“Greg what’s wrong? You have been unusually quiet.” Nyla asked.
The storm had come and gone and now they were back at the beach, the waves were lapping languidly. Nyla pulled her folding chair closer to the large flames of the bonfire Greg had created.
“Nyla I have loved you from the moment I saw you. You were too young and too green for me even to pursue but I didn’t let it stop me because I knew you were the love of my life. Our years together were the best of my life and when that time was cut short …I was angry.” His gaze dropped from her face to refocus his attention on the waves once again “I let go of the pain when I came here but I never stopped waiting for you to join me. To join us so we could finally be a family. I thought that was what I needed to make this complete but I realize now that I was wrong. Nyla I realize even though you were the love of my life, I am not the great love of yours.”
“No Greg I love you. How could you-“
“It’s ok Nyla. Everything is how it should be. You gave me a family and now I have to do the hardest thing, harder than leaving you. I have to give you back to yours. “
“Greg I don’t know? I’m finally with my baby girl. I don’t know if I can leave her. “Nyla said her voice cracking at the thought of being separated from Ava once again.
“But you will and even though it pains me I have to let you go.” He said before a small figure peeked out from behind his leg. The child was beautiful, caramel skin with large inquisitive gray eyes. A small sweet smile that engaged dimpled cheeks continued his/her observation. It was the oddest thing, the features were so clear yet androgynous enough that Nyla couldn’t make out if it was a boy or a girl but that didn’t matter. She knew instantly that this child belonged to her.
“How? How is this happening Greg?” wonder filled her voice.
Greg expelled a long breath and explained “You have to go back. I thought I could keep you here with us but you need to go back to the one that holds your heart not only for you but for them. There is more than just your life in the balance.”

“Them? Where? Nyla asked her head whisking around to try finding the others.
“In time Nyla you will find them.”
“But Greg I don’t know how to get back. I don’t even know how I ended up here.”
“Try to remember.”
Nyla sat on the sand and closed her eyes peeking only once to see if the small figure was still there. She tried to recall what happened to bring her here but all she found was empty space. Darkness . It was as if she hadn’t existed before this place yet she knew that wasn’t correct. She began to meditate completely drowning out the presence of the sea, the sand even the childlike figure. Here there was so much light and weightlessness but Nyla saw a shadow deep in the recesses of her mind. Without forethought she began to follow the shadow but it seemed the closer she got the further it moved. Trying not to give in to her frustration she began to run towards the shadow her heart beating erratically in her chest as a sliver of hope began to blossom. She was closing in on the shadow reaching the arched abyss it felt as though she had been running forever yet she was afraid to turn around. Finally she gathered her courage and turned back noticing how far from the beach, that’s when a sense of trepidation took root. Even though something in her spirit could never completely be at ease here something worse could be awaiting her past the darkness.
Wasn’t it a good thing to go into the light then why was she running to the darkness? Yet it felt righ,t up until the pain hit. Her entire body went rigid as a dagger pierced her mind but with each slice came a glimpse of her past. Nyla watched her herself laughing over brunch with Gavin on their first date, the mirage changed to their first holiday together her head was thrown back in mirth at one of his jokes. Memories continued to assail her of their limbs intertwined as they made love, when she told him about Ava and Greg, her excitement as she held the small white stick in her hand. “Oh God come back I need to know if this is real.” She yelled at the flashing images of her nasty row with Gavin, the obscureness of watching herself run to him to explain. The glimpses were gone so quickly she was desperate to get it back. She was desperate to get back to him to their life together.

Gavin passed the nurses desk and with a slight tip of his head acknowledged the busy group. Over the past months they had become more like friends than coworkers ever mindful of even the slightest changes in Nylas condition and respectful of his privacy. Actually if anything they were indebted to him because he had brought the dream team of doctors to handle Nyla’s unique case and he was sure more than one of them had a crush on the good doctors. Entering the all too familiar white door he stopped short when he realized he wasn’t alone.

“What are you still doing here?” Gavin asked. “I thought you were leaving with your mother.”
“I never said that. Mother did and we had a difference of opinion.”
“About?”
“You, Nyla this baby life in general.” Tina sighed and rest back slumping her shoulders in defeat.
“If it is guilt holding you here make your peace with God and leave us alone.”
“I need to make me peace with my sister first. I don’t hate her ya know.”
“I can tell.” Gavin snorted sarcastically while taking his seat at the reclining chair closest to Nylas’ bed. The well -worn seat should have the inlay of his derriere since he was always in it.
“She is the best of all of us. Sometimes it is really hard to accept that. “Lisa pulled a hand through her hair continuing “She doesn’t even know it. I wasn’t always jealous of her. There were good times but as my life started to fall apart hers seemed to get better and I got bitter.” Lisa said watching her sister chest rise and fall in time with the machine. “But I realize now I always only saw the good never acknowledging the suffering she went through. She took it hardest when our father passed she was a daddy’s girl. I love her in my own way it may not be the normal sisterly relationship but I don’t want this for her especially now.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“Because I need to tell it to someone.”

