The summer break keepsake

Uninvited guests (29)

Stella's POV

My eyes stayed fixated on my phone screen, thumbs hovering over the keyboard as I continued to reread the thread of messages sent by my mother, unsure exactly how long I had been staring at the same screen hoping for the right response to come to me. My mind just constantly raced with different possibilities of what to say. Do I tell her exactly how I feel and be blunt or lock my emotions away pretending what happened never happened for the sake of rebuilding the bond we once had.

The sound of little whimpering beside me takes my attention off my phone as I look in the bassinet at summer, her arms and legs starting to flare about underneath the blanket she was swaddled in, the whimpers getting louder into a high pitched cry as I feel Kelly startles beside me at the sound of her cries as I realise he must have fell asleep.

He gently lifts my feet from off his lap as he leans over to pick her up from the bassinet he cradles her close to his chest as he bounces her slightly in his arms then turns to me "I think she needs changing, I'll do this one" he says standing up with her in his arms "you sure, I don't mind" I tell him as he shakes his head and leans down to kiss my forehead "you keep resting" he tells me as he heads over out the living room and upstairs to the nursery where the only changing unit we had at the moment was.

I watch him leave hearing her cries get quieter the further away they go, I hear Kelly talking down to her trying to soothe her as I smile, I turn back to my phone watching the screen dimmer due to inactivity as I go to tap it, it vibrates and shows an incoming call from the number my mom used to message me.

My heart feels like it skips a beat as I hover my thumb over both the answer and decline button, before I decide what to do it goes off and I receive a voicemail notification meaning she left me a message on my voicemail.

I click the notification as I press the button to listen to my messages "Hi Stella, it's your mom, we just landed in Chicago and I noticed you have now read my messages, so I'm guessing you're okay, but have decided to just ignore me, just thought you'd want to know we're heading to your school, hopefully they have some news on your whereabouts, you can't avoid us Stella, you can hate us for what happened but we're still your parents and deserve to know how your doing" she says as the line beeps signalling the end of the message as I end the voicemail call, the screen opening up on the messages as I see the bubble icon showing me she was typing.

I go to my settings and turn read receipts off so she doesn't know when I've read the message once she send it, I go back onto the chat and I once again stare at the screen until the message arrives.

"I see you've decided to read and ignore your mother, I've tried to apologise for what happened, I don't know what more you want from me, I guess I just hoped you would at least let your mother know you're okay, we deeply regret what happened Stella, it's why we're hoping to find you so we can take you back to New York with us, we can help you get ready for the baby, get you everything you and the baby need, because if my calculations are correct you should be due very soon, and I doubt you can afford the best of all that babies need, we can also get you the best doctors that will give you the best care before and after for you and the baby, your dad even said he will pay to fly the babies dad out when you go into labour if that's what you wanted, that's if your still with him, because for a boy that age I doubt he's stuck around this long has he. Just save us the time and let us know where you are so we can come and get you." The message reads as I scoff and shake my head, hearing Kelly walking back down the stairs singing the hush little baby nursery rhyme.

"And if that mocking bird don't sing, dada's gonna buy you a diamond ring, and if that diamond ring is brass dada's gonna buy you a looking glass..." I hear him sing as he comes into view of the living room smiling down at summer cradling her in his arms. " and if that look glass should..." he pauses as he looks up trying to think "smash?" He says a little confused hoping that was the right word as I shrug "well Daddy doesn't know the rest, but he will buy you whatever you wish" he continues singing in the tune as I chuckle.