Dreams of Eden (Ace of Queens # 4)

CH.7 Strawberry Frappe

Chapter 7

Two weeks later

Alec laid against the blanket as he felt the cool breeze play with his hair. He took in a long deep breath as the sounds of the waters over the hill playing it's tune.

Other than the birds and the waves, he heard the soft scratches of Eden's pencil over her notebook as she wrote.

"Alec?" She called his name after a while.

Alec held back the smile as his ears picked up her voice. It was also so crisp and soft when she was deep in thought.

"Yes, Eden?" Alec said with a sigh.

"What..... What happened to your baby?"

Alec's eyes flew open. The shock from her words knocked the wind out of him. He felt his heart begin to pound in his chest as he remembered holding the little child in his palm. He was so small.......

And Avni's sobs.
He didn't know which was worse.

"What...." Alec sat up slowly, trying to get some air into his lungs.

"Your son..." Eden said slowly. Her words drove painful nails into his heart. "His eyes were the same as yours....you named him Ivan. Was it after your father?"

Alec shook his head as the images from the hospital became overwhelming.

"Stop talking," Alec said breathlessly.

"It wasn't your fault," Eden said softly. "Sometimes we're meant to lose the ones we love the most."

Alec shook his head as he began to rise from the blanket. He had worked so hard to bury all this to the back of his mind. And so easily, with a snap of her fingers, Eden had broken all the walls he had built around his memories.

"Alec..." Eden called his name.

"I...I have to go." Alec said as he felt the sorrow in him start twisting into anger.

"No." Eden said sternly. She climbed to her knees and pulled at Ale's hand, stopping him from walking away. "Don't go."

"Eden, please," Alec said looking down at the girl in the bright sunlight.

"You don't have to go," Eden frowned. "Couldn't we talk?"

As Eden held his hand firmly, Alec stared down at her. He felt the coldness from her touch slowly soothe the burning in his heart. Her large brown eyes grew much lighter in the sun. They were like glass jars full of warm honey.

Alec felt himself sink back down to the blanket as the girl tugged at his hand. He sat in front of her as she leaned forward and placed a hand on his cheek.

"It wasn't your fault," Eden whispered.

"He....he was so small," Alec felt his heart break as he allowed himself to say the words. "I only held him once."

Eden frowned as she laid her head against his shoulder. Alec took in a deep breath as he shook his head.

"I....I had spent so much time not wanting him," Each word Alec spoke broke more and more of the wall he had built. "I told her to have an abortion."

Eden picked up her head slowly. She moved a little closer to Alec on the blanket as his voice began to shake.

"It is all my fault," Alec confessed as he looked away from Eden's eyes. "I didn't want him at first..... So the gods punished me by completing my wish."

"No," Eden gently shook her head. "The gods want us to be happy.... They always have a plan for us."

"It's my fault. It's all my fault." Alec refused to listen to Eden's words.