Hiding Place || Tori Kelly

Isaiah 55:11

7:02 PM

Tori glanced at herself in the mirror, one last time. She ran her freshly manicured hand over her tiny bump. She knew that once she went downstairs, there was no turning back. There was no more secrets. There was no place to hide. "You ready, bean?" Tori asked, rhetorically as her nerves ran high. She took a short pause and deep breath to suppress her urge to vomit. "I know, bean. But, they are the best family we could ask for," she sadly smiled. As she went to leave the room a crap hit her abdomen, bringing back her own nightmare.

past

Tori woke with a massive headache and an immense amount of pressure in her abdomen. Her eyes fluttered open to see a tiled ceiling and harsh low lights. She slowly tried to sit up but there was something tight around her waist. Tori lifted the hideous gown to see a pink monitor on her stomach, an IV in her hand, and monitor on her finger. "What's going on?" She asked. Alexa dropped her bible on the couch and moved closer to Tori's bed.

"You passed out at my house before your show and Los found you. He brought you here when you wouldn't respond," Alexa replied. Tori absentmindedly stroked her bump as her mind tried to catch up.

"Is Timmy okay?" She asked, immediately concerned for her unborn child. Alexa bit her lip and sat next to Tori in the bed.

"They are delivering Timmy in the morning. Your placenta was leaking and he didn't survive," Alexa replied. Tori buried her head into Alexa's side where she stayed for three hours silently crying and mentally preparing to have her child ripped away.

fin

It's nothing. You saw bean today, she is fine. Your placenta is intact. It's just normal pain. Tori mentally assured herself. She waited for the pain to die out for few more seconds, before shaking out her thoughts.

As she walked down the stairs, Tori closed her cardigan and folded her arms, to keep it closed for a little while. "Tori! Where you want this?" Noah asked, holding up a bottle of Cîroc. Tori grimaced, never being a huge vodka fan.

"Down the drain," she joked, playfully pushing past her little brother.

"Ha ha, very funny," he mocked. Setting the bottle next to the mini bar made up of Tori's favorite wines, André's dark liquors, beers, and now vodka. The Murillo's weren't huge drinkers, but they could totally handle the drinks they did put back and definitely enjoyed their top shelf collection. Sadly, Tori would be missing out on those things for a while.

As Noah mixed himself a Cîroc and Sprite, Tori grabbed a water bottle and headed into the living room too see, André, Michelle, Kamari, and Laura socializing. "Where's dad?" Tori asked, sitting next to her man and throwing her head back into the couch.

"He's on his way. He got caught up in a music session," Laura replied. Tori nodded and pulled out her phone to see if Alexa has texted about her whereabouts. Nothing. Tori sighed and decided to give them a few more minutes since they had kids and getting anywhere on time with kids was a struggle. Speaking of which, one was missing.

"Where's your shadow?" Tori asked, Michelle. She didn't see nor could she hear her niece running around or playing on something.

"When I left she was in tears because she couldn't come. She got the flu from school and I didn't want to chance it," Michelle replied. Tori gratefully sent Michelle and small smile.

"Well, we will definitely be praying for her," Tori said. "I don't know about y'all, but I'm starving. Let's get ready to eat. I'm sure Alexa and Caros will be here soon." Tori led the group into the kitchen, but quickly fell behind when another cramp hit her abdomen, but this time, caused her to spring towards the hall bathroom. A sense of urgency washed over Tori as she dropped to her knees. Before she knew it, she was dry heaving. Nothing was happening, just the motion of vomiting without the results. That lasted three minutes before Tori could catch her breath and gather herself to her feet. Weird. Tori thought as the left the bathroom to rejoin her family