CHAPTER 5

"Travis, you mean, you're going to kick me  out of the house?" She asked, surprise visible on her face.

“So now, I'm at fault here? I was married to your father. I may not be your real mother but I took care of you and treated you like my own son and now you want to treat me this way because of that filthy woman." Aunt Clara said. 

Emerald walked in with a glass of water to her grip, she was unhappy and felt bad. It was all her fault that her mother and brother were having a big fight. 

"You brought this upon yourself," Travis muttered out angrily. 

"Travis please stop," Jessica let out trying to pull him away but he was just too strong. 

"I'm doing this because I want a much better life than this for you Travis. Instead of you using your brains, you went out and married someone who is as poor as we are. Our lives is supposed to be getting better but it seemed that we are bound to suffer because of that stupid woman you call your wife." Aunt Clara let out. 

"Get out of this house aunt Clara before I lose the respect I have left for you, and if you can't get along with my wife, then I want you out of this house. We all don't need a bad egg around so just leave us alone." Travis muttered with rage. 

"I hope you don't regret this Travis," Aunt Clara said. 

"Get the hell out of this house this minutes before I do something bad to you," Travis yelled at the top of his voice. Emerald couldn't help it as she kept crying, if she hadn't told her brother about what her mother was doing! They might not have ended up in a big fight. 

"Brother please," Emerald begged but Travis had turned a deaf ear, Aunt Clara left for her room to get her things. She was angry and in full rage. 

The night wind was beautiful but Jessica seemed to be in a lot of thought since the argument between Travis and his stepmother. She felt she was the cause of the fight, her poorness had inflicted all this dispute between them. 

"Love," Travis called, clearing his throat to get her attention. 

"It's getting late and you're still awake, you might catch the cold out here," Travis said before wrapping his arms around her. 

"I'm not sleepy yet," Jessica muttered.

"I feel bad about what happened earlier today, You only got into a huge misunderstanding with Aunty because of me, she is the only family you and Emerald have left." Jessica let out worriedly. 

"Love, you're my family. You, Emerald, and our first baby. I only did that to her because I don't want her to hurt you or the baby. The truth is, I didn't like what happened either but you know how much I love you and I hate it if anybody would chose to hurt my family," Travis let out before kissing the side of her cheeks.

"Let get to bed, it getting late." Travis said before leading his wife to bed. 

SEVEN MONTH LