Page 102 of Begin Again, Part 2

She also remembered arriving at the hospital and her horror when the doctors told her they had to do an immediate C-section because she'd lost a lot of blood due to a placental abruption. They were so afraid that even a minute's delay would pose a great risk to her and her baby.

The minutes between giving birth and waiting to hear her son's first screams were the longest she'd ever lived through, and probably the most terrifying.

Aiden didn't come into the world screaming like most babies. He never made a sound, and it was his silence, as strangers in pink scrubs and matching caps hovered around her and tried their best to stop her from bleeding out, that had stunned her into petrified shock.

As she'd watched the doctors place miniature oxygen masks over his small face and work frantically to bring him back, Eden would have given anything to trade places with him—

"I'm just saying there's a possibility," Lydia drew her back to the room with her pregnancy theory. "I'm living proof that the pill and condoms can let you down badly. And I know a few people who've fallen pregnant while on the pill. You know Sylvia from makeup?"

Eden didn't know Sylvia from makeup, but assumed she worked on the set of Lydia's soapie.

"Anyway, two of her kids were conceived while she was on the pill," her friend carried on.

Eden stifled a scream and asked in a surprisingly calm voice, "Can we focus on the important stuff right now? Si, please, I'm begging you. Your colleague can't keep running this story."

"Why not?" Sienna demanded.

"I can't get into it, but I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important," Eden said as she placed them on speaker so she could listen in while she sent Liam a text, checking if he made it to the airport in time.

"Edie, I need more than that," Sienna said.

For ten minutes, they got into a heated debate. Eden pleaded and begged Sienna to get her colleague to drop the story, but her friend was adamant she couldn't, not unless she told her everything she knew.

"How do you expect me to bury a body I haven't seen?" Sienna argued.

"Okay, fine. If you can't get your friend to drop the story, can you find out who the informant is and what they have on Liam's therapy visits?"

"You know damn well we never reveal our sources, and I doubt Claire will tell me willingly, anyway, which means I'll have to snoop around. I can get into trouble for this. Worse, I could get fired!" Sienna yelled at some point.

"Please, Si, I'm asking you to do this as my best friend, not as a journalist," Eden begged. "Even a name will be enough."

"Oh, Christ!" her friend groaned. "Fine. Give me a day, maybe two at most."

"Thank you." Eden perked up a little. "Also, is there any way we can remove those comments?"

"You're seriously pushing it now!" Sienna clicked off, leaving Eden on the call with the other two.

"Do you want to meet up later?" Cassandra asked. "I want to grab some ingredients at the flea market. I have a private cooking class later."

"With who? Pray tell!" Lydia teased. "And Edie, you have to come. Fresh air will be good for you and Aiden."

Fresh air and the flea market sounded excellent right now. But Eden had too many fires to put out.

"I'll call you later to let you know," she lied and hung. She planned to dash home, close her curtains, and crawl into some dark corner until the news cycle died down. But first, she had to find her son, then call her parents and face the music.

Chapter

Thirty-Four

DIVIDE AND CONQUER

Hard as Liam tried to read Clara's agenda notes for the board meeting, he couldn't. So while he drank his third espresso, he mindlessly browsed the net, searching for nearby outdoorsy places. The local zoo was a huge hit with young parents living the suburban dream, but Liam thought it was too basic. He wanted his first-ever outing with his new family to be memorable. The botanical gardens were also high on the list of places to see, but the company's family fun day would be held there in a few weeks.

"You disappoint me, internet!" Liam rubbed his chin, contemplating going down the rabbit hole again. He almost lost himself in the abyss earlier while searching for the source of the leak. He didn't want to go down that road again. The lure of the internet was too strong, though. He clicked several links and wasted fifteen long minutes, sighing his frustration the more tabs he opened. He was still scanning through tons of sites when his doorbell rang. Dave went to get it, returning seconds later with Matthew and Julian trailing behind him.

"Why is the place so quiet? And where are Eden and the little one? We bought him things. Lots of things!" Julian said, dumping the tons of shopping bags on the counter.

"Yeah, good question. Where is she? But more importantly, who do I give this to?" Matthew reached inside his jacket, pulled out a receipt, and waved it in front of Liam's face.

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