Together

Chapter 8

After taking Grace back to Sam's Jacob had driven towards the hospital. He sat in the car park for sometime thinking of everything and nothing.

He stared through the windscreen towards the wall, completely void of emotion on his face. Connie had looked so tired earlier, it wasn't something he was used to seeing. The way she had held onto him told him just how wrong something was and he wasn't sure if he was ready to hear it.

Connie sat upstairs, Charlie's hand still firmly in hers as she continued thinking over the events of the last few days. "We haven't even got a name for her yet." Charlie looked up to see Connie's face solemn with more unshed tears. "I need to get out of here, go home. Make sure everything's ready for her."

Connie dropped Charlie's hand and began moving herself from the bed. "Connie there's time for that-" "I want it to be ready for her... She can't come home to nothing." He sighed standing back as he watched before Jacob entered the room with a frown.

"Charlie?" He looked over with a look of sympathy. "She's shutting me down every time I try to talk... Says she needs to get home and sort everything out before you take your daughter home."

Jacob nodded thanking Charlie as he left giving them some time together. "Sweet cheeks, you're not going anywhere-" "But I have to... You might not care about sorting the house out but I do."

Connie continued to move about before Jacob closed the space between them. "Con, just put it down..." She pulled her hands away before Jacob raised his voice. "Connie!" He hated this just as much as her but it wasn't helping anyone acting like this.

The tears which had been sitting in her eyes began to roll down her cheeks as he pulled her into his chest. "Shh, I've got you..." Jacob wrapped his arms around her resting his lips on top of her head. "You're not on your own-" "but our baby is, Jacob. I can't do this again."

He lead her over to the bed and sat down before pulling her into his lap. "Last time you didn't have someone by your side like you should have-" "Last time I nearly gave up on my daughter Jacob."

He ran his hands through her hair gently as her body shook with her sobs. "It's okay... Everything's going to be okay, I promise." He kept hold of her until she began to calm down.

"Can you stay tonight? I don't fancy being here alone." "Of course I will." Connie moved from his grip climbing back into the bed and settling into his side.

Connie closed her eyes relaxing as his hand ran up and down her back. "What's happened Connie? Earlier when Grace asked you looked scared." She sighed taking a breath before telling him what she'd been told.

"She's looking good but it could be a long time before we can get her home." Jacob pulled her closer comforting her. "That's good, she has a fighting chance Con-" "They said I can't see her."

He listened to the pain behind her voice as she said the words. "She's over a day old and I haven't even seen her..." The tears were gone but it didn't stop him from seeing how broken she was at that thought. "Then tomorrow, me and you will march up there using your Beauchamp charm to meet our baby girl."

A small laugh escaped her lips as he kissed her temple. "No, I can't... I know they wouldn't say it unless they had to. It's just hard." "It will be baby, but what I can promise you is that you will never be alone in this. I will always be by your side."

She hugged him tighter as she nodded finally feeling safer again. "We don't have a name for her yet." Connie lay her head on his chest before he laced his fingers through hers. "What about Lacey?"

Connie shook her head pulling a face, not that Jacob could see. "Grace and Lacey? No... What about Ella-" "I know too many Ella's to even consider giving my daughter that sort of future."

"A name doesn't determine your future you know..." She laughed as she lifted her head to look at him. "I know, I'm not saying she'd turn out like them... I mean with a doctor and a nurse for parents-" "Excuse me, clinical lead and cardiotherasics queen thank you."

Jacob chuckled looking past her out to the windows again. "Okay, a nurse and cardiotherasics queen turned clinical lead for parents. That's not the point, I don't like it... Alana?"

Connie shook her head immediately. "God no, I used to hate a girl in 2nd grade called Alana... What? I remember my enemies okay." Jacob took that onboard before smiling. "What?"

Jacob looked back to Connie who looked considerably happier than before. "Mia..." Connie considered it for a moment thinking of how it sounded. "I like it, Mia Masters."

The smile widened on Jacob's face as he listened to his fiancé speaking his daughters name. Just that thought alone knocked him back. "Mia Masters... Our perfect little fighter who will get through everything thrown her way."

"You can't know that for sure-" "Excuse me... A mother who runs an emergency department and doesn't bat an eyelid at standing up to people twice her size, and a father who didn't stop chasing you until you gave in? I'd say her chances of fighting everything and not giving up are pretty strong sweet cheeks."

Connie knew that his reasoning was ridiculous but she had to admit that the thought gave her some peace. "I like that... I just wish she was here with us now." "Me too, and soon enough she will be. Just give her the time she needs, she's two months early."

Connie sighed settling into his chest as sleep began to overcome her. "I love you Connie Beauchamp, more than anything in this world and I will protect you  and our daughters for as long as I live." A smile came to her lips as she lay quietly wrapped in his embrace.