What He Left Behind

Chapter 4

Chapter 4:

I carefully took my sleeping son out of Blake’s arms and walked into the room the doctor was motioning me to go in. I placed Nate on the big, white hospital bed, pulling the covers up round his neck, and giving him a kiss on the cheek, before turning round to face Noah, who had followed me into the room. I noticed that Blake and Bella stayed outside. Smart people.

I gestured to the small, blue sofa near the window in the room, and Noah went and sat down on it. I slowly followed, and sat down on the sofa, as far away from Noah as I possibly could.

“So…..” Noah began, breaking the awkward silence that was beginning to become unbearable. I was about to say something to him when I heard the word that made me freeze.

“Mummy,” I turned to the bed, and saw Nathan looking at me, his eyes half open because of the brightness in the room. He took in his surroundings and looked like he was about to burst into tears, “where am I mummy?”.

I stood up, and walked over to him and sat down in the chair by his bed. I put my hand round his small one and rubbed it with my thumb reassuringly. “We’re in a special room, sweetie, where only super cool, special boys go”. He smiled at me then, showing off his small, white teeth.

“Can I have teddy please?” I got up slowly then, moving over to my handbag near the sofa. I bent down and pulled out the cream, fluffy bear, with a brown button nose that looked a bit like a minstrel. I heard a ‘gasp’ when I pulled it out. I knew it was Noah without even looking.

“Here you go baby, now get some sleep, and when you wake up tomorrow, we can go home. Is that alright bubba?” Nathan nodded, letting out a huge yawn at the same time. I laughed, and ruffled his hair, before kissing him goodnight, and tucking him in again.

“Rose, is there something you’re not telling me?” I felt hot breath down my neck, and I slowly turned and saw Noah, right behind me. Him being so close threw me off completely.

“I, uh, um” I stuttered again, my head unclear and my heart beating extremely fast.

“Rose, please, tell me. Why did you give that little boy the teddy I had when I was younger? And why does he look like me?” Noah questioned, looking at me and then Nate. “Rose, answer me, please, you’re worrying me”.

“I did it for you! Ok!” I blurted out, “he is yours! Ok! But your career in America was just kicking off, and if you knew about him, you wouldn’t be where you are today”. I was shaking after telling him that, my hands and legs tingling.

Noah just looked at me, a hurt expression across his face, “I can’t believe you, Rose” Noah shook his head, and started pinching himself, “It can’t be true, I can’t be a father.” I glared at him, thinking of how our son didn’t deserve a father who didn’t want him.

“Yeah, well, you are Noah Anderson, and I don’t want you to see my son again, quite frankly. Nathan doesn’t deserve someone like you for a father”. I felt extremely harsh saying that to him, but I couldn’t help it, it just, came out I guess. He looked at Nathan with such disgust, that I didn’t care what I said to him, the most important thing in my life was my son, and there was nothing he could say against Nate.