Chapter {51}

Damon Mortimer:

Amelia, Annora, Wolf, Alex, Frey, Kendyn, Melodie and I were all in the kitchen attempting to work together to get the food ready but with Rose gone with mum, there was no one to create peace in the kitchen and to calm Alex down. Amelia was being her shy quiet self while Annora was fighting with Alex. Freyah was keeping an eye on the kids including Lloyd and Luke while Kendyn was trying to calm Leora down. It was a hustle of noise and mess while I tried to cook something for all of us.

Melodie was doing my head in but thankfully Wolf was taking one for the team and keeping her as far away from the rest of us as humanly possible. I've been having loads of flashbacks and the moment and my memories and emotions are all over the place. I fell as if I need a second just to be by myself and get these thoughts straight but I never had a minute to myself. I felt so drawn to being around Emrys and taking care of Aj to help out. I can't help how protective I feel towards both of them, especially that baby.

"Hello, kiddos," Dad spoke strolling in with a barely awake Aj in his arms.

"Hey dad." most of us chimed in but I couldn't help but notice Emrys was nowhere to be seen.

The girls gushed around Aj and I say Amelia taking him in her arms for a cuddle. They had become very close in the past weeks he and his mother had been staying in the house. I suppose it's because Amelia is so calm, sweet-natured and patient with his which has helped Emrys out a lot.

"Where is Emrys?" my words slipped out of my mouth.

"She's in labour, on her way to the hospital," he spoke nonchalantly taking a piece of carrot off my chopping board.

"What she's in labour? She's not due for another week!" Annora exclaimed.

"Two weeks actually." I shot back shocking myself that I knew that information.

"Well, she's in a cab on her way now." dad continued.

"You put her in cab? On her own? Are you mad?" Annora yelled next.

"I really don't like him without mum," Wolf mumbled out.

"Who cares if she is on her own? She is a grown woman that's her problem." Melodie jumped in making us all turn towards her.

I don't see what I ever saw in that woman.

"Have you ever had children?" Freyah spoke softly awaiting a response.

"No," Melodie added.

"Then you don't get to say how any woman gets to experience her labour. She needs someone there to support her. You can't comprehend that because you have never experienced it so you don't get an opinion." Freyah finished as she picked Wilder to sit on her knee.

Melodie shut right up and sort of sunk in her corner to the room.

"Anyways, I'm just here to drop the child off and rush back to the hospital and get Annie over there with Paul and I need to phone my wife up before her sixth sense picks up that a baby is on the way and she is not here." Dad counted out all he needed to get done.

I needed to go to Emrys. I just need to be there for her, she needs someone and I felt like that person.

"I'm going," I concluded and put the knife down and turned the oven off and washed my hands before walking in the direction of the kitchen door.

"Um, Damon? Where the hell do you think you are going? You are not going to go to that woman. You are mine you understand me?" Melodie's voice roared out after me as soon as my foot was by the door.

I turned around slowly and squared up, then it hit me. Everything hit me at once. All the memories of my life with Melodie, the hurt, the betrayal and all the healing I had to do to get over her. She's the reason I was on the streets that night I met Emrys, the night I acted like an idiot and almost got myself killed.

"I am not an object Melodie that you can just pick up and do whatever you want with. I am sick and tired of how you have been talking to me and everyone around me. I wished I hadn't remembered you, or anything about you. I lost so much time trying to remember something that was never there in the first place. You need to leave. Now."

An eery silence fell across the room, you could hear a pin drop.

"You can't be serious. Damon, you chose to remember me. Me and not her. You can't just drop me?" Melodie pleaded, coming closer to me.

"What? Drop you as you dropped me for someone else after lying to me about being pregnant with my baby or how I stupidly dropped the woman I'm engaged to?" I snapped back.

Her mouth was agape and she had no word to say.

"Now leave. I have to be there for my woman. Don't even think you are welcome back here again. I can't believe I fell for you again, that I forgot about everything but you. But I've learned so much during this time and I'm glad I can kick you out once more."

I could see Melodie's demeanour falter. This was long overdue and I regret not being able to remember quickly enough.

Melodie dragged herself out to the door but before she could leave Alex decided to pipped up as Rose would.

"In the words of the sister that is not here today, Bye bitch." then proceeded to do a little wave, making Annora burst out laughing adding to Melodie's embarrassment.

After hearing the front door slam I let out a breath of air as if a weight had been lifted off my shoulders. My head was aching and my heart too but I was glad that I finally felt more like myself.

"Damon?" I heard Amelia call out to me.

"Yeah?" I shook out of my thoughts and looked towards her.

"Emrys, labour, baby. Might want to head out now." she reminded me, giving me a look that mum would do to shake me up.

I snapped back into the reality of my situation. Dad gave me a nod and together we headed to his car and drove off to the hospital letting the others know what to do and to call mum, Rose and Carter and to make sure that Aj was okay and taken care of.

We got to the hospital and got led to where Emrys had been taken to. I didn't know how to feel as I walked into the room. How do I approach the subject? However, I didn't even get to that stage because as we walked into the room there were so many nurses and just people surrounding her and strapping her to monitors that the chance to speak to her never arose.

Dad and I left her to get settled in and for me to calm down and phone Annie and Paul to get them over here for her as soon as they could. Especially Annie for her experience with labour until her mum arrives and to sort of taking over the role mum would hold should she be here. As soon as Annie arrived she went straight to see her. I stayed with dad and discussed all the little pieces that seemed to me still missing for me. He explained that no one could tell me that what I was believing was wrong until I was a little more stable, the stress would just have made me worse rather than better. I still didn't understand why I wasn't told the truth, I could handle it and that just got me angry and frustrated with myself and my family. I did not want to feel that, I did not want to feel such anger and resentment when the woman I love was in there carrying a baby, our baby and she needs me. I haven't been there for her and I can't live with that thought. I have failed her and our children.