“The only person interested in anything you have to say is lying unconscious in that bed.” Gavin said bitterly before turning his back to her all together.

“I guess I already knew that.” Tina mumbled quickly wiping a tear before she walked slowly out the room, turning back to watch Gavin draw his favorite chair close to Nylas bed.

His head dipped as he rested it in the small expanse of space just before the metal guard rail began, he placed her hand gently on his face so he wouldn’t disturb the IV. “Hi Baby its been a hell of a day. I know I missed our date, watching Family Feud but I’ll make it up to you. I found a youtube video of all the funniest answers. If you can believe it I got caught up in a case. I’ve been back for four weeks now. Four weeks.” He said blankly. Gavin tried not to think about time. I scheduled my first surgery.” Picking up his head his blue eyes took in her face and he could have sworn he saw the slightest change, a shadow of a grimace that others would have missed but with the time and dedication he had spent to just studying her changing body he could tell. He jerked back quickly hopeful, expectant, and desperate for a more concrete sign of life but as the seconds ticked into minutes without a visible change he gave up. Blinking back tears he continued on with the mundane details of life. Since she was here and had been for three months his life was here as well. He even slept there several nights a week, finding solace in her presence. So every day he came in and discussed his day with her as if nothing had changed. He went over his cases, the latest gossip at the nurses desk he figured she would want to be in the know.
“Oh I forgot to tell you mom is entering a garden competition” he continued getting settled to continue their evening ritual.


Lisa sat in the corner of the café across from the hospital circling ads for jobs with her yellow highlighter. Even though terrible circumstances brought her here she felt like this is where she belonged. Close to Nyla and close to the new baby. Her eyes lit up when she saw a real estate legal analyst position that she seemed more than qualified for.
“Your Nyla’s sister right? It’s been a long time.”
Looking up following the deep rumbling voice that pulled her away from her task she smiled immediately at the smooth cocoa colored man. He returned the gesture causing her hands to begin to sweat. His smile was that radiant but it was more than that it was his swagger that she found alluring. He had an edge to him.
“Please have seat.” She offered moving her purse to clear the way.
He paused and stared at her intently his eyes never wavering from hers but mere moments before it became awkward he pulled out the chair and sat down. “What are you doing?” he asked noticing the heavily highlighted newspaper.
“I” she sighed and started over ” I am looking for a job and a more permanent residence. I ‘ve decided to stay here regardless of how this turns out Gavin is going to need help.”

Trent pulled back observing her, mulling over her words and trying to tamp down on the growing jealousy.” So it’s Gavin you’re staying for.” He didn’t mean for it to come out as a sneer but it did obviously catching her by surprise because she pulled back and glared at him from across the small bistro table.
“No not that it is any of your business. I am staying because my niece or nephew is going to need me especially with my sister in her current condition.”

“So you want to what swoop in and do what? Save the day.”

“Why is any of this your concern again?” she smarted eying him cautiously.
“Its not. Not really but Gavin is a friend or he was.”

“What did you do?”
“How’d you know it was me? Gavin could have done something he isn’t perfect you know.”

She cocked her head to the side and gave him a withering stare calling him on his bullshit.
“Ok we had a falling out partly to do with your sister. We had a thing before they had a thing and I threw it in his face.”
“Was it serious?” Tina asked suddenly feeling resentful of the butterflies in her stomach his presence brought. No matter what she wasn’t going to allow another man to come between her and her sister?
“No but it was physical can you deal with that?”
“Why would it matter to me?” she asked feigning nonchalance.
“We both know that this is going to end up with you naked and underneath me eventually. I’ve known since the moment I saw you in Nylas hospital room.”
“How good of you to inform me”
“Pretending you don’t feel it won’t change the outcome. You’re still going to end up in my bed.”
Tina heart raced with anticipation of his words but her decision to turn over a new leaf still echoed in her mind and he reeked of trouble. So for once Tina did the smart thing standing up throwing her highlighter in her bag she picked up the paper but his hand grasped hers. “I never figured you for a coward. I guess I was wrong about you.” He said letting go of her arm and standing a well.
“That’s not the only thing you were wrong about, if and I do mean if we end up in bed together it’ll be you who is under me. Got it” she sassed him with her parting shot surprising him so much so he didn’t move till she had long since left the diner.

Nyla gave in to an unconscionable pain that clutched her tightly as a new images of Gavin storming out of her house with her following close behind him only to feel the sharp impact of metal crushing bone while sending her body careening to the ground. The hard thud as her head hit the pavement followed by desperate cries."Nooooo. Nyla ran to the image trying in vain to save herself and in turn her unborn baby. Not my baby. Not again! Oh God why." She yelled into the dark abyss, looking back she no longer saw the faint visage of the sea behind her.

