It was three in the wee hour of dawn when she woke up to an uncharacteristic kick of pains around her pelvic area that is unlike the ones she’s gotten used to. She ignored it for a few minutes thinking that it would ultimately go away but when the contractions became too frequent, that’s when she sat up on bed wincing in indescribable pain.
“Daemon! Daemon!”
She shook his arm to wake him up.
“Yes, yes. What is it?” he asked after turning on the lights and searching for her eyes.
“I think I’m laboring. Aw!” she shrieked when another wave of awful cramps assaulted her groin and back. Beads of sweat started forming on her face and her neck.
“What?! Okay, breathe in, breathe out. We’ll go to the hospital now.”
He carried her and ran outside the room shouting for the car to get ready.
“Are you okay?” he held her hands while wiping the sweat and tears off her face.
“You will be okay, I promise. Henry, take the quickest route! I want to be there in five minutes!”
They were parking in front of the emergency room after three minutes. Daemon helped her into the wheelchair and pushed her inside where they were quickly admitted to a VIP room.
“Doc, she’s in horrible pain. Please give her meds or what,” he ordered while stroking her back.
“Do you want Mr. Druft inside?” the doctor asked after they induced her.
She shook her head. His presence might make her more vulnerable given the fact that he will take his babies away.
“No, I can do it alone.”
An unreadable expression crossed his eyes before he crouched and kissed her tummy.
“I can’t wait to meet the two of you. And you,” he cupped her face to kiss her lightly on her forehead, “you will be alright. I’ll make sure of that.”
The doctor looked at Daemon as if asking permission.
“It’s okay. I’ll be waiting outside.”
Daemon had a word with the physician first before she was brought in the delivery room. Afterwards, he ran up to her and kissed her again on her head.
“Don’t be scared. Everything will be alright.”
She was touched by the gesture but was terrified at the same time. Devon had a tough time pushing the baby out so the doctors had to make an intervention. They had opted for caesarean but Devon insisted she can do it. After a couple of hours, a loud cry filled the entire room. Daemon rushed inside and held her hand, his grateful smile gave him a sudden relaxed appearance.
“I told you, you will be wonderful. You are amazing, Devon.” He kissed her head.
“Thank you. Thank you so much.”
“It’s a baby girl.”
Everyone froze, including her upon hearing the doctor say it. Her mouth opened. She glanced at Daemon looking for answers. How? How can it be? Daemon instructed the facility for a twin son and now they get a girl for a baby?
Something is not adding up.
“What? What did you say?” Daemon walked up to the doctor, his face pissed and dark. “Are you fucking with me now, Perez? I specifically told you I need a twin son and now you’re telling me that she just gave birth to a baby girl? Perez, I could have your head now so stop fucking with me, man.”
Perez looked at the baby who is now wrapped in blue clothing and back at Devon and Daemon. “I am as confused as you on this one, Daemon. All her laboratories showed she is expecting a twin boy.”
“I don’t care how it happened. All I want is my babies. Where are my sons!”
“Give me the baby. I wanna see her.” She offered her arms to the nurse. “Please, let me hold my baby. Please, give her to me.”
Reluctantly, the nurse put the baby on my chest. An overwhelming feeling of protectiveness flooded her when her baby cooed. The kind of protectiveness she had never felt except now. It’s like she would do anything for her.
“He doesn’t want the baby but I want her. I want her. Please, don’t hate the baby, Daemon. It’s not her fault,” she begged and held the baby closer to her. “Let me have her. I don’t care if you don’t like her. You could abandon me. Just let me have this baby.”
Daemon seemed like he did not like the idea. “The baby is not yours to take. It’s not even yours to begin with. You have no say on this, Devon.”
Even though she expected his anger, given that he is certainly deceived, still he did not have to be this cruel. He didn’t even care to glance at the baby. Even though he did not welcome his own child as warm as she wished him to do which she kind of expected but still she can’t help but bleed for the innocent child who did nothing and yet is the most affected one in the turn of events.
“You lied to me. You said it will be boys,” he accused her when they’re back in the room.
Devon is tending to the baby by feeding her with milk.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about, Daemon. How can I deceive you when you were there reading the labs with me? If you don’t like her then I would keep her. She is my precious baby.”
“You will do no such thing. She will be given to Maddy.”
Her eyes widened. “No!” she protested. “She’s mine. It’s my baby. Maybe it’s not Maddy’s egg cell. It was mine. Maybe I was pregnant even before they inseminated me.”
Daemon’s eyes burned in fury at a realization. “If so, you really dare to deceive me?!”
“I don’t know!” Her tears began falling. Confused and frustrated, she shook her head. “I don’t know, Daemon. I really don’t know.”
He fell silent while staring at her face in deep sorrow.
“But Devon, she is not yours,” his voice a little lower. “She’s not your baby. That is our child. It has nothing to do with you. You just gave birth to her but she is not yours. You are not her mother.”
“But you didn’t love her,” she whispered out the truth. “You will never love her just like you told me. Her life would be miserable. Just give her to me, Daemon. I’ll do anything.”
He sighed and shook his head. “I will not have this conversation again. You rest.”
He opened the door and left her and the baby. Devon wiped her tears and gazed at the baby peacefully sleeping in her arms.
“You are mine. I can feel it. You are my baby.”