Liam's P.O.V
If I knew Anne would want to go and lie down I wouldn't have driven her home. I would have driven her somewhere she could have gone and lie down and rest where there wasn't a house full of women for a baby shower. After being chased out of my own home, I decided that I would just go sit somewhere in a coffee shop until I could go back to my own home. I was just barely out of the neighbourhood where the house is when mum called me saying that I should come back as Anne was in labour.
As fast as I could, I turned the car around and drove as fast as I could to the house. Mum said that Anne didn't want to wait for an ambulance as they take too long and that I could take her to the hospital faster. Mum, Juliet and someone else helped us to get Anne into the backseat of the car and made sure that she was comfortable. Without waiting for the hospital bag, as Juliet would bring it and other stuff to the hospital, I sped
Juliet's P.O.VBeing the boss of the company meant I could work mostly remotely and could spend a little more time helping Anne with Alexia and getting a routine in place so that they could both get enough sleep to not be moody. The one aspect that I couldn't be doing remotely was the training of the people coming and I decided that I wouldn't want to do that at Anne's, as she was busy with the baby and I also didn't want to disturb the routine that they had in place. Therefore, we would meet in the little coffee shop that is just down the street, do the training and I can be back to Anne in a matter of minutes when she needs me.The same Elizabeth that had been here a few years ago is coming again for some training. I just needed to let Anne know that I would be getting some work done outside the house. She had insisted that I didn't need to stay with her the whole time and that I could go and work at the office, but I want
Elizabeth's P.O.VAs I was sitting in the company headquarters waiting for the nice lady who offered to take me to my hotel, I thought about the situation I was finding myself in at the moment. I know that it is 100% my own fault and that I really have no one else to blame for what is happening at the moment, but it still hurts. She hasn't answered or picked up any of the calls, voicemails or messages I have left. She does answer Ernie every now and then, but he doesn't seem to feel the need to share anything they talk about with the rest of us.Arnold had somehow decided that he wanted to hate me for 'making' him give away our baby girl. As if he wasn't the one manipulating me and now he wants to play the victim card. I told him straight up that I would not be falling for his crap and that I had proof of what he had done and that he was in fact the one manipulating me to give up my baby girl because of the views he has of women born into
Two months laterAnne's P.O.VI know I have not been myself these past few days and I know that I have taken it out on Liam and I know that I shouldn't have and still shouldn't, but this weird feeling is making me act out these past couple of days. It all started on Monday with me not being able to handle the smell and taste of salmon. I love salmon and would literally eat it for every meal if I could.This morning I woke up feeling nauseous and my favourite clothes did not fit me like they used to.Damn no, not again. I knew what was wrong with me. I made a doctor's appointment for myself. I called Liam and told him about this but left out the part of me thinking I was pregnant and that I was going to the doctor. I didn't want to make him all excited and happy and then that wasn't the case as it could also be my cancer that is back, even though the marker tests and exams ha
Liam's P.O.VI was so worried about Anne but I knew I had to attend all the meetings I had left on the schedule for today and then right after that I could leave and go see what is wrong with my wife if she is at home yet. My last meeting ended an hour before closing time and I packed up and left to go home. As I was leaving, I told my PA that I was heading out to a meeting and that I wouldn't be back to the office this afternoon again. If Juliet finds out that there wasn't a meeting, then I'm screwed, but I don't give a damn at that moment. She will hopefully understand today's reason.Anne's P.O.VThe irony when you think you know what is wrong with you and you are starting to get excited about what you thought and then it isn't what you thought it was. My cancer is back. Since I never stopped the medication they gave me as well as the follow-up sessions and they just don
Five and a half years laterAlexia's P.O.V (Anne's Daughter) "Hi, I'm Alexia and I'm six years old."Mummy and daddy have told me that they have placed me in a school nearby. They said it would be fun with a lot of friends my age and toys to play with and a nice lady that is going to look after me and teach me some nice things and help me get smart like mummy and daddy. I don't want to go. I haven't been away from either mummy, daddy or grandma my whole life and I'm honestly scared that I won't be able to make any friends and that everyone will laugh at me because of that.Mummy and daddy said that they would be there to pick me up this afternoon afterwards and if it was really that bad they would take me to go for ice-cream. I love ice-cream, especially the green and brown flavour that has the little brown drops in it. Mummy always says it's little drops of poop, but I kno
