It was meant to be

1 - Before

Hardin

Flashback

Natalie Harris. She was a nice girl. A nice person. A great wife and I suppose she would have been a great mom.

We've met in college. She was a nerd, I was kind of a bad boy. The classic story. We started to spend time together, we fell in love and that was it. We started to build our family. Soon after graduation, I proposed and we got married. The news about Natalie's pregnancy overwhelmed us. We were so happy to start our family together. We had everything planned. The nursery, the name for him, toys, clothes, everything.

The day Auden was born supposed to be one of the happiest day in our lives. The labor went well, she was feeling alright.

She was trying so hard to give birth naturally, but after fourteen long hours, the doctor said that a C-section is the best. They took her in the OR and started the C-section. Everything was fine until the baby was out.

"And he's out." The doctor says and I look at the baby. "Dad, will you cut the umbilical cord?" He asks and the baby starts crying, but in the same time, the machines start to make a strange noise.

"Hardin?" Natalie says with a low voice as she fights to keep her eyes closed.

"Doctor? What's wrong with my wife?"

"Take him out of the OR, now!" He yells and a nurses pushes me out of the OR without giving me any explanation.

I sit on the hallways of the hospital and I wait to find some news about my wife and our newborn son. After some time, a nurse and the doctor finally walk to me.

"How's Natalie? And the baby?"

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Scott. We did everything we could to save your wife, but the amount of blood she lost... I'm sorry for your loss."

"What? What do you mean?" I say desperately. I don't want to believe what he told me. It can't be true. She was fine when I was there.

"Mr. Scott, there was some complications. We tried everything to save her, but we lost her. We are really sorry..."

"No!" I yell. "This can't be true! My wife can't be dead! We just had a baby! We were supposed to give him what's the best in this world!"

"I'm really sorry, Mr. Scott."

"I want to see her!"

"I'll send a nurse after you as soon as we're moving her from the OR."

I don't say anything. I fall down and I think what I have to do from now. How I'm going to announce our families? How? How I'm going to tell this to Auden when he will ask about his mother? Jesus fucking Christ! It's so hard. I'm alone and I have no idea what to do. I slowly take my phone from my pocket and I call my mother.

Phone call

"Hardin, son! Finally! The baby's here?"

"Yeah... But... But Nat... Natalie is dead."

"What?"

"She's dead mom..." I start to cry and I can't talk anymore.

"I'm coming to the hospital, son. Be strong. I'll be there for you."

And 30 minutes later, she walks to me.

"I'm here, honey." She hugs me.

"How I'm going to tell everyone that I lost my wife? How to tell them I lost the love of my life? How I'm going to do it, mum? I'm alone. I don't know what to do with a newborn. How I'm going to tell her parents?"

"We're going to do this together, okay?"

"I don't think I can do this all by myself... I have to raise a kid on my own. I have no idea what to do, mum..."

"We're doing this together, son. Let's call Mary and Will. We have to tell them what happened."

"Okay." I say and I wipe my face. I take out my phone and I dial Mary's phone number. My hands are trembling as I'm dialing the phone number.

Phone call

"Hero! Hello! Did Natalie give birth?" She asks excited. I try to not break down.

"Mary... Yes. But... I'm really sorry, she didn't make it!" I feel my heart really heavy when I talk. There's a silence on the phone until Mary talks again.

"What do you mean with not making it?" Her voice is trembling and now I have to stab her heart.

"Natalie was in labor, but she couldn't give birth naturally and the doctors scheduled a C-section and... And there were some complications. She lost blood. They couldn't save her, I'm so sorry..." My cheeks are wet as I talk. My heart is breaking in million pieces as I hear Mary's sobs.

"We will be there as soon as possible, son." I hear Will's voice and I hang up.

"They are coming here..." I look at my mother.

"Did you see the baby?"

"Shit. The baby!" I get up and I try to stay strong for the only thing I have left from Nat: our son. "He's all alone... I have to be with him."

"Do you want me to find the doctor to take you to him?"

"Yes, please..."

A few minutes later, mum comes with a nurse. I get up and I follow her to see the baby while mum waits for Natalie's parents.

"Here." We walk inside a room and there is only one baby. He's wrapped in a blue blanket and he's sleeping. "This is your son, Mr. Scott. He's healthy. He weighs 7.3 pounds. 52 centimeters. Oh... We need a name so we can register him."

"A name?" I say as I move closer to him. He's so small... He doesn't know that it's just us... "I don't know. Me and my wife didn't talk about a name."

"Then I'm going to let you with him. Bond with him and maybe you will find a name for him."

"Can I take him in my arms?"

"Yes, sure. Do you want me to show you how?"

"Please!"

I sit on the chair and the nurse hands me the baby, then she leaves. He's small compared to my arms. I have to be strong for him. He needs me and I will do anything to make him happy. He deserves everything. He's all I have and I'll make him proud of me.

He slowly opens his eyes and I'm in love with him. He seems to have green eyes, like Natalie. I smile at him and I play with his little hand until he grabs my finger. Strong little boy.

"How can I name you, little guy?" I whisper and he yawns. "Me and yourmother didn't talk about names while you were in her tummy. Now... She's gone and I have to pick a name for you. Alexander? No... Too long. Aron? Nope... I have no idea. Maybe your grandparents will help." I slowly lift him and I kiss his little nose.