SHE'S MY WIFE (completed)

Prologue

Two Years ago 

The first thing Emilia felt was pain. Her right hand had a throbbing pain from her shoulder to her palm. A little disoriented, she wondered if she'd slept on it. But the sound of sirens blaring jolted her fully awake and she remembered everything. Forgetting about her pain, she shot up. To her left Lisandra was lying on the ground with a gun in her hand. Emilia looked around trying to find Zander. 

The last thing she remembered was someone shooting her and knocking Lisandra out. Since her eyes were blurry from tears, she couldn't make out who that person was. How they'd gotten out of that house, she didn't know. All she wanted to know was where her son was. The place was on fire. The thought that Zander could still be inside had her rushing forward but just as she took a step toward the door, the house exploded. Throwing her back a few paces. 

"No.... Zander?" she called out. He could be lying somewhere unconscious "Zander?" to her left Lisandra groaned, waking up. Without thinking, Emilia shot up and pounced on her, "Where is he? Where is my son you wretched woman?" 

"Let go of me. I don't know where he is" 

"Give me back my son. I want him back. You said the plan was to save him and kill me. Where is he?" she asked winding her hands around the other woman's neck and strangling her "Where is he?" with every word Emilia uttered, she squeezed harder. If anything happened to her baby, Lisandra was going to pay. 

"You.... I... I can't.... " 

"Where is Zander?" 

"I... Didn't...." 

All of a sudden someone pulled her back. Emilia wouldn't have let go if she hadn't been stopped. In that moment all she could think of was where her son was. He couldn't still be in that burning house. Craning her neck, she realized that the fire department had already arrived and the person holding her back was an EMT. 

"I can't find my son. Could you please help me look for him?" 

"We have to treat your wound first ma'am...." 

"I'm okay. Please find my baby. He was in the house but when I woke up I couldn't find him. He might be lying somewhere around, hurt or unconscious" 

"Ma'am...." 

"Please I'm begging you. He's just eight years old. Please...." 

"Okay. But promise me you will sit here and not go anywhere. You've lost a lot blood" 

"I promise. Please find him" she begged. It occurred to her that she hadn't shed a tear. Normally she would be crying her eyes out but she couldn't bring herself to cry. Not before she saw him safe and sound. 

Standing beside the ambulance, Emilia held a cloth to her wound, while waiting for news from the EMT who had gone in search of Zander. He came back alone shaking his head. Dropping the cloth she was holding, she jumped at him

"Where is he?" 

"I couldn't find him...." 

"What do you mean you couldn't find him? He was in the house too. Whoever took us out had to have taken him out too. Right?" 

"Ma'am you need to calm....." 

"We found a body" someone shouted from somewhere inside "A child but I can't say how old since they are burnt beyond..." the guy trailed off when Emilia screamed. The Emt held her back when she tried to run forward. She fought the guy, really fought until something pricked the skin of her hand. Then she was going under...... 

Later when she came to, she was in the hospital. Darren was sitting beside her bed and it took a moment for her to remember why she was there. "Zander, where is he?" she asked pulling out the IV on her hand. 

"Em, the doctor said you need to rest. Your shoulder will need a few weeks to heal" 

"Where is my son Darren? Bring him to me. I want to see him and make sure he's fine" 

"Em....." 

"What? Stop saying that and bring me my son" 

"I.... I.... " he wiped a tear away. She understood what he wanted to say but couldn't believe it. 

"No, no, no, no," 

"I'm sorry" 

"No, it can't be. Zander's okay. I heard him, he told me not to worry and that he was going to be fine" throwing the covers off her, she climbed out of bed. Emilia only managed to make it to the door, where she bumped into Max "Where is he?" 

"Em....." 

"Stop, stop calling me that and bring me my son" she screamed pounding on his chest. Out of nowhere, a nurse appeared and took out a needle out of her pocket. This time when they tried to sedate her, she fought them. It took both the brothers to hold her down then she was relaxing and going to sleep again. 

