Chapter 8
Daniel's POV
Before we left for home I called mom and told her what was going on and she agreed that Natasha should come home and live out her days as happy as we can make her. I told mom to get my room fixed up the best she could for Tasha. Mom even sprung for plane tickets to make sure we got home as quickly and comfortably as possible. The airline was incredible about the whole thing. The flight attendants were constantly checking on us and seeing if there was anything they could do to make Tasha more comfortable.
"Dan," Tasha called my name. I leaned over toward her to hear her better.
"Yeah, are you okay?" I asked getting worried because she hasn't really said much since we left the hospital.
"Yeah, I am fine. I need to tell you about my family," she said so I nodded for her to continue. "My parents both passed away a few years ago and I really have no family to speak of, but I do have a grandmother that lives in England. My grandmother disowned me when she found out I was pregnant with Christine. At some point grandmother will come looking for me and she will find you and Christine," she told me.
"Do you not want her in Christine's life?" I asked not sure where this was going.
"Just be careful she can be a wonderful woman but she can also be vindictive and underhanded and she has more than enough money to back it up. Just don't let her take Christine from you, okay?" she pleaded.
"No one will ever take her from me," I pledged. She smiled at that. I looked at her questioningly.
"You might want to rethink that no one. After all she is a beautiful baby and I know in my heart she will grow into a gorgeous young lady that will have all the boys falling at her feet," she said as she giggled. I looked at Christine who was on my lap and the little bugger had a smile on her sleeping face.
"You're right, but I am not letting go of her easily. He will have to one incredible young man for me to even let him take her on a date, much less take her from me completely," I said truthfully.
"Dan, promise me you will try to make her happy but be stern with her when needed," Natasha said a little broken. I grabbed her hand and kissed it.
"I promise you I will do everything I can to give her a life you would be proud of," I said as I saw her yawn. She smiled at me again before I heard her small snores.
When we finally arrived home I was shocked that mom even had put girly sheets and comforters and curtains in my room. It looked like a woman's room. After carrying and laying Natasha on the bed, considering she was too exhausted to even walk she thanked me.
"Oh sweetie, I am so glad you let Danny bring you home. We will do everything we can to make you comfortable. There is no need for a nurse or anything because I can administer all of your meds," mom told her slipping into her nurse persona at the end.
"I cannot thank all of you enough for allowing me in your home, especially under the circumstances," Natasha told mom.
"Will you guys be okay? I really need to run to work for a few hours," Daniel asked the two women.
"We will be fine. Go on," mom said rushing me from the room.
Tricia's POV
My phone began to ring, so I grabbed it to answer.
"Hello," I answered.
"Hey, darling it's Dhira. I was wondering if you could come over and sit with Natasha?" she asked.
"Um who is Natasha?" I asked confused.
"Oh dear me, she is Christine's mother, long story short she is very sick and I need to run get the baby some formula and other stuff as Daniel had to work and I cannot bother him," she said. Why me? Ahhhhh! I screamed in my head.
"Sure Dhira, you won't be gone long, right?" I more told her than asked.
"No, no I won't be gone long at all and I will even take Christine with me. Someone just needs to be here in case an ambulance needs to be called," she told me.
How sick was this baby momma?
As I was preparing to open the door to Danny's house it flung open as Dhira handed me a glass of water with instructions to take it to Natasha and then she raced out with Christine on her hip.
I huffed out my frustration as I made my way to where I heard a tv sounding. To my dismay it was Danny's bedroom. He put her in his room? Of course he did dummy he is probably staying in there with her. Walking through his door I was met with the sight of a beautiful woman propped up on pillows sitting on the bed.
"Hello," she said as she smiled at me. She was beautiful that was for sure but you could tell she was sick from the paleness on her face.
"Hey," I said back to her.
"You must be Tricia?" she asked.
"Yeah, I am," I said. She smiled weakly at me.
"I can certainly see why Dan loves you," she said. I probably looked like a dog the way that I cocked my head looking at her.
"I just mean that you are very gorgeous and kind as well to come over her and sit with me a total stranger," she said. As much as I wanted to hate her for having a baby with the man I love she instantly made me like her.
"I seriously doubt he has feelings like that for me, especially now that you can be a family now," I told her.
"You would be willing to just hand him over even though you love him so much?" she asked.
"Yeah I guess so," I said started to get a little irritate with her now.
"You are an incredible woman then, and I am not sure he deserves you. I know all about you. He talks about you often. So we are going to have a down and dirty talk because let's face it I don't have time to beat around a blade of grass. There is nothing remotely romantic between Dan and I. We were friends and study partners. We both got drunk at a party and woke up with no clothes. I wouldn't have even been sure that we had sex if I hadn't became pregnant. You see I was a virgin, so I had no doubt as to who the father was because that was the one and only time I had ever gone to a party like that and woke up like that," she told me.
"Wow," I said.
"Yeah, I know," she said, her laugh tinged with sadness maybe. "Don't get me wrong I love Dan, just not romantically. He gave me the one thing I always wanted; a baby. If that had not happened that night I would have died without the opportunity to hold Christine in my arms, feed her, and watch her grow. Can I ask you a question Tricia?" she asked.
"Yeah, anything," I said totally engrossed in this woman's every word.
"If you and Dan move your relationship forward will you be the mother that I won't have the opportunity to be?" she asked.
My mouth hung open for long pause. This lady doesn't even know me.
"I-I don't think you should talk like that. You can make it through this," I said getting uncomfortable about someone talking about themselves dying.
"I don't have time to think any other way. Will you love my baby the way only a mother can?" she asked more insistent now.
"Yes, I will love her as she is my own," I told her and she seemed to visibly relax.
"I'm home!" I heard Dhira yell from down the hallway.
