The Hard Road

Part 34: Hold Onto Me

"Come....let's lay down." She says softly and moves from me to climb onto the bed.

I'm....

I'm shocked and yet not at the same time.

I'm happy and yet I'm also on the cusp of despair.

How...how do I handle these situations I've been thrust into.

I can handle being the father to Helen's child.

But...

Huh...

But how do we go forward and explain everything to Jack when he's older?

Do I parent him as I will this child?

Or do I hold back and leave it to Luna?

"Max?" She sits in bed behind me, her hand gently resting on my elbow and her voice pulls me from my thoughts. Swinging my legs into bed, I curl around her and lay on my side as she rests on her back. I gently lay my hand on her stomach and prop my head up with my left as I gaze down at her.

"You are so beautiful, Helen." I say softly and the glow of the Christmas tree is the only thing that illuminates the small smile on her face. "I'm sorry I haven't been here..."

"Me too...it's been...it's been very hard for...for everyone..." She cries slightly, but I wipe her tears and kiss her lips to calm her. "Luna has...has been depressed since you've left and...and I've been trying to keep the Dam....afloat, but it's been too much."

She sobs.

Rolling her into my chest, I hold her close and gently rub up and down her back.

"Shhh....I'm sorry. I'm here...I'm here." Leaving small kisses on her face, I continue to hold her until she's fallen asleep. Her apartment is toasty enough that we don't need to cover up with the blankets, and the heat of our bodies is enough to keep the chill away anyhow.

Holding her, I don't think I'll truly find sleep tonight.

My mind weighted with both worry and excitement and fear.

———

I slept for a bit before getting up and running to the shops to grab things for breakfast.

I made sure to leave the door unlocked so I didn't need to do another daring climb up the side of her apartment building.

As I made it back, I find she's still sleeping, so I prepare some pancakes, Turkey sausages, eggs and hashbrowns. I pour some orange juice in glasses and stick a single stemmed roses into a small fluted vase and take it over to the bed where she slowly stirs from the smell of the delicious breakfast I've made for her.

"Mmm..." She moves slightly and her eyes slowly open.

"Morning, Beautiful. I..." before I can even finish, she is up and out of bed covering her face and hauling off to the bathroom. "Made you breakfast..."

I quietly say before setting the tray down and going towards the bathroom.

I hear her getting sick inside. Slowing opening the door, I go behind her and hold her hair back with one hand while I gently rub her back with the other. After a few moments of losing herself, she sits back on her legs, her back resting against my legs and she closes her eyes and sighs heavily. I just look down at her and she slowly opens her eyes to look up at me.

"Sorry..." She says. "Eggs...eggs are not my friend. The smell alone..."

She covers her mouth and waits a moment to contemplate if she's going to go back to vomiting or not.