Celine

Kevin hovered over her, his dark eyes worried, and Celine wished he would listen to her, but by the time her husband got to the hospital and made his way up to her private room, he was practically tearing his hair out in anguish. Sometimes being married to a human was draining...

"Honey, if you don't stop pulling at your hair, you will go bald, and I promise I will be forced to rub your shiny melon every day for good luck!"

Well, that stopped him for a second at least and gave her time to subtly whisper the spell that eased his worry. Her beloved had no idea that she was a witch; in order to blend in with the human society, one must employ certain skills, and it was more for Kevin's safety that she used a disruptive spell whenever she had to work anyway.

For such a sexy man, he was a closet worrywart, constantly hovering over her, afraid she might break any second, and Celine loved him for it.

The latest crisis causing him panic was the persistent rumors of his affair with April, it was, of course, utter nonsense, and as a healer, Celine had seen straight away that April was a werewolf, and her heart had been shattered by her worthless pig of a mate, a secret she had no intention of exposing.

She would never understand how some supernaturals would willingly forsake their fated mate for power or hierarchy in their respective communities, she supposed some might think that with Celine's own mate being human, she would somehow be weaker, but that was simply not true.

Kevin gave her life balance, in her line of work, ugly emotions ran high, sometimes when she healed people or supernaturals, the ugliness would somehow find it's way into her, and Kevin's total love and concern for Celine would drive the darkness back out. He would make her lighter and bring her back to her purity just by being there.

"Baby, it's just not going away."

Kevin muttered, raking his hands through his trademark lion's mane, and when he looked back at her, his eyes were full of sorrow.

"It hurts so bad," he confessed brokenly, "The only way I'm managing to get through the day is by writing about it, singing brings me peace, but I'm struggling, April's voice helps me, she is like a little sister, and those bastards are trying to turn it into something ugly and wrong!"

Celene jumped in surprise as Kevin thumped the wall, his tattooed forearms trembling as he slowly slid down to sit on the floor, "I don't know what to do anymore, baby girl, should I look for another band to play in, move us out to the burbs or something? Everything is such a mess!"

Righto, Celine thought, pursing her plump lips, the calming spell she'd used a few moments ago was quite potent, so if he was still struggling, Kevin was heading to a dark place fast, and she couldn't allow that.

"Look at me, Kevin."

His deep brown eyes looked up, and she could see the beginning of tears,

"We lost our baby Kevin, some arsehole shoved me out of the elevator, and I fell. It was an accident, devastating, yes, but still an accident. Should we be grieving right now? The bloody path we should, and we are, grieving together; April Ramsey is part of our crazy family too, and I have seen that girl crying with us, she sheds those tears because she loves us, Kevin, she stays up till all hours at home, creating music with you, because she knows you don't want to be alone. April has a pure heart and doesn't deserve what those mongrels are saying about her, but she stays quiet, enduring it all so we can grieve in peace; April takes the spotlight, so we don't have to. and I can't think of anyone that I would trust more, alone with you when you're vulnerable than the woman who distracts the vultures while we deal with our loss,  be grateful honey, this beautiful soul has your back, and I couldn't be happier to see her taking care of you while I'm in here after all isn't that what family does?"

Tears were falling from her eyes as well now, and Celine opened her arms, beckoning to her husband; her soft voice broke as she whispered, "I miss him too. My body feels so empty now."

Kevin hurried towards her, and soon their combined sobbing was the only sound in the room; their beautiful baby was gone, they would never get to see him grow up, the nursery at home that they spent the last few months lovingly decorating with sailing ships and dinosaurs would remain empty.

His heartbeat was a permanent tattoo on both parents' wrists now, just a ghost sound from the last scan before it happened, but little Kevin junior never got to take his first breath. At 21 weeks, his lungs just weren't strong enough.

The young parents clung to each other, holding on through the tears as they remembered their little boy, how perfect he looked, all swaddled in his blanket, as the doctor had handed his tiny body over to Celine.

His eyes had been closed, almost like he was asleep, thick red lashes graced his pale little cheeks, his plump lips, just like his mamas were cold to the touch, but that hadn't stopped them from kissing him, loving him, and before he was laid to rest in the family plot, Kevin made sure to snip a lock of his fiery red baby hair, presenting it to his wife in a locket that she now wore every day.

They cried for all the years they would miss, the milestones he would never meet, the life their baby was denied, and with their tears soaking the bed and each other, their healing finally began.

Deep in the heart of the city, in a dimly lit studio, April was also lost in her grief, pouring her soul into her latest song, trying to deal with her pain the only way she knew how to, alone.