Together

Chapter 5

3 weeks had passed. 3 weeks where Connie hadn't heard from Grace, all she knew was that she was safe at Sam's. Connie had thrown herself into work trying to distract herself from everything happening in her life.

Those weeks had turned her life upside down and it looked like it could be this way for a while. Connie had continued to push Jacob away. She blamed herself for Grace leaving and thought that if she hadn't been so focused on herself and this baby, Grace would still be at home.

Whenever Connie wasn't at work she sat upstairs quietly keeping her distance from Jacob. He tried to support her but every attempt left them in an argument. When it came to sleeping, as soon as Jacob entered the room she left for a while.

"Will you sit down for five minutes please, you can't keep working yourself like this-" "I can do what I want Jacob." She pushed his hand from her arm walking past him and out into the hallway.

"I thought maybe we could do something tonight. Get something to eat-" "I've got to work late." Connie pulled her coat on hearing Jacob walk towards her. "Connie please-" "I've got to go." She paused briefly looking at him.

She moved forwards and kissed him gently before picking her keys up and leaving the house. As soon as she sat in the car tears rolled down her cheeks. For the first time in those 3 weeks she'd given herself away just then.

Jacob leant against the wall hating the way he could see the pain in her eyes, knowing that nothing he said or did would change it. There was only one thing that would make any of this better and it was an almost impossible task, but he had to try.

Connie rushed around the ED working all hours. Charlie worried about her but knew she wouldn't stop. He paused outside her office waiting for a reply. "Connie it's Charlie, can I come in?"

He pushed the door open slowly to see Connie wiping her hands across her face. "Whatever it is it needs to be quick, I've got a meeting with Hansen in 10 minutes." Charlie closed the door sitting opposite her. When he didn't speak she looked towards him before standing up and gathering folders together knowing what he was thinking.

"I'm fine before you start complaining Charlie." "I wasn't going to complain. I wanted to make sure you were really okay. Come on Connie, I'm not someone you can lie to. Talk to me."

She sighed pushing her hands to the desk. "About what? How I'm a bad mother? About how I pushed my daughter away and how she hates me? Or shall we talk about how much I'm going to mess up another child's life?" "Connie-" "No Charlie, just leave I need to get ready for this meeting."

Connie turned away towards the filing cabinet hiding herself from him. "Well I'm here, and make sure you get some rest tonight. All this stress can't be good for either of you."

Once she had heard the door closed she let go of a breath she didn't realise she'd been holding. Things could not get any worse for her right now. She composed herself, holding her head high and left the office returning to the steely Mrs Beauchamp who was in control of everything in her life.

Jacob sat on the bench looking up and down the street. "Jacob-" "Sam, thank you. I really appreciate this." He nodded once before Jacob glanced down at Grace. Her face looked like thunder and she had her arms tightly folded against her chest.

"I'll bring her back in about an hour." Sam nodded giving Grace a hug before leaving them to it. "Can we talk?" Grace shrugged refusing to look up at Jacob. "Come on, I'll get you a hot chocolate-" "From the cafe Mum likes?"

Grace went quiet again re-folding her arms while a small smile crossed Jacob's face. "From the cafe Mum likes..." Grace nodded and began walking with Jacob gradually returning to herself.

"Here you go firecracker..." "Thanks. How's Mum?" Grace looked down into the mug of hot chocolate as she ran her finger around the top. "She misses you. She hasn't spoken much since you left Grace-" "I didn't want to upset her. I didn't mean what I said."

Jacob smiled as he watched Grace finally look at him. "I'm sorry for saying those things to you too... I shouldn't have left." Jacob placed a hand on Grace's shoulder and squeezed it gently. "It's alright firecracker, we all say things when we get upset."

Connie had finished in her meeting and decided to go home. She couldn't face everyone in the department, all she wanted right now was to be at home with Jacob. She'd pushed him away over the recent weeks and yet all he did was be there for her.

When she arrived home the house was empty with no signs of where he'd gone. She sighed resting against the door for a moment taking a breath.

Charlie had been right. She'd put herself through more than was necessary recently and it hadn't been good for her. She'd felt the baby move less over the last week and she knew that the stress she had put them under would not have helped the situation.

Grace was soon laughing with Jacob as they sat together talking. "I really am sorry Jacob... You've been like a Dad to me and I said some horrible things." "Come here..." Grace jumped up and moved around to him sitting herself on his lap.

"I love you Grace like you were my own daughter. I know it won't be easy adjusting to things, but you're always going to be important to me and your Mum. We'll need you more than ever with a baby around." Grace smiled hugging Jacob, he let his arms fall around her holding her close to his chest.

Connie had called Jacob twice already and received no reply. She didn't blame him, not really but she could do with him right now. She paced the kitchen rubbing her stomach as she steadied her breathing.

Stopping she grabbed hold of the side crying as another pain came and went. When she thought it had passed she tried to move again before having to sit herself down on the floor giving into the pain.

She scrambled for her phone dialling Jacob again but he didn't answer. She hung up phoning the only person she could think of. "Hello-" "Charlie, please..." Connie put the phone down for a second as she cried, the pain becoming unbearable.

She remembered the phone and could hear him talking before lifting the it up. "Connie what's happening-" "I don't know... Charlie I don't know what's wrong-" "Alright Connie stay calm. Do you think you could be in labour-"

"No! No I can't be, I'm not due for another 2 months Charlie they can't come, not yet. I'm not ready..." "Okay Connie, try and breath. I'm calling an ambulance and I'll be right over." Connie cried again holding her stomach. "Charlie, hurry..."

Jacob lost track of time with Grace as they left the cafe. "I guess I should get you back to your Dad's." She sighed walking outside with Jacob as he took his phone out of his pocket.

Grace noticed his expression change but had no idea why. He looked down at the list of missed calls from Connie. He received a message saying that he had 1 voicemail. "Jacob? Is everything okay-" "Yeah it's your Mum, she tried calling."

He listened to the voicemail while they continued walking before Grace could tell whatever he'd heard wasn't good. "Jacob is Mum okay?" He ended the call before dialling someone.

"Connie?" "It's Charlie, Connie's in hospital Jacob." He stopped on the spot looking down at Grace. "What happened?" "We're not sure but it isn't looking good. You need to get here-" "I'm on my way."