Chapter 71: Tessa

                                    

                                          
I'm not sure how to approach the situation I am currently in. We are near his home just outside of London, and I want to express my condolences about the loss of the baby, but I don't want to make him uncomfortable. I don't know Mike as much as I would like to, so I don't know if he's the type to have conversations like that. As we pull into his driveway, Hardin gets out quickly without a word to Mike or me and goes into the house. Mike, being the gentleman that he is, walks back to the trunk and takes out our luggage.
                          
"Here, I'll help."
                          
Mike thanks me as I grab my suitcase and he grabs Hardin's. I think now is the opportunity to talk to him.
                          
"Mike... I just wanted you to know how sorry I am that this happened."
                          
"I appreciate that, Tessa. I... I still don't know how to process everything that's happened. I haven't gone through pain like this in such a long time."
                          
"I understand." When Hardin and I lost our child, it was the worst pain either of us had ever felt. The world felt like it was ending, and all the happiness that once filled our days was sucked out and replaced with sorrow.
                          
"I hope you don't mind me asking this... but how did you two get through it? I know Trish is just going to be a mess, and I'm not sure how we will be able to get over this."
                          
"It's going to be really hard, I'll be completely honest. When Hardin and I lost our baby, it hit really hard. I began to withdraw from him, saying that he deserved to be with someone who could give him a child. I think your relationship with Trish is much different than mine with Hardin, but she might be a little distant for a while because she feels guilty. It'll get better though. Each day, a tiny weight will be lifted off your shoulders, but it never truly goes away. Well, it hasn't for me."
                          
"The last thing I want is for Trish to feel guilty considering that this isn't her fault."
                          
"I know, but women usually put the blame on themselves whenever they lose a baby because we are the ones carrying it.
                          
"I see. We'll just take it one day at a time. I'm just glad that Trish is okay. I don't know what I would have done if anything were to happen to her."
                          
I don't know what I would have done either.
                          
"I'm going to use the toilets before I go back. Feel free to take your bags up to the spare room upstairs, it's the first door on your right."
                          
"Great. Thanks." I somehow manage to carry Hardin and my luggage up the narrow staircase. The first door on my right is closed, so I attempt to open it with my elbow. I somehow open it successfully. When I walk in, Hardin is standing by the windowsill on the phone. He jumps back and holds his finger up before saying goodbye to whoever he's talking to.
                          
"I would've carried the luggage upstairs." He takes his suitcase from my hand and places it on the bed.
                          
"Who were you talking to?"
                          
"Landon texted me, so I felt like I should call him to tell him we aren't home."
                          
I just realized that no one else besides Hardin, Mike, Trish and myself know that we are out of the country. Everything happened so quickly and last minute, I couldn't even think of telling people we were in England.
                          
"I forgot no one knows we're here." I place my suitcase on the full bed next to Hardin's.
                          
"Is Mike here?"
                          
"He's using the bathroom before going back to the hospital. I feel terrible for him."
                          
"Me too. This whole situation is so fucked up. I hope they sue the fuck out of that drunk driver." He tosses his clothes into the drawer the 'Hardin way' aka without folding them.