The Broken Tale

Arrival

Layla sat up, her salty tears running down into her mouth had created a taste she had become familiar with. She cried and cried. Grunting and grinning her teeth as she pushed with the last ounce of strength that had not been drained through the past year. With a gesture from Chanel, Brian pressed down on Layla's lower abdomen with his free hand, never breaking the other one from Layla's grasp.
Silence.
Nothing.
The room sunk into a trance and the hands on the clock stood still. Nobody moved a muscle. Not even their breath could be heard. But looking down at her belly, now hallow, she knew that her baby was out.
But the relief was short lived before she got hit with a huge wave of panic. Why was her baby now crying? Was it okay? Why weren't Chanel and Brian saying anything.
But before she could act, what sounded like melody filled the air. Layla was not able to decifer whether it was music or her baby crying right away. But when she saw Brian lean his head against hers, finally breaking down after staying strong for so long and Chanel wrapped a little red figure in the towel with a wide, relieved smile, she knew her baby was safe.
Joy.
Fear.
Relief.
Love.
They all hit her at once, leaving Layla too overwhealmed to say anything. But she could feel tears running down her cheeks and her jaw beginning to ache from a grin too big.
Chanel though did not hand the baby over immediately. Instead she sat down on the floor and Layla could see her trying to clean the baby's nostrils. She could see her take something out of her pocket, it took her a moment to see the needle.
"Stop!" Layla screamed with what voice she had left, "What is that? What are you doing to my baby?"
Chanel chuckled a little, "Relax, Layla, it's just a shot of vitamin K. All newborns get it."
"Wh-Wh-"
"She's right, babe." Brian whispered against her head, "It's normal."
Still in doubt, Layla watched on as Chanel slowly gave the crying newborn the shot. She picked up the baby very gently and carefully washed away the blood and dirt in the hot tub of water. She then picked up the baby and wrapped her in a fresh towel. She seemed to have had experience though Layla could not think of anything further from her profession than a midwife.
Finally, Chanel stepped towards them with the baby in her arms. Layla could not stop staring at her. It seemed surreal, unbelievable. As if for a moment she was not in her own body anymore instead she was an onlooker at someone else's story playing out in front of her. How could it be true? How could her baby be out in the world already? She was a mother now?
"Say hello to Mom and Dad, baby girl." Chanel said quietly with a smile.
Brian's head immediately bolted up.
"D-Did you say b-baby girl?"
Chanel nodded, "Congrats, Brian, you got your one dying wish. You have a daughter."
She offered the baby to them. But neither Layla nor Brian could bring themselves to hold her.
She was so beautiful... soft pink skin, the cutest little nose and smallest clenched fists Layla had ever seen. She was so small yet so perfect. But she looked so...tiny, so fragile that both of her parents were too afraid to hold her if they may hurt her.
"Go on." Chanel urged in a small voice.
Brian was the first to reach out for her was braver and more eager than Layla. Chanel very carefully laid the baby in his arms. Layla saw his face flush into an expression she had never seen on him before, one of such joy, relief and love that she could not describe.
"She..." Brian chocked in a broken sob, "She looks like you, Layla."
"She's blonde like her father though." Layla commented in response.
She looked down at the baby.
Barely a few minutes old and nameless, she had already captured her father's heart. Her mother's soon too. Layla finally gathered up enough courage to at least touch her. Running her hand over her soft hair, she felt warmth like she had felt never before rush through her. Suddenly, all the pain from the labor had become inconvenient.
"Do you want to hold her?" Brian asked.
He never gave her a chance to answer though. Too eager to share his joy and excitement, he practically shoved the baby in her arms.
Though she was still afraid, any fright she had washed away with just one touch of her daughter's little fist. Like a flipped switch, that little baby was now her most prized possesion. Suddenly, she was not so tired anymore, she was motivated enough to fight the whole world singlehandedly for her baby. That small human being she had created, carried and pushed out was...her joy, her pride and her responsibility.
But now all the fears she had been pushing to the back of her mind could no longer be ignored. It had finally happened. Now she had another human being to protect from the hellfire around her.
"She's perfect..." Layla wept, wiping away her tears with her arm, "Just perfect."
She tried to wipe away her tears but she could not wipe as fast as they were falling.
"Are you okay, Babe?" Brian asked worryingly.
"Wh-What if I won't be able to protect her?" Layla weep as she tried to keep up with the river of tears rushing down her face.
"You're not alone, Layla." Brian reassured, "I'm here, Chanel's here. You don't have to protect her alone."
"She's gonna give you the strength to protect yourself and her." Chanel added with a soothing smile, "The people you have to protect are here to protect you as well."
