Plum Blossom | Completed

Chapter Six

Mellisa was ready to give birth at any minute. Throughout this entire process, Emmaline had been more than just her case worker; She had become Mellisa's confidante, helping her through the pregnancy, almost like an older sister.

Mellisa realized very soon into her second trimesters that she would need all the help she could get. Alex hadn't been much help. He had set off to California almost immediately after Mellisa was discharged and set up in her new home. Initially, he would come visit every two weeks. Off late, even phone calls and messages seemed rare.

As much as she worried, Mellisa hadn't had much time to think about Alex's behavior. Instead, Mellisa found herself feeling overwhelmed most of the time, doubting her ability to be a good mother.

Fortunately, Emmaline had been a godsent. Emmaline was a single mother herself, with a five-year-old son that Mellisa had fallen in love with on sight. Emmaline had graciously accepted Mellisa's offer to watch Connor; Mellisa always suspected that this was for her benefit, but Emmaline constantly reassured her that watching Connor was helping Emmaline more than it was Mellisa.

"Are you going to be good for Auntie Mel?" Emmaline asked her son while dropping him off at Mellisa's.

"Yes. I am going to help her relax and have fun, just like you asked," the adorable little boy replied.

"Just remember, Auntie Mel needs to stay on the couch. She can't go running after you so don't cause too much trouble, okay?

"Don't worry, Em. We have a fun afternoon of books, movies and junk food planned," Mellisa beamed, one hand on her stomach, placing the other one on Connor's shoulder.

"Stop spoiling my son."

"Hey! You're the one buying all the groceries. Why buy junk food if you don't want us eating it?" Mellisa teased.

Shaking her head, Emmaline bid goodbye to the pair, leaving them to their activities. Time flew quickly, as it always did for Mellisa and Connor. They were never bored when they spent time together.

It helped that Connor was such a good boy. He went down for a nap without any trouble, and that proved to be a problem for Mellisa. Halfway through Connor's nap was when Mellisa went into labour. With no one to help her, she reached for her phone only to realise that she had left it on the kitchen counter during lunch time.

Amidst her panic, Mellisa tried her hardest to calm herself with deep breaths. Eventually, a murderous scream left her lops, alerting both Connor and the next door neighbour.

"Is everything okay in there?" said a voice as a person stood on the other side of the front door, pounding on it.

"HEEEEEEEEEELP!" Mellisa screamed.

A minute later, the front door was broken in. For the second time that year, everything went black.

"I see we're making a habit of it," said Dr. Korsac when Mellisa woke up in the hospital hours later.

"You look like you've been through hell," Mellisa commented, her voice hoarse.

"Are you trying to play with death? We almost lost you on the operating table, twice!"

"I wasn't trying to," Mellisa mused, an unimpressed look on Dr. Korsac's face.

"You said operating table. What happened? Is my baby okay?"

"She's in the NICU," Dr. Korsac said.

"How is she?" Fear crept into Mellisa's body.

"It was touch and go. But she's a fighter. She's doing better. We'll have to keep her here for a few weeks, though."