Surviving The Aftermath [Book Three]

Thirty Two

Demi

"Shh, Honey, you're okay" I just tightened my grip around Ayla as she sobbed into my chest. Every sob ripped at my heart. I pressed my lips against the top of her head and began to soothingly run my fingers through her hair, sure to lightly scratch at her scalp, something that has helped to soothe her since she was a practically a newborn. I began to gently hum the chorus of 'Nightingale' until she had fallen back to sleep. I released a sigh of relief but my heart still ached.

It's been 2 weeks since Kobe's accident. He's still wearing the cast and hopping around on crutches and he will be for the next 4 weeks but other than that he's fully recovered. I'm also 20 weeks and today is my 20-week check-up and also the day we will be finding out our baby's gender. The video of me in the hospital was released to the media, like I predicted, and the rumours of my pregnancy started. We still haven't addressed them but we're planning to announce the pregnancy soon anyway. Now Ayla, she's been having a nightmare almost every night for the last 2 weeks, some aren't as bad as others but with the worst, she wakes up screaming and it takes forever to calm her down. She still won't say what's wrong and I'm terrified. I gently moved her off my lap and onto her bed. I covered her over with the covers and gently pressed a kiss to her forehead, praying that I didn't wake her. I headed from her room and back into the master bedroom, my hand settling on my belly. Kobe was sat back against the pillows, scrolling through his phone. I crawled onto my side of the bed and sighed.

"She okay?" he locked his phone and lowered it down onto the nightstand before he gave me his full attention.

"I'm worried about her. There's something going on."

"What do you think it is?" he lightly began to caress my belly.

"I don't know but it all started when she met Max's girlfriend" I glanced to meet his gaze. "She's terrified of me leaving her, Kobe. She-She..." I could feel myself getting choked up, tears burning at the backs of my eyes. "She won't even tell me what's wrong so I can't even fix it" Kobe shuffled himself over to me on the bed and leant in to press a kiss to my cheek. His fingers ran into my hair as my tears began their journey down my face. "I'm so tired" I dropped my head onto his shoulder and nuzzled my face into his neck. He wrapped his arm around me and began to lightly caress my back. I sobbed myself to sleep against him.

I woke hours later, the sun was shining through the gap in the curtains, illuminating the bedroom. I rubbed at my eyes, my hand moving to my stomach as baby fluttered around.

"Are you going to let mommy and daddy see whether you're a boy or a girl today?"

"They better. I'm inpatient" I jumped, glancing up at Kobe who had apparently stepped into the room. He had a tray in hand and my heart just swelled as my lips tugged into a smile. "I've brought you breakfast. I half expected you to still be asleep though. I was expecting a challenge at waking you" I rolled my eyes and lightly hit him in the side. "You sleep so much deeper now that you're pregnant" I took the tray from him and smiled down at the plate of avocado on toast. There was also a glass of orange juice.

"How's Ayla?" my eyes locked with his.

"She's okay. It's like last night didn't even happen, she's all smiles downstairs" I sighed, beginning to pick at my breakfast. "Honestly, Baby, she's fine."

"But she'll be the same tonight and tomorrow night and the..." I cut myself off as I ripped off a piece of toast.

"Maybe you should speak to Max, see if anything happened while she was there."

"And what if he says that nothing happened?"

"Then maybe we should get her in to see someone."

"What like a therapist? I've been seeing therapists since I was 18. She's only 4, Kobe."

"But it'll be someone impartial, someone she doesn't know. She may feel comfortable talking to someone like that" he just shrugged his shoulders. I bit down on my lower lip, ripping off another piece of toast.

"Maybe" he leant in to kiss my temple.

"I'm going to make sure the girls aren't making a mess. Come downstairs when you're finished, okay?" I nodded and sent him a smile as he left the room. I put all my focus on finishing my breakfast, trying not to think too much about Ayla.

—

"Be a good girl for nana and papi, okay?" Kyra nodded, giggling as I tugged on her cardigan.

"I always good."

"That's debatable, Miss Kyra" I leant to press a kiss to her forehead and lightly laughed as she continued to giggle. "I love you, Baby. I'll see you soon."

"Love you. Bye" she sent me a wave and then ran off to my mom who stood at the door.

"We'll drop her off just after lunch, if that's okay?"

"That's fine. Thanks, Mom" she gave me a hug and then headed from the house. I waved them off and then turned to Kobe who was just walking down the stairs.

"We have a problem" my eyebrows furrowed.

"What?"

"Ayla's refusing to go with Max" my eyes widened slightly.

"What do you mean she's refusing to go?"

"I told her that she needs to get dressed because she's going to her daddy's and she's now laying in the middle of her bedroom floor, refusing to do anything. She kept saying no" I sighed, running my fingers through my hair.

"What the fuck is going on, Kobe?"

"I don't know, Babe."

"I'll go up and talk to her" he pressed a kiss to my forehead before I headed for the stairs. I went straight into Ayla's room and found her exactly where Kobe said she was. "Ayla Mackenzie" she didn't move even as I used my 'mom' voice.

"No" she mumbled into her arm.

"How am I going to handle you as a teenager?" I mumbled under my breath as I headed for Ayla. I lowered myself down onto the floor and gently ran my fingers through her hair. "Why don't you want to go to your daddy's, Peanut?"

"Don't like him."

"You know that would really hurt, Daddy?" she just shrugged. "Ayla, can you look at me, please" she lifted her head and glanced over at me, her brown eyes burning into mine. "Did something happen at daddy's?" she didn't say anything, she just continued to stare at me. "You know you can tell me, Peanut" she shook her head and I just sighed, trying not to lose my patience with her. She is only 4 after all. "How would you like to come with me and Bebe to see how baby's doing?" she suddenly perked up and a sparkle filled her eyes. "Get dressed then, Peanut, and I'll message your daddy so he knows" she nodded, jumping up off the floor and running to the clothes that were laid out on her bed.

Me: Change of plans, Ayla's staying with me and Kobe!! We can arrange for you to see her another day.

I sighed after I'd sent the message, glancing up at Ayla as she pulled on her pants. What is going on with my little girl?

——