Zoe's POV

I anxiously bite my nails waiting for the news. I few hours had already gone by, and no one seems to be telling me any information.

Rafael was pacing the room as we both grow more anxious.

How did things end this badly, everything was fine. The doctors had assured me that my baby was alright and now I don't even know whether he was going to make it or not. I still hadn't heard anything about Alexander, he could be dead for all I know.

I held my hands together, hoping for a miracle.

My first prayer was answered when Alexander walked in.

Was out of breath, his hair all messed up and his shirt untucked, it was a total contrast to his usual appearance. He looked a little bit out of place, but he was alive and in one piece.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked matching towards my bed.

"You are alive," I squealed in relief. I touched his arm to see if he was real. He was really here.

"It was a whole misunderstanding; I don't know how they came up with that story. The plane doesn't even belong to my company." He explained.

Rafael smiled. "I'll leave the two of you alone," he spoke.

Alex nodded at Rafael in acknowledgement as Rafael stepped out of the room.

"Why weren't you answering your phone, I was so worried about you." I nearly cried.

"I'm so sorry, but I'm here now." He pulled me into a hug.

Everything felt better now, maybe things would be alright. Here in this situation, we would both give each other strength.

That's when the nurse walked in, Alex stood next to me as we both waited for the news.

She paused as if to study our reaction.

That's when I knew that this couldn't be good.

"I'm sorry ma'am, your son didn't make it." The nurse spoke.

***

THREE DAYS LATER

Emptiness, that's all that I feel inside of me.

For the last three days, I've been replaying the nurse's words over and over in my head. Each time I keep hoping that I had misunderstood her.

Three days have gone by and I'm still not any closer to accepting the truth. My son couldn't have died.

I asked to be discharged from the hospital, I couldn't stand to be in that place. I went back to Alexander's place.

I didn't want to go back to my house, everything would just make me think of him more, all the decorations we did for the nursery and how we had already baby-proofed most parts of the house. I wouldn't be able to take it.

I still hadn't told my parents or anyone else about what had happened.

I stared at the empty space as I tried to think of what I could have done wrong.

Maybe this whole thing was my fault. Maybe I should have eaten healthier, excised more and not gotten into so many unnecessary fights all the time to reduce the stress. Maybe he would be alive right now.

Maybe Rafael was right. Without the baby, nothing was holding Alex and me together anymore. Now that the baby is gone, I'm sure he would leave any moment and things would go back to the way there were as if we had never met.

I haven't seen much of Alex in the last three days either, I haven't left the room. Maybe it's partly because deep down he blames me for what happened.

"Zoe, you have to eat something." JoJo knocked on the door holding a tray of food.

I gave her my usual response, silence.

She sighed stepping into the room.

"I know how hard this must be for you, but you have to try and gather the strength to move on," She pleaded.

I didn't want anything else, just my son but I couldn't have that.

She sat beside me on the bed, stroking my hair.

"I carried him for nine months, I felt him move inside of me and now he is just gone." I cried out. "I didn't even get to hold him."

"I know sweetheart, sometimes life tends to be so cruel. But we have to get back up, even when we have nothing left in us to move on." She continued.

She continued stroking my hair.

"Why is Alex avoiding me? He probably thinks this is my fault." I sobbed.

"No, he would never think that. He is just hurting and trying to deal with this in his own way." She spoke.

She stayed with me for a couple more minutes, I closed my eyes pretending to be asleep until I heard the door close.

I didn't have the energy to go on living, I didn't know how to after everything that has happened. But JoJo was right, I couldn't stay this way. I was destroying myself and I barely felt alive anymore.

I don't know how I will find the strength to move on or how long it will take but deep down I know that I have to.

I stepped out of bed for the first time in a long time. It felt strange being on my feet again. My body felt like I had been in a coma for a year.

I slowly walked downstairs, holding onto the rails. I waited in a corner as I listened to the murmurs coming from the living room.

"I know that this is really hard for you, but I think it's time you accept it. This becoming unhealthy." Sebastian spoke.

The room was filled up with papers, from the floor right to the couch. Alex seemed to be on a quest.

"The same way you just accepted that your son was dead." Alex paced the room.

"I understand you, Alex, the truth is that we can't always be in control of everything as much as you may want to," Sebastian answered.

Alex sighed, he kicked the pages on the floor before sitting on the couch.

Rafael walked into the room. Sebastian smiled at Rafael in acknowledgement, but Rafael continued to ignore him.

Rafael has previously stopped by several times, but I didn't want to speak to anyone. I was tired of hearing how sorry everyone was.

"I'll leave you two to speak," Sebastian sighed.

Sebastian walked out of the room, heading towards me.

He stopped in his tracks as he noticed me standing in the corner.

"I'm sorry about what happened." He spoke. He gave me what was his attempt to smile then walked away.

I returned my attention to Alex and Rafael.

"What do you want to do around here" Alex spoke. "Did you have something to do with my son's disappearance? Everything was going great until you showed up."

What JoJo had omitted was that Alex was possibly doing a lot worse than I was.

"How could you ever think that I'd ever be capable of anything like that, I was separated from my parents at birth. I know the pain that I had to carry for my whole life. To always question who you are and where you come from, to feel like a part of you is missing and to feel abandoned." Rafael spoke.

"So, you thought you would do the same thing to me?" Alex spoke.

"I know you are hurting right now, and you have every reason to be, but I would never do such a thing."

Alex sighed again, releasing a little bit of his anger.

"It's just that I can't believe any of this is true, it's like I can still feel he is alive," Alexander spoke. "I can't give up; I know that I just need to find him. This is my fault; I'm being punished for all the bad things I've done."

"I'm sure you not that bad," Rafael spoke sitting next to Alex.

Rafael rubbed Alex on the shoulder, Alex didn't pull away or push him away like I thought he would.

The two of them were doing a lot better than I would have thought.

He had lost everything but at least he gained a brother.

I couldn't watch this anymore. Tears were already streaming down my cheeks.

I returned to the bedroom to coil myself in the blankets.

I couldn't stand this anymore; I couldn't live with this hole in my chest.

Minutes later, I heard a knock on the door.

I took the cover off my head.

"How are you doing?" Alex asked leaning onto the door.

"My heart hurts," I answered sitting up straight.

Alex sat next to me and held me tightly. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there for you," he spoke.

"Now that there is no longer any baby you probably want me out of your house." I sobbed.

He pulled away from the hug, looking into my eyes.

"I told you that I love you, I meant it. I'm not letting you go." He spoke. "I wish I could, you should probably get away from me, I lose everyone I love. It was first my parents and now the baby. I don't want to lose you too."

He quickly wiped away the tears threatening to fall from his eyes.

"I'm not leaving, I'm staying right here," I answered.

I needed him, we both needed each other.

He pulled me into another hug. The two of us fell asleep cuddling.

****

Alexander's phone rang waking the two of us.

It was already pitch black, the only light coming into the room was from the small crack in the door, leading to the passageway.

I twisted laying on Alexander's arm as he drew his phone to his ear.

"Hello," Alex answered the call.

I heard the sound of a man breathing heavily.

"Your baby is alive," Rafael spoke.

_______________________

Two more chapters until the end. Thank you for sticking around. Please comment your thoughts on the story.