Should I even go back? Nyla wondered if she could bear to lose another child even in utero. The thought of never waking up to sleepy blues eyes gazing lovingly at her freshly awoken face disheveled hair and all gave her a renewed purpose. She had to push though somehow she had to make it back to him or would suffer the unimaginable fate that she had.

Heavy gray clouds loomed in the distance igniting a sense of urgency that she hadn't had since arriving here. The bleak patches eclipsed the bright azure sky almost immediately ominous and angry. The calm sea roughened slightly and true fear set in because Nyla realized she was completely alone. She couldn't find a way back to Greg and Ava even if she wanted. Though she had long since decided to return to Gavin she didn't know how. Deciding to just step through the dark archway she timidly let one foot dangle before completely stepping through the archway. However upon passing the threshold she looked around anxiously only to end up in the exact same spot. Nyla repeated the action 5 more time before giving up on that notion. By then she was blanketed by the overcast skies and now tumultuous sea. Nyla’s breathing soon mirrored the choppy sea as she noticed even the twinkling stars that held her captivated the first night were nowhere to be found.

Gavin unfolded his body from his perch on the side of Nyla's bed. He stretched to ease the discomfort the unnatural position left him in. He had to brace himself slightly so he didn't disturb the tubes. He bent his head close to her barely rounded tummy and kissed it through her nightgown. He had asserted that she was to be dressed comfortably in her own nightgowns after two weeks. It was a trick of the eye but sometimes with her metal guard down and the normal sleeping attire he could pretend she was just resting comfortably and not lost to him. As he lifted his cheek off her belly he began to speak.

"Hey little guy you’re getting right pudgy in there aren't you? Daddy's going to get going cause he has an early day tomorrow but I'll be back for dinner. Take care of mommy while I'm gone." He bent to kiss her belly once more before placing his lips gently on Nyla's. “Bye baby" Gavin bent to pick up his paperwork when he noticed the bed start to shake violently. Nyla was having a seizure.

'Good bye baby' was all Nyla heard over the thunder and with that she began to cry losing hope. It was Gavin’s’ voice and he was leaving her. The panic attack that she had tried to forestall began to take root. Her heartbeat was erratic. She felt frantic. Her heart was beating out of her chest in fear when suddenly everything was moving. “Really an earthquake in purgatory.” She yelled in frustration. She tried to grasp something anything to anchor herself but there was nothing to hold on to so Nyla fell into the blackened archway but this time unlike the others she didn't return to the other side, this time she just kept falling.



Gavin watched from the corner of the room as the dream team he'd assembled tried to revive Nyla. He momentarily resented his medical training because as the doctors and nurses surrounded her yelling out codes he understood. He was cognizant of every order shouted and all this information drove home one point he was losing her. He would lose them both and all he could do was stand in a corner and watch.

Beeeep.

"She's coding”

"Noooooo!" Gavin bellowed frightening one of the nurses but Dr. Langston was un fazed as he prepared to shock her with the paddles in his meaty hands he toward over Nyla the buttons on her pajama top scattered as it lay open. Gavin watched transfixed as the paddles lowered to her uncovered chest closing them when the cold steel touched her chest.

"Clear!"

And so the pattern repeated until a blip on the monitor indicated life. Nyla was alive, barely but he would take it. The doctors continued working around her. Magda quickly brought in the sonogram machine from the auxiliary closet to begin monitoring the baby. If there was still a baby. A strangled sound escaped his throat at the thought.

Finally Dr. Langston walked over to Gavin. "You shouldn't be in here son.”

"I won't leave her. I have to be here for her, for them.”

“ Gavin! Gavin!" Nyla screamed for him as she plummeted. It seemed as though she had been falling forever. She began to pray aloud. "God please give Gavin the strength to survive and thrive without me. Let him relinquish any misplaced guilt do let him find love again as I did. Maybe one day I'll see him again." With that she closed her eyes succumb to her fate.


Gavin and his parents sat on the large sofa in the adjoining waiting room. They had come as soon as he called. Someone on staff had called Lisa because he surely hadn't because she showed up shortly thereafter with Trent in tow. They were posted up on the far wall huddled together if this was any other time Gavin would have noticed how odd Trent was with her. Gentle,careful the whole scene was peculiar to say the least considering the entanglements but Gavin missed all this because with his bowed head his thoughts were solely on the people behind the sterile white door. He had thanked God and offered his life in servitude for the miracle that saved both Nyla and there baby to the utter amazement of everyone except his parents. As of an hour ago both Nyla and the baby had strong heartbeats but they were quick to advise him they weren’t out of the woods yet.

“I told you to keep the faith boy. Nyla is coming back to you and my grandson is coming to me." His father said knowingly.