"Plus you've been protecting her for nine months."
"You've made it so far, Laili, there's just a little longer. You can make it."
It no longer mattered if she made it or not to Layla. Sitting there, stroking that small angel's head, Layla despised no one more than herself. She wondered how she could have been irresponsible enough to bring another human being into this fire when she and Brian were already burning helplessly. She was responsible for the miserable life this baby would have.
But now was there anywhere to run or anything to do? Who was there that Layla could turn to? She felt dizzy from all the thoughts. For once, Layla was tired of thinking of the endless ways her life could collapse. Was this really the mindset she wanted her daughter to grow up around?
"If there's a God out there," She looked out of the window at the dusk, "please help me. I may not be the best person in the world but I'm a mother now. I have a baby now... please help me for the sake of this little angel. Please, I'm begging you. I'm lost and afraid, I have nowhere to go, please help me."
She allowed herself to cry. To cry tears of joy, fear and exhaustion all at once. Chanel was staring at her apologetically with unshed tears in her own eyes. She forced a smile and handed Brian some tissues.
"I told you it'd be a girl." Brian said in a bit more lighthearted tone as he wiped Layla's tears away, "I could feel it."
Layla laughed through her tears.
"Shut up, I get it. Your intuition is good. You want a damn medal?"
"I wouldn't say no."
Layla had completely forgotten Chanel was there with them.
It was only when Brian looked up that she did too, to be met with Chanel's bright smile. Smiling though she looked drained. Layla could not imagine the difficulty and the weight of the responsibility she had been carrying.
"I don't think there's anything in this universe that can repay what you've done for us." Brian said to her.
Chanel only nodded, "Don't say that, Brian, I didn't do anything."
"What more can any human being do for another?" Layla asked rhetorically.
"No, Layla. In fact, I have to be apologizing. Apologizing for imprisoning you here, for taking so long to fix this and for making your baby's birth so...lonely and painful."
"This was not your fault, Chanel, you tried your best to adapt us to the circumstances." Brian replied, "You gave me my daughter and a shot at freedom. I'll owe you to my final breath."
"Have you thought of a name for her?" Chanel asked.
"Alondra." Layla answered before Brian shook his head, "I want to name her Alondra."
Brian looked at her. His shock quickly grew to agreement.
"After the woman who gave her a chance to enter this world." Brian added.
Chanel's sweat stained face flushed red in flattery.
"Once she gets older, I think she'd enjoy hearing about Chanel Alondra Valdez."
"Wouldn't you like to consider other names first?"
"No, I can't imagine calling her anything else."
"Me neither." Brian said.
"Alright then. I'm just glad you're both happy." Chanel answered exhaustedly, "Brian, can you please take the baby while I clean up?"
"Clean up? I can help you." Brian said quickly but Chanel shook her head.
"I need to clean Layla up as well. Can you just take the baby and put her somewhere warm until I come?"
"Shouldn't I feed her first?" Layla asked.
"You can feed her once we're done." She took the baby from Layla and handed her to Brian, "Hurry, hurry. Chop, chop! Come on!"
Much to Layla's surprise, her pain and work was not over just yet. But even the pain of the contractions this time was not nearly as bad as the last time. This time, she knew her baby was out and safe so what pain should she be feeling?
After fifteen more minutes of pushing, Chanel finally stood up and breathed a sigh of relief. She enthusiastically informed her that she was completely done with the giving birth process.
The cleaning up part was awkward for Layla to say the least. But Chanel tried her best to engage her in conversations to ease both the searing pain in her back and cramps that still lingered from the birth and to make the whole ordeal of cleaning a little less awkward. Soon, Layla was too indulged in their conversation of raising children and college life as a mother that she had become completely comfortable with Chanel.
Once she was done, Chanel asked Brian to carry Layla back to their room while she herself went to dress the baby in another warmer room.
"Do you feel better?" Brian asked, sitting down by her side, "Does anything hurt?"
"Like you have no idea. It feels like an elephant is sitting on my back."
He sighed and took her in his arms.
"I wish I could just take all your pain away. I'd gladly endure it for you."
She smiled a little.
"Nothing really hurts if you hold me like this."
"You're gonna use this as an excuse for the next decade, aren't you, babe?" He sniggered.
"Maybe." She answered, "Lef me tell you, Brian Levinos, pushing your daughter out was no easy task."
"We're back, Mom and Dad!" Chanel said enthusiastically as she came back with the baby, "Fresh in our pajamas!"
She had dressed the baby in the few baby clothes she had provided. A pink onesie with blue hearts on it.
