Random Frames. (Englot)

Rainbow Baby Part 2 (Last)

The ride back home from the hospital was silent, the weight of the day's events hanging heavily in the air. Engfa navigated the streets with a sense of detachment, her fingers gripping the steering wheel, while Charlotte stared out the window, lost in her thoughts. The silence was a stark contrast to the usual chatter and laughter that filled their car rides.

As they pulled into the driveway and entered their home, the atmosphere was tinged with an odd mixture of familiarity and emptiness. Engfa glanced at Charlotte, who seemed distant, and swallowed hard. She knew that this was a moment when words might fall short, but she desperately wanted to provide comfort.

They headed into the bedroom, and Engfa's eyes widened as she noticed the freshly changed bedsheets. A small smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"Ma must have come by to help us clean up," Engfa said softly.

Charlotte nodded absentmindedly, her gaze fixed on a spot on the floor. Engfa felt a knot tighten in her chest. The walls seemed to have grown taller, as if they were keeping them apart. The couple had not exchanged more than a few words since Charlotte's return from the procedure. There was a barrier between them, an unspoken distance that had grown over the course of a day that felt like an eternity.

Engfa hesitated for a moment before reaching out to gently touch Charlotte's arms.

"Bee..." she began softly," what can I do for you?"

Charlotte's shoulders tensed, and she shrugged Engfa's hand away.

"Just... leave me alone, P'Fa." Charlotte muttered and stripped off of her clothing before getting into bed.

She wrapped herself in their blanket and stared emptily. Engfa looked over and her heart sank. She sighed and walked out of the room, giving Charlotte space even though every instinct in her wanted to pull her close.

***

Days turned into a blur for Charlotte, the weight of her grief keeping her anchored to the bed. The room grew dim as curtains remained closed, shutting out the world. Engfa's persistent efforts to care for her had become background noise, her voice a distant murmur urging her to eat, to take care of herself.

Engfa entered the room with a tray of food, her face etched with concern.

"Char... please, you haven't eaten anything all day. You need to take care of yourself."

She placed the tray gently on the bedside table, hoping her words would break through the wall of sadness that seemed to surround Charlotte.

Charlotte's eyes remained fixed on the wall, her voice a mere whisper.

"I'm not hungry."

Engfa sighed softly, torn between frustration and empathy. She had seen Charlotte retreat into herself before, but this was different. This was deeper, and it scared her.

"Baby... I understand that you're hurting, but you can't just shut yourself off from everything."

Charlotte finally turned her eyes to glare at Engfa.

"You don't understand anything! I went through a loss!"

"Niran was my baby too!"

"She was inside of me! I could feel her! And now. Now, there's nothing! It's empty! So no! You don't understand the pain I'm going through!"

Engfa scoffed and stood up. She placed the tray of food by the bedside and walked away.

As she walked past the door frame, she heard the plate smashed against the wall. She quickly walked back in and saw the broken ceramic and food all over the floor. She turned to Charlotte, who went back to lying down with her gaze fixated on the wall. She picked up the broken pieces and threw them away.