Temporary Nanny

Chapter 35

"Your family are out in the waiting room." A nurse prompts for conversation as she checks my vitals. "Did you not tell them I'm not having visitors today?" I don't bother looking away from the tv screen playing a show I've been too caught up in my own thoughts to pay any attention to.

"I thought maybe someone wrote down that request by accident." The nurse admits sheepishly. "Well they didn't. Will you please tell them to go now?" I utter monotone. "But you've just woken up from a coma don't you want-"

"Will you please tell them to go now." I repeat forcefully, tearing my eyes away from the TV to send the nurse a glare. She hesitates but nods her head nevertheless. "I'll go tell them right now." With that she walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her.

I sigh, rubbing my temples in frustration. It's not like I mean to be so rude. I just didn't get much sleep last night resulting in a killer headache. I'm stuck in a freezing hospital with sorry excuse for blankets, people wont stop asking me questions, and the father of my newborn child has walked out of my life and there's nothing you can do about any of it.

It all still feels like a dream. One that I want so desperately to wake up from but can't seem to find the power to.

There were so many questions left unanswered. What does this mean for Stella? For the new baby? Why was this the breaking point? How long has he been planning this? Is there someone else? What is in that damn desk drawer?

Where do I go from here?

-

It's well into the day while I'm trying to take a nap that I realize there is one question I can answer. That question being, what was in the drawer.

So I text Mia and have her check for me, though she refuses to hand it over to the nurse I send out to retrieve it. She holds it hostage for a good hour until I finally cave and allow her to visit. She comes with the baby and a large yellow envelope.

"What's in it?" I immediately grab the envelope after getting situated with the baby. "How should I know," Mia shrugs, taking a seat on a nearby chair by the window. "You didn't open it?" I gape. "Why would I? It's not my business."

Although the yellow envelope is burning through the flesh of my hands I can't help but notice her short tone. "Are you angry with me?" I crease my eyebrows, only now noticing how tired she looks. "No," she answers easily.

"Mia, if you're angry with me about not letting you guys visit, I'm sorry. I just needed some time to myself." I can't help the unsettling feeling in my stomach. "I'm not mad at you Char, I get it."

"Well then why do I feel like you're angry?" I frown. "I'm not angry." Mia insists. "You're something. I can feel it. Tell me." I pry. "It's nothing for you to worry about, you have plenty of that as it is." But her eyes are glued to her fiddling fingers and I'd like to think I know my best friend enough to know when somethings up.

"Mia." I sigh. "Just open the envelope, I want to know what's inside." She dismisses. "Not until you tell me what's going on." I grumble. "Just tell me. We tell each other everything." She glances at me with something in her eye I can't quite read and sighs.

"Matt moved out," she confesses. "What! Why?!" My eyes going wide. "It's not, it's not because of me is it?" A realization hits. "No, this was a long time coming Charlie, this wasn't on you. We've been having problems for months now." She assures.

"Well what are you doing here? You can walk. You're not stuck here. Go. Go find him. Tell him how much you love him, how much you need him." I all but cry out. "This isn't you and Michael, Charlie. It's different with us, we fizzled out. There was hardly anything left there," Mia mutters.