For Better, For Worse 2 | BWWM | COMPLETE ✔

✔Thirty: "It's hard letting go."

Justin

It took a while for Liv to be able to leave the hospital with me and I felt like she hated me for making her do that. While the ride home should've been filled with happiness over the fact that we now had a son, it was painfully quiet instead, and when we got back to the house, Liv went straight up the stairs without saying anything to me or her parents who were in the house.

"She's taking it badly," I told Shirley as I helped myself to a fruit off the fruit bowl in the kitchen.

"I understand where she's coming from. Just give her a bit of time, alright?" Shirley smiled sincerely.

"She nearly broke down in the hospital. If I didn't do something, Dr Lake would've sedated her again." I frowned at the thought.

"It doesn't help that she's constantly worried, huh?"

"No."

"Well, we're praying for Noah to come home soon. Have faith, Justin, and be there for Liv as best you can."

"Yes ma'am." I managed a smile.

Shirley told me about the food she'd saved for Liv and I in the microwave before she excused herself to call it a day.

Once I'd finished my apple, I went upstairs to check on Liv.

She was in Noah's nursery, putting some of his stuffed toys into the empty crib while humming softly to herself, sniffing in between.

I knew she was upset to be home without our baby and I knew that she was paranoid about his safety at the hospital-- I got all of that. It hurt me to have to be the bad guy in this but, really, I'd only had both hers and Noah's interests at heart by talking Liv into coming home.

She heard me close the door, even though I'd done it as softly as I could, and her puffy red eyes told me that she'd been lost in her own thoughts for long enough. We had to talk this through so that she could understand.

"Hey," I walked further into the room, advancing towards her as she stayed next to the crib.

"Hey." Liv said. She looked at me briefly before continuing with loading the crib with stuffed toys.

"Your mom saved us some food. I could warm yours up for you if you like?"

"No thank you."

"Would you like some tea rather?"

"No."

I sighed, feeling like I was losing.

"I know you miss Noah," I said, leaning against the empty crib as I looked at her face, "but he'll be home soon, I promise."

Liv ignored me but I knew she heard me.

"I'm sorry I made you come home but... I honestly feel it's what's best for you and Noah."

"Being away from my son is what's best." Liv chuckled to herself as she wiped off a stray tear with the back of her hand.

"You've gotta be at your best to be able to take care of him. That means good food, good sleep... The hospital doesn't offer that, Liv."

Liv quietly went to pack some diapers onto a shelf along with other toiletries that were Noah's.

"You know," she tucked some of her hair behind her ear as she kept busy, "I wanted to be the first to see him open his eyes for the first time. For all those weeks that I carried him, I wondered whose eyes he has and... I still don't know."

I watched quietly as she vigorously opened the various packages for the items she was packing away as she continued to rant with her voice cracking from all the emotion she'd bottled inside.