I'm With You

Chapter 29

"What?" Eira choked out, feeling Darlene's grip on her hand tighten.

"We can't let you go back onto the street again - either of you! Not when you're both so vulnerable and Eira, you're still healing and you're pregnant... we want you to come and live with us, we have two spare bedrooms but you can share one room if you'd prefer that." Darlene said and Eira looked over to Mackenzie, both girls in complete shock. They'd been making plans every night for over a week on where they would go once Eira was discharged, where would be safe for Eira to keep recovering on the streets, where was private enough for Eira to give birth.

"I'd have you both come back with me, but my place is only one bedroom... I want to find a new place, somewhere for the baby... Eira, you're never gonna have to give this baby up, do you understand me? I'll never take this child away from you. You're its Mom! He or she is gonna need you." Miguel said, tears burning his eyes that the thought had even run through Eira's head. Darlene backed off, letting Miguel take over when Eira started to cry and he wrapped his arms around her, Eira holding onto him with her left arm - she couldn't move her right arm too much without it pulling on her stitches. "I meant it when I said you're never stepping foot back out there, Eira, I fucking mean it... you, Mackenzie, and this baby... you're all safe, you all have a home." Miguel said softly, Eira sobbing into his chest and Mackenzie was close to tears herself.

"It's just been so long since we had a home... it's always been just the two of us." Mackenzie said, her voice shaky.

"We'll never understand everything that you girls have been through, but we'll do all we can to reassure you both that you're safe... that you're both completely safe, that we're trustworthy people." Lloyd said.

"I want you." Eira practically whispered to Miguel, who held her a little bit tighter but not enough to hurt her.

"I want you too, and I want you, me and the baby to be a family... I'll find a good house, okay? With plenty of room for our little family to grow." Miguel said softly and he felt her nod against his chest. Both sisters were terrified for more reasons than just having a home and being somewhere new and being part of a family after over seven years, they were terrified to know that they would undoubtedly have their own lives and it would be a huge adjustment after so long of it just being the two of them. "Don't cry, baby girl, everything is okay... nobody is ever gonna take this baby from you, nobody will ever force you to spend another night on the streets. You'll always have somewhere to go. Always." Miguel vowed, kissing her shoulder because it was all he could get to and he slowly pulled away from her, seeing that she'd calmed down from her sobbing, but he could tell that the pain relief was starting to kick in and make her tired. "You need to sleep, baby girl," Miguel said softly, helping her to lie back against the propped up pillows.

"I-I wanna get to know Darlene and Lloyd first," Eira said, playing with Miguel's fingers and the three Lagmans all smiled.

"Well, what would you like to know, sweetheart?" Darlene asked, sitting at the foot of the bed. She could see why Miguel had fallen for Eira so quickly, both sisters were beautiful young women. It was heartbreaking to just know the basics - that they'd been homeless for seven years of their lives. It made the entire family determined to show them all the love they could muster, to make their birthdays and Christmases special, to make every day special for them.

"Are you doctors? Li-Like Miguel?" Eira asked and Darlene smiled, looking between her and Mackenzie.

"I work as a senior midwife in the maternity building, across the parking lot," Darlene said and Eira's eyes widened with surprise.

"Y-You're a midwife?"

"Yes, another reason we thought it would be best you came to live with us instead of our daughter and Lauren - I can be there if you have any pregnancy-related questions," Darlene said and Eira bit her lip.

"Do you have... space for me?" Eira asked.

"For you to be my patient?" Darlene asked for clarification and Eira nodded her head, making Darlene smile wider. "I'll find space for you, of course, I will!" It already showed a huge sign of trust that Eira wanted Darlene to be her midwife, that she wanted to trust the Lagmans.

"And I'm a therapist - I own a clinic close by," Lloyd explained.

"Do you have space for us?" Mackenzie asked him, and although he was taken aback, he wasn't surprised that Mackenzie was inquiring about therapy and Eira nodded in agreement.

"I can't be your therapist because I know you, but I'll ask one of my female colleagues. It'll be the first thing I do when I get home, I promise." He assured them, the two sisters reaching and holding onto each other's hands.

It wasn't long until Eira fell asleep, the painkillers kicking in - it was the only way she could sleep, since as she still struggled to sleep in a bed, even a hospital bed.

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