A Love to Last Ch. 09

With those words, she furiously turned and stormed out of the house. Jerome remained standing there like a statue, feeling like someone had just stabbed him in the heart. He didn't know why he felt so much pain. Ben wasn't innocent, was he? Alejandra just spoke that way because she was angry, right?

"Honey, don't mind that woman." Elena got closer and cupped his cheek. "She's saying that because she's bitter. Don't let her ruin our mood. Now..."

"Is it true?" Jerome's voice was thick, filled with so much anger. "Is what she said true?"

"What?" Elena gasped, surprised that her husband would ask her such a question. "Why would you ask me that? What are you gonna believe? Your delusional sister's lies or the truth that you saw for yourself? She's obviously using this opportunity to drive us apart. I wouldn't be surprised if Ben sent her here because he knows that David is no longer under his control."

Jerome raised his finger, getting closer to her.

"You presented that evidence to me. You showed me the pictures of Ben in a disgusting position with different men. You showed me those pictures with David." He let a shaky breath. "You presented all the evidence that made me hate Ben."

"Because it was the truth." She argued.

"If I find out that what she just said is true, I will not spare you, Elena." He warned. "Pray that it was all lies because... because..." He groaned, clenching his fist. "...just pray."

He stormed out of the living room and went upstairs.

"Fuck!" Elena yelled, stamping her foot on the floor., She was so much. "You stupid, dumb bitch. You ruined everything."

She took a glass of wine and emptied it all in her mouth.

"I will not let you find out the truth, Jerome." She vowed. "You won't know what happened. I swear!"

***

Ben didn't know what to feel with the news that he had gotten. On one hand, he knew that the baby was gonna keep reminding him of David and the love they had once shared. It was the most painful thing he'd ever experienced and he wanted to let it go. But he couldn't. Wherever he looked, he saw David. Whenever he closed his eyes, he saw and even when he went to sleep. He was doing through torture and there was never gonna be an ending to it.

Days were passing so fast and Ben found himself developing so much love for his child. Each day, his tummy grew big and each day, his love for the child became so intense that he just started thinking about its birth. He would sing songs, tell it stories and sometimes just watch the baby moving inside of him.

It wasn't easy but nurse Grace was an angel. She helped him exercise, brought fruits for him and kept him company. The doctor assured him that his pregnancy was gonna be a secret and due to that, he was moved to a very private room where it was just the nurse and the doctor coming him to see him. His strength was back... he was able to eat again for his child. But he noticed that there were some changes. His nipples got a little bigger and he noticed he developed some hips.

Months were going and his pregnancy was becoming difficulty. The pain was slowly coming back and there were times he'd bleed. But overall, he knew he was fine.

8 months later, Ben felt the worst physical pain he had ever experienced. He knew his child wasn't due so he couldn't understand why that was happening. He was lying in bed, the pain was clear on his face. He screamed every 5 seconds. He tried breathing exercises like Grace had suggested, yet, still, the contractions continued to wear him down.

"Help me!" Ben cried out as he tried to rub his waist. "It hurts."

"You're gonna be fine!" Grace assured. "Just take deep breaths like I told. The doctor is already on his way and everything is prepared."

"Ow!" Ben screamed, assuming fetal position.

He was in so much pain that he felt like he had been to hell and back, though the fire continued to burn. He had thought the moment was gonna be sweet and memorable but boy was he wrong. He wanted the agony to end, right there. The baby wanted out but it had no way out.

"Help!" Ben shouted, feeling like he was losing his life.

He began bleeding and Grace panicked. She rushed to get the doctor and he remained alone. He kept on breathing and chanting but nothing was happening. He began to feel drowsy and the room began spinning. BY the time the doctor arrived, he had already passed out.

***

Ben slowly opened his eyes and was welcome by a pounding headache, probably the effect of the anesthesia. It took a while before his vision became clear and he started scanning the whole room. When he looked at his tummy, he realized that it wasn't big anymore.

He quickly moved his eyes to his side and that was when he saw it, a crib beside him. His heart began racing when he realized that his baby was in there. In excitement, he put his hand to his head which was throbbing and slowly rose.

Crawling out of the bed, he walked to the crib and when he saw that baby sleeping there like an angel, carefully covered, his heart leapt with joy and for the first time, a genuine smile popped up on his face. He couldn't see his eyes but it was the most beautiful baby Ben had ever set his eyes on. And it was his, his baby.

Ben slowly moved his shaky hands and got the baby out of the crib together with the blanket. It moved and oh, the joy he felt was from out of this world. He slid his pink into the baby's hand and watched as it curled around it. She felt its soft breath on the back of his hand.

