The CEO’s New Baby

Chapter 5

Ryan always loved mornings. They were a symbol of fresh starts or a blank page that was given to him every morning. He saw mornings like a chance to be a better him, a chance to love and work harder than the day before. That is why he never found it a bother to wake up early. He enjoyed watching the sun as it rose, as it woke up to cast its rays over the still sleeping city. He was always the one to find hope in the newly born light, to find motivation in the song of the birds or smell of the freshly cut grass.

But that morning was different. He sat alone on a kitchen stool with a cold and untouched mug of coffee in his hand. He was still in his pajamas, his hair tangled and sticking in all directions. He had no idea of what the hour was, but he didn’t bother to find out either. He simply didn’t care.

He was too busy thinking, or rather recalling all the events that had occurred the night before. Whenever he blinked, he relived all the events of the night before, including the many tears that had been shed once the news was out.

He had never felt this hopeless in his entire life. There was nothing they could do, there was nothing he could do. He wanted to help Kayla, to bring her hope, to dissolve that damn cloud that had settled upon her life, their life. But he couldn’t. Kayla had made a decision, and as much as they tried to make her think about her decision, they couldn’t change her mind.

Truth be told, he never thought she would even consider the option of the chemotherapy. He knew his wife, knew how much she loved her baby. In fact, he doubted he would have done anything differently. Unfortunately, her love, and their similarity in the way he would have done things, did not solve anything.

Kayla was still sick, and he still couldn’t help her. Sighing, he ran a hand through his hair and stood up, leaving his still untouched coffee behind. He couldn’t even sit without feeling like he was a complete loser. Unconsciously, he found himself walking towards Emily’s room. His wife had chosen to sleep by their daughter the night before. He had checked up on them when he had woken up that morning, and they had both been asleep. He wondered if that was the case still.

The house was silent, you couldn’t hear anything aside from his careful footsteps. It was as if everyone was still lost in the world of careless dreams, but he doubted that. He doubted any of them had had a good night sleep after last night’s events.

Emily’s door was still slightly open, the way he had left it that morning. Through the crack, he could clearly see Kayla’s brown hair sprawled against the pillow, creating a curtain around her face. She was asleep, her hand draping over Emily, holding her protectively against her body.

Ryan felt like crying. His entire fortune was right in front of him. His entire world was on one bed, and he was about to lose it all with a blink of an eye. He was scared. He had never been this scared in his entire life. He felt as if he was sinking to the bottom of an ocean and there was nothing he could do to save himself from drowning.

He needed to be strong though. He needed to keep their boat floating, although the icebergs ahead were threatening it at every corner.

He remembered a time when Kayla had been in his position. Someone dear to her had been terminally ill and all she could do was hope God would have mercy on them. He wondered how she had been so strong. Because he couldn’t be. He admired her even more now. Knowing how it felt to be in her place.

Sighing, he leaned against the door. He may have not been able to cure Kayla, but he was sure as hell able to keep her mind off of everything going on. Nodding, he took in a deep breath. He knew exactly what he needed to do now.

He had to find a way to keep them both away from the thought of the future. They needed to live in the present, a beautiful present where they were both together, where Kayla was pregnant and ready to bring a healthy little sister or brother to the little angel sleeping in her arms.

And he knew exactly how he was about to do everything. Smiling, he wiped the tear that was running down the bridge of his nose and retrieved his phone from his back pocket. He needed to make a few phone calls and talk to Tanya and his mother. He was going to need their help if he wished to keep everything a secret.

“Come here, you littlle nugget!” Meredith called as she ran around the livingroom table. Emily’s laugh was loud, echoing through the otherwise silent house like thunder through the rain.

Kayla found her lips curling in a smile, it was a small facial expression, one of the few she even bothered to put on that day. She enjoyed seeing her daughter happy and was mentally scolding herself for being unable to get out of that state of misery. She knew she would have to do so at some point, she didn’t want Emily’s last memories of her to be of a woman crying in the middle of the bed, walking around like a zombie.

She wished Ryan was there though. She needed him, and she would have appreciated if he took a day off of work. But then again, maybe he couldn’t. He was a busy man and could hardly reschedule meetings. She had to understand that. Sighing, she ran a hand through her hair and stood up, dragging her feet behind her as she headed to grab a glass of water.

She could feel her mom’s eyes on her. Following her every movement. She had been in Tanya’s position before. She knew how powerless you felt when you could do nothing but watch the person you love die. Her mother had tried to talk to her, but Kayla had stopped her. She did not need any pep talk. She wasn’t giving up, but she needed to live her grief. She needed to first sink into the darkness before she could even dream of breathing again.

Inside the kitchen, Kayla sipped her glass of water silently. She leaned against the kitchen counter and closed her eyes. Her mind was quiet for the first time that day. She thought of nothing, she felt nothing. She had exhausted herself to the point where she was numb. And she wasn’t complaining.

That state of emptiness was far better than the constant reminder of the numbered days she now had. She knew she had to talk to her mother at some point, to allow her to tell her how she managed to do it all. She was the only one who could truly understand what Kayla was goimg through.

Suddenly, the buzzing sound of a phone brought her out of her trail of thoughts. She had forgotten her phone was even there, stuck in the front pocket of her cardigan.

Slowly, she removed it.

She lazily brushed her finger across the screen, tapping against it until the black screen burst into colors. Ryan’s name was the first thing she noticed. It was one of the many names in her notification bar. Seeing his name flash across her screen wasn’t something that would surprise her. He often sent her messages and asked about her day while he was at work. But what actually surprised her were the words within the message.

Over five years ago, I took this beautiful woman on a trip. It was my way of escaping the complicated world in which we lived. It’s time we do so again. I will be waiting for Emily and you outside.

Kayla frowned, her feet immediately carrying her the window. Her hands brushed the curtain away, allowing her free sight to the front lawn. As expected, Ryan was there, leaning against his car. His hands were still holding onto his phone, his eyes gazing at the screen probably expecting a message back. Seeing him like that, waiting for her, with the message in hand, arouse a sudden feeling of déjà vu in Kayla.

She raised a brow and turned around, her head turning to look at the door. Her mom stood there with a black bag in hand, holding Emily with the other. She was looking at Kayla with a smile on her lips.

“Grandma said Daddy is taking us on a trip,” Emily squealed, looking between Kayla and her grandmother.