That's how she spent the next two weeks. Waking up, screaming, being sedated then repeating the whole process all over again. Every time she went to sleep, she woke up hating everyone more. They thought they were helping her by sedating her but she just wanted to see Zander. It was hard to believe he was gone. As a mother, didn't she have the right mourn? By the end of the second week, she'd gone numb. It could have been the drugs or her grief but Emilia stopped feeling. She became a zombie. They fed her, washed her, tried to talk to her but all she did was stare into space, reliving her life ever since she gave birth to Zander. 

The doctor discharged her saying they'd done all they could. Someone suggested a psychiatrist but Max refused and said it was just grief. She heard all of them talking but it was as if she wasn't in her body. Like she was floating around, looking down at all of them. It was a strange feeling, one that helped her live one day at a time. Three weeks after she'd left the hospital, Sawyer took her out claiming it would help her if she saw other people and mingle. It didn't, but it made her snap out of her shock. She spent the afternoon crying on his shoulder for the son she'd lost. He let her cry knowing she really needed it. When she got back home in the evening, she asked for a divorce from Max. 

To Emilia, coming back had been the biggest mistake she ever made in her life. If she'd stayed where she was, maybe her precious son would still be alive. But no, she had to go and poke the bear. Look where that got her. In a s**t hole of pain she didn't know how to climb out. Life was truly unfair. Why didn't it take her instead? She would have gone willingly as long as her son was alright. God, it hurt every time she thought about him. The pain was too much. She couldn't stand looking at Max and not seeing Zander. 

As usual Max refused to grant her the divorce. He asked her to stay so they could overcome their pain together. It was a reasonable request, except seeing him made her want to tear his eyes out. Why couldn't he see how evil that witch Lisandra was? They could have prevented this. Zander would still be alive if only he'd kicked that woman out of their lives. What was worse was that she claimed to have wanted to kill her and not their son. As if that could bring her baby boy back. She wanted to throw Max in that jail together with her so they could rot there together, forever. 

Don't misunderstand her. She was angry and grieving and needed someone to blame. Her soon to be ex husband was there so she chose him. Since he didn't want to divorce her, she woke up one morning, packed her bags and left. Just like how she'd done nine years ago. Or was it ten now? She didn't care how many years it had been. This time she was going to make sure she would stay gone. All that man had done was bring bad luck to her. Lucky for her, Sawyer had bought a house from a friend. He'd wanted it to be a surprise for his husband Hendrix but when he found out she wanted to disappear he offered her the place. 

It was in Tennessee, well secluded, surrounded by a vast land. She was grateful for the isolation. Once a week she went  into town, brought groceries then came back only to spend the rest of the time alone. She didn't even hire workers. Cleaning the house kept her busy. Monday was laundry day, Tuesday house day, Wednesday movie day, Thursday work out day and Friday grocery shopping day. She winged it on the weekends. Did whatever came to mind. 

A few weeks after she'd arrived she was at the store deciding between marmalade and strawberry jam when a wave of dizziness hit her. She stumbled back and would have fallen if someone hadn't caught her from behind. 

"Whoa ma'am are you okay?" 

"Yes, thank you. I was just a little dizzy" she told the kind man. 

"Maybe you should go home and rest. The heat out here can be brutal at times, especially for pregnant women like you" 

"Excuse me?" she asked pushing his hands away. Was this man insane? 

"Hello, I'm Douglas but people call me Doug. I'm also a doctor. Where do you go for your prenatal check ups? I haven't seen you at the hospital. Not to brag but this is a small town and I would definitely remember seeing such a beautiful face. Are you new here....." 

He kept droning on but she'd stopped listening at doctor. He'd said she was pregnant. Was fate playing a joke on her or what? 

**********************************************

How's that for starters? 

Can't believe Zander's gone. Damn, I loved that kid.