𝐄𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐌𝐀 • 𝐬.𝐬

Chapter 23

ANYA HAD LOTS OF SECRETS, they haunted her throughout her life. When she had been with Andreas, sixteen years ago, she had been pregnant.

That little boy had been taken away from her and Rosalind made sure it was impossible for anyone to find out her secret.

But now, at 39 years old, she hadn't expected to be sitting here again with a pregnancy test in hand and looking at two lines.

Anya knew that her and Saul had spent as many nights together as they could before his arrest but she had thought they'd been safe.

Clearly not as now she was facing another pregnancy, this time with a man who was locked behind bars.

But as she sat in the cottage that her and Saul had raised Sky in, she knew that he would want her to be strong for their child.

"Anya, have you seen dad's sword?" Sky called out from the other room, "I thought I'd brought it with me,"

She sniffled, drying her tears and opening the door. She had hoped she'd be able to conceal it but Sky instantly saw that she was upset.

"Anya, you okay? Is it about Silva?" He asked.

He knew how difficult the last two months had been for her, how she was strong for the students but behind closed doors in the apartment in Alfea she used to shade with Saul, she was broken.

He looked inside, seeing the test sitting on the countertop. He walked in, looking down at it.

"You can't be, Silva, he's been gone for two months," he stated, looking up at her with big eyes.

"I've been feeling ill for a while now and clearly my grief has distracted me. But I know I am, I know it," she said.

She remembered all of these symptoms, depression, constant sickness, fatigue. But now she had nobody by her side.

"Hey, I know Silvas not here for you. But I'm gonna be, you and Saul raised me and I owe it to you to help you raise his baby," he said, smiling.

She looked up at him, remembering when he was just a small little boy who she'd chase round the gardens.

She was glad that he had matured into such a brilliant young man who cared about everyone else.

"Thank you Sky, but this little ones my responsibility. You'll make the best big brother in the world," she said, smiling up at him.

☆☆☆

7 MONTHS LATER, ANYA SAT IN her room in the cottage, catching her breath.

After a grueling 16 hours, she was finally holding her little baby girl in her arms.

She wasn't going to let anyone take this baby away from her. She looked over at Sky, a smile on her face as she looked at the teenager.

The seventeen year old had been the first person she'd called when she went into labour. He had brought Ben and Terra who had sat with her throughout as well.

Ben took the baby away to check on her and she laid her head back, utterly exhausted.

"I wish he would have been her for it," she said, tears in her eyes as she thought about all that Saul had missed.

He had missed the whole pregnancy and the birth of his daughter, his only child. He had bee. There for her last time but it had been different, last time she felt like a prisoner and this time less so.

"He'd have been proud of you," Sky said, a smile on his face.

"I remember when you born and I held you for the first time. You were so soft and you didn't cry the second you came out and we were all worried," she explained.

"My mum didn't make it though, you did. I'll admit, i was scared the whole time," he said with a chuckle.

She tensed up, "Yeah, it's a shame what happened back then," she said, "But you were a beautiful little baby with big eyes,"

"She's beautiful too. What are you gonna call her?" He asked, looking down at Anya.

Anya thought for a second, "Natasha, after his mum. But we can call her Sasha, we'll stick to the S names," she joked.

"Sky, Saul and Sasha," he joked, "Are you two going to move back to Alfea?"

She sighed, "Eventually, right now I just want to hold my baby girl, can you ask Ben if I can have her back?" She asked.

Anya watched as he walked away, grateful that she had this support system. She was going to go back to Alfea and teach but she wished she could quit and stay in the cottage.

She had raised Sky here on the lands, he had spent his birthdays and Christmases here with Saul. This was his home.

She hoped she'd be able to make more memories with this baby and Sky and maybe Saul if they could petition to get him out of prison.

Maybe once the world went back to normal they'd be able to bring Saul back and he could meet his baby girl.

Ben brought Sasha in, placing her gently on her chest and Anya instantly relaxed.

"You know that you two are her godparents, Sky and Terra," she said and the two looked at each other, smiling.

"My family," Anya whispered, gently pressing a kiss to the top of her baby's head.

She looked over at the picture of Saul on the side, she knew that one day he'd be able to come back. One day he'd be back home.

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