Innocence (30 page)

“Oh God,” she sobbed, feeling her world shattering around her.

“She’s doing well,” Calvin reassured her.

Only she wasn’t all too sure he told the truth. Her main concern was getting to her flesh and blood and letting her know Mummy loves her.

“Don’t leave me,” she pleaded with Calvin.

“I’m not going anywhere,” he said smiling at her.

The doctor soon came and checked her over, and asked the staff to keep her where she was for a few hours and he would come back and if he was satisfied he would send her to another ward to recover.

The room emptied of medical staff and she felt almost deflated, like her life had stopped and someone was deliberately hiding information from her.

She turned her head to see Calvin. He stood frozen to the spot, and noticed his eyes roamed the room, like he was scared to look at her directly.

“So you’re my partner?” she said, attempting to sit up the bed wanting to get more comfortable.

Calvin walked to the left side of the bed. “Yeah, sorry, it was the only way I could get in and see you. I have been worried sick. I called your parents and they’re heading back to see you.”

“My parents?” she asked confused.

“Yeah,” Calvin wagged his brows, “they have been by your bedside and Kacey’s.”

Sophie could not believe what she heard. “Are you having a laugh or joking with me?”

“Nope, they arrived when you were in surgery and been here almost constantly ever since. I have struggled to be in the same room with you alone,” he told her, shrugging his shoulders while gazing at her with those puppy dog eyes.

“Wow, I am stunned. And they are what…trying to worm there way back into my life, after cutting me out, or should I say my mum?” she
emphasized.

“I kind of dropped your mum into it,” he added, leaning against the wall at the far side of the room. She watched him and waited for him to expand, eager to hear this story. “I was angry for the way they had treated you and how she made you…” He paused and gulped heavy. “…abort our baby, and so I allowed it to slip, and your dad was stunned. I don’t believe he had a clue about the truth and that your mum kept it hidden from him. He was mortified and ever since then, your mum has gone out of her way to be nice,” he told her as she inhaled deeply, listening to him.

“Wow, I’m shocked, but that still doesn’t justify why she would be so nasty when I needed her the most,” Sophie said harshly, resenting her mum for slamming the door in her face.

“I know, but we need to move on from that, sorry you do,” Calvin said, moving to the chair to her left and sat down. He reached to take hold of her hand. “It’s the past and right now, you need to be concentrating on getting better and your little one, she is beautiful like her mum. Only…” he said and paused.

“Only what?” she asked whilst he stroked her hand.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted the father contacted.”

“No. He will not care. He is nothing but a selfish pig that only cares about one person. We will be better off without his foul life in our lives. He would do nothing but make trouble and I don’t need Kacey growing up with a drug dealer for her father, would you?” she said punitive.

“No, not really, but he is still the father.”

“You’re more of a father then he will ever be,” Sophie said realizing what she said. She gazed at Calvin as he looked at her. They both swallowed. “Sorry, I didn’t mean it the way it sounded,” she explained.

“Don’t worry about it. The last few days have been tough and in all honesty, I am shattered.”

“Go home and get some rest. Were you not due back in London?” she remembered.

“Yes, but you and Kacey took priority.”

Sophie smiled at him, finding comfort in his words and the comment sweet, never had someone looked after her the way he had.

She ached all over her body, feeling stiff, IV line still attached to her hand, pumping antibiotics. She felt sore in her abdomen guessing that would be the C-section she had, not to mention the pain of her womb shrinking.

“Thank you, that means a lot to me and Kacey,” she said. Tears trickled down her cheeks.

“Hey, don’t mention it. I could hardly abandon you. I promised I would help,” he said. He took hold of her hand. “I never go back on my word,” he said, engaging in deep eye contact.

His soft hand delicately stroked her hand, making her heart race. Suddenly, all the pain she had suffered seemed to disappear.

“Thank you, I sincerely mean that,” she said, using her right hand to wipe away the tears.

“Don’t, it has been my honor to be here for you. I brought Kacey some clothes, toiletries and nappies,” he said excited.

She smiled at him.
Why does he have to be so perfect?

“Wow, I bet they drown her.” She giggled.

“She cannot wear them yet, she has to be able to maintain her own body temperature, but when she can, they are there for you.” He smiled.

“Thank you, you didn’t need too.”

“It’s my pleasure to do so.” He lowered his head, giving her a sincere signal something was wrong. “What is it…she is okay, right!” Sophie asked. Her heart suddenly skipped beats. She watched Calvin inhale a deep breath and slowly release it. “Calvin…tell me,” she said as he kept his eyes down.

“Kacey has anemia and inflammation of the bowl. They’re doing all they can, the nurse said that your milk would be the best medicine on the planet,” he told her.

She heard the reluctance in his voice and watched him lift his head while stroking her hand.

“I need to get to her,” she said in terror.

“You will, they are looking after her well, it’s not uncommon for premature babies. You need to get better and stronger so you can help her recovery.”

Sophie looked at him. Bile filled her throat and her eyes filled with tears. She wondered if there was a way around this mess and if there was somehow she could help. She wondered how much more bad information she could cope with. Breathing heavy, trying to hold herself together, but the truth was…she was unsure whether she could. The thought of her little angel needing her mummy urgently, to help give Kacey the best medicine in the world and get her on the road to recovery was top priority. Kacey was born early and that worried Sophie more.

“I should have gone earlier to the hospital,” she sobbed.