Chanel handed the baby back to Layla and sat on the bed by her side as Layla began to breastfeed her baby. Her make up was washed off and her hair was pulled back into a messy bun hanging on top of her head. Her white skirt was stained in blood from the delivery. With her sleeves rolled up, she looked more like am overworked maid than a billionaire.
"Thank you." Layla whispered.
"It's fine." Chanel answered breathlessly, "Aren't you hungry? I was famished both times after I gave birth."
"No, not really."
"But I think it'd be good to eat something anyway?" Brian added, "Just to give you some strength?"
"How about some soup? Vegetable or lentil soup?" Chanel suggested.
Layla shrugged, "Sure."
Chanel stood up with a sigh.
"I'll go make something for us all to eat as well then."
"I'll help you." Brian said, getting to his feet.
Chanel looked down at her blood stained clothes.
"Layla, would you mind if I borrowed some of your clothes?" She asked.
"Of course but I think you only bought maternity clothes."
"No, I bought a few other things for you too. I'll just borrow one outfit and bring you back a few more the next time, alright?"
Layla nodded absentmindedly, too busy with the baby in her arms.
"I'll go change."
Brian waited downstairs in the kitchen, unsure of what foods Layla was supposed to eat. Barely a few moments later, Chanel came running back into the kitchen, her skirt and shirt switched for a nude colored camisole and a pair of black denim jeans.
"Did you get the last delivery?" She asked, clicking on a keypad on the wall.
"Yeah. It's a bit confusing how those creepy machines deliver them underground but I got used to it."
Chanel chuckled as a tray of vegetables and a thawed chicken were delivered through a shaft in the wall.
"Is that how everybody reacts to my devices?" She asked, setting the tray on the counter.
"I only have a few of them so I'm not sure how people react to the newer ones."
"Really? Which ones did you have?"
"I had the home security system and the C5 TV."
"Which system?"
"CAMV."
"That's kind of in the basic category but it's quite handy." Chanel said, reaching for a pot in a lower cabinet.
"I don't like the latest forms of technology."
"How come?"
"They're complicated."
"I don't think so." Chanel relied, "One of our main objectives when designing them is to make them simple to use."
Brian sighed and got up. He reached for a knife and began cutting the vegetables with her.
"Can I ask you something?" He asked.
"Shoot."
"Have you ever done this before?" He asked after a moment's hesitation.
She laughed a little, "Cooking? Yeah, I think I have."
"I didn't mean cooking. I meant what you did back there. Is it your first time delivering a baby?"
"It's the first time I've done it on my own." She answered as she put the cut vegetables into the pot.
"So you've done this before?"
"I've assisted." She explained, "You sound so shocked."
"You wouldn't really think an entrepreneur needs to deliver babies so yes I am."
"But an agent may."
"What?"
"There were times we had pregnant agents and they went into labor during a mission. We weren't always able to get them to hospitals in time so I've seen it."
"Who'd deliver them?"
"For heavily pregnant agents during missions, we always have a midwife with them just in case. I just assisted the midwives when I had to but I did learn a little. Plus, studying in the medical field did teach me a thing or two."
"You studied in the medical field?"
"Mhm."
"Is there anything you haven't done?"
Chanel chuckled, "I try to make the most of my time."
"What part of medicine did you take?"
"Cardiology. But I dropped out before I could graduate."
"Who'd drop out of med school?"
"My dream was never to be a doctor, Brian. It was just a back up plan and an excuse to get my family to let me migrate without killing me. I wanted to get my hands into business and once it started to take off for me, I really didn't see any reason to waste my time over something I didn't want by heart."
"Really worked out for you though."
"Wouldn't have worked out if I didn't make it to. Life didn't like being kind to me the way it didn't to a lot of others."
Though Chanel turned out to not be the best cook, she was an amazing companion. Brian cooked most of the soup and some noddles for the two of them. Though she tried to help, cooking was not one of her many expertise. Instead she kept him company. She gave him advice on children from her experience with her own daughters. Advice on how to take care of a newborn and what they need. She told him endless stories. Brian was surprised by her sense of humor. It seemed like she knew what people wanted and needed to hear and knew how to keep balance to a point where she was irresistible to anyone she was talking to.
An hour or so later, they were finally done. The delicious smell of warm food ran through the air. Chanel poured the soup into a bowl and set it down on a tray along with a smaller bowl of salad and a glass of orange juice.
"Can you take this upstairs for Layla while I set the table for us?" Chanel asked.
Brian tossed the gloves he was wearing aside.
"Alright. Just keep an eye on the noddles for me, would you?"
"Yeah sure."
Chanel leaned over by the stove and pulled out her phone, looking for Cameron's number.