Chapter 1

Deep in the night, a couple comes back from visiting their family friend's funeral and their long expedition.

“Oh, Darling! How great it is to be home at last! How long has it been already?” Charlotte says, “Roughly 3 years my love. We have never been away from home this long. Ah! The sweet smell of home! Good to be back!” Richard, her husband replied while bringing in their luggage.

“Yes, good to be home indeed,” Charlotte smiles at her husband's remarks. It was nice to be home at last after everything they went through.

___________________________________________________________________________

“Richard!”, I felt a tingling sensation as I was putting away our dishes.

“Yes, Darling?” It was normal for my husband to hear me shout out his name, he probably did not hear the sense of urgency in my voice as he continued to dust off the new relics that arrived.

“Richard Wilson!” I made sure he would sense the urgency in my voice to finally pay attention to me.

“Yes, my love!” he shot up looking at me almost dropping to the floor.

“Get the baby bag.” I tried to smile despite the pain. “What do you mean? Why would you need the baby bag? You’re not due in..” Richard was not able to finish as he noticed a short leakage under me.

“Oh good lord in heaven, your water just broke!” Richard panicked as realization finally sinks in.

“Good to see you finally keeping up darling, now the bag please?” I reply as I try to breathe in and out normally, rubbing my aching belly.

My husband still shocked at the events that were happening before his eyes, coming back from his thoughts, “What? Oh! Yes! The baby bag!” he runs off to get the baby bag, stumbling and groaning in pain as he hits his toes on the table.

I just laughed at how silly my husband can be, he’s a natural in making situations like this laughable. I could not imagine a life without him, the love of my life, and now an additional member of the family was finally coming into the world. Our baby.

Hearing hurried footsteps from the second floor, I already know that he would get himself hurt going down the stairs. It truly is a miracle that he is still alive and beside me despite getting himself injured all the time. It must be the reason why his brain is a little shaken up.

“I got it! I got it, Dear!” He arrives panting as if he had just run a marathon. He helped me wear my coat as we were about to leave the door he grabs me by the arm looking at me intently.

“We’re finally going to be parents.” He rarely looks this serious and it was actually a sight that I loved to see. “You are going to be a mother, Oh! how you will be the most wonderful mother!” He says as he looked at me lovingly.

“And you, Mr. Wilson, are going to be a father. The most amazing and loving father who will teach our little one how to ride a bike, teach the silly stories of the Gods that you love so much.” Richard teared up as he heard this because I always nagged at him for spending too much time on such researches, sometimes I doubt and think he loves his researches more than me.

“Yes I will dear, our baby will grow up loved, loved in a way our parents could not love us.” It was a painful statement but it brought so much warmth to my heart because what he said was true, we were going to shower this baby with so much love it was probably going to get sick of us, the thought of this made me smile.

Richard had his hands cupping my face and we were smiling like idiots, looking into each other’s eyes, lost in our small world.

It was all cut short when I felt a wince of pain. Was it normal to feel this kind of pain?

“Ah! The baby! Let’s go my love! We’re finally going to see this little one!”

We left the house handy as a dandy. Next time we came back, we’ll have our baby girl with us. Richard shouting, “I’m going to be a father!” all the way to the hospital.

________

“I’m sorry Mr. Wilson..” I woke up from the faint sound of people talking. What was the doctor apologizing for? I felt weak and empty. Probably fainted during labor.

“Richard?”, I called out to my husband winced as he slowly turns to face me with tears in his eyes. “What’s wrong?” I asked. “Where’s our baby?” looking around to find our newborn baby.

My husband started sobbing as said, “Oh Charlotte…” As he came running to hug me. Why did he call me by my name? He never does that.

“Where’s our baby? I want to see her.” I tried to push my husband away with the little strength that I had left. He just hugged me tightly still sobbing when it dawned at me.

It was impossible. It can’t be what I’m thinking. I looked at the doctor to look for a sign, a sign that what I was thinking was not true. All that I could see was a face of defeat and devastation.