He kept staring at the baby, his heart filling with so much love.

Ten seconds passed, then 20 and then 2 minutes. Ben realized that the finger he thought his child had been holding was not even in the baby's hand. The baby wasn't breathing at the back of his hand. It was very cold, pale and stiff.

Ben felt an extremely cold chill along his back and his neck. He began crying, his hands trembling in fear. He laid the baby on the bed, uncovered it and saw that it was a girl. He began touching the baby but it was stiff and cold.

"No!"

He began doing chest compressions, not even caring if he was doing the right thing.

"Get up!" He cried. "Please, get up. I beg you."

Ben's heart sank to his feet. His daughter wasn't breathing or moving or doing anything. She couldn't be dead, he thought as he felt a shadow fly over him. The hurt in his heart escalated from a dull throb to burning, glaring pain- faster than a lightning bolt.

"My child!" He wailed, shaking the baby. "Save my baby. She's not breathing."

But there was no response. No one came to his aid. He cried like he was going insane, feeling like his life had been destroyed right there with the baby. He didn't stop trying to resuscitate her although she didn't move any movement.

What was happening?

***

Ben was walking like a zombie in church, staring at the statue that was in front of him. Tears came thick and fast, as the images of his daughter played in his head, taking away whatever strength he had left. His eyes were swollen with saturated grief.

He had always dreamt of holding his child and singing to her and how that it happened, the child was gone. Deep realization swept through him in sharp waves of pain, and his heart pounded in his chest. Slowly, his legs began to tremble and he fell to his knees, hands on the floor and eyes fixed on the statue. This was so hard, so painful. There was no way out, he didn't know anymore. Everyone close to him was gone, he had nobody and he wished with his remaining strength that he had died instead of his child.

"I can't understand why you're doing this to me." He struggled to breath, letting out a series of hiccups. "What wrong did I do to deserve this?" His chin trembled. "My one wish in life is simple. To have a family. But what did you do? You took my baby away from me." He sobbed uncontrollably, feeling like someone was squeezing his heart, trying to pull it out.

"You gave me so much hope after my heart was broken." He yelled, hitting the floor with his hands. "And now you turn your back on me after filling my heart with so much hope? Now you're going to give me more pain than I ever experienced?" He wailed, his bottom lip quivering.

"Why am I still living? What do you want from me?" He sighed heavily, letting his head drop. "My mother is gone. The love of my life is gone. And now my baby too. Why are you doing this to me? Answer me."

He got on all falls and cried like never before, hunched over with a sense of loss so powerful that his muscles wouldn't respond to commands. His tearstained face was puffy and swollen with grief. He couldn't see himself moving on after this loss.

After what felt like hours, Ben felt a hand on his shoulder...

"My child..." The priest spoke softly. "...the Lord has heard your cries and he wants to tell you that he has not abandoned you."

Ben couldn't even respond but mourned.

"The pain only hurts at first." He continued. "But everything will be alright, eventually."

He took Ben's arms and slowly helped him up. The boy was so miserable he couldn't even stand on his own. He sobbed uncontrollably, shaking his head.

"Everything is gonna be alright." The priest smiled. "You need to be strong. Everything will be fine."

Ben shook his head. "I didn't ask this from Him. I was happy with my life then." He wailed. "I was going to have a family. It pains me a lot. I don't know why this has happened to me, why I lost the only thing that was to bring me happiness. I have no idea why he is keeping me alive." He couldn't control himself. "I don't know if I even feel anything anymore. I don't know where my hear is anymore. It has died with my daughter today and He better just take me so I can be reunited with her."

"That time is not now." The priest patted on his shoulder. "Even I cannot answer your questions but God has not abandoned you. You will find your happiness again."

Ben shook his head and continued crying. He slowly turned and limped his way out of the chapel. He was walking so slowly, not even aware of his environment. When he got out, he started walking on the road, barefooted. He was so lost that he didn't see the speeding car making a turn towards him.

Everything happened so fast. First there was a loud screeching sound and the next thing Ben was flying in the air for a few seconds before he eventually fell to the ground. His head made contact with the cement ground not a moment later. There was a lot of blood coming out of her head.

Things moved so fast and Ben didn't know if it was his mind playing tricks on him but he saw his mother standing on the side of the road holding his baby and smiling at him. A small smile registered on his face even as he struggled to breathing.

"I... am... coming..."

He felt his eyes close slowly and he gave away to the darkness.

Goodbye, Ben!

The end...