Chapter 47 47
Nathan extended his condolences to Nicole and she thanked him. Then went back to the funeral process while Nathan stood among the people present. He kept looking around and hoping to see Brooke immediately when she walks in.
"I only hope for one thing though. That Bee will come and pay her respects to your mother." Nathan said to himself and let his fingers crossed. He kept rehearsing what he was going to say to her when she showed up.
Minutes turned into hours as the process came to an end. But Nathan still had hope. He wanted to believe that Brooke wouldn't miss that last day of the wake of Nicole's mother.
"Bee will come. She will come to pay her last respects." Nathan tried to convince himself.
People that were present began to leave when it was over. Soon, it began to pour but Nathan remained under the tenet.
"She is going to come. She can't miss it." He continued to console himself.
"Nathan, it's getting dark. My mother is already buried and it is clear that Brooke is not coming. We are leaving now. Maybe you should too." Nicole came to him when she and her close relatives were getting ready to leave the cemetery.
"Bee and her family have left Silverbrook for good. They are never coming back, not for a day or for any reason." She added.
"Bee is coming. She cannot miss this last day to say goodbye to your mother. She just has to be here." Nathan said in a convincing tone. "I cannot leave and miss her arrival. That would be a terrible mistake." He added.
"You are impossible, Nathan. My family and I are leaving now. But I can tell you that Bee has already missed it. It is clear that she is not coming." Nicole said again before finally walking away.
Nicole and her family left while Nathan and his driver were the only ones left there. The driver parked closer to Nathan. Nathan remained under the tent as the rain kept pouring.
Three hours passed but no sign of Brooke. When it got late, Nathan laid in his car to get some rest. While his driver kept watching to ensure that they would not miss her arrival.
However, to his dismay, Brooke never came.
The next morning, a knock came on Nathan's car window. The knock awoke him and he saw Nicole. He rolled down the window.
"Nathan, why are you doing this to yourself? Enough is enough. Bee has moved on and you should too. Like I told you,she is not going to come." Nicole said. She was about to leave but stopped to give Nathan a piece of advice.
"I will advise you to forget Bee. For her sake. For your sake and for everyone's sake. If you two are destined to be together, then it will happen. If not, it is best you let her go. Stop torturing yourself, Nathan -"
Nathan was quiet and he listened to Nicole's words. "You don't understand, Nicole. I am solely responsible for what happened to me. If I don't get an opportunity to try and make things right, I will never forgive myself. I can't move on." He spoke in a lifeless tone.
"I guess she isn't coming. I had high hopes that she would." He added, disappointedly. "Goodbye Nicole. Sorry for your loss, once more." He added before telling his driver to go.
Nicole watched as Nathan's car drove away. She came back to the cemetery the next morning, just to see if Nathan was still there. To her surprise, he was. He slept in his car in a cemetery, waiting for Brooke.
A part of her felt bad for him. She also felt guilty. But there was not much she could do..a promise has been made. She made a promise to Doctor Turner and she has to keep that promise.
"Did I do right by Nathan?" Nicole questioned herself because of the guilt that washed over her.
At the same time, she recalled how Brooke kept crying after the divorce. Even before the divorce, Brooke had gone through a lot at the end of their marriage. She was able to survive the emotional trauma because Brooke is strong.
"I am sorry, Nathan. But Bee needs to learn to live by herself. She depended on your love so much in the past. She can't be with you, at least not anytime soon." Nicole said. She also walked away and left the cemetery after paying respects to her mother that morning.
Nicole knew Brooke wasn't going to come. They had spoken on the phone with Brooke's mother and she was told that Brooke was at the hospital. It was time for the baby to come.
Meanwhile, in Emberwood.
Brooke has been in the hospital the previous day. Now she is in the labor room and her screams became defining within the four walls of the labor room.
"Come on, push again. I can see the head already." The doctor attending to Brooke instructed.
"Ahhhh." Brooke let out a cry as she tried to push again. She has been doing that for some minutes now.
She is sweating a lot as she pushes and pushes. Tears welled up in her eyes. She is beginning to feel weak but the doctor encouraged more. He announced that all she had to do was to make one last long push.
Brooke squeezed her eyes as tears fell. She took a long breath and then gave one last long push.
Soon, the sound of a crying baby filled the room. Hearing the sound of her baby cried out loud, a smile formed on her face.
Finally, her baby has arrived and from all indications, he sounds healthy.
"Congratulations. Your baby boy is here." The doctor said to Brooke.
The baby was then placed on Brooke's chest. She could feel his warmth. His heart filled with pride and a new form of love.
The baby was soon cleaned and returned to Brooke.
"Oh my love. You are so handsome and perfect." Brooke said in a shaky voice. She welled up in tears again. This time around, the tears of joy.
"I love you. I love you so much baby. From this moment, my heart only belongs to you. You are my life. I will love only you. Thank you for coming into my life." Brooke said, stroking her baby's head gently.
"I love you so much. I am going to call you, Liam."