If I Fall In Love

Chapter Seven

Marley entered her fifth month of pregnancy. The baby gave her no rest, as she felt sick almost every minute of the day, but she knew it was going to be worth it. Brian didn't care... and still beat her like she wasn't carrying his child inside her.  She decided to ultimately take a break from uni, 19 and pregnancy was not the plan for her, yet she was willing to put her dreams on hold for her child. 

Past the halfway mark, Chicka... love you xx

Marley read the card left on the gift basket that Izzy had made for her.  She was definitely grateful for her friendship with Izzy since the pregnancy began as Izzy was her rock, not Brian. Izzy was there for her and never made her feel alone. As she grew, her love for her unborn child only expanded. 

She began clearing up the spare room whilst Brian was out doing whatever. With the radio playing in the background, she began brainstorming how the nursery would look like. Staring at her phone debating on whether she should ring her mother.... oh how Marley missed talking to her mother. She could only imagine how she would react to becoming a grandmother, so happy and abundantly blessed to hear of the creation of life. She missed her entire family dearly.

But still remained the fact that she would be a stranger in her former house. Segregated from her loved ones, her family. And of course, Marley had to accept this because this was the reality and she couldn't change it. So here... she wondered what life would be like as a single mother in a relationship with a ghost. She would create enough love for her child to compensate for the love that Brian so evidently lacked.

Marley also took up yoga, with google being her best friend in preparation for having a baby. There was always the monthly checkups to make sure she was okay and the pregnancy was running smoothly. Doctors appointments alone. Sitting in the waiting room besides couples excited to be expecting a child. Oh, how she was envious of them all. Although she was happy, people were fortunate if they could love someone and that same person love them back. Ultimately, beautiful, it truly was. 

Brian came home this night in a different mood, coming home with a bouquet of flowers. Marley had shed a tear (purely because of the hormones) but also as she was happy, she hadn't had any signs of affection showed upon her since the pregnancy announcement.

"Get ready, we're going out tonight" Brian smiled placing a soft kiss on her lips. Marley couldn't help but grin... seeing her love be so openly affectionate. Nodding, she left to jump into the shower before sliding into a nice jade-green strapless dress and sandals (pregnancy feet is the worst !) She sat in front of her vanity mirror, applying a light shade of makeup. Marley saw Brian in the reflection and couldn't help but admire her other half and how handsome he looked. 

She felt like a teenager all over again, the early days of their relationship. Puppy love, as they would call it. Brian smirked sitting on the bed and watching Marley, oh how beautiful she felt sitting there under his eyes. Maybe there was hope after all in Brian to be a father. Maybe there was hope after all ...

An hour later and the two were on their way to one of the nice restaurants they visited a few years earlier. The entire evening Marley couldn't hold back her grin. They ate beautiful food and held a full conversation, the most they had said to each other in months. It was as if a switch had flipped and he was a new man. A kinder man. 

The couple spent another hour at dinner before Marley began to feel tired. Pregnancy definitely took up most of her energy throughout the day. During the car ride home, she began dozing off, to the light sound of D'angelo playing in the background. By the time they reached home, Marley had stirred awake to walk herself inside, trailing behind Brian. 

"You wanted to trap me didn't you" Brian spat like venom, as he turned around to face Marley. She looked up and met his eyes, feeling nothing but pure cold. 

"Brian please..." She took a step back from him and hit the front door. Brian had not laid a hand on her since the pregnancy and she was grateful for that.

"You think I'm going to leave you alone? It's supposed to just be the two of us. That's it" He took steps closer which only made Marleys tears fall down faster.

"Don't do this" 

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Marley clinged onto her stomach in agonizing pain as she felt the blood pool between her legs.

"No...no" She cried, letting her screams pierce the air.

The bright light from the kitchen pushed her forward, forcing her to drag herself away from the dinning room to see the full extent of her injuries. Her eyes, puffy from all the crying, leaving behind a trail of blood, a trail of her unborn child. She screamed once again, leaning against the kitchen wall and allowing herself to feel the pain. Something she had never felt anymore, her child being taken away from her before he or she could draw their first breath.

Marley sat in shock... unable to move from that one spot as the tears raced down her face. She was losing her child and there was nothing, absolutely nothing she could do about it. Marley's hopes and dreams shattered, hearing her child laugh for the first time, smile or giggle. She was robbed of all those memories and it broke her. 

Marley cried herself to sleep yet again. Waking up in the most uncomfortable position yet again, feeling dirty. She needed to clean up and shower, and judging from the quiet, Brian had not returned from who knows where. Rising up slowly, she wiped the tears away staring at the dry blood on the ground.

Marley stripped and entered the shower, staring at her stomach which was now empty. There was no heartbeat. Marley would have to go to the doctor's later to confirm everything. She stood feeling the water hit her body, washing off all the blood and hitting her bruises. She felt no bruises from the beating she received, numb from the pain of losing her child. 

She stayed underneath the water for a few seconds, sending a prayer up above asking for forgiveness for not being able to carry her child. That night Marley climbed into bed, hugging her stomach and crying herself to sleep.