him//i.

the void.

"This is going to devastate her..."

"Yes it will. But she young and she's strong. She'll get through this. We'll all get through this."

"How do I handle this?! God, as a husband, as a father, I feel like I failed her."

"I can't believe this... I didn't even know my own daughter was pregnant."

"I wish she would've told me sooner. I just found out she was pregnant and our baby is already gone..."

Gone?!? No... NO! They can't be gone!

My eyes flutter open. The ceiling was a  bland  beige color.

"She's awake!"

There were so many familiar faces. Some that I haven't seen in a while. My dad for starters. They all looked at me with pitiful eyes. All afraid to tell me what I had already knew. My child was no longer inside me.

"Can I have the room with Carian please?"

One by one everyone left and it was but the two of us. I slid over in my bed indicating I wanted him to sit next to me. He did.

"Baby I'm so sorry."

"Do you think I'm being punished?"

"What?"

"For what happened with Jamie?"

"You didn't do that on purpose."

"But I did do it... or my child did it. I don't know."

"Astrid..."

"And the fact that I still have to deal with this shit after losing my—

"Astrid..."

Carian caressed my stomach and it instantly calmed me down. "Don't you worry okay? This was an accident and it won't see the light of day. The Aldridge's and I were talking while you were out we came up with a plan."

"I'm sorry, you and the Aldridge's?"

"Yes. Although I still dislike them with my entire fiber and being, we do have one common interest. Protecting you."

"What are you going to do?"

"More like what they are going to do. I wasn't there I can't do anything, but they can."

"Wait no, they're not going to take the blame are they? I can't let them do that Carian!"

"Trust me, they're not going to jail. We will all be just fine. I promise you."

"Are you going to help them?"

"They don't need my help. Besides, my place right now is by your side."

I started to tear up again. "Did I... deliver?"

"Umm... no. You—you weren't that far alone."

"We're at my birth mom's doctor right?

"Yeah."

"Oh God. Your parents."

"They're pretty distraught. About the baby, about us already being married, but they're still my parents... our parents. They love us."

I heard a distinct buzzing, but I couldn't place it. "Do you hear that?"

"What?"

"Buzzing. I hear a buzzing sound. Like a vibration." I paused to listen carefully. "It's my phone. Piper's calling me."

"How can you tell it's Piper?"

"Because all the important people in my life have different vibration patterns when they call me." I shuffled my sheets around. "You don't hear it?"