Chapter 35 The First Touch

Chapter 35 The First Touch
The next morning came so fast. I woke up slowly. My mind felt like it was covered in fog. For a few seconds, I forgot where I was. I tried to roll on my side, but I felt a sharp pain in my abdomen.

Then, I remembered the tablet.

I looked at the bedside table. The tablet was still there. I grabbed it and turned it on. The screen came on, showing the same blue-tinted room from the night before. Baby Arthur was still there. He was sleeping, his tiny chest rising and falling fast.

I looked up. Edward was sitting on the cushion by the window. He was wearing the same clothes from last night. He held two cups of coffee.  

"How are you feeling?" he asked, walking over.  

"Sore," I whispered.

He sat on the edge of my bed. "The doctor came in while you were asleep. They said your vitals are looking better. If you can eat something and sit up today, they might let us go down to the NICU this afternoon."  

That was all I needed to hear. "Give me the food. I’ll eat anything."  

While I ate, Edward told me more about the outside world. He spoke about the lawyers and the police.

"What about your mother?" I asked. "Does she know about Arthur?"

“I’m not sure; there's been no news about her since she left the country,” Edward said.

"I just want to hold Arthur," I said softly.

Around two o'clock, a nurse named Maria came in with a wheelchair. She helped me up. I felt dizzy, I had to grab Edward’s shoulders to stay upright. My stomach felt like it was being pulled apart.  

"Slowly, Serena," Maria said. "Deep breaths."  

With Edward on one side and the nurse on the other, I managed to stand. I felt like an old woman. Every inch of my skin felt sensitive. I lowered myself into the wheelchair. Edward wrapped a blanket around my legs, and we began the journey.  

The hospital hallways felt miles long. We went down an elevator and through a set of double doors that needed a security badge. The air here was different. It was warmer and quieter, filled with the constant humming of machines.  

"Wash your hands here," Maria said, pointing to a large sink.  

Edward helped me stand again. I scrubbed my hands and arms with the soap until my skin was red. I had to be clean for him. I had to be perfect.  

When we finally reached the incubator, I stopped breathing for a second. The screen on the tablet did not do him justice. In person, Arthur looked even smaller. He was no bigger than a loaf of bread. His skin was very thin, almost see-through, and he had a dusting of dark hair on his head.  

"Hello, little man," Edward whispered. He sounded like his heart was breaking.  

"You can’t hold him yet. He’s too small, and his skin is very sensitive. But you can touch him."  

She opened a small round door in the side of the clear plastic box.  

I hesitated. I was terrified I would break him. My hand trembled as I reached inside. The air inside the incubator was hot and humid. I slowly extended my index finger and touched the palm of his tiny hand.  

It was the most incredible feeling in the world. His skin was soft as silk. For a moment, he did not react. Then, his tiny fingers curled around mine. It was a weak grip, but it was there. He was holding onto me. 

Tears blurred my vision. "I'm so sorry, Arthur," I whispered. "I'm sorry I couldn't protect you in there. I'm sorry you had to come out into the cold so early."  

"Don't do that," Edward said. "He's here because you fought for him. You stayed alive in that warehouse. He's a fighter because you are a fighter."  

We stayed there for an hour. I did not want to move. I watched the monitors that tracked his heart rate and oxygen. Every time a number changed, my heart jumped. I learned the sounds of his world, the beep of the IV pump, the hiss of the oxygen.  

As I sat there, I felt a shadow of fear. Lily was out there somewhere. She had money and she had a grudge. She had lost her place in the Vance family, and women like Lily do not lose quietly.  

"Edward," I said, not taking my eyes off our son. "The USB drive Louise gave you, is it enough to stop Lily?"  

Edward stepped behind me and put his hands on my shoulders. His grip was tight. "The USB has records of Lily moving money into offshore accounts that belong to a known criminal organization. She wasn't just stealing from me. She was laundering money. The FBI is involved now. She can’t just buy her way out of this."  

"But she's gone," I said.  

"She’s a fugitive," Edward replied. "She has no passport, no access to her main accounts, and a red notice on her name. If she shows her face at any airport or bank, she’s done. And even if she stays hidden, she can’t hurt us again."  

I wanted to believe him. I needed to believe him.  

"I want us to move," I said suddenly.  

Edward blinked. "Move? To a new house?"  

"Away from the city," I said. "Away from the Vance estate. I want Arthur to grow up somewhere safe. I want a home, not a prison."  

Edward was silent for some time. But then he looked at me, then at the tiny baby in the plastic box. He saw the way I was flinching at every loud noise in the hallway.  

"Okay," he said softly. "Whatever you want. We’ll find a place. Just for the three of us."  

A nurse came over to tell us it was time for me to go back to my room. I did not want to let go of Arthur’s hand. I felt like if I stayed, I could give him my strength through my fingertips.  

"I'll be back soon," I whispered to the baby. "I'm going to get strong so I can take you home."  

As Edward wheeled me back to the elevator, the exhaustion finally hit me. The physical pain was returning, but my heart felt lighter. 

But as the elevator doors closed, I saw a man in a dark suit standing at the end of the hallway. He was looking at his us, I did not recognize him. He did not look like the hospital staff.  

I grabbed the armrest of my wheelchair.  

"Edward," I whispered. "Who is that?"  

Edward looked back, but the man had already turned the corner. "Just security, Serena. I told you, I have men everywhere. You're safe."  

I leaned my head back and closed my eyes. I told myself it was just my nerves. I told myself the nightmare was over. But deep down, I knew that when you take everything from a woman like Lily, she has nothing left to lose. And a person with nothing to lose is the most dangerous person in the world.