Chapter four

Erica

Lucia convinced me to stay the night in the guest room. I was planning on going home for the night, but she said we could start tutoring after breakfast. Not wanting to disappoint her, I agreed. I caught Devon's relieved breath out of the corner of my eye and Lucia chuckled as Devon went up to change for bed.

Lucia has me follow her to the guest room and it just happens to be next door to Devon's. She smirks at me before heading across the hall to her room. Before opening the door she turns to look at me. "If you need to borrow clothes, you're the same size as Devon," she says with a wink and enters her bedroom.

I felt my face burn and knock on Devon's door. I hear a faint, "Come in," I open the door.

The sight before me froze me in place. Devon was topless with her back to me. I quickly turn around, knocking a photo of the desk by the door. "Sorry," I say embarrassed. "Your mother said I could ask you for something to sleep in."

I felt her hand on my shoulder and turned to face her. She smiles lightly and offers me shorts and a tank top. "Thank you," I say quietly and she nods lightly.

I was turning to leave when she grabs my hand. I look at her as tears roll down her cheeks and she walks into my arms. "After you change, will you lay with me until I fall asleep? Please," she pleads in a choked whisper.

"I'll be right back," I say in a soothing whisper and she lets out a relieved breath.

I slip into the guest room, change and fold my clothes. I leave them on the bed and head back to Devon's room. She had her arms hugged to her stomach, pacing her room. I enter the room and she stops pacing the moment she sees me.

I slip into her bed and get comfortable because I had a feeling I won't be leaving. She climbs in on the other side and comes lay on my chest. I stroke her hair and feel her body relax against mine. It didn't take long before she fell asleep. She had an arm and leg wrapped over my stomach and legs, making it impossible to leave.

I decide not to bother trying when I saw how peaceful Devon looked sleeping. I haven't shared a bed since Alexis and it honestly felt strange to share one now, with Devon. It felt right and wrong at the same time. Right because I felt a connection building between us and wrong because she is still my student until she graduates.

I look towards her door as it slowly creaks open and Lucia peeks in. She saw Devon peacefully sleeping on my chest and was relieved. She looks at me and I nod lightly knowing she was silently thanking me. She leaves the room and I look back down at Devon. I thought about what I told her I'm the diner and wonder if she was whom was left for me to find? What if we are meant to be and fate put us together?

I woke to someone shaking my shoulder and my face buried in someone's hair. Wait, that's pomegranate. Devon's hair smells like this. I look up at Lucia with sleepy eyes and she says something about breakfast. I look at her confused and she laughs quietly. "Coffee? I'm making pancakes and sausages. It's all Devon can keep down," she says again and I nod.

I try slide from under Devon, but she moves to practically laying on top of me. Lucia giggles quietly as Devon lets out a content sigh. "Mija, would you like some breakfast," Lucia asks softly, tucking hair from her face.

"Does it require moving," she mumbles sleepily.

"Yes," Lucia says with a smile. "Followed by tutoring."

"Five minutes, please," she groans and lifts her face in my neck.

She lifts her head up, still half asleep and looks at me. A moment later she was scrambling out of the bed and dashes to the bathroom, pushing past her mother. I go after her and help hold her hair back. She wipes her mouth with tissue and sits back against me. I rub her stomach to help with the nausea and she shutters a relieved breath.

"Thank you for not leaving last night. It's the first full night of sleep I've had since...," she chokes quietly and didn't need to finish her sentence.

"I also slept the entire night through, the first since Alexis died," I say quietly and she looks at me over her shoulder. "I've never been able to sleep alone since I survived the car accident that killed my parents.

"What keeps you awake," I ask curious as I help her to her feet.

"Fear that my dad will come back and start abusing us again," she chokes in a scared whisper and I take her in my arms. "I can't lose my baby Erica. I can't."

"Shh, I'm here. Your baby is safe Devon. You can call me at anytime you need me, okay," I say in a protective tone and she nods vigorously, holding onto me.

I looked in the hall to see Lucia looking at Devon with her hand over her mouth. My guess is she didn't know the real reason why Devon couldn't sleep. "Let's have breakfast and go from there okay," I say in a soothing whisper and she nods lightly.

She looks up at me with tears wet on her cheeks and I wipe them away. Her eyes close as she lets out a calming breath. I kiss her forehead and we head down to the kitchen. Lucia was already in the kitchen, wiping her eyes as she notices us walk in. Devon hugs her and Lucia hugs back.

"Do you have work today," Devon asks in a choked whisper.

"Yes Mija, I'm sorry," Lucia says apologetically.

Devon steps back, shaking her head in disappointment. "I need you, but you're always working," Devon chokes quietly and goes to sit at the table.

I take the spatula from Lucia and motion for her to talk with Devon. She looks at me with relief and I smile lightly. I pour the ready pancake batter on the skillet and turn over the sausages. As I was flipping pancakes I felt arms around my waist and looked over my shoulder to see Devon. "Thank you," she says quietly.

"For what," I ask with a smile.

"Being here. This is the first my mom has called out of work in a while. She's going to join us for tutoring, I hope that's okay," she says as she comes to stand next to me.

"It's okay," I say with a smile and feed her a sausage link.

Her face turns a shade of pink and looks away from me. I feel my own face flush when I realize what I just did. "I'm sorry. I got caught in the moment and the last time I cooked for someone else...," I choke quietly and she places her finger to my lips.