"Damon, I know what you are thinking and I want you to not fall down that dark hole. There will be moments when you think you are the worst father on the face of the planet. You will do crap stuff that you will regret but it's what you do afterwards that matters the most. How you own up to the situation and learn from it. You are here now, you remember her, you love her and you will be there for Emrys and that baby. Don't beat yourself up about not remembering her or feeling like you have betrayed her in any way. I know you, Damon as if I made you myself." Dad spoke without ever lifting his eyes from his coffee cup.

He didn't need to look at me to make me feel the impact of his words. I nodded my head and decided it was time to see Emrys. I left dad in the waiting room to wait for Paul to arrive. I stood in front of Emrys' room door and took in a deep breath before knocking on the door. I waited to get invited in and saw this beautiful woman, her blonde hair in a messy bun, sitting on the hospital bed with a hospital gown on munching on some ice chips, the sun setting behind the windows setting a golden glow in the whole room making it warm and bright.

Her sparkling blue eyes turned to mine, her cheeks full of ice chips and her big belly on show strapped to monitors. Annie was sitting on the sofa in front of the big window letting the light in. I just stood by the door and slowly made my way in.

"How are you feeling?" I decided to ask to break the tension in the room.

Emrys nodded her head, swallowing the mouthful she had before replying.

"Contractions here and there. Just waiting to get an epidural." the corner of her lips lifted slightly.

I could tell she was excited for this baby and her excitement was contagious.

"I'll go ask for that extra pillow like you want darling and get the midwife back in," Annie spoke, breaking up our staring competition between Rhys and I.

Annie closed the door softly behind her leaving silence to fall over the room.

The sun had almost completely set in those short minutes I was in the room.

I cleared my throat and stepped closer to the foot of the bed.

"How are you holding up?" I asked, rubbing the back of my neck a little awkwardly.

"As good as you can get in labour really," she replied, still munching on her ice chips.

"I'm extremely hungry though. I regret not having lunch today," she confessed shyly, her eyes casting down to her belly.

"You didn't have lunch? Why? You need to eat!" I exclaimed, getting all protective.

"I'm alright Damon. Honest. It'll be worth me being hungry for a couple of hours when I get to hold this baby in my arms." she smiled softly and cradled her stomach lovingly.

My heart fluttered. She was just so beautiful, the setting sun letting the sky turn dark ready for the starry night just completed the picture-perfect moment appearing in front of my eyes.

In a split second her face scrunched up and her free handheld the barriers on either side of her bed.

I rushed to her side and took the cup of ice away from her hand and placed it on the little table beside the bed.

She reached out and grabbed my hand and held it tight, breathing through her pain. All I wanted to do was to take that pain away from her, I hate to see her like this and I feel like everything is my fault. The added pain to her delivery was something I should have prevented.

I continued to hold her hand and swipe the loose strands of her away from her face until the contraction faded.

She leaned back into her pillows, her energy clearly running out. She turned her head towards me and took in a deep breath.

"Why are you here Damon?" she bluntly asked.

"Because I want to be. I want to be here." I asserted.

She shook her head and let go of my hand.

"That's not a good enough reason. What happened to being with Melodie? Why are you here." she insisted.

I could tell she was getting upset over this and I couldn't understand why. Wasn't she happy that I was here with her? Doesn't she know that I remember everything? Why is she acting so defensive?

"I'm here because I love you," I confessed.

She just stared at me, her eyes untrusting of my words. She opened her mouth to give me a response but a knock came on the door interrupting her.

"Can I come in?" The nurse popped her head through the door gap with a smile.

"Yes, please come in." Emrys all but begged.

"I'm here to put your epidural in, hun." she smiled and walked over to Emrys helping her to get out of her bed.

I walked over to offer support but I could feel that this might have not been the right time to blurt out that I loved her after being amnesiac for weeks, almost months. I decided to step out of the room and seek advice from Dad and to see if Paul had arrived.

I walked to the waiting room where dad was still sitting having a chat with Annie and Paul.

"So, how did it go?" Annie offered first.

I sighed and pulled a chair out from the table where they were all sat. I knew dad must have told them that I had most of my memories back.

"Not so well, I think she's trying to process the information and telling her whilst in labour might not have been my smartest move," I confessed, running a hand over my face.

"Just let her be for the moment. I spoke to the midwife and so far she's moving along slowly. Leave her to rest for the night and see how she's doing tomorrow morning and hopefully by then she would have settled her mind and I would have a baby to cuddle." Annie continued.

I nodded at her advice, I should have waited for a little but I didn't think that my baby would be on the way so quickly.

Paul went to see Emrys and be by her side. Him, dad and Annie all took turns during the hours of the night, keeping me up to date with how she was advancing in her labour. I didn't settle for the night. I wanted to be by her side and ended up leaning against her door during the night wanting to be there if anything was going to happen but my little princess was taking her sweet time to show her face.

It was about 4.30 am when I was hearing some commotion in the room. Paul had been the last to see her and was still in there with her when the door opened wide making me tumble backwards.

"Damon, get a doctor or something, I think it's baby time."

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Hello, my lovelies!

I hope you are all well and good!

I have started work up again and back to a somewhat busy life again.

I also validated my 2nd year of uni and got a 2.1 on my exams so all is good and I'm very pleased with the marks I got.

And i'm an auntie again to a beautiful baby boy!! My nephew Hunter!!! Xx

How did we all find this chapter?

The baby is finally on its way! Any last gender predictions?

What do you think will happen next?

Thoughts and predictions?

until next time!