Chapter song: "Apologize" by One Republic

"I'll take another chance, take a fall, take a shot for you. I need you like a heart needs a beat, but that's nothing new."

"Nancy, I forgot Nana's gift in the car. I'm going back for it. You go inside first."

"Okay, dear," Nancy replied.

I looked up at the slowly decreasing numbers of the elevators until I finally reached the main floor.  When I got to Nancy's car, I saw the white bag through the back seat window. I smiled to myself as I pictured the look on Nana's face when she opens it. She will be so happy.

When I returned to the top floor where Nana's party was being held, I heard raised voices as I approached the entrance. They didn't sound too happy either. My footsteps halted as I heard Henry's name.

"Henry, tell me what's going on right now?" It was Nana. Her voice wasn't like her. No longer warm or lovely. "What did you say about Ally?"

"Nana. Can we discuss this another time? Today is your birthday."

"No, I want to hear it. Is it true? That Ally is the sister of Penny's murderer?"

A synchronized gasp erupted throughout the room.

"It's true. Ally is...She's the sister of the person who killed Penny."

"Did you know about this before you were involved?"

"Yes," Henry answered without hesitance.

"Then why did you marry her?" Nana's voice was slightly wavering.

Henry remained silent.

"Tell her, Henry. Tell Nana the real reason why you married that girl," Victoria prodded.

"Tell me. Why did you marry Ally?" Nana asked again.

I wanted to do something. I should've done something. I should've walked in and stopped them. If I had done something, maybe things would be different. But I chose to stay quiet where I stood.

"Because...because I wanted to hurt her. I wanted to get revenge on her family," Henry replied with little emotion.

"How could you, Henry?" Nana shook her head in disbelief, her eyes brimming with tears. "How could you and Ally lie to me?"

My grip on the gift bag tightened as I felt the guilt hit me like a wave.

"No, it's not Ally. It was only me. Nana, please don't blame Ally," Henry asked desperately. "She had nothing to do with this. It was all me. I never planned to take it this far."

"And what is this about a baby?" Nana asked, ignoring all of Henry's plea.

The room fell silent. It was so quiet, anyone could hear a pin drop from the main floor.

"She's pregnant."

"How could you do that to the poor girl?" Nana cried. "I thought I raised you well. All I wanted for you was to grow up being a kind person...But..this is too much. I know how much Penny's death hurt you. It hurt all of us. But I never thought that my Henry had this side to him. I don't even know who you are anymore!"

"Fran, maybe we should stop. Let's talk about this later," Patty said.

"Yes, Fran," Juliet added. "Why don't we all just take a minute and cool down?"

"Do you love her?" Nana asked Henry, ignoring her friends. "Henry, tell me the truth. Do you love Ally?"

I was waiting for that "yes". But there was no confirmation...

"I...I...I have to care for her..She's my responsibility. I have to take care of her and our baby."

"You didn't answer my question, Henry," Nana stood adamant. "Do you love her?"

And it hit me that my worst fear had come true. All this time, Henry never loved me. After everything, he still couldn't even say it out loud. I wiped the tears from my cheeks and balanced myself against the wall. But in the process, the gift bag dropped from my hand and onto the floor. I rushed to grab it but froze when I realized I was in everyone's view.

"Ally?" I heard Nana's voice say. As I looked up, all eyes in the room were fixated on me but there was only those eyes who seemed to always catch my attention first. I wiped any remaining tears from my face, snatched the bag and quickly sprinted towards the elevators.

"Ally!" Henry called after me. "Wait!"

I repeatedly pressed the down button until the doors opened and before Henry could reach me, the doors slid shut just in time. My head felt like it was spinning.  I could still hear him shouting my name as I held onto the sides of the elevator.

The second the elevators opened, I ran as fast as my feet would take me. Wherever I was going, I didn't care. As long as it wasn't here. As long as it wasn't anywhere near Henry.

People stared as I ran down the sidewalk...People who will never know how much I've been used and hurt.

I sat at a park for god knows how long, trying not to think ... I saw the mommies and daddies with their children as they played. And it only reminded me that I would never have that with Baby Kale. My phone buzzed in my purse, and I saw that all the missed calls were from Henry. Not wanting to talk to him nor wanting him to find out where I was, I turned it off and threw it in a garbage can.

I didn't know how long I kept going before I stopped. I didn't even know my intended destination. All I knew was that I couldn't go back there and face them all.

I needed to leave. I needed to go as far away as I possibly could from this place and protect Baby Kale and myself from getting any more hurt.

Baby Kale...Do you hear mommy? We're going far away. Where there is no one but the two of us. We'll start over. And we'll be fine without him...

Henry...Forever will he be in my mind. I knew I would never be able to forget him. But this was best. For all of us.

.....

