Page 18 of All for her Forgiveness

He stirs and turns to his side, and again, a vaguely familiar sensation washes over me when I look at his sleeping face.

Overwhelmed by the madness that was my day, I don't realize that I'm joining them in their state of unconsciousness.

Kennedy

I enter a kind of trance as I prepare to bring my King into the world.

My body is invaded by a strange mix of pain, fear, and excitement.

I feel strong. It's me and my son against the world.

Every contraction is torture, but I know it's my body's way of saying it's ready, that the little being I've carried for nine months wants to come into the crazy universe we live in.

Suddenly, amidst the spasms of pain, I see the face of the Greek who hates me. He stands there, next to the stretcher, as I prepare to give birth to King.

I look at the Greek, my enemy, the man who wants to see me locked up forever, and I wish I had the strength to send him away, but I don't.

Anxiety overwhelms me every time the doctor asks me to push, and the baby doesn't come.

With every deep breath I take, I feel that my son and I are connected, but even though I give my all, he still doesn't come, and I start to get nervous.

"Is everything okay?" I ask the doctor.

"Yes, it is. He's just a very big boy. Come on, dear, one more time."

I try to turn the pain into strength. A determination that seems to emanate from every cell in my body takes over me, and when I finally hear his cry, I start to cry too.

Hades averts his eyes from mine and watches the baby. I want to tell him to leave, not to direct his hatred towards my son who is innocent, but when his chocolate-colored eyes meet mine, it's not anger I see in them, it's surprise.

He walks over to where my son is and asks the doctor if he can hold the child.

"No," I say, knowing he'll take him away.

No one seems to hear me, and the doctor fulfills Hades' request, handing him the baby.

"Don't take him, please!"

"Kennedy, wake up, you were in the middle of a nightmare," I hear my enemy's voice say.

Hades

The anguish on her face hits me in an unexpected way.

Kennedy afraid is not something I have witnessed before. She has never been one to easily show emotions.

Her movements and protests when I try to wake her up awaken King, who starts crying, and only upon hearing her son does she wake up.

I go to the couch and pick him up. When I come back to the bed, her eyes are already open, a clear plea for me to give her the child.

As soon as I place him in her arms, to my surprise, while King stops crying, Kennedy starts.

She hugs the little boy and kisses his head dozens of times. "I love you, my love. Mommy's here with you."

I approach the bed where Kennedy holds the boy as if expecting him to disappear at any moment.

The scene is too much for me, and after muttering something about Ernest arriving, I leave the room and go to the hallway.

"Thank you for bringing them," I hear someone say behind me, and when I turn around, I see it's Ernest Wich. "Although I don't understand what you were doing in our house."

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