Robin

I pace in front of my desk, my arms crossed. "It's too soon. I can't do it."

"Ma'am, you have to. You've rescheduled four times."

Seven weeks.

It's been seven weeks since I lost my baby. Up until two weeks ago, I've been fine. But the morning I had to go to my doctor's appointment, it hit me.

It's as if a hole has formed in my heart. I can't look at children anymore and feel happy, as I once did. Instead, it's only sadness of what I could have once had.

I can't go back to that hospital. I'll only be filled with disappointment and heartache again. I know what the results will be and my heart or mind can't take that pain.

The only person that has kept me sane is August. Whenever I have a breakdown about it, he holds me in his arms and comforts me.

"Ma'am-"

I stop and face her. "I lost my child, Kelly. That's not a small thing. It's hard for me to walk back in there and not break down, okay?"

"Ms. Davis, I completely understand. My sister and her husband had the same thing happen to them a few years ago. I-"

I step closer. Intrigued and hopeful about her statement. "How did they cope? Did they break apart? How are they now?"

She smiles. "Believe it or not, the miscarriage only brought them closer together. And when she got pregnant, it healed them."

The frown drops from my face. "Really?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"She was told she couldn't have children, either?"

"Yes, ma'am. It was like a second chance, you know? They call the baby their miracle baby."

"Miracle baby?"

Kelly nods. "Yes, ma'am."

I walk back to my desk and exhale a deep breath. When my breathing has returned to normal, I close my eyes. "Fine." I say. I reopen them and check the clock. "Since we won't make it on time today, reschedule it for tomorrow morning. And Kelly, I give you permission to do whatever you have to do to make sure I get to that doctor's appointment, you hear me?"

She smiles widely and nods. "Will do!"

Kelly leaves my office quickly. While she is gone, I work on the new wedding I received. The Walters. I am relieved to find out they only want a simple black and white theme wedding.

As I begin searching for venues, my door bursts open. I look up from my desk and roll my eyes. I try my hardest not to smile as August walks towards me with a Chick-fil-A bag in his hand. Richy follows behind him.

"Robin, I've got news for you." Richy says, flopping on one of the small sofas.

August reaches my desk and sets the bag on it as I wait for Richy to continue. He kisses my cheek. "Hey, gorgeous."

I smile. "Hey, dipshit."

He starts to remove items from the bag. "Did you eat you today?" August asks, setting a burger in front of me.

I accept it eagerly. "No. I forgot to."

He lifts my chin, causing my eyes to meet his. "You forgot to?"

"Yes. Now let me eat the burger. I'm starving."

August takes his hold off of my chin and lets me get back to my burger. He comes behind me and places a kiss on my neck. "I need you to start eating more, alright?"

"I'll try." I reply.

"Good girl." He whispers, pressing another kiss to my neck. A shiver goes down my spine.

Richy tosses a small ball to August. "Are you done? I'm trying to tell my girlfriend something." A scowl forms on August's immediately. He throws the ball back at Richy, instead hitting his leg. Richy groans a bit but recovers quickly.

"As I was trying to say; I passed that test we were working on the other day."

My smile grows wider and happiness fills my heart for him. "I knew you could! You were just being lazy." I say, shaking my head.

He shrugs. "Lazy people are fun—think fast!" He shouts, throwing the ball in August's direction. Before August is able to catch it, it hits my picture frame of him and I.

A crack appears in the middle of it. The smile drops from my face as Richy stares at me in fear. I remove my heel and point the bottom at them. "You both have ten seconds to leave my office before I murder you with a shoe."

Richy sprints out of my office immediately. August holds my face in his hands and kisses me softly before pulling away shortly after. "I'll see you at home, yeah?"

"Yes. I love you. Now leave."

He smiles and pecks my lips one more time. "I love you too." He replies. He holds his middle finger up to me and I match his actions as he leaves.

I place my heel back on my foot and finish the Chick-fil-A in about seven minutes. When there's another knock on the door, I roll my eyes. "You can knock all you want. I'm not letting you in!"

Despite my shouting, the door opens. I lift my head up in annoyance, but it vanishes when I see Marie standing at the entrance. She smiles and holds her arms out for a hug as she walks toward me.

"Not even your best friend?"

I smile as well and stand up. I allow her to hug me for a few seconds before pulling away. "How was I supposed to know you were coming, Marie? You didn't tell me."

She takes a seat in front of my desk as I return to my chair. "Well, that's because I wanted it to be a surprise, Robin." She taps her head and reaches for her pants pocket. "Oh, I almost forgot!"

I lean forward, trying to sneak a peek at what she is pulling out of her pocket. "What?"

Her smile widens as she reveals a ring. "I got you something." She says, sliding the ring to me. "I have a matching one."

I pick up the ring and inspect it happily. It is a silver ring. Our initials are carved on the back and a heart carved on the front. I glance at her through my eyelashes as I smile.

An odd thing to me about this is how much she knew I hated silver. She knew how swollen and painful my finger got when I wore it, yet she still gave me a silver ring. But I push my overthinking aside, convincing myself it is not that serious.

I slip the ring on my middle finger and bring my gaze back to her. I pat her hand. "Thank you. This means the world to me."

We smile at each other for a moment later before I return to my paperwork. We sit in comfortable silence for about a minute before Marie clears her throat.

"So… how've you been? It's been ages since we've had a heart-to-heart."

I frown at her awkwardness as I flip a page. "Marie, we talk on the phone nearly every day." I reply, a small chuckle escaping my lips.