"Don't apologize for missing her, Erica," she says with a light smile and kisses my cheek.

I nod lightly and go back to cooking. "I've been alone for a year, holding onto these pent up feelings and no one to talk to. Thank you for letting me open up to you," I say quietly and glance at her. "I'm sorry if it's been adding stress to you."

She shakes her head and says with a light smile, "Listening to you has been distracting me from everything and it helps me not hurt as much."

Devon

The doorbell rings while she's still cooking. I notice my mom gone and I'm relieved until the doorbell rings again. I walk to the front door, open it and immediately whished I didn't. "Hey, can we talk," Jennifer asks with tears in her eyes.

"Who am I to you," I ask in a choked whisper.

"I don't know, that's why I'm here," she chokes quietly reaching out to me.

"Do you know how much it hurts to talk to someone who doesn't remember you? Do you have any idea of the guilt I feel to have memory of what used to be but can't look at you," I ask between broken sobs and shake my head. "I'm not going to waste time building something that clearly was never meant to be. I'm sure Jessica has filled you with more lies than the truth.

"Goodbye Jennifer. Please, don't contact me unless you remember on your own. Now please leave. I told you yesterday I don't want trouble with Jessica," I choke quietly as I close and lock the door.

I press my forehead to the door as silent sobs shake my shoulders. I hear my mother next to me and tries to take me in her arms but I shrug her off. Moments later that fragrance I've come to know invades my nostrils and I shutter a calming breath.

I turn away from the door feeling lightheaded and bring a hand to my forehead. I felt something trickle down my leg and wiped at it. Blood. Erica lifts me in her arms and looks at my mother. "Lucia, can you drive to the hospital? Waiting will waste time for both of them," Erica says quietly, but I could hear the desperation in her voice.

She doesn't wait. She grabs her keys by the door and runs as fast as she could to her car. She sits with me across her lap and starts heading to the hospital. She slips her hand under my shirt, caressing my small bump, like she was trying to comfort my baby.

I woke up in the hospital with my mother, Irene and Erica talking with my doctor. I break into uncontrolled sobs and they come rushing over. "Mija, you need to calm down," my mother says in a soothing tone.

"Your baby is fine Devon," Erica says in a soothing whisper and that was enough to calm me down.

"The bleeding," I ask in a wavering whisper.

"Caused by stress," my doctor says and looks between all of us. "What was the cause of stress?"

Before anyone could say anything, Erica motions for her to talk in the hall. I let out a relieved breath and close my eyes. "Is there anything I can do to help Lucia," Irene asks quietly.

"Keep Jennifer away from me, please," I choke quietly. "I can't handle seeing her without her memory."

"I'm sorry she doesn't," Irene chokes quietly and I look at her. "Will I still be able to meet my grandchild?"

"Don't tell Jennifer," I choke quietly and she nods with understanding. My doctor and Erica walk back in and I plead in a wavering whisper, "Can I go home?"

"You're on bed rest for a couple weeks and then I want to see you," Doctor Reid says in a soothing tone and I nod lightly. "Remember to try keeping stress levels to a minimum."

I look at Erica and let out a calming breath. Everyone was relieved to see me calmed down and Irene looks at Erica. "Aren't you a teacher," she asks curious.

"Irene, please? She's been there when I had no one. Teacher or not she's been there, comforting me...," I choke quietly as I was getting emotional.

Erica climbs in the bed next to me, taking me in her arms and strokes my hair. I shutter a calming breath and Irene looks at me apologetically. "I'm sorry," she says in a soothing whisper and I nod lightly.

I close my eyes as my mother and Irene speak with Doctor Reid. I block everything out and focus on her heart beat under my ear. Each stroke of her hand in my hair helped me calm down. Moments later I felt someone take my hand and open my eyes to see it was my mother. "Ready to go home," she asks in a soothing whisper and I nod lightly.

They all leave to give me privacy to change into clothes my mother brought. I was pulling my hair back when I felt familiar warm hands take over. "Your mother got called into work. The diner is busy and they're shorthanded," she says in sympathy and I sigh in disappointment. "She asked me to stay with you."

"Thank you for being there when I needed someone the most. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't," I choke quietly and turn to face her. "Thank you for acting quickly and bringing me here."

"I know how much your baby means to you and I wasn't going to wait for an ambulance and lose time," she says in a soothing whisper and wipes my eyes.

We held eye contact for a few moments before my eyes shift to her lips and back to her eyes. Did I really just look at her lips? Her eyes flick to my lips and my breaths hitch. I bring my hands to her waist to steady my balance and felt my heart pounding in my chest. I close my eyes as she starts moving closer and feel her lips brush mine.

Her phone rings before our lips could connect and I let out the breath I'd been holding. I rest my forehead against the front of her shoulder as she answers her phone. My breaths shook as my heart beat slowed to normal. Tears fill my eyes and I'm not sure if it's because I'm relieved or disappointed. The ache in my heart says disappointment, but the relief in my head says otherwise.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have...," Erica says apologetically. "It's wrong of me to take advantage of you while you're emotional. We both are."

"Are you gonna leave me home alone," I ask in a wavering whisper.

"No, despite our mixed feelings you shouldn't be alone," she says in a soothing whisper, wiping my eyes.