Forbidden Baby

Chapter 23 – Full Disclosure

Thia’s POV

The vaguely familiar body stepped to the side and offered me a small comforting smile ‘Hello Thia’

His deep voice, now I matched it with his appearance seemed familiar, and then it dawned on me ‘Mr. Harris?’ my brows furrowed, and confusion struck ‘What are you doing here?’

‘Thia, we really don’t have time for this, I will explain everything in the car’ Zeke edged over to the crib where Hallie was just stirring, ‘Thia, she’s beautiful! She looks just like you’ he grinned ‘May I?’ he gestured towards picking her up.

‘Of course! I have everything I need; we just need to collect my things from Lilly’s car. Lilly! Oh my god, I am so sorry I didn’t introduce you, Zeke this is Lilly, my angel, and saviour! Lilly, this is my big brother Zeke, nothing like my parents. And that is Mr. Harris, but I am still confused about that!’

Lilly laughed ‘It’s nice to meet you all’ she did a double take at Mr. Harris ‘Do I know you?’ she asked suspiciously.

He looked a little sheepish but didn’t answer ‘Shall we head down to the car?’ distracted by the question, we all started to gather everything.

We said goodbye to the nurses and thanked them all for how much they took care of us. Lilly put Hallie in her car seat, which Zeke then took from her, Hallie was getting to be a lump, so I’m sure Lilly was grateful!

I got Hallie’s bags, which Mr. Harris insisted on carrying and Lilly and I walked arm in arm to her car to get the things I had. She had managed to pack everything into her car, and now I had Hallie’s things, there was a lot more than I had realised.

We packed everything essential and personal into the boot, and everything else we would replace. Lilly would take anything lest, back for the other girls in the house who needed them. I took Lilly’s number and promised to keep in touch, and we said a tearful farewell.

‘Thank you so much for everything Lilly!’

‘You are more than welcome Thia, I will never forget you and Hallie! You have certainly kept me on my toes’ she chuckled.

Exhausted, I got into the back seat next to Hallie who was already strapped into the car. Mr. Harris got into the driver’s seat and Zeke in the passenger’s seat.

‘Seriously, Zeke, this is weird, can you please tell me why Mr. Harris is driving us…. Where are we going?

‘Mr. Harris is no longer a teacher. He is Ezra, and he is my boyfriend, we just bought a house together and we live in Oxford, which is where we are going now!’

‘f**k! How long was I gone?’ Mr. Harris, I mean, Ezra, (that was going to take some getting used too) laughed hard at my reaction.

‘Long enough to have a baby Thia!’

‘Ah, yeah, good point, but still, you knew when I left I was having a baby! Spill!’

Zeke filled me in on what happened between him and Ezra, and how when Mum and Dad found out he was gay they went mental, knocked Ezra out and threatened them. Gabe, in true Gabe style, made sure that the threats would come to nothing.

They haven’t seen or heard from Mum and Dad since.

‘We are really going to Oxford?’ I asked when he had finished telling me everything that happened.

‘I tell you I am dating our ex P.E teacher, we have bought a house and have moved in together and that’s all you have to ask?’ he laughs.

‘Well, yeah, who am I to judge who you fall in love with, as long as your happy, I’m happy. I just, Oxford is a long way away’

‘That’s the point Thia, I got into Oxford Uni, Gabe is boarding in Sailsbury and with you with us, we are complete. We don’t need Mum and Dad; we are better off without them’

‘Yeah, I know, it’s just, I didn’t get to speak to Loretta or…..’ I didn’t know if he knew about Freddie.

‘Loretta can come and visit when we get you all set up in your own place, she’ll love it here! Thia, who is Hallie’s father?’

‘Oh, um, Gabe didn’t tell you?’

‘No, he said it was complicated and thought it was best coming from you, when we found you’

‘You’ve been looking for me?’

‘Of course! But the trail went cold and well, we just hoped you would call!’

‘I’m glad I did’

‘Thia…’

‘Zeke, she’s tired, it’s nearly 3am and we are almost home. Let her rest, she can tell you everything tomorrow when she has slept’ Ezra spoke softly but with clarity and authority, and I was grateful for the interruption. I was shattered, and too tired to go through this all now.

Zeke said something to him in response, but I barely heard as I started to nod off. I woke as we arrived at their house. It was in a quiet street, lined with trees and looked nothing like I imagine a house in a city to be. It seemed we were on the outskirts.

We pulled up into the drive and Ezra took Hallie’s car seat and went to the house with her, she would be waking for a bottle soon. I grabbed some essentials as did Zeke and we agreed to get the rest out in the morning.

The house looked like they had barely moved in, and it was still quite empty.

‘Sorry, we haven’t long got the keys and moved in, we have a lot to do!’ Ezra smiled warmly as Zeke, and I entered the house ‘Would you like a cuppa before you head to bed? We just need to make your bed’

‘No, thank you, Hallie will wake in a minute for a bottle and then I will crash, I can barely keep my eyes open!’

‘Why don’t you let us feed Hallie and we’ll put her in her bassinet in your room when she’s settled, then you can go to sleep now?’ Ezra offered.

My lip wobbled and I swallowed hard trying to hold back the tears.

‘I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep’ he was concerned he had upset me, but the truth was, I had never had anyone to offer to help me with her before, except Lilly that is, but it was her job and only happened when I had exams.

