FOR EMILY - Her Billionaire's Daughter

"Single mom, how were you doing out there? Facing the hard life without fear, Just see and know you really care, 'cause any obstacles come, you are well-prepared." - Rockabye (Anne-Marie 2016) Stephanie George opened a new chapter of her life with a brand-new spirit, lifted and given a new soul to her once dead body. She might have looked sane from the outside, but her soul was ruined long before her beautiful daughter came along about three years ago. As she forcefully hid her sadness, she brought along her little strength all the way from the mist-drenched streets of Amsterdam to the busy city of New York with a good fresh start. Leaving behind her beloved parents, she hoped she could run far enough to a foreign land where no one knew her or personally had an interest in her life. She struck her long hair one last time as her mind lingered to a memory when everything started to change. *** "NICK!!!" Stephanie shouted as loudly as she could as she stepped outside her bedroom. Silence. f**k! She mumbled under her breath as her stomach hurt so much like it was going to explode anytime soon. She tried to hold her breath again as another wave came in like a bullet train. "Nick!" Stephanie began knocking on the door furiously. 'Damn it!' The wave finally slowed down, but then she felt another rush in the lower part of her belly. Suddenly, the door burst open showing Nick half asleep, startling Stephanie, who tried to grasp some air through her mouth. She quickly grabbed his hand and gripped his wrist tightly when another wave came. This time, it was greater. "f**k, Nick!" As Stephanie's sharp fingers cut deep into his skin, his eyes wide open. Crouching in front of her. "Steph! Is the baby coming?" And he dared to ask. "f**k!" Stephanie clenched her teeth. The wave had slowed down, but she knew it would come back anytime soon. She had been watching too many videos about labor and what not to at least knew that much. Stephanie stood there against the wall next to his bedroom holding her stomach tightly. Nick had gone into Stephanie’s room, which was right in front of his, grabbing all the bags and luggage that she had prepared beforehand, along with some necessities. Stephanie’s mouth can’t even stop swearing about rainbows by now. In which she barely remembers what colors should come first. Is it orange? Or red? "Let’s go!" Finally, he came out of the bathroom holding her toiletries in his other hand. Stephanie nodded furiously and slowly walked outside to the porch, still holding the lower part of her stomach as if it was going to drop on the floor. Nick had been missing again, probably preparing the car. Stephanie felt another wave coming when a pair of hands grabbed her waist softly but yet tightly, carrying her bridal style to the outside and put her on the passenger seat. Buckling her seat belt, Nick drove off immediately to the hospital. "Just calm down, baby, we will let you out soon," he said slowly, almost whispering while looking straight ahead on the road. His hair was still in a messed, but he couldn’t care less for now. The baby they had been waiting for was coming to the world anytime now, he had to do what he should do. Stephanie and the baby are his priorities now. * "Congratulations, miss." Stephanie faintly heard the midwife say as her eyes slowly closed. She was really worn out of energy after all the screaming and pushing the baby that all she thinks about right now is sleep. Her sleep-deprived self forcefully trying to say something out of her unconscious mind, but all she ever thought about was the tiny human that had just come out of hers. "It is a girl." she said again, holding a partially cleaned baby in a blanket for her to do the skin-to-skin method to her newborn. Stephanie smiled helplessly and raised her hand to reach for her. Her only baby. The door of the labor room suddenly opened and Nick showed up with a purely relieved face. Stephanie managed to smile helplessly happily. They were both equally at ease. "It’s a girl, Nick.” She said. He was walking into the room slowly and came to the side of her bed. His eyes glistened with unwanted tears. The happy tears. "She’s finally here, my beautiful baby," Stephanie added, a line of tear slowly wetting her reddish cheeks. Nick nodded, holding her hand tightly, his eyes fell on the little bundle on Stephanie’s almost bare chest. "Yes, Steph." He replied, whispering to her ear. He came down slowly leaving soft kisses on the tiny bundle’s forehead. "She is mine too… Our daughter," he whispered, slowly but deeply leaves traces down her heart. A little human they never expected to ever meet in a time of grief for someone who decided to leave without notice. Someone who promised to be there forever but suddenly had to breach it uninformed. Just disappear into time.