health was fine, we moved back to Oakland for my college. During the pregnancy, Chase took care of me despite being drowned in his business.

  When my mood swings wouldn’t let me study, he would cheer me up. He was like my hard rock where I could lean on for support. Handling college and the pregnancy together was not an easy task, but I went through it with the help of my husband, and my mom.

  Brandon was born at the end of summer. Chase’s parents came to visit us when he was born.

  After my graduation, we moved to Boston.

  Chase took me to visit his beautiful apartment in Boston. I fell in love with the place. He wanted to buy a house again, but I persuaded him to live in the apartment.

  Then after a month, Allison with her husband and with their children came for a vacation. Cameron and his fiancée, Bianca also joined us after a week.

  All of us went crazy with going out visiting different places and doing nonstop shopping. We were pretty sure that our husbands were going to be bankrupt at the end of the week if we kept spending their money. But they surprisingly assured us that we could do whatever we wanted.

  Brandon turned five a few days ago, and it was going to be his first day in kindergarten today. He was pretty active in pre-kindergarten, but there was no match for his excitement in joining kindergarten.

  Brandon was my little bundle of mischief. His innocent face melted our hearts, and he always got away with anything by pulling that trick.

  Chase didn’t possess the ability to say no to Brandon. And also he had done a pretty good job in spoiling this one.

  Noah was eight now. His favorite sport, football, had become his obsession, which was now rubbing off on Brandon as well. Chase thought it was fine and encouraged Noah to join the school football team.

  He was doing pretty good in his studies as a third-grade student and taking football training. I just wished every day that both my sons would be successful in whatever they wished to undertake.

  I felt a hand creeping around my waist and then a kiss on my neck, making my knees wobble.

  I turned around to face him and said, “Chase, what are you doing? You know the kids are up, and that they are going to come here any minute for breakfast.”