“Stop blaming yourself. You were going to haemorrhage regardless, and she would have been born before time. Stop condemning yourself, it isn’t going to help the current situation. You have to stay strong,” Calvin told her as he caressed her hand and passed her some tissues. “You can blame yourself, I can blame myself for not bringing you sooner. The truth of the matter was we didn’t,” he said.

She wiped her eyes and gazed at Calvin seeing the pain in his eyes.

“No, this isn’t your fault, you had done nothing but be sincere since you met me a week ago. You have given me strength that I thought I had lost,” she said.

“I only did what I felt in my heart was right,” he announced scrunching up his nose.

“Well, Kacey and I sincerely, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.” Sophie meant every word she said.

“Honestly it was nothing.”

“You’re a kind man! One day there is going to be a very lucky woman,” Sophie stared deeply into his eyes and could see the instant compassion, God he was beautiful.

He scoffed at her words, “Yeah right!”

“I do, I am shocked you’re not already spoken for, and she leaves many women jealous.”

“Now you are talking rubbish.” He chuckled.

Either way Sophie knew she was right, In the near future he would find a woman who loves him for the real emotional, caring, sensitive, enduring man that he is. She couldn’t help but already sense the green eyed monster coming out of her,

“Do you think that…well do you think that I could express my milk for the little one.”

“I’m not sure, can you?” he said scrunching up his cute face.

“Yes, using a breast pump and the nurse could come and collect it from me. That way I would be helping my daughter.”

“Okay, I will ask for you.” He smiled at her.

Calvin stood and placed his hand on her forehead and stroked her hair backwards, sending her dreamy and lost in his touch and then with his soft wet lips kissed her brow.

She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of him being so close, drinking his fragrance, and could feel the heat coming off his body, sending her guts swirling.

Then she heard the door of the room opened while Calvin delicately kissed her brow. She opened her eyes to see her parents. Calvin quickly moved away. Her parents both stood staring at them.

Oh crap!

* * * *

Calvin stepped out of the room not believing the timing of her parents to come barging into the room and catch him kissing her tenderly on the forehead. It meant nothing. Well, it might have, but right now Sophie needed all the love and support she could get. He wondered if he should stay in the room and make sure Sophie would be okay with them, after all, they hadn’t had anything to do with her since her leaving the village almost ten years ago.

He wondered how she coped or where she went. There were so many questions he wanted to ask Sophie but right now, there were other matters and he would ask at a more appropriate time. He scratched his head and sat on the chair outside the room not wishing to be far away in case the doctor came back and transferred her to another ward, which he said he would do. Calvin also wanted to go to the neonatal unit to ask about her expressing her milk. Then he also needed to call his parents, letting them know Sophie had woken. Calvin knew how his mum worried. He always made sure he called his mum for a chat every day, and sometimes they spoke about nothing and other times they would talk for hours. He did miss home, it was where his roots were, but who knows what the future holds?

He sat staring at the white tiled floor, following a pattern, that didn’t add up. Holding his head in his hands he could feel thick, sticky goo in his hair, the gel. His hair tousled and he really could do with another shower. He was drained, tired and needed a bed, and now that Sophie was awake, that eased his heart. More to the point she woke with him and he hadn’t missed it.

She looked shabby and in need of a damn good wash, but clearly that hadn’t been an option while she was unconscious. He snorted at the fact that one day he might manage to see her glitzed up with make-up and wearing a stunning dress, looking amazing. He laughed normally on meeting a woman she would be dressed smart and wearing make-up to the point he wouldn’t recognize her without it on. Then she’d put on a special act just for him, only in Sophie’s case she’d been attempting to take her life, heavily expecting, not an ounce of make-up, totally natural and looked magnificent. He smiled at that thought, he preferred woman to be themselves, at least he knew Sophie
o-natural,
no act, just the pretty young woman she was.

He admitted he came into her life at a bad point, but there was something invigorating about her that made his heartbeat quicken, chest tighten, and his knees turn wobbly and that was before he found out who she was. He had no idea how he would make her believe that he liked her as more than just friends, but again now was not the time, and soon he would be back in London. How could he walk away, or leave Sophie in the emotional state she was? He couldn’t and he would find a way around the mess, he would make it his mission.

He knew her mental state would be irrational and now she’d woken up and still had much information to digest not only about her own health but her daughter’s as well. Sophie would be scared, worried and bleeding inside, craving to see and hold her little bundle. He knew in the coming days she would say nasty things, due to not thinking right, but he would stand by her and give his word. London can wait. London had to wait after all, that was why he hired a second to help him out when times were tough.

He sat twiddling his fingers, scratching his head, hoping her parents didn’t get the wrong idea of what they walked into. Of course he cared about Sophie—okay, in his heart, far more than that. The truth was, no matter what demons came and smacked him in the face he would stand tall and take it like a man.

All his life he had hidden behind the real him he was. Calvin really was a caring, sincere guy, yes, he had nerves of steel when it came to work and being the manager, but in his own heart he was soft. He looked after his employees, bullying was out, no tolerance, no matter how good they were at their job, disciplinary action would be taken. He liked a workforce who got on and if there was a misunderstanding, he would make sure it got dealt with immediately, with no hesitations. Cold atmospheres he hated, and he had a good sense when something was wrong.

He heard voices and turned to see the doctor coming back to the room with Sophie’s nurse who had been phenomenal the last few days. He was pleased she spoke freely about Sophie and her condition, but now she was on the mend, at least had woken.

He entered the room, seeing Sophie gaze at him. He swallowed heavily and tried his best to keep out of the way. The doctor talked to her and told her about her wellbeing, and how she would need to take things very easy.