Acting Royal #Wattys2017

Chapter 49

4 months later

Jenny stared down at the face of her daughter. She had been staring at her for hours already, but she just couldn't stop. She had no idea a person could feel such love. It was as if a massive part of her heart had never loved, until this very second. Abi stared right back up at her too with the most magical green eyes- Zayn's eyes. They were unmistakably his.

Her mother and father had already been in to see her, Anton, Emma and Maddie had also just been there and she was settling in for her first night with her daughter. She was exhausted, labor had not been a fun affair, that's for sure, and if it hadn't been for Emma, she thought she was going to die at several stages.

It had been a bitter -sweet moment the second her daughter had been passed to her. She'd held her to her chest and burst out crying. She cried from the relief of the pain being over, she cried because she was flooded with such overwhelming love for this little person and she cried because she was still in love with Zayn, and he wasn't there.

With her daughter lying on her chest, she finally closed her eyes and succumbed to sleep.

**

When Jenny woke up, she didn't feel the heaviness of her baby on her chest anymore.

"Abi!" She shot up in absolute panic. She'd never experienced such panic before, not to know where her daughter was for that second. He eyes scanned the room and in the corner, seated on a chair was the dark silhouette of a man. For one tiny second she thought it was Zayn and her heart leapt, but then the man stood up.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," Rafiq said walking forward. He was cradling Abi in his arms.

"Rafiq!" Jenny was shocked to see him.

"Sorry, you were asleep and she was waking up and... I thought you needed to sleep." Rafiq said walking over to the bed and handing Abi back to Jenny.

Jenny smiled up at Rafiq, "How long have you been here?"

"About two hours."

Jenny looked down at her baby. Abi was asleep now, she'd been sleeping peacefully in Rafiq's arms for the past few hours.

"How did you get in here? Only relatives and close friends are allowed?" Jenny asked looking around.

Rafiq smiled, "I told the nurses I was your mother's second cousin's aunt."

Jenny managed a small chuckle.

"Congratulations." Rafiq said finally sitting on the edge of her bed. "She's beautiful... her eyes...."

"I know." Jenny said looking up at Rafiq.

"Does-" Jenny started.

"No. He doesn't know I'm here, he doesn't know about Abigail either."

"Good." Jenny said. "I'm glad." She bit her bottom lip. Just thinking about him while holding his baby in her arms, was so devastating.

Jenny and Rafiq sat in silence, there was so much she wanted to ask him and say to him, but she didn't.

"Well, I just came to see how you were and to meet Abigail." Rafiq finally said standing up.

"Thanks." Jenny said to him, despite everything she had such a soft spot for this guy.

"And I just wanted to remind you that if you ever need anything, you just call me."

Jenny nodded. "I think I'll be okay." She said looking down at her angel, "We'll be ok."

Rafiq pulled something out of his pocket. "Here." This is not from him, and it's not for you. It's from me and it's for Abi."

Jenny held her hand out and he dropped something into it. It looked like a diamond

"What is it?" She asked looking at it while it glinted in the light.

"It was from my great grandmother. It was a diamond from her wedding ring. We were all given one. I was meant to use it when I got married, but I never really got around to doing that and I don't have any children, and you are... anyway, just take it."

"It's beautiful." Jenny said looking at it.

Rafiq stood there staring down at Jenny for a few moments and then leaned in and placed a kiss on her forehead, he then kissed Abi on the forehead.

"She really is lovely, you should be very proud."

"I am." Jenny said.

"I'll get going now." he started walking towards the door and turned around once more, "If you ever, ever, ever need anything, please..."

"I will." Jenny said.

"I'm sorry, again. About everything."

Jenny looked down at her baby. "I'm not sorry. Look what I have." She smiled up at Rafiq who walked out and disappeared down the corridor.