Anne's P.O.VWith Liam going out with the guys, I had to go and get Alexia from my mums and I decided that I would have her decide where she wanted to go and eat out tonight, since I just wanted to put my feet up and forget about work for the evening. Have a little girly fun with my number one girl in my life."Mother, where are you? Mum?"She is always here somewhere in the house, especially when she has Alexia over, otherwise she would have let me know she was taking her out. Maybe she's in bed or in the gym. Yes, this house has its own gym. The bedroom is empty, the gym is empty.... splash... What was that? It sounded a lot like the pool, so she must be in the pool.When I arrived at the pool area, mom and some weird man I didn't know were kissing. Not your usual kiss, hey. I think I even had a little blush going on. Omg my mom has a boyfriend! I cleared my throat and they both froze."Hey, hone
Eight months laterAlexia's P.O.VI had had a bad nightmare so I went and climbed into bed with my mummy and daddy. I knew I wasn't supposed to bother mummy because she hasn't been sleeping well these last couple of weeks because my little brother was kicking her when she was trying to sleep. Mummy put my hand on her belly once and then he kicked me too. I giggled because it had tickled me. Not wanting to bother mummy, I stayed as close as I could to daddy.I woke up feeling wet and when I touched my pyjamas they were full of water. Maybe Darren had kicked mummy so hard that she had wet the bed. I started shaking daddy to get him awake to check if mummy was okay because she was making funny faces and she looked hurt."Go to sleep, Alexia. Please don't bother your mum.""But dad, mum is in pain and she wet the bed."Right after I said that, dad shot up from the bed and ran ov
Two years laterAnne's P.O.VAn excited eight-year-old walking the halls in a beautiful pink blush dress practicing her flower throwing skills is what woke me up this morning. My little girl is so excited because she gets to be the flower girl at her grandmother's wedding today. She has been walking the halls of the house practicing the best way to throw the flowers and to make sure that she has the right technique according to her, for the last five weeks, we had been planning the wedding. She really had the cutest way of asking her to be her flower girl. Mum asked me to be her maid of honour since her friends are all judging her for being happy with another man who isn't my dad, Donald. It took her such a long time to get where she is today to even be ready to move on from him and they are at the moment only making it worse. Mum couldn't stay mad at them. She even sent out wedding invites to them but forgot the pe
Anne's P.O.VThe funny thing about life is we make plans and then it just happens, whether as planned or a completely different way. My current life may not have been as I had planned it, but if I had a second chance, I believe I wouldn't be changing one thing. After having heard the reasons why I wasn't chosen, I was happy that I had gotten amazing parents and that later on in life I had received an additional mother and father figure in Rachel and Harold.I had received an amazing husband, life partner and best friend all wrapped into one perfect person.I have amazing friends who have stood with me and with us through everything, good and bad, whatever it was.I have two amazing children whom I love and that love me back. They have gone out into the world and brought me another two children to add to the family. They gave me two cute grandchildren to keep me on my toes.Not forgetting, I
The day of the reading of the will.Anne's P.O.VThe weekend stay over actually turned out to be heaps of fun. We played games, had fun and just talked about everything about dad.Now for the reading of the will.We all gathered around the table at the lawyers' offices to hear dad's last wishes. I had the feeling of deja vu about being here again and sitting around this table again after a funeral and having to hear what last wishes that person wants you to make happen for them. Last time he mostly left everything to me and mum and I'm wondering what will happen today."If I can get everyone's attention, please, so we can start the proceedings and get you all home again."Everyone quieted down and sat down on one of the chairs set out for us. The will was taken out of the envelope and looked towards all of us before starting to read."This is the last will and testame
Rachel's P.O.VHe is gone. My Donald is gone. He had promised me he wouldn't leave me alone and now he's gone forever. I knew we weren't today's kids anymore and I had been blessed to have him for as long as I did have him, but he was my happiness and now there is just nothing. The house is empty when everyone leaves to go to their own homes and I'm thinking of selling it and going back to a little flat where I wouldn't feel so lonely when I'm there alone, but I don't know what Donald wanted to happen to the house after his passing so I guess I would have to wait and see.Anne has been very helpful. Bringing over large dishes of food that is easily free able and reheat able in big portions so I have enough easy to heat food ready to eat when I feel like eating. Speaking of eating, that is something I no longer have the energy to do because Donald used to make the best meals in the kitchen and every time I warm a portion up I
