Authors Note--
Hello my Angels! I love you all and hope you are having a wonderful day.
Trigger Warning- Mentions of abuse, miscarriage, and baby loss
Please take care of yourself.
Rockabye baby, on the treetops
When the wind blows, the cradle will rock.
When the bough breaks, the cradle will fall.
And down will come baby, cradle and all.
Boxes upon boxes full of items from Elaina and Renee's baby years. Charlotte had been slowly bringing them down into the living room so they could be sorted through and she could take a walk through memory lane. She hadn't made it into the clothing boxes but found many photo albums, she always made it a point to photograph everything. Char was never sure when she'd be taken from the world, so she did her best to document her love for her babies.
Even her Angel.
Tucked away in the furthest corner of the attic was the untouched ultrasound and the taped together one. She'd never forget the way she frantically tried to put it back together as he left the morning afterwards, holding her breath in fear he'd return and get rid of it permanently. She hid it along with the first onesie that she had ever bought for the baby. It brought her a smile there in the store but when she held it just hours after losing it all.
She cried all the tears she could, holding it close to her chest and apologizing to her baby. What a cruel life she had given them and she never even got to hold them, sing to them, or promise them love without limit. Choking on her sobs, her words were barely heard as God seemed to mock her by Nick walking into the home just a few minutes later.
"Mommy's so sorry, baby." She whispered, as quiet as she could be so she could listen to his footsteps. Did he sound angry? He was walking around unnecessarily slow and that caused uneasiness to fill her chest, holding the onesie tighter. She wanted to sing to her baby at least once, knowing they were gone but she stared at the onesie until she could see her Angel.
The world was ending but she needed to move on and pretend like she hadn't just lost the one thing she wanted most.
Rockabye baby, gently you swing
Over the cradle, Mommy will sing
Sweet is the lullaby over your nest
That tenderly sings my baby to rest
"Charlotte, where are you?"
Nick's voice calling for her sent a shiver down her spine, bile burned at the back of her throat. She hastily put the onesie away into a box she thought he'd never look into, her eyes lingering on it before telling her Angel goodbye. The ache in her chest grew heavier as she made her way out of the attic, trying her best not to fall as the steps were unsteady. She looked all around for her, but he was not in the living room like she'd thought.
Charlotte thought for a moment she was going to get sick, searching for his presence and feeling fearful when she couldn't detect him at all. She just about jumped out of her skin when he cleared his throat from behind her, his eyes trained on her back. She spun around to face him and he wore that soft smile, the one she had fallen in love with, and held a large bouquet of roses in his arms.
"Hi my love, what's the worried look on your face for?"
How could he act like nothing had happened?
Had she imagined everything?
Her baby was real, but was it her fault?
Had she fallen and was trying to place the blame onto her husband, not wanting to be responsible?