I found myself walking towards a familiar place, very dear to my heart. I'd never realized it was such a special place for me. 

Buckingham Fountain. This nostalgic scenery - it was now only a distant memory in my mind.

I came to a halt near the place Henry proposed to me and turned around to look at the quiet and lonely surroundings. Nobody was here. It was only me and Baby Kale.

I felt a rain drop on my cheek and I gazed up at the angry, grey sky. Soon the rain poured around us and soaked into my white dress and hair. I tried to seek shelter near the bathrooms, but it didn't stop my shivering. I wanted to go back to Nancy's. Being sick was the last thing I needed. But I was afraid he would be there, waiting for me.

I took out Nana's gift out from the bag. I had planned on giving it to Nana as a way of telling her about the Baby Kale, but I was too late. Everything was ruined.

I clung the gift close to my chest and slowly crouched down onto my knees. Tears mixed with the rain on my face as the dream of being with Henry, being a family together went down the drain. How could I be so foolish to think we could ever be a family in the first place?

Even the sound of the rain or the thunder couldn't drown out my cries...

I heard footsteps coming toward me, and I slowly let my eyes travel up to see him standing there. Every inch of him was completely untouched from the rain as he stood with a mixed expression of relief and sadness.

I quickly got up to my feet and began to walk away.

"Ally-" he started as he moved to stop me.

"Don't. Don't come any closer," I uttered, looking him dead in the eye.

"You shouldn't be out here. You will get sick. Let's talk about it in the car," he softly said.

"There's nothing to talk about. Nana knows...everybody knows," I whimpered. "They know I'm the sister of Jennifer's killer.  The secret is out. Just like you wanted."

"What are you talking about? Ally, please listen to me. They don't understand."

"No, you listen to me. Just this once. I can't do this anymore. I am falling apart by the second. Please just let me be alone. Just...let me go."

Henry shook his head. "I can't do that. I can never do that, Ally."

"Why not? Because I'm your responsibility? Is that why?"

Henry's eye narrowed with confusion. "Ally, you don't understand. I-"

"I think I understand everything perfectly this time. You did all those nice things for me because I was pregnant. That's the reason you're being so nice to me. But I don't want be anybody's responsibility. If that's what this is all about, then please leave us."

"I can't leave and I won't. You don't know what you mean to me. Every second that we are apart, I just realized how much I miss you."

"I'm not falling for your words again. I've learned my lesson. If you won't leave, then I will." I started to run in the opposite direction.

"Ally!" Henry shouted as he ran after me.

The rain obscured my vision as I sped across the field. I wasn't aware of where I was running, only that I didn't want Henry to catch up to me. I needed to escape from him.

In a split second, a deafening car horn blasted through the air. The next thing I saw were two blinding lights coming right at me, completely filling my vision.

"ALLY!"

.....

The rain pattered on my paralyzed body as I faintly opened my eyes.

Just a few feet away from me was the photo frame I had intended to give to Nana. Inside was supposed to be the family picture that Violet drew. I could still make out the red brick house, the mommy and the daddy holding onto the little girl's hands and the messily drawn rainbow arching over everything.

But the glass was now shattered into hundreds of pieces.

I tried to reach for it, but my body wouldn't move. None of my muscles responded.

I heard Henry shout out my name. I felt a strong pair of arms carefully lift my shoulders from off the wet cement. The color of his face was like a sheet of paper. "Everything's going to be alright, okay? Baby, stay with me. You hear me? Stay with me."

"Henry," I whispered his name. I wanted to ask him if I was alright. If Baby Kale was okay...

The sound of whirring sirens mixed with Henry's hopeless words of comfort, soon drowning him out.

"Ally...I'm sorry...I'm so so sorry..."

.....

I was rushed out of a dark enclosed place into what seemed like a very long hallway.

The bright, blurry lights sped above me in an endless pattern, one after another...after another.

I didn't know where I was. I didn't know what was going on.  All I heard were the rushed, unrecognizable voices, the sprinting soles of the bottom of their shoes, but the most profound sound of them all, was a faint heartbeat close to my own.

As I returned to my senses, I saw a familiar face among the others. Though it was a blur, I could never mistake those eyes, those dazzling eyes always looking my way.

"If you want to save your baby, we need to perform surgery right away," a man's voice spoke urgently. "Sir, you have to make a decision. Your wife or the baby? She's lost too much blood and her body will go into shock which will complicate the situation even more."

"Is there any way to save them both?" Henry asked with a trembling voice.

"I'm sorry. This is the only way."

I felt him urgently grab my hand, his fingers drenched in sweat, but they were still warm. 

Henry turned to the doctor as if he made his decision. "I want ..."

Darkness swept over me.

I felt the last beats of our hearts slowing down...until they both suddenly stopped...

Thank you so much for reading guys!!!
- Achimay