𝐔𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐌𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬

𝐄𝐩𝐢𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐮𝐞

Astraea

August 30th, 2004

At 3:30 am, I felt a sharp pain shoot through my body. I've had contractions for the last two hours. They haven't been close, but recently they've been less than five minutes apart. Blaire, Roman, and the kids have been living with me. Greyson purchased a penthouse for us before he passed away. It was supposed to be a wedding gift for us. I've been given a million flowers and condolences. None of them have made the pain go away. They didn't enter the bathroom to find their fiance unconscious on the floor in a pile of blood with drugs coursing through his veins. My fiance killed himself. He was faintly conscious. His skin was cold as ice. He shot his green eyes at me before his heart stopped.

I started CPR while on the phone waiting for the ambulance to arrive. I felt my life flash before my eyes. Tears poured down my cheek. The man I love was in front of me in a pool of blood with multiple drugs shot into his system. I cried to myself, "Greyson, please. You can't leave. It's not your time. We're supposed to get married in six hours. You have to be okay. Please come back to me."

Luckily his heart started beating again, and he regained some consciousness. The EMTs flooded the apartment and took him out on a gurney. I followed them into the ambulance. They had to shock him twice to keep his heart beating long enough to get to the hospital. His eyes never left mine throughout this whole process. He couldn't move his arms but mouthed, "Come here." I was flooded with adrenaline and fear that I'd lose him. He's my sanctum. He's my safe place. Losing Greyson was like losing a part of myself.

I leaned close to him with tears pouring down my cheek. I mumbled, "Please don't speak. You're going to be alright. I promise."

My promise wasn't good enough. I failed him.

He slightly leaned forward and pressed his lips on mine one last time. Greyson whispered, "Please don't cry, Rea. I love you so much, my angel." He gently placed his hand on mine and kept his eyes on me. He muttered, "I'm sorry, Rea."

Once we arrived at the hospital, his heart flatlined again, and they couldn't get it back. He was gone, just like that. I lay next to him as they unplugged the machines. I saw his beautiful face that was frozen in time. I kissed his lips. I watched as they took his cold, lifeless body out of the room. I sat on the floor in a pile of my tears. Hera rushed into the room and sat next to me. Devon and the kids were in the car. She wrapped her arm around me as I sobbed. I felt like my lungs were being suffocated. I felt like I couldn't breathe.

She drove me to her house and stayed with me for two weeks. Devon's son Denzel cheers me up with hot cocoa and a movie. He was my favorite out of the three kids. He had a heart full of gold. He'd give me these comforting hugs and tell me he loved me. He wanted to make sure I knew I was loved. Denzel is the sweetest and kind-hearted kid I've met. He also will lie on the bed and rant about his crush on my niece Islana.

I spent a couple of months isolating myself at Hera's house. My brother and Blaire sent their condolences and a gift. I couldn't leave the house or bear to go back to my apartment. I was afraid to go through Greyson's belongings. It took me until two months ago to finally take Greyson's stuff out. I kept everything of his. I couldn't part with it, and I may never will. He'll always be a part of me. I moved his belongings into the penthouse he had bought for our daughter and us. While going through his nightstand, I found twelve messages he had left for me, plus a letter to our daughter. Once I read those letters, I crumbled and felt like I had failed him. He was hurting on the inside, and I never helped him.

I hated myself for that. I completed the messages last night and haven't stopped crying. I have tears dried up on my cheeks. Blaire and Roman are in the room next door. I hate to bother them, but my contraction have gotten closer, and I couldn't drive myself. I got out of bed and wanted to avoid waking Romeo and Islana across the hall. I lightly knocked on the door. I leaned against the wall beside the door. I heard the door across the hallways creak open. Romeo poked his head out and rubbed his eyes. He wondered, "Is everything okay, auntie?"

I approached him and kneeled, "I'm alright. Go back to sleep." He shook his head. I caressed his cheek and told Romeo, "You need your sleep, Romeo. I'll be here when you wake up. I promise." He smiled and wrapped his arms tightly around me.

Romeo sprinted back into his room. Once I turned around, I saw Blaire and Roman standing in front of their door. They were in their pajamas. Blaire folded her arms and asked, "Did your water break?" I held onto the wall and replied, "An hour ago."

She sighed and wrapped her arm around me. Roman announced, "I'll start the car." Blaire walked me to the car. She sat in the backseat with me until we arrived at the hospital. She held my hand. The contractions felt like they were getting closer.

Roman speeded through the city and left the car in front of the E.R. Hera's mom works night shifts here as a nurse. She was able to get us into a room on the delivery floor. The OBGYN told me that I was nine centimeters dilated. I waited two hours until I began crowning. The doctor sat on the edge of the bed and told me, "It's time to push, Astraea." I pushed four times. I clung to Roman's hand. I felt my nails dig through his skin. I exclaimed, "I'm sorry, Roman." He chuckled, "Trust me, I've been here before. It's alright."

On the fifth push, the OBGYN smiled and admitted, "You did it, Astraea. We'll have you push out the placenta. Then we'll hand you your daughter." I glared at Blaire and asked her, "Can you be the one who cuts the cord?" Tears began to fill my eyes.

She nodded her head and cut the cord. I pushed out the placenta and then held my baby girl. She still hasn't opened her eyes. I've hoped that she would have Greyson's eyes. Roman folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. He wondered, "Do you have a name for her?" I smiled and answered, "Unlike you and Blaire, I do. Greyson and I agreed on Althea Russo-Allori. I wanted to keep Greyson's last name." Blaire and Roman laughed.

Blaire glanced at me with her phone in her hand. She told me, "I have to call Hera and check in on Romeo and Islana. I'll be back." I smiled and glanced into my daughter's face. Hera's mom took her for her tests, and once she returned, I held her for a couple of minutes then her eyes opened. I saw her green emerald eyes glance at me. I felt tears begin to pour down my eyes. She has Greyson's eyes. Roman softly rubbed my hand and reassured me, "Aw, Rea. Greyson would be so proud of you. We love you." I placed a kiss on Althea's temples.

I muttered under my breath, "I love you, Althea."

I wish more than anything you were here with me, Greyson. She looks just like you, my love. I began softly singing the song Greyson wrote for Althea. He wrote it after our last appointment together. Tears rushed down my cheeks. Althea looks like Greyson's twin. She has my hair. She's a perfect mixture of Greyson and me.

Greyson would love her. I know he's looking down at me with a smile. I miss him every day. I'll always love him. He'll always be my first and only love.

I'll live every day for him.

♫ ♫ ♫

Unread Messages is officially over. Thank you so much for reading this book. Unread Messages means the world to me. This book made me sob. I am beyond grateful for everything I've received. Thank you for 900 reads. I love you all so much.

If you have any questions let me know. <3

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