My Baby Girl

Chapter 9.

Charlotte and I spent the morning baking. Eric and Isiah both had early shifts, so Charlotte and I decided to spend some time together. The baking was my idea. I'm no next great baker, but following the instructions on the box properly makes a good cake.

Charlotte didn't seem to mind us baking, she said she never really did it before but it seemed like fun.

We baked a cake, some cookies, and right now were in the middle of baking some brownies.

"Do you think Isiah and Eric would mind this being their dinner?" Charlotte questioned. I chuckled at her questioned.

"I don't know, I don't think either of them have a big sweet tooth,"I answered.

I placed the last tray of brownies in the oven, while Charlotte started to wash the dishes we used.

When I first got here, it was weird. Isiah and Charlotte are living in my old apartment, and while being here I can't help but think of Hayden. I can't help but remember him in this house, and Grace too.

It's the first time I'm here since Hayden went missing. I was hesitant to come, but at the end I decided to face this house. Two of my best friends live here, and I thought it wouldn't be healthy if all I'm doing is preventing going to their house. I'm here to spend time with Charlotte, but also to hopefully move on from the situation. Not forget about Hayden, but be at ease with the situation to feel stronger and hopefully find him soon.

I took a seat on one of the stools, my feet were starting to throb from standing up for too long.

"You okay?" Charlotte asked me.

I smiled and her and nodded. I was okay, I was just tired is all.

"I feel fine, just my feet were hurting is all," I explained.

Charlotte finished washing the dishes. She took a seat next to me, with a kind of serious look on her face.

"I meant, how are you? Like being here, in this house," she explained.

"It feels strange, but I think I can handle being here. I don't want to be traumatized, I want to come visit you and Isiah."

Charlotte smiled at me. Her smile was small, but it still warmed my heart. I could tell that me being here did mean something to her.

"I know what you're going through is hard, and it's hard on all of us. The cops will find Hayden, I know they will. I know right now Hayden's doing good, and once we find him he'll more than good. I know we'll find him, that we don't have to worry about."

Charlotte placed her arm around my shoulders. I hadn't even noticed the tears streaming down my cheek. I wiped them off, and felt her grip get a little tighter.

"You'll be fine, Aaliyah," Charlotte started to say. "We'll all be fine, and we'll be better when he's here. We all just need patience."

~*~

After both men got out of work, they met us at the apartment. Charlotte and I, decided that cookies and cupcakes weren't a good dinner. Instead of cooking, we ordered a few pizzas.

I asked Charlotte not to tell Eric about me crying. He thinks I'm doing a lot better, which I am. I just don't want a story to make him think I had a set back. I know he understands sometimes I get upset about these things, but just this one time I want to keep it to myself.

Eric, Isiah, Charlotte, and I finished the two boxes of pizza. We all had some dessert afterwards. The food all was delicious, and baby Grace loved it too. It felt like she was swimming around, full of joy.

Whenever I feel her move I get reminded, I have to stay strong for two of my children. Hayden, because I know we'll find him soon. Grace, because she depends on me to live; literally. I smiled down at my belly and stroked it for a minute. I love having her grow inside me.

Eric and I left the apartment close to nine. We spent most of the time just talking, fooling around. It was as if we were normal teenagers for once. Nothing about me is normal though. I'm pregnant, and I have a missing baby. I have no family either. My only family is Eric, Charlotte, and Isiah.

I looked over at Eric who was driving. He quickly glanced at me and smiled, before looking away back at the road.

"What?" He questioned with a smile.

I smiled at him. I took in every one of his features. I was crazy about this man. It's also insane to think that this is Eric. The Eric who I hated, and wanted to do nothing with. Now, he's going to be the father of my baby. Not to mention, that he is the father of my other baby.

"I love you so much, you know that right?" I questioned him.

Eric's smile grew on his face.

"Of course I do, and I hope you know how much I love you. I know this still isn't easy for you, Aaliyah. I know how much it still kills you that Hayden isn't here with us. Trust me, I know how much you wish you could probably just keep mourning. I just want you to know, I am so proud of you. You struggled to get out of that depressed state, and you bloomed out of it. I swear, I thought I would never see you like this again. I love looking at how happy you are, and I hope to keep that smile on your face for a long time." Eric paused, but it looked like he had more on his mind to say.

"I struggled, but I'm here for you and for our baby girl. I'm also here for Hayden, just how you are. I was there for him in all the wrong ways, and you were right. I need to be ready to greet him, just how we're ready to greet Grace. Both our kids need to come home to a happy family, not a broken mom." I wanted to laugh a bit, to let him know I'm okay; but there was nothing funny about this.

"I know. You struggled, and I feel like I pushed you out of that depressed state. I'm glad you're out of it, but I still feel a tad of guilt I guess," Eric said with a shrug.

I placed my hand on his shoulder, and gave him a reassuring smile.

"You gave me that push I needed, and I thank you for that," I honestly said to him. "Did Grace tell you about today?"

I had my suspicions about her, but I didn't mind she told him I cried. When I asked her to stay quiet I guess I was scared, but now I'm glad she told him. I needed to have this conversation with Eric.

"She did, but she only worries about you like I do," he defended her.

"I know, I'm not mad she told you. I just should of known not to ask that of her, it wasn't fair to her."