Chapter 13
1296 Words
Ella stood in front of the bathroom mirror, barely recognizing the woman staring back.
Her face was pale, gaunt. Her eyes hollow, ringed with sleepless nights and silent screams.
She touched her belly — swollen, heavy with life — but instead of joy, she felt fear. Crippling, paralyzing fear.
Would she be enough for them? Could she protect them?
She hadn't even been able to protect herself.
Her hands trembled as she reached for the sink. The air grew thin. Too thin.
Her chest tightened.
Breathe. Just breathe.
But the panic clawed up her throat like a beast unleashed.
Her vision blurred. Her knees buckled.
She collapsed to the bathroom floor, gasping for air.
Tears welled up, burning her eyes. She curled into herself, rocking.
The cold tiles pressed against her skin, but all she felt was heat — shame — failure.
“I can’t do this,” she whispered through clenched teeth. “I can’t… I can’t…”
---
Nathan heard the thud from down the hall.
He dropped the baby book he’d been reading and rushed to the bathroom.
“Ella?!”
The door was unlocked — he pushed it open and froze.
She was on the floor, sobbing, her breathing fast and shallow.
His heart split.
He knelt down beside her, gently gathering her into his arms.
“I’m here. I’m here, love. Just breathe with me, okay?”
She clutched his shirt, her nails digging into his back.
“I can’t do it, Nathan. I’m not strong enough. I’m not like you.”
He held her tighter, whispering softly, “You're stronger than you think. You're still standing after everything. That’s strength, Ella.”
She shook her head, choking back sobs.
“I don’t even know who I am anymore. I look at myself and I see nothing. Just… this scared, broken girl who doesn’t deserve you. Or them.”
Her trembling hand brushed her belly again.
Nathan cupped her face, eyes full of pain.
“Don’t say that. Don’t ever say that.”
“But it’s true,” she whispered. “You’ve been so distant lately. You barely look at me. And I know why. I’m not the same woman you wanted.”
Nathan froze.
Not because she was right — but because she was so wrong.
He had been distant. But not because he was falling out of love.
He was planning something — something big.
He just hadn’t told her yet.
“I’ve been distracted because I’m working on something for us,” he said carefully, brushing her hair from her face.
“What is it?” she asked weakly.
Nathan hesitated.
He’d wanted to wait, to surprise her.
But maybe that was a mistake.
“Come with me,” he said.
He helped her stand, wrapped a blanket around her, and led her down the hallway to his office.
He opened the drawer, pulled out a small folder, and handed it to her.
Ella opened it with trembling fingers.
Inside were blueprints. Deeds. Pictures.
“A house?” she whispered.
“For us. For you and the twins. A place far away from everything that’s hurt you. A place where you can feel safe again.”
Her lips parted in disbelief.
“You… you did this for me?”
“I did it because I love you,” he said simply. “And I’ll do anything to help you heal — even if that means stepping back and giving you space, or dragging the whole world down for hurting you. Just tell me what you need.”
Ella clutched the folder to her chest, shaking her head.
“You’re too good to me, Nathan.”
“No. I’m just loving the woman who saved me from the empty life I had before.”
Tears streamed silently down her cheeks.
She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around him — fragile but fierce.
And in that moment, broken pieces started to find their way back together.
---
Ella clung to Nathan like he was the only thing holding her together.
And in many ways, he was.
His heartbeat was steady beneath her ear, grounding her.
For a brief moment, she let herself imagine peace — the home he’d shown her, the twins growing up safe, their laughter echoing down sunny hallways.
But peace never lasted.
Not for them.
Not in this life.
---
Later that night, Ella lay curled in bed, her hand resting protectively over her belly.
She drifted into sleep for the first time in days, Nathan holding her close.
His presence was her anchor.
But sleep brought no comfort.
It brought blood.
---
In the dream, she stood in the hospital hallway again — cold tile, flickering lights.
She heard crying. Screaming.
She ran.
The door slammed behind her.
Doctors were shouting.
Nathan was being held back.
And then — silence.
She turned, heart in her throat, and saw the tiny white blanket soaked in red.
“No… no… no!”
---
She woke with a jolt, drenched in sweat, and then —
Pain.
Sharp. Crippling. Real.
“Nathan,” she gasped, grabbing his arm, eyes wide with terror. “Something’s wrong.”
He was up instantly, calling the driver, shouting for help.
By the time they reached the hospital, her body was trembling violently, her vision fading at the edges.
Nathan wouldn’t let go of her hand.
“Please, stay with me,” he whispered. “Stay with me, Ella. You’re not leaving me. Not like this.”
She was rushed into emergency care.
The doctors said the stress… the trauma… it may have triggered early labor.
Her body was going into shock.
She was barely six months.
Nathan stood outside the operating room, heart pounding as a nurse walked toward him.
Her eyes were too calm.
Her voice too careful.
“We saved one,” she said quietly.
Nathan’s world collapsed.
“One?” he repeated, his voice hollow. “No… there were two. There were—”
“I’m sorry,” she said, placing a hand on his arm. “One of the twins didn’t make it. The girl.”
---
Ella woke hours later, surrounded by machines and white walls.
The first thing she asked wasn’t about herself.
“The babies?” she whispered, her throat raw.
Nathan was beside her, holding her hand tightly, but his face — oh God, his face.
He didn’t speak.
He just shook his head.
“No.” Her voice cracked. “No. Nathan, please—tell me it’s not true.”
He opened his mouth, but nothing came out.
“I’m so sorry,” he finally said, his voice breaking. “They tried everything. Our daughter didn’t survive.”
Ella let out a wail that shattered the silence. A raw, animal cry of pain.
Nathan gathered her in his arms, even as his own shoulders shook.
They held each other and sobbed for the daughter they would never meet — the name they hadn’t picked, the first smile they would never see.
---
But just when the world felt too cruel to breathe in…
The door creaked open.
A nurse stepped in, holding a small bundle wrapped in blue.
“He’s breathing on his own,” she said softly. “Your son. He’s small, but he’s strong. A fighter.”
Ella looked down at the tiny baby placed in her arms — so fragile, so perfect.
Tears blurred her vision as she whispered, “We’ll protect you. I promise.”
She looked up at Nathan.
“We name him after her,” she said. “So we never forget.”
Nathan nodded, his hand cradling both of them.
And though grief weighed heavy in the room, love fought its way in — fierce and unrelenting.
- Writer