I had finally understood everything that was happening and stopped pushing my husband away.

“Richard, I want to see our baby.” He could hear me, he understood what I meant. We looked at each other and he nodded in agreement.

“Dr. Miller, I would like to see my baby please,” I said, my voice cracking from exhaustion and holding back my tears.

He was hesitant but just accepted in defeat. Instructing his staff to bring my daughter to me. He then continues to explain the situation.

“It was a miscarriage. Your uterus was already too low, having a baby was a big risk to your body, it was still a big miracle for you to be able to carry your baby for more than 30 weeks. But I’m sorry to say that having another baby will not be possible in the future Ms. Wilson.”

“I understand. Thank you, Dr. Miller.” Many doctors have warned me of the complications of my pregnancy but it truly was a miracle to still be able to carry a child for 32 weeks in my state.

I tried to be logical as I can be, I don’t cry in front of people. I also had to be strong, can’t have me and Richard both breaking down.

“She’s a beautiful baby girl,” Dr. Miller reaching out and giving my baby. I carried my daughter in my arms and stared at her lifeless body.

“Hello, beautiful! Hi there!” I whispered while shaking the whole time as I reached for her tiny hands.

“Hey, Gorgeous! You are so beautiful, honey! You are the most beautiful baby I have ever laid eyes on! And look at that, You have your father's nose-” By this time, I already broke down. I was already broken but I never knew I could feel even more broken trying to say all of this to my daughter.

I looked at my husband who was practically crying a river by now.

“-Isn’t she beautiful?” I asked smiling through tears.

“Yes, she is dear. As beautiful as her mother.” He tried to smile. I could see him trying.

“Having you and carrying you in my tummy for the past few months are and will always the most beautiful and memorable moments in my life little one.” , I tried to say, “Your father and I love you so so much!”, we truly did, “and Mommy is sorry that I can’t watch you grow up into a fine young lady.”, I truly am, “But know that we love you and will love you, even more, each passing moment.” Until our last breath and until we meet you again.

“Thank you for fighting until the end my dear..” was the last thing I said as I kissed her forehead and passed out.

__________________________________________________________________________

Charlotte walked out of the kitchen bringing tea for them to drink as she reminisces on the sad memory of the past. It was their dream to have a baby, to have a family, but that was now a dream that could never happen.

The unfortunate event broke the couple. Not only did they lose their child but they also could not have a child anymore. And so they drowned themselves in work far away from home for as long as they could. But they had to come back for the funeral of a close family friend and they thought that it would be a good time to finally come back home and have a fresh start.

Suddenly a loud thunderstorm comes and the lights turn off, “Good God! Never thought a storm like this could come this time of the year! The Gods must be angry!”, Richard says, “There you go again with your obsessions with those stories! The lights should be back on soon.” Charlotte replies.

Three hard knocks were heard from their front door and startled the couple, they both look at the time to see it is 3 in the morning, “Who might that be in this ungodly hour?” looking at each other, Richard gets out a golf club and approaches the door slowly. Charlotte checks the window to find no one but a dark empty street. As he opens the door, he finds a baby cooing. He reaches out for the baby without hesitation, looking around as to search for whoever might have left the baby on their doorsteps.

“Hello! Anybody there?” Richard shouts still trying to look for anyone who could possibly leave such a precious thing. “What is it darling?” Charlotte comes to check and see her husband cradling something in his arms. She sees the baby is dumfounded, “Oh you poor thing, who could ever leave such a precious little one out in the cold?” her husband says, still cuddling the baby in his arms. She approaches them slowly and Richard looks at her, his eyes full of hope. They stare at each other in silence, a silent understanding between the two.

“Is this a gift from the Gods? Have they finally hear our prayers?”, Richard says barely a whisper, his wife would have missed it. But she heard it. Normally she would have scoffed at what he would say especially when it came to his obsessions with the Gods but this time all she could do was smile and reply, “Yes darling, the Gods must have heard our prayers..”

