Chapter 217 Grief
The room fell silent.
“Heaven… you are not thinking straight right now. Just get some rest,” Maverick spoke to her gently.
“My thoughts are straight enough to know that I lost my babies, and I can have them back because of her.” She pointed at Havilah. Havilah bit her lips and hid behind Bianca as she stared, confused.
“She’s just a child,” Maverick said.
“How did Eva know they were visiting the amusement park?”
Eleanor understood Heaven’s pain more than anything because she had done something reckless when she was grieving her Boyle years back.
“Heaven, let’s talk about this later. The doctor said—” Maverick said, stepping closer to hold her shoulders.
She stepped back. “To hell with what the doctor said. Maverick, she is not even yours! Why are you hesitating?” Heaven screamed.
Everyone gasped. Bianca’s hand covered Havilah’s ears.
Maverick’s face tightened. How did she know? He had not told anyone.
“I saw the DNA result,” Heaven said.
“What?” Eleanor asked. “Maverick, you said she was yours.”
“She’s mine…” Maverick whispered, frustrated. He had never once not seen her as his, and he planned to keep it a secret for life.
“That’s your choice then,” Heaven said. She pulled Liam’s hand and turned.
“Heaven, please don’t do this… I can’t take her anywhere else. She only has me…”
“I will take her, Maverick,” Boyle’s voice sounded through the tension. Maverick turned to him as if he was his savior. There was no way he would have her throw Havilah out, and he couldn’t see a life without Heaven in it.
The next few days in the Richard mansion were silent. Heaven mostly just stared into nothing. Liam was her only source of joy. Maverick was worried she didn’t cry again, but he wanted her to cry and say something.
Liam walked to Havilah’s room. The last of her things were packed. She was leaving Ivory City with Uncle Boyle and Aunt Bianca. The adoption papers were finalized.
Liam wished the adults’ complications wouldn’t have to affect them.
“Don’t let the kids in the new city bully you. Be brave and stand up for yourself,” Liam said to Havilah.
She nodded.
“Liam, do you hate me just like your mama?”
“No, I don’t… my mama is just sad… she wouldn’t hate kids,” Liam said.
Havilah had matured so much in days. The circumstances and the things she had to go through in the last couple of days were traumatizing, especially for an eight-year-old.
“It’s my fault, Liam. You should hate me. If I didn’t take you to the haunted house, then your mama wouldn’t have lost her babies.”
“Avi, it’s not your fault,” Liam said.
The other adults hadn’t thought to filter or watch their words when they spoke, mostly Eleanor and the servants. Havilah heard it all.
She also knew she would never see her mother again and that she was the child of a murderer.
“Avi, it’s time to leave,” Bianca knocked on her door.
Havilah got up. The bright smile that always tugged at her lips was gone. She took her bag and walked past him.
“Bye, Liam.”
Liam copied her, wrapping his arms around her just like she used to. “I will visit Uncle Boyle,” he said.
Havilah didn’t respond.
Liam stood in front of the house, watching the car glide away. Tears slid down his eyes.
Maverick watched from the balcony window. He promised never to leave her, yet he broke it.
One week later.
Maverick had tried everything to make Heaven happy again. Flowers, jewelry of different stones, gold, diamonds, pearls—name them. She smiled at all of them, but it never really mattered; he knew.
He was considering bringing in a therapist. He missed her so much.
He lay down beside her, his arms wrapped around her waist tightly.
“I picked names for them,” he said, rubbing circles on her waist. “Sky and Sunshine. Because they are watching over us now.”
Tears slid down her eyes quietly.
“I miss you so much…”
Heaven woke up to an empty bed. She moved to the bathroom to freshen up. She decided to go down to Liam and Rebecca. She had kids that needed her too.
The door opened. Liam and Rebecca came in wearing white.
“Mummy,” Rebecca ran to her. She hugged the little girl with a bright smile, dropping kisses on her hair.
Liam walked across, trying to be brave, but Heaven smothered his less chubby cheeks. She wondered when he had grown this much.
“Welcome back, mama.”
He took her hand and brought her downstairs.
She saw her father, General Richard, Rayan, Samantha, Eleanor, and Maverick. They all had white on.
When she got to the end of the stairs, she saw two little coffins with baby clothes on them.
She stared at all of them.
“I can’t bring them back, but I swear if I could, I would do anything to put back the beautiful smile that I miss so much,” Maverick said.
“They existed, they were here, and will never be forgotten. They made us so happy for the days they were here. That’s enough good memories that we will carry for a lifetime.”
Tears fell from Heaven’s eyes as Maverick spoke.
“We are here to lay Sky and Sunshine to rest, but they are always alive in daddy and mummy’s hearts.”
Heaven took slow steps to the coffins. She dropped kisses on them. She took an incense and lit it.
The rest of the family members followed, paying their respects. There was an altar placed for them. They dropped different toys and plush teddies.
They had breakfast and spent the rest of the day together. Heaven’s heart felt full as she watched from the balcony.
“Hi, sis,” Fabian said.
“That’s weird, but I can get used to it,” she said.
Fabian chuckled. “I’m leaving Ivory City,” he blurted out.
Heaven’s face turned serious. “W-why?”
“There’s this place I saw in the news… they are dealing with a crisis, and I think I can be of help to them in terms of medical assistance… who knows, I might find my heartthrob there,” he said, ruffling her hair.
“Are you going to be okay?” she asked.
He nodded, giving her a reassuring smile.
He kissed her forehead and hugged her.
“If eyes could kill, I would be dead,” Fabian whispered as he winked at Maverick.
General Richard and Old Man Johnson sat at a table awkwardly, like they were trying to determine who would go first.
“Apologizing now would be late, but I’m sorry…” General Richard said. “I don’t want to push blame, but hold myself accountable for not digging deep.”
Old Man Johnson just stared at him, his fingers gently tapping on the table. “Take me to him?”
“Who?” Richard asked.
Old Man Johnson shot him a glare. “Richard, I know you wouldn’t have ended him quickly. I need to have my closure too. Don’t be stingy. In fact, me accepting your apology depends on that.”
Richard drank his cup of vodka in one go, standing up. “Let’s go.”
Maverick hugged Heaven from behind. He kissed her neck; she blushed.
“Come, I have something to show you.”