Down here they're hurting

From a broken heart

Trying to figure out

How this is real

'Cause they're never coming back down

They belong to the stars in the clouds

Goodbyes, good times

L-O-V-E was all for you

If you didn't say your goodbyes

Don't worry, love will bear it through

'Cause they're never coming back down

They belong to the stars in the clouds

~Goodbyes by Jorja Smith

----×

"He ki–killed her."

Everything around me goes silent and all I hear is the ringing sound in my ear.

My heart drops at the thought of the murder of an innocent infant. The baby didn't do anything wrong! Yet in the end, the infant pays for something it didn't even have a clue on.

My heart aches for Lauren right now. I feel her pain just by imagining how I would feel if I were in her position. Even thinking about my babies being killed just draws all the colour from my face.

"He took my baby from me." Lauren's loud cries draw me from my thoughts.

I hug her tighter and rub her back to try and soothe her pain.

"He took her."

----×

After hours of comforting a hurting Lauren, she finally fell asleep and I found myself yearning for food, spicy food.

I finally leave Lauren's room and find Tino amd Micah sitting just outside of the room.

I look at Tino with sad eyes and he gives me a sad smile.

"Harls can we talk?" Micah calls and I hesitantly nod.

"Tino can you get me something spicy to eat." He first looks at me warily but I give him a reassuring nod before he nods and leaves.

I take a seat next to Micah and straight ahead of me, which is a cream wall.

Silence surrounds the two of us for what feels like hours until I break the silence.

"How did this happen?" I still don't look at Micah and he also doesn't look at me.

"She...she finally got the divorce papers ready and she said she wanted to leave them at the house before he arrived so she could take all her belongings." He pauses for a moment.

Clearly this is painful for him.

"And somehow he was home, will another woman. She said that they had a bit of an arguement until she served him with the papers. He...he didn't take that all too well, so he..." He pauses again and I turn to find tears streaming down his face. "He hit her. He hit her. He then went on as to threaten the baby and he...he stabbed her stomach. Twice!" He cries uncontrollably and I pull him into a hug.

As I hug him, I also find myself crying.

Micah and I might not have been on the best terms but he's still my brother and that baby– Lauren's baby– was my niece. I lost a niece today. My niece was murdered by Gregg and I don't think that's something forgivable.

"I know. It hurts, I feel your pain. Trust me when I say so." I pull from the hug and look him in the eyes. "But they will be a time in the future where– you and Lauren's love circumstances are better– you will be able to make another baby. One that will be protected by this one." I try to help him see the brighter side.

"You know, we were going to name her Arabella, after mom." A tear descends from his eye and my heart tugs a little.

I pull Micah into a tight hug and comfort him.

"I'm so sorry Harley." Micah begins to apologize.

"The baby's death wasn't your fault."

"I'm talking about when dad walked out on you and I never made your life my easier."

I sigh.

At some point in my life my mother died of natural causes and my father decided that you had nothing more to care for and left. We haven't seen him since that fateful day and I hope not to.

Micah on the other hand just dis not care about Daniel and I. Yes Daniel is older but in that time Micah had a well-paying job while Danny was working a handful of jobs to help pay off bills.

Micah just didn't give a shit about us. He went on and lived his life as though Danny and I weren't struggling.

And all those years I've been upset with Micah.

I couldn't stand the thought of his presence because of how he acted towards us when we were at our lowest.

But hearing him apologizes right now just made all my anger and hate towards him dissipate within a matter of seconds.

My chest felt lighter as I turned towards Micah and placed my hand on his.

"All is forgiven." I give him a weak, sad smile.

We stand up and an awkward moment comes through as we attempt to hug but don't know how to initiate the action.

We end up opting for a handshake and he heads back into Lauren's room and Tino returns with a bag of food.

Tino and I head out to the hospital garden, where we sit in silence for a moment.

Thinking about Lauren's situation overwhelms me with a lot of fear because what if that's me and my babies.

I might've I didn't want them earlier on but now I'm definite on wanting them because they'll be my ray of sunshine in this dark world.

Tino pulls me out of my thoughts when he wipes my tears.

Tears?

Crap I'm crying.

Brave move Harley.

"What if that happens to us, to our babies?" I sob out the sentence.

"It won't–" I cut him off before he can finish his sentence.

"We can't assure that...what if I have a miscarriage or fall or something bad happens. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened." I cry hard because those corrupt but yet realistic thoughts, have me crying a river.

"That won't happen, Harley." He turns me to face him. "It won't happen. We just need to keep positive throughout this pregnancy." He deadpans, staring at me with his hypnotic eyes.

I don't say. I just nod.

"It'll all be okay in the end."