Richard hands the baby over to his wife, she was hesitant at first but soon carried the baby in her arms. They never spoke of the unfortunate events in the presence of each other because it was too painful too, but they would still pray every night for the dream of having a complete family.

Charlotte was in tears as she finally saw the baby’s face. She fell in love in an instant. She looked at her husband and they hugged each other forgetting for a moment that the baby was in between them, earning a coo from the baby. The couple was shocked and laughed and brought the baby in their home.

As they came in, the lights suddenly turned on, shocking the couple.

“Well she isn’t a wailer, that’s for sure. Any baby in this thunderstorm would be crying their guts out but this one she’s as calm as the sea.”

The couple just stared at the beauty of the baby. Falling in love at its exquisite beauty.

“She? How could you know its girl and not a boy?” Richard asks.

Charlotte stared at her husband still doubting if she married the right person even after all these years.

She knew from the bottom of her heart that the baby was a girl. Not only was her beauty of a girl but she felt a connection, a similar feeling she had with her own baby that she had lost years ago.

“Oh, she’s she alright! You’ll see in a few years boys will be lining up to win her affection.” She jokes and that got a fuming Richard that grabbed the baby from her arms.

“Who’ll have boys lining up? No one’s going near my girl.” Charlotte just stared at her husband lovingly as he was baby\-talking the baby saying he was the only man she needed in her life. It warmed her heart to see her husband’s fatherly instinct already taking over and it broke her heart at the same time for not being able to give him the opportunity to be the great father that he was. And now they could.

They did consider adopting but wanted to take their time. But now, with a baby showing up on their front door, it was like a sign that they’ve suffered enough and it was time for them to finally be happy.

The next day the couple was in the study searching for a perfect name for the baby. They made the decision quickly to take action and adopt the baby as their own. Although it wasn’t in their plan to have a baby this soon they believed it to be a sign and blessing to them to have such an adorable baby girl in front of their doorsteps.

Charlotte was feeding the baby milk as Richard was screening through a book of baby names. Both of them trying to agree on what would best suit this precious being.

“Whatever should we name her?” Charlotte asks still in awe with the baby.

“The engraving on the necklace on her is AMA, wonder what that stands for, Always Missing in Action? Ow! Darling!” Charlotte smacked her husband right on his head hoping might knock some sense into him.

“This is a serious matter, Mr. Richard Wilson! Let’s see, with the letter A as the first letter may be Annabelle? Wouldn’t that be a beautiful name, right dear?” she coos to the baby, her husband now much aware that his wife was indeed serious because she rarely calls him by his full name, only when in very serious matters.

The baby started to become fussy and was becoming restless. Richard continued to brim around books and searching on the names of Gods this time.

“This baby has a kind of feel to her, she is strong but calm as the night. Reminds me of something I’ve read before..” He rummaged through his collection of books and took out a big dusty old book and skimmed through it. As he read through the book he saw a familiar word with letter A.

“How about this one Dear? It means Divine Strength, seems fitting for a strong gal like our girl here.” Richard suggested.

“My word, she loves it! Look at that smile! She practically chose her own name. It’s perfect, Dear.” the baby still smiling and cooing, obviously loving her given name.

“Welcome to the family, Astrid Wilson.” the couple smiling and embracing the baby in their arms.

(A few years later)

“Astrid, Honey! Hurry up!” Charlotte called out to the young girl for the nth time.

“Yes, mom! I’m coming!” the young Astrid coming out of their house and gets in the car.

“Are you excited to finally get to go on your first journey?” Richard asks as he starts the car.

“Yes, Papa! I’m so excited!” Richard told stories of him and his adventures with Charlotte on their expeditions all throughout the trip.

Astrid’s journey finally starts and she will go on an adventure of her life going beyond time, space, and even worlds.

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***