It was the knock at the door that night which forced me from the confines of my wife's arms. Sophie had been unwell for the last three days and, at the doctor's insistence, she was on bedrest until she was told otherwise. I had taken the time off work to look after the kids, to cook for my wife, and to enjoy the life which I knew I had been missing out on.

I had enjoyed spending time with Sarah, Logan and Sammy. I had loved waking up to Sammy's cries in the night and simply sitting in the nursery with him until he fell back to sleep again. I had been able to read Logan a bedtime story and give him a kiss goodnight. I had even been able to sit through a tea party with Sarah and her dolls, and I had never smiled as much as I did.

I loved my family and I would do anything for them.

That's why I was shocked when Callie was the one at the door at three in the morning. She had tears rolling down her cheeks and her arms were wrapped tightly around her stomach.

"Callie? What's wrong, baby?" I pulled my daughter into my arms and wrapped my arms tightly around her as she sobbed into my shoulder. It's then that I noticed Parker stood behind her and he also had tears in his eyes, but I could tell he was trying to be strong for his wife.

"M—My ba—baby," Callie wept and I knew, without her even needing to tell me, what had happened. I had never felt heartbreak as I did in that moment and I had to hold my own tears back; I had to be strong for my daughter and I had to hold it together for her.

"Parker?" I whispered. I needed clarification, just to be sure that I wasn't jumping to conclusions.

Parker took a deep breath and I led the both of them into the living room. I eased both myself and Callie onto the sofa, Callie's grip never wavering as she continued to weep into my shoulder. I wanted to take the pain away, I wanted to make everything right for my little girl, and I wanted to give her everything she deserved.

"Callie had a miscarriage late last night. They only released her from the hospital an hour ago." Parker ran his hand through his hair and I noticed a lone tear sliding down his cheek. Callie was completely distraught and Parker was trying to hold it together for his wife.

"Do they know what caused it?" I held Callie tighter and it pained me that there was nothing which I could do for her. I can't even begin to imagine what her and Parker must be going through. Not when my babies were asleep upstairs, safely tucked up in bed.

The closest I came was when Sophie was hospitalised whilst she was pregnant with Logan. Sophie began bleeding, heavily, in the middle of the night and she ended up in hospital for just over two weeks. They thought that she was going to lose him and that was scary enough.

"There was an issue with the placenta. It didn't develop properly and the baby didn't receive enough oxygen."

"How did they not notice it before?" Callie's sobs had subsided now and she leant against me in silence, doing nothing other than staring at the wall on the opposite of the room. I didn't know how I would begin to put my daughter back together and I certainly didn't know how I was going to help her recover from this either.

"Callie was only eleven weeks. We weren't due another scan for a week and a half," Parker signed. I knew what he was like and I was sure that he was going to blame himself for this. I was worried that this would set off his depression again and he would fall down the hole which he escaped from not long before the wedding.

They were both so excited to be parents. Sure, I was shocked when Callie announced that Sophie and I were going to be grandparents, but when I got over the shock, I was ecstatic. I had embraced Callie and told her I couldn't wait to meet my grandchild.

Her siblings were equally excited to meet their niece or nephew. Sammy, naturally, had no clue what was going on but he had gurgled happily in Sophie's arms and kicked his legs in amusement. It had only made Callie and Parker's wedding day all the more special for all of us.

"Parker—"

"Um, I think Sammy is crying. I'm just going to check on him." Parker stood up from the seat he had taken and headed towards the stairs.

"Parker—"

"I'll be alright, Mark. Just, uh, you know, give me some time," Parker whispered and dragged his feet as he headed up the stairs.

I knew that Sammy wasn't crying. He only woke up once during the night for a feed and I had already fed him not even an hour ago. Otherwise, he slept through the night and woke up about half six in the morning for the beginning of his daily routine.

Parker was probably going to let his anguish out in the bathroom. He knew that no one would hear him because it was at the opposite end of the house to any of the bedrooms; there was a large study and a playroom between the bathroom and Logan's bedroom.

He could scream to his heart's content and let out everything he didn't want Callie to see. But, having dealt with Sophie and her postpartum depression, and seeing the effects of her hiding it from me, I wanted nothing more than to help Parker right now.

I didn't want him to go through this alone. Just as I didn't want Callie to go through this alone. But at least she wasn't afraid to ask for help and she wasn't afraid of showing her suffering to people around her. She had always known where to go and who to speak to when she needed the right support.

Parker, however, had been deprived of those options as a child. He was taught that showing emotions was a weakness and he was taught that men should be strong. His mother instilled in him, from a young age, that men don't breakdown nor do they suffer from mental health issues.

He was never allowed to speak to a therapist and he was never allowed to speak to the counsellors at school. He had to pretend that everything was fine and that wasn't harming himself whenever he got home. His father even went to the extent of covering up his suicide attempt by claiming that the chef had poisoned his food—they were in denial and their son paid the price.

The first time he got any real help was from Callie. She had the patience of a saint and she never gave up with him. Even when he pushed her away and told her that he didn't love her anymore. She was there for him and she pulled him back.

As her father, and his father-in-law, I wasn't going to allow him to slip and lose himself. Not again.

"Daddy." Callie's voice showed her real vulnerability, as did the use of daddy in this instance.

"Yes, baby?" I kissed the top of her head and held her close, showing her that I wasn't going anywhere and she wasn't alone in this.

"Do you think I will ever get the chance to be a mother?"

"Callie—"

"Because it's not the first time Parker and I have lost a baby. It has happened twice before." I had to hold back my own tears in that moment. Sophie and I had never known that Callie was pregnant before, if we had known, we would have been there and supported the both of them. "I lost both babies for the same reason I lost this one. The placenta didn't properly form and my baby didn't get the oxygen they needed."

"Oh, sweetheart. Why didn't you tell your mum and I?" I muttered into her hair. She was a mess, emotionally and probably mentally, but her need to have the answer to everything was going to drive her crazy.

"It's the reason Parker had his relapse. He was coping just about, until he found out mum was pregnant with Sammy. That's what sent him over the edge."

"Sweetheart—"

"I'm not telling you that because I want you to feel bad, dad. It was just too much for Parker, losing our baby, then finding out you were going to be parents again. It broke him and I'm terrified I'm going to lose him this time." Callie began sobbing again and my heart shattered at the sight of her bawling into her hands. She had shrugged my affection off and I didn't know how to cope with her now.

Sophie had been the one who dealt with the real emotions. She would know what to say right now and she would attempt to make our baby girl feel somewhat better than she did. But I was fucking useless and I didn't think anything I said would make a different.

"Listen to me, Callie. You are not going to lose your husband. Do you know why?" Callie didn't make eye contact but she shook her head to show that she was still listening to me. "Because I helped your mother out of her depression and I am going to do the same for Parker."

"But—"

"Before you say anything, I know your mother had postpartum depression and Parker has severe clinical depression, but I am still going to do everything in my power to help him. I promise you, Callie." I didn't care that she didn't want to be comforted right now nor did she want my affection, but that didn't stop me from pulling her into a hug and whispering how much I loved her.

She was always strong for everyone else, even when she was suffering, and now it's time for someone to be there for her. It's time for someone to be her strength and to put both her and her husband back together. It just so happens that that person is me.

Her father.

TWITTER: EmmaaLouisaa__

INSTAGRAM: emlouisaxo_

© 2019 Emma Norman. All Rights Reserved.