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Authors: Hannah Foster
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breath was the only sound as stunned silence permeated the room. Andrew's eyes found Eric's and saw the visceral
pain his best friend was feeling. Quickly, Sarah fell on her knees in front of the young boy. "Jack, honey, we've talked about this and I've explained..."
"I know," he said with quiet acceptance "my
parents love me very much but they can't be with me so you and Eric are taking care of me," he recited but his voice was devoid of emotion.
"Little man, let's go check the surgery board and see
if anything really gross has come up." Andrew offered as he grabbed the young boys hand and guided him out the door. He turned on his heel as he followed Jack and pinned Sarah and Eric with a glaring look. "You two need to fix this. Now. "
The slam of the door echoed as Sarah finally met Eric's glacial blue eyes. "We'll tell her tomorrow. Together."
Chapter 7
The cacophony of early evening Manhattan traffic echoed against the high rise buildings towering over the city's skyline. Nathalie, standing on the hospital roof and staring out at the city lights, found the
noise both jarring and soothing. She missed the wide open spaces of her home in Africa; the way the night sky would be blanketed with stars and how you could hear the earth breathing. At the same time, the hustle and bustle of Manhattan
reminded her of Chicago - the life she led there and then left behind. She had a foot in two worlds and was no longer sure where she belonged.
Thoughts of Jack had been swirling around in her mind since Sarah's
visit earlier in the day. Sarah had wanted to talk about Jack but she couldn't. She was probably going to tell her she had found a good family for him and she knew he was well looked after but those assurances were of no comfort to her.
It was important to her that he was happy and healthy but she didn't want the details - she couldn't cope with the details. It had been a monumental effort, in the intervening years, to bury the memories of him as deeply as she could. While the ache of giving him up never truly went away, she had at least become
very good at ignoring it.
Or so she had thought.
The first sight of Eric had brought it all rushing back. The pain of leaving him and the belief that it was for the best for him, the fear
of being a single mother, the joy at holding him the first time and the all consuming grief at what followed rose up inside her. His birthday was approaching - he would be eight - and wondered if he still had his father's
smile. She had seen the beginnings of it and loved that he had seemed to inherit the smile that had taken her breath away the first time she had seen it. It still took her breath away.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was still in love
with Eric. Her pulse raced and her heart hammered every time she saw him. His presence in the room brought a heat to her body that she hadn't experienced in...since she left him . Her heart reminded her of what her mind had tried to
ignore - Eric Smitherman had been and would always be the greatest love of her life. She had never been as complete as she was when she was with him and despite Keith's innate goodness, he did not and could not make her feel the way Eric did. She had allowed Keith to pull her into a relationship, partly because
his persistence had worn her down and partly out of the hope that she could love someone, anyone, enough to fill the gaping hole in her heart. She had been wrong. She was now woefully confident that neither one would or could ever be
replaced.
Sighing heavily and pulling her hoodie around her as she continued to stare out at the city, she considered it a just punishment that Eric could barely tolerate the sight of her. She had hurt him badly, worse than
he even knew and for that it was only fair that her heart continue to belong to him, unrequited.
She still remembered the day she had taken the pregnancy test. She had been feeling miserable for almost two weeks and
pain his best friend was feeling. Quickly, Sarah fell on her knees in front of the young boy. "Jack, honey, we've talked about this and I've explained..."
"I know," he said with quiet acceptance "my
parents love me very much but they can't be with me so you and Eric are taking care of me," he recited but his voice was devoid of emotion.
"Little man, let's go check the surgery board and see
if anything really gross has come up." Andrew offered as he grabbed the young boys hand and guided him out the door. He turned on his heel as he followed Jack and pinned Sarah and Eric with a glaring look. "You two need to fix this. Now. "
The slam of the door echoed as Sarah finally met Eric's glacial blue eyes. "We'll tell her tomorrow. Together."
Chapter 7
The cacophony of early evening Manhattan traffic echoed against the high rise buildings towering over the city's skyline. Nathalie, standing on the hospital roof and staring out at the city lights, found the
noise both jarring and soothing. She missed the wide open spaces of her home in Africa; the way the night sky would be blanketed with stars and how you could hear the earth breathing. At the same time, the hustle and bustle of Manhattan
reminded her of Chicago - the life she led there and then left behind. She had a foot in two worlds and was no longer sure where she belonged.
Thoughts of Jack had been swirling around in her mind since Sarah's
visit earlier in the day. Sarah had wanted to talk about Jack but she couldn't. She was probably going to tell her she had found a good family for him and she knew he was well looked after but those assurances were of no comfort to her.
It was important to her that he was happy and healthy but she didn't want the details - she couldn't cope with the details. It had been a monumental effort, in the intervening years, to bury the memories of him as deeply as she could. While the ache of giving him up never truly went away, she had at least become
very good at ignoring it.
Or so she had thought.
The first sight of Eric had brought it all rushing back. The pain of leaving him and the belief that it was for the best for him, the fear
of being a single mother, the joy at holding him the first time and the all consuming grief at what followed rose up inside her. His birthday was approaching - he would be eight - and wondered if he still had his father's
smile. She had seen the beginnings of it and loved that he had seemed to inherit the smile that had taken her breath away the first time she had seen it. It still took her breath away.
There was no doubt in her mind that she was still in love
with Eric. Her pulse raced and her heart hammered every time she saw him. His presence in the room brought a heat to her body that she hadn't experienced in...since she left him . Her heart reminded her of what her mind had tried to
ignore - Eric Smitherman had been and would always be the greatest love of her life. She had never been as complete as she was when she was with him and despite Keith's innate goodness, he did not and could not make her feel the way Eric did. She had allowed Keith to pull her into a relationship, partly because
his persistence had worn her down and partly out of the hope that she could love someone, anyone, enough to fill the gaping hole in her heart. She had been wrong. She was now woefully confident that neither one would or could ever be
replaced.
Sighing heavily and pulling her hoodie around her as she continued to stare out at the city, she considered it a just punishment that Eric could barely tolerate the sight of her. She had hurt him badly, worse than
he even knew and for that it was only fair that her heart continue to belong to him, unrequited.
She still remembered the day she had taken the pregnancy test. She had been feeling miserable for almost two weeks and
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