"Yeah, but… you know, I miss you."

I drop my pen and fold my hands. Meeting her gaze, my frown deepens. "Alright, what's up? Why are you acting so weird?"

She rubs her knuckles. She tends to do that whenever she's nervous or afraid. "I'm just worried about you, Robin. I've been feeling awful about the shooting incident. I'm so sorry I didn't come visit, honey. I was just busy."

I wave a dismissive hand and look back down at my paperwork. "Don't be. It's not like you did it, right?" I lean closer and roll my eyes. "It was Henry. He's the only one that should be held accountable for that. I'm glad that son of a bitch is rotting in prison as we speak."

She gulps as anger rises inside of me at the mention of Henry. Looking closer, I notice tears start to form in Marie's eyes. "Hey, it's okay. I understand you were busy."

"I'm truly, deeply, sorry for what he did to you, Robin. I tried to talk him out of it, but we both know how he is."

"Marie, I said it's-" I finally register what she has just said. I look up slowly, my grip on the pen tightening. "What did you just say?"

A tear falls down her cheek, causing rage to pulse through my veins. "It's not what it seems like, I promise."

I rise up from my chair hastily. "You fucking knew?"

"I don't know what got into me, Robin. I'm so-"

"Answer me. Did you fucking know he was going to shoot me?"

"Robin-"

I place my hands on the table and lean forward. "Answer. The. Question."

She nods and begins to sob. "Yes! I knew he was going to shoot you! I'm the one that told him to!"

My heart drops.

My body stiffens.

Although I should be, I am not shocked. I knew Henry didn't have the resources or guts to pull off something like that. He was a coward. He could only prove his strength through frightening mentally unstable women. But never did I think my own best friend would be the one to help him.

I shut my eyes, tears stinging the corner of them. Not tears of sadness. But tears of deep, deep rage that wanted so badly to be let free that it caused me to want to cry.

"Why?" is what I manage to mumble after a moment. "Why… why would you do that?"

She sniffles. "Henry and I used to have a thing before I met Damien. In fact, it was more than that. He was my first love. We broke up because we both wanted different things. After a while, I moved on and met Damien. But when I found out you guys were dating, I realized I was still in love with him. And while you guys were together—oh god — I can't say it."

My fists clench. "Say it."

"W-we slept together. But it was only once, Robin, I swear!"

A chuckle escapes my lips. I fake a smile and hold my heart. "It was only once? Oh, thank goodness! Wow, Marie, what did I do to deserve this reward?"

"Robin-"

I drop the smile and lean closer. The urge to slap stomp her face with my heel increases every time a tear falls down her face. "Finish."

"After we slept together, all I could think about was how badly I wanted to see him again. But you were with him. And that made me so angry, I started going insane. So one night, I gave him a call and told him my plan to shoot you. You guys broke up before the date he was supposed to. I was thrilled. But he didn't want me. He was still only focused on you. So I told him the plan was back on. By the time I came to my senses, he was already in too deep. Robin, I'm so sorry."

A chuckle, no amusement behind it, leaves my lips. "So you shot me? That was the bright idea you came up with? I lost my child and nearly my life, because you were jealous? Because you were jealous I was dating a manipulative, narcissistic, sociopath and you weren't?"

"Yes. I feel like absolute garbage about it, Robin. I hope you know if I had known you were pregnant, I would have never even thought of doing something like that."

I lower my head and close my eyes. Now it is my turn for a tear to fall down my cheek. I've never felt so betrayed. So stupid to think I could trust her. All I wanted to do was run into August's arms. I wanted him to hold me tightly as he rocked side to side, occasionally pressing a kiss to my forehead. That calmed me down. That made me happy. I didn't feel this kind of hurt.

"Say something. Please." She whispers.

I lift my head up and step away from the desk. "Your birthday, two years ago. What happened?" I ask, taking slow steps across the room. I hold my hands behind my back as well.

"I couldn't afford the party I wanted." She mutters.

"Who gave you the best fucking birthday party of your life? Who paid for every single thing and didn't expect a dime back? Who did that Marie?"

"You."

"Last March. What happened?"

"I needed an apartment and a job."

"And who bought you an apartment? Who was able to get you a job? Who fucking did that, Marie!"

I stop walking and face her, more tears trying to leave. She turns around in her chair and stands up with me. "You. You did Robin. I'm so sorry-"

"You know why? Because you were my best friend! You were my best friend, Marie. I would have never, ever, done that to you. Because that's what friends do. They don't stab each other in the back at the first chance they get."

A sob escapes her mouth as I back up. "Were?" She whispers. "You were my best friend? Oh god, Robin, please don't do this. Please."

I shake my head and slide the ring off of my finger. I toss on the ground next to her. "You chose a man that doesn't even love you, over a woman who would have taken a bullet for you."

She steps forward. "Please. It doesn't have to be like this, Robin. We can still-" she tries to touch my arm, causing the rage to increase inside of me.

I step back before I hit her. "Don't fucking touch me, Marie."

Hurt flashes over her features. She lowers herself to the ground and sits down, another sob leaving her lips. I wipe my eyes aggressively and stride back to my desk. I open the drawer quickly. I had kept all the things Marie gave me over the years in there. Not once did I think I would want to give it back. Yet, here we are.

I throw every single key chain, bracelet and everything else she has given me in her direction. "Get out." I demand, taking a seat in my chair. My jaw clenches as she stands up.

"Please-"

"Get out. I never want to see your face again. You are nothing to me, Marie. Nothing but a fucking a memory."