August 13th, 2018

Nadine propped the painting up against the wall, standing back to make sure it was perfectly aligned, a content smile on her face. She didn't work in the room often; she tried not to spend too much time in it. The plan was to get it ready in time for the baby but not finish all the work in one day. Each week, she would work on something in the room. Dominic helped with the colours and picking out the cribs, but they were a bit stuck on what they wanted, so they focused on other things. It was their first child, so they were building the nursery with a great deal of excitement.

She finished with the paintings for the day and hurried out of the room to grab her purse. She stepped out of the house exactly as Dominic was climbing into the Jeep, and she waved as he spotted her. He got down to kiss her, hunkering to kiss her stomach as well, even though she was not showing just yet.

"Out to work? Are you sure?"

"Yeah. There is something I need to get and clear up. You look dashing this morning. Would you stay too long in the office today?"

"I don't how long I would need to be there, but I'll tell you if I find out I am going to be running late." He kissed her cheek then her lips. "Want me to drive you to work?"

"No. By the way, I saw some teddies at the mall some time ago. When we have time, we have to discuss if we are putting any in the nursery." He nodded, and she sighed, tugging on his hair and then rising to kiss him one last time before she dashed for her car. She blew him a kiss as she climbed in. "I'll call you later, babe."

"Be careful!"

"Always!"

Nadine sat in the back and strapped the belt across her chest. She busied herself with her smartphone, texting Denise and Jonathan as Jackie drove her to the restaurant. When she got there, she waved to the guards as she entered the restaurant, walking through the tables towards the back of the room where she had chosen to station her office. It wasn't a large office, but its size was, exactly, her style. She squatted down on the shelf and began to search for the folder she needed.

She didn't plan to stay too long, so she sat to go over the files as quickly as possible. Denise had called earlier to inform her that she would be running late with the papers she needed to sign, so when Nadine finished going through the first folder, she decided to do a little more work to kill time while she waited.

After all, was done, she finally stood from her chair to watch the streets from her window when she noticed something strange on the seat. She touched the fabric in disbelief, gasping when her hands came back stained with blood. Nadine twisted around, trying to see around her trousers; she noticed the small patch of red forming at the crotch of her jeans. She didn't waste a minute, diving into her purse for her phone just as the first wave of painful cramps squeezed at her abdomen.

"Hello?" She cried, trying to get to the door, but the cramping made walking a little difficult. "Please help, I am, I think I am having a miscarriage. I think I am losing my baby."

Denise busted into the office at that moment with a triumphant smile that died on her lips when she noticed Nadine. She threw her bag and the folder on the couch, running over to help Nadine stand straighter. She looked her over, finally spotting the blood soaking through the material of her jeans.

"Oh, no. What do I do?" Denise muttered, taking Nadine's hand while settling her palm on her back for support. She was panicked, looking around for help. "What do I do? What do I do?"

Nadine stood there, calculating the distance from the hospital her restaurant and back, wondering if she and the babies had enough time to wait. Denise held her speechlessly for a second before shaking her head and grabbing Nadine's purse from the floor. "Look at me. The hospital is close by okay, I will drive you there. Come on, walk with me. I am here for you; I am right here."

"Dom." She cried. "Please call Dom."

"I will, as soon as we get you to the hospital. Come on."

Thankfully, Jackie had returned from her errand and was pulling into the parking lot just in time to see Denise wave her down. Nadine kept a straight face, trying not to draw unwanted attention, as Denise helped her walk to the car, holding the door open for her. She offered her hand, holding Nadine firmly for support as she slid into the back seat, then rushed around to jump into the car and advise Jackie to hurry towards the hospital.

Nadine sat in the back, tears streaming down her eyes the whole ride as Denise sat by her side, holding her hand. Denise rubbed her back, trying to provide words of support, but all Nadine could see were the chimes she bought to hang over the cribs. She could hear them sing, remembering the melody they rolled out when she left the nursery room window open. She had one as a child, and her mother liked to tell her how much she enjoyed watching them move.

Jackie drove the car, and Denise gave her support, but Nadine was miles away. She was home, in the nursery she built with so much love, watching her babies coo at the chimes, a jovial Dominic by her side.