Sunrise

Chapter 3

Chapter Three

…..

Note: Flashbacks are written in italics! Enjoy!

Ross stood in the same hospital corridor from four years ago, but he couldn’t help but to think how different his life was compared to today. Today, he and his wife had welcomed their second child together, a healthy and beautiful baby girl that instantly took his heart away the day he knew she existed.

Eight months ago, he was just coming home from an exhausting day at work when suddenly her first daughter, three-year-old Emma, barreled straight into his arms and showered him with wet kisses. He could feel his fatigue instantly melted away, especially when his wife decided to join them and welcomed him home with a kiss.

“Hi, you…” she welcomed him with their signature greeting, a soft smile playing on her lips, “I’ve missed you…”

“I’ve missed you too,” he smiled, stealing another kiss from her.

“I went shopping today,” she suddenly said, her smile brightened as she watched him kissing her daughter's cheeks, making the little girl giggle loudly.

Ross turned his attention away from his daughter to his wife and swallowed. To be completely honest, he was dreading the thought of Rachel shopping. The last time she went shopping, it didn’t end very well. He was more than surprised when she came home with a dozen shopping bags towing behind her. She even had to tip the cab driver’s extra money after the poor guy helped her carry her bags upstairs to their apartment. Their evening quickly turned into a huge fight after he found out how much money she had spent during those shopping sprees.

“Yeah?” he tried to sound interested, not wanting to start a fight with his wife tonight.

Did he mention how exhausted he was?

“Aren’t you going to ask what I got?” she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Ross sighed.

“What did you get?” he asked reluctantly.

He was expecting her to get a new set of clothes, or fancy shoes, or maybe a purse… He knew how much she loved those designer bags…

“I got Emma a new t-shirt.”

“T-shirt? Just one? That’s it?” he sounded puzzled.

“Uh-huh,” Rachel nodded, and couldn't hide the smile on her face. “That shirt, the one she’s wearing right now. What do you think? Isn't it pretty?”

This was weird. His wife didn’t just go shopping and came home with just one thing.

“It’s uhm, yeah. Pretty,” Ross said, not even looking closely at the words printed on the purple t-shirt his daughter was wearing.

“You don’t even look at it,” she protested.

Ross sighed again, but still not looking as he said, “I did.”

“Really? Then what does it say?”

Ross groaned inwardly, reluctantly pulling his daughter away so that he could read the words properly and when he finally did, he could feel his heart stop.

‘BIG SISTER’, the two words written in capital letters, covered with rainbow glitters.

He blinked a few times, reading the words over and over as his mind started to process what exactly was happening.