Di•vorce

Di-vorce {VI}

The months passed faster than Aiden realized. It was quite easy throughout the day. The amount of work waiting him in the morning kept his mind busy and the professionalism he had to maintain banned unwanted emotions out of his body. He returned into the robot he was before he met her.

But after work everything changed. After work his feelings - safely hidden beneath the surface throughout the day- would take over his mind. Every single action would be based on his feelings, rather than rational thoughts. Hence time after time he’d find himself driving by the apartment block where he knew she was living. After countless times of circling the block in his car, he’d park right opposite of her apartment block.

And that’s when everything struck him.

Every evening, the same torturing routine.

And it was no different this Wednesday evening. Sheer desperation and guilt weighed him down as he sat in his black Audi; his head on the steering wheel hidden in his arms. And like so many times before, he was playing with the thought of visiting her. He had another speech prepared in case he’d be courageous enough to face her today.

The sudden ringing of his phone jerked him out of the trance he had slipped in. Grimacing at his pounding headache, he picked up. He didn’t know what he had been expecting but definitely he hadn’t been prepared to hear Alyson’s panicked voice.

“She’s in labour!”

His body stiffened. “What?”

“She is in the delivery room. Hurry up!” After telling him the name of the hospital, she hung up before he could say anything else.

His phone kept ringing in his ear as Alyson’s words echoed in his mind, putting him into a state of mental numbness. A distant car honk shattered him from his stupor, causing him to drop his phone. He stared dumbfounded at his phone on his lap as Alyson’s words finally seeped into his overwhelmed mind.

She was in labor! She was having his baby!

With a surprised cry he threw his phone onto the passenger seat and started the engine, gripping the steering wheel tight. Within minutes he reached the hospital, parked his car and ran into the hospital.

Out of breath, he reached the fourth floor and frantically searched for the delivery unit as someone blocked his path.

“Where the hell have you been, Aiden? What took you so long?” Alyson screeched but he didn’t listen much less respond to her. His gaze went straight over her five-foot frame, staring at the man behind Alyson.

Brandon. Sheila’s brother.

Aiden blinked in surprise. How was it possible that Brandon, who lived four hours away, arrived at the hospital before he did?

“How long has she been here?” he questioned confused, searching for a clock.

“Midnight.”

When his gaze landed on the clock above the door on his right, he took a step back.

“She had been here for over 20 hours?” He fixed Alyson with an accusing glare. “Why didn’t you call me earlier?”

Alyson winced at his booming voice. Her eyes darted around nervously as she clasped her shaking hands together. “I tried to,” she responded in a quiet voice. “But I didn’t have your number and …and Sheila told me that you changed your number.”

“I didn’t change my- oh!” His anger vanished. Deflated, he slumped down onto a chair, burying his head into his hands. She simply didn’t want him to be here. Sighing, he ran his hands over his face. Why would she? She was already having a hard time, why would she want him to be here, possibly making it even harder for her?