3:09

CHAPTER 9 - THE BROKEN

A couple days followed. It felt like everything had changed. The weather was bleaker, the food was tasteless. Aaron and Cara barely spoke, that is if they could even look each other in the eye. The realisation that their lives would never be the same had still not come. Like fishing in an empty pond, hoping for a bite. Just one...

Cara would often sit by the window waiting impatiently for a phone call from the hospital, or anyone at this point. She didn't have anything else to do in the time since the birth of Rose, and so, she held onto the tiniest glimmers of hope, undeterred of how dangerous that could be.

Aaron on the other hand, tried his best to get all of his work done. When he had finished his most urgent work report, he would start the next one. Some weren't due for weeks, however, he knew that he needed to stay busy for his own sanity. He spoke only a few words, and the most common phrases were, "I'm going for a drive", "What's for dinner?" and "The phone isn't going anywhere, y'know."

On a rainy, quiet and slow evening, Aaron lavishly struggled to juggle the takeaway pizza, house keys and jacket as he entered through the front door. He walked over to Cara's spot on the couch, that now smelt like her and had the imprint of her head on the pillow. "I brought some pizza, do you want some?"

She swiftly rose from the couch and speedily walked to the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. She sank into the non-running shower, sitting on the cold floor, weeping uncontrollably. "I CAN'T DO THIS... I CAN'T... PLEASE, GOD...PLEASE" She began praying. Something she hadn't done for many years.

Aaron tried resiliently to maintain his emotions and control himself. He knew she didn't want to hear a word from him. That would just make things worse. Aaron barely ate his pizza, having two and a half slices in total. He knew he needed to distract himself the only way he knew how. He rushed upstairs to the office and started editing his next report.

After an immeasurable amount of time Cara returned to the couch. She ran her fingers through her dry and messy hair, taking some strands out in the process. The couch, now with dirty blankets and pillows, was the only place she wanted to be in. She checked her phone for the last time and saw no new notifications. Cara could only sleep because her dreams showed her a different world to the one she was currently in. A world of freedom, stillness and disparity. Any world was better than this one.

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The following day Cara awoke to the sound of her buzzing phone.

*BRRIINNG BRRIINNG*

"H-hello?"

"Is this Mrs Cara Rivera?"

"Yes, it is" she quickly replied.

"I'm very happy to tell you that your daughter is in a stable condition to come home. You can come pick her up..."

Cara hung up the phone before she could finish.

She screamed from the bottom of the stairwell to her still sleeping husband.

"GET UP! GET UP NOW!"

Upon hearing no response, she raced up the stairs like it was an Olympic sport. She blasted through the bedroom door making as much noise as humanly possible in the process. Her mind raced with things to say, all stored in her jumbled head from hardly speaking in the last couple of days. Regardless of all the bottled up emotions she knew that there would be time for that later and the most important thing was to get him in the car as soon as she could.

"PUT THESE ON!" she bellowed, flinging a pair of black jeans and a navy blue t-shirt directly at his startled head.

"Usually you're the one that takes ages to get dressed" he sarcastically remarked.

"We don't have time for this. Our daughter needs us. I'll be in the car." Cara shot down the stairs faster than the speed of light, completely disregarding the excruciating abdomen pain.

After a couple of minutes, Aaron opened the car door and started driving off to the hospital. The gusty air of the outside wind gave the couple a sense of relief. A noticeable change from the claustrophobic feeling within their house.

Cara tapped her feet and picked at her fingernails. She couldn't sit still any longer. Aaron turned on the radio, raising the volume so they could barely hear each other talk.

"How can you be thinking of the radio right now?" she grumbled. "Turn that off!"

Aaron kept driving, changing lanes and choosing to not listen to what was being said. He gave a malignant sigh and kept his eyesight on the road.

She leaned over, rashly turned off the radio and then crossed her arms.

After driving for a couple of minutes they arrived at the hospital. Aaron drove to the entrance and stopped the car at the front area.

"You go on ahead. I need to find a parking spot. I'll catch up with you" he said to her.

She paused for a couple of seconds and looked at him. "You're not gonna come see her for the first time with me?"

Aarons voice changed. He looked down at his body then moved his hands through his dark long hair. "I... I'll catch up with you."

Cara shook her head and opened her mouth, preparing to say something. Before she could let her words take over she had already opened the car door, leaving in a hurry.

She walked through the hospital, aiming to leave as quickly as possible. The front desk guided her to the seventh floor, after giving a number of papers, folders, prescriptions and brochures.

She reached the seventh floor, seeing her child for the first time. Rose was fast asleep, wrapped in pink blankets and a warm beanie.

"She's beautiful..." Cara's eyes swelled with tears.

Rose was soft, gentle, calm and quiet. She placed her tender hand on Rose's head, caressing her for the first time. Cara lightly held her in her weakened arms, awakening Rose in the process. Her eyes opened, revealing an adorable and unmissable light-blue colour.

"She has your eyes, doesn't she?" said a nearby nurse.

"Yes. Yes she does."