Silence fills the house, heavy and frightening. The house creaks and moans as the old wood soaks in the climate around us. The heat is uncomfortable and the fact that the box that blows cool air, I think Elijah called it the AC, is broken. At least, I think it is, but I’m not sure how to tell except for the fact there’s been no cool air in this house for a couple days. My growing stomach growls, like my child is yelling for food. I haven’t eaten yet today.

“You might not care if you starve, but your child needs to eat.” I tell myself.

I’ve been talking to myself a lot lately. It makes the silence a little easier to bear. I get out of the bed and make my way to the kitchen. The fridge holds food, but most of it requires the oven or stove, and I don’t know how to use that. I reach in for a packaged meal I can cook in the microwave. I feel safer with that, since it can’t burn the house down and all it takes is pressing a few buttons.

As I’m walking to the microwave, pain shoots through my stomach. I gasp and drop the meal, my hands moving to my stomach. Pain rips through me again, pulling out a scream. On my leg, I see a trickle of blood make it’s way down.

“No, no no no.” I mutter, fear ripping through me.

I stumble into the bedroom and grab my cell phone but before I can dial anything, another wave of pain rips through me and blackness clouds my sight. I feel myself fall to the bed and hear my phone ring, before I’m out for good.

********

“Gwen, Gwen, answer me.” I hear a male voice whisper.

“Elijah?” I mutter, forcing my eyes open.

“No honey, it’s Levi, your father.” He says.

I stare at him, and spot my mother by his side and my sister moving around the room in her scrubs.

“Why am I in the hospital?” I ask.

“Elijah called us. He was worried when you didn’t answer after he called you. We found you in your room passed out and bleeding, so we brought you to the hospital.” My mother explains.

They all look so worried. I look away from them to my stomach. The baby…

“Is the baby okay?” I ask, fear climbing it’s way up my throat.

“Yes, the baby is fine, but you’re lucky. You’re a few months along Guinevere and this whole episode was because you were not giving enough nutrients to him. Why didn’t you come in to the hospital? You should be eating healthy and taking the proper vitamins, having checkups, so nothing like this happens.” Arabell says sternly, looking at me.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know. I don’t know what is normal. I didn’t even know I was pregnant until Elijah told me. I can’t cook anything unless I can put it in the microwave and I think my AC is broken. I don’t even know what AC stands for, or how it works, but it’s not blowing out cool air, and-“ I pause, “Did you say him?”

Arabell smiles. “Yes, him. You’re having a boy.”

“Gwen, honey, why don’t you come stay with us? Arabell has moved out, so you could stay in your room. We can help you through the pregnancy and with the baby after it’s born if Elijah isn’t back yet. We can help you with all of it.” He smiles reassuringly, reaching his hand out towards me.

My mother watches me closely, probably trying to gauge my reaction.

I wonder what they know, both of my situation and of me. I wonder what Elijah told them. Do they know that this calm self is not what I usually am? That this scared, worried girl isn’t me? I did promise Elijah I would go to them if anything happened, and now it has. I turn away from them and close my eyes.

“Okay,” I sigh, “I’ll move in.”