‘No, no, it’s not that! No one has ever offered before is all, and it’s just, you guys have done so much in such a short time, I’m a little overcome. Thank you, that would be amazing’

‘It’s our pleasure Thia, your brothers have been worried sick about you, and we are all just glad you are with us’

‘Will Gabe be here tomorrow?’ I asked, feeling guilty for asking but desperate to see him.

‘Yep! Try and stop him! But we won’t let him wake you, so get some sleep, he isn’t going anywhere!’ Zeke pulled me into a hug and then showed me to my room.

Not having Hallie with me felt weird, but knowing she was being well looked after by her family who loved her was enough for me to settle and fall asleep almost instantly.

When I woke, the sun was shinning through the curtains and I was able to take stock of the room, it was light and airy, but other than the bed, just had boxes pilled in the corner. Hallie’s bassinet lay on the floor by my bed, and it was empty.

I sat bolt upright, having no idea of the time and without even considering I was still in my PJ’s I legged it downstairs. I walked into the spacious kitchen to see Zeke embracing his styling freedom in black skinny jeans, leg chain and Skull and cross bones T-shirt.

I smiled at how happy and relaxed he seemed, I had always thought he was a little uptight, but I guess now I know why. I figured; I probably came across more stuck up than him. It’s funny how much things have changed!

‘Morning sleepy head’ Zeke grinned as he put the kettle on ‘Coffee?’

‘Do you have tea?’

‘Sure do’ he smiled.

‘Where’s Hallie?’ I tried not to sound concerned, I knew she was in safe hands, but I had never not woken up with her by my side.

I heard the light chuckled before I saw him, I turned around and Ezra was walking through the door, in t-shirt and shorts and flipflops, looking nothing like the teacher I remember, cradling Hallie, who seemed more than happy in his arms.

I looked over at the clock and it was almost 9am ‘She’ll be due a bottle, I can’t believe she isn’t winging for it already! And I can’t believe I slept so long! Did she wake you?’

‘No! I heard her stirring when I came back from my run’ Ezra explained ‘Zeke got her while I had a quick shower, you needed to sleep!’

‘And you didn’t?’ I questioned, grateful though, that they had given me a lie in!

‘We haven’t had to do 24-hour childcare on our own for the last… how old is she?’ Ezra asked as I got the bottle ready, and Zeke handed me my tea.

‘She was born on 16th April, so she’s 7 weeks now’ I knew they were going to want to hear what happened.

Zeke took the bottle from me ‘Can I feed her?’

I smiled widely at the situation I found myself in, I could not be happier than I was right now, well, just add Gabe, Freddie, and Loretta to the mix, and I would be happy for life.

‘Sure’ he got settled and I handed him the bottle, having already explained last night how to feed her with out her getting trapped wind.

There was a knock on the door, and I was hoping it was Gabe. Ezra went to answer it and I saw him, and Gabe greet each other like old friends, it was going to take a little getting used too.

‘Thia!’ Gabe grinned like a Cheshire cat and strode towards me, he had shot up since I had left and he towered over me, had took me in his arms and gently squeezed as he took in my appearance ‘You haven’t changed a bit’ he smirked.

‘You got tall! Are you taller than Zeke now?’

‘NO! He’s not!’ Zeke called out from the kitchen, and Gabe and I laughed, it had been so long since I laughed like I had no care in the world and it felt so good!

Hallie made some gurgling noises and Gabe suddenly remembered and rushed into the kitchen ‘Thia! She’s gorgeous, she looks just like you’ he grinned ‘It’s Halie, right?’

‘Yep, she’s my miracle baby’

‘because you didn’t think you would get to keep her?’ Ezra asked.

‘Because I nearly lost her twice before Mum and Dad tried to take her away from me! I had a difficult birth and then she got sick’

‘s**t, Thia, we never did ask why you were in the hospital!’

‘Well, now you are all here, I’ll fill you in… but let me go get dressed quickly first!’

I was dying for a shower, but I knew they were desperate to hear what happened, so I dressed quickly and decided I could shower later. When I came back down, minutes after I had left them, they were all sat waiting for me.

They all sat and listened as I told them everything that happened. By the end, they were all gawping. But this turned into severe anger and resentment towards Mum and Dad, I had never seen them so furious. Weirdly, seeing them so protective of me, was heart-warming.

‘I can’t believe they never called. I tried to send you letters and cards, they said they had sent you things, I’m so sorry!’

‘This isn’t your fault Zeke. But before you get all mad, I need you to calm down. I need to tell you something, and you aren’t going to like it, and then, Gabe, I need you to tell me what I have been desperate to know this entire time, ok!’

They both looked at me with a little worry and trepidation on their faces. I understood Zeke’s, I just told him he wasn’t going to like what I was about to tell him, but Gabe, well, it seemed like he thought I wasn’t going to like what he had to say, but at this point, I was beyond worrying about it, what will be will be.

‘Ok. Zeke, Hallie’s Dad, well’ I took a deep breath, Gabe whispered something into Ezra’s ear, and I noticed he braced himself ‘Is Freddie’

‘WHAT!’ he made Hallie jump and she started to cry, he looked down at her guiltily and started to sooth her, I wasn’t about to take her from him, he would be calmer with her in his arms ‘Sorry little one’ he spoke softly, and Ezra put his arms around his shoulders. They looked cute together.

‘Zeke, calm down, it’s not what you think!’

‘It’s really not’ Gabe added, but the way he said it, made me wonder if that comment was directed at Zeke or me!