Two weeks later Anne's P.O.VI was at the office when I got the phone call from Rachel telling me to come to the hospital as soon as possible. She didn't want to elaborate more and kept telling me to come to the hospital she was at as soon as possible. She was in tears so I knew it had to be serious, so I packed up my bag and rushed to the hospital. Upon arrival, Rachel ran into my arms and stood there crying for a while before she could even get a word of what was wrong and what had happened out.After she had calmed down enough, she led me to a hospital room and when I looked through the little window I saw dad laying there connected to so many wires and tubes and... it just didn't look right."What happened? Why?... How?... NO!""He had a heart attack this morning and they rushed him here in the ambulance where he had another one. He is for now under sedation so he can rest and
Four years laterAnne's P.O.VI cannot believe that we are attending another graduation ceremony again today. This time the guest of honour is our Nat. She had continued and fought and she is now finally picking the fruits of her hard work. Although she has been practicing medicine since the end of the year when she finished studying, she is practically only a doctor from today on as she now has the papers to prove it.To me they mean absolutely nothing, as Natacha is the best doctor at the hospital she works at and this can be seen by everyone and she has been praised for this a lot of times by her supervisor and even the people and the kids she takes care of.She is not the only one excelling in their careers as Darren wins almost all of his legal cases he takes on for his firm. Ethan was sad to see him leave his firm but knew that Darren wanted to start his own and get on
Three years laterAnne's P.O.VMy baby boy is graduating from college today as a lawyer and we already have a job set up for him at Ethan's firm where and through whom he can do his articles and get further training and experience before he, as he has planned, starts his own law firm. Ethan is the best I know and I trust him with the business and we still make use of his firm for the whole family matters as well as the business legal matters we have. He is and will stay a trusted friend and the only law firm we use if they continue their ways as he has set them out and I know Darren looks up to him just as much as me and Liam do along with dad.We sat down in the designated seating area for the parents and waited to hear his name called to watch him walk the stage and get his degree. What we weren't expecting was that he would be graduating with honours and that he would be in the top five of hi
Darren's P.O.VI was luckily allowed to stay the whole time with Nat and little Jo-Anne. I was going to say night, but then remembered that it had been three am when Nat's water broke and we haven't had any sleep since arriving at the hospital until the nurse had chased everyone out and Nat went to lie down for a little while. I decided that I wanted to hold Jo-Anne for a little while longer. She was just so perfect, cuddling my finger the way she was while sleeping. She definitely had her mum's cute nose and I don't know about her eyes as she hadn't opened them when I was looking. Don't forget the pair of lungs she has. I was so shocked to hear that huge sound came from such a small little body.She was now silently sleeping in my arms while her mother also got some sleep in before she needed to feed again. Hoping the parents won't come and visit in the first early visiting hours, so that we can spend some time together alo
Anne's P.O.VWhen the phone rang, I was dressed before Liam was even done with the call. I had been expecting this call to come ever since she had hit eight months pregnant. I have bags packed for both me and Liam if we need to stay over and everything. I want to get to Natasha as soon as possible and help her with her breathing exercises and so on as she had asked me to do. I pulled out the bags from the closet and put them at the door while Liam was still getting dressed. He could get them on his way down."Liam get the two bags when coming down. I am going to go and make some coffee for the road and maybe, if I have time, pack some snacks."I hurried down the stairs and switched on the coffee machine on my way to the cupboard to get something to nibble on. I grabbed some chocolate bars and bags of chips just to keep our sugar and energy levels high. In a thermal flask I put the made coffee and closed the lid, packe
Three months laterDarren's P.O.VNat was sitting and studying for some important test or practical session that was scheduled for next week. Said she wanted to be fully prepared for it just in case our little distracter was going to make her appearance, that could literally be any day now, as Nat was already nine months. We were still referring to the baby as our little distracter because Nat didn't want to know the gender and I was also not allowed to know as I wouldn't be able to keep it a secret.We really have had our fair share of scares with some Braxton hicks contractions and slight spotting. Permanently, now had the hospital bags in the car and made sure that they were there whenever we went anywhere. We have turned my room and some of the spare space in the flat into a baby room and moved the cot and such into our room that we are now sharing. Nat and I had decided together that we wou