Chapter 1
There were still seven days left until my due date when Tom Grimes got up in the middle of the night to catch a flight.
The reason? His childhood friend, who was studying abroad, was feeling down during her period and wanted to eat the pasta he made.
I clutched my sore back and asked him if he really had to go. I was scared to be alone.
“I’ll be back in no more than three days. It’ll be fine. Don’t overthink things,” he reassured me.
An hour later, my water suddenly broke.
“Stop messing around, Sara. I’m about to go through security. Get some sleep.” He hung up without waiting for my response.
From that moment on, my baby didn’t have a father.
I took deep breaths, trying to stay calm.
I lay flat on my back and called an ambulance. Then I phoned my brother, Harry Bains, who should have been asleep, and nearly hung up before he answered.
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2/5
“What’s wrong, Sara? Are you in labor?” he asked with concern.
I burst into tears, unable to speak for a while.
When my mom gave birth to me, she passed away due to complications. My dad was busy with his business and later remarried. I was raised by Harry, but I had said many hurtful things to him to be with Tom. He had been frustrated with me, telling me he wouldn’t care for me anymore.
In the ambulance, I gripped his hand and apologized.
“Don’t be afraid. I’m here,” he said softly.
My labor progressed very slowly. Even oxytocin didn’t help much, and my amniotic fluid continued to decrease. After five hours of pain, I ended up needing a cesarean section. My daughter was born.
The doctor placed her on my chest, congratulating me. She said it had been a long time since they’d seen a baby with such thick hair.
I laughed and cried at the same time. The baby’s health was all that mattered.
Tom and I had named her Elizabeth Grimes, with the nickname Bella.
Now, her name was Elizabeth Bains. She was my daughter, raised by me alone.
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3/5
I slept until the afternoon, then checked my phone to see that Tom had updated me. He’d landed and was at Isabel Olsen’s house. There were two phone calls in between. Then he asked if I had woken up yet, whether I’d eaten, and if I was still angry.
Isabel had posted a picture online: pasta with fried eggs and sauce on top.
The caption read: [I’m so happy. Who understands? My bad stomach can’t handle such deliciousness.]
Tom commented: [You’re exaggerating.]
Isabel replied: [Love you!]
Harry asked me what I wanted to eat. I showed him the picture, saying I wanted the same.
Tom called again. I took a deep breath before answering.
“Sara? You finally picked up. You’ve been ignoring me. I was so scared,” he said.
I didn’t say anything.
“Are you still angry?” he asked.
Isabel’s voice then came over. “Sara, don’t be mad at Tom. It’s all my fault. I didn’t expect him to come over. I thought I was so hungry I started hallucinating.
“By the way
way, I bought a gift for Bella, plus some small clothes.
Chapter 1
Perfect for Tom to bring back.”
Tom laughed, looking a little helpless as he told her to move away so she wouldn’t get flour all over his clothes.
He said, “We’re making sandwiches. She just ate some pasta and is already thinking about the next meal.”
Isabel chimed in, “My sandwiches look better than yours.”
Tom replied, “Let’s see who’s better.”
They bantered with each other..
Tom laughed happily, sounding much livelier and more childish than when he was with me.
“Honey?” he called out.
I responded, “Hmm, I’m listening.”
“How’s the baby? She didn’t give you any trouble today, right?”
I sneered, ‘No, she’s very well–behaved.”
He sighed with relief, “That’s good. Don’t make jokes like that again. I know it’s the hormones affecting your mood.”
“Yeah, you guys go ahead. I’m going to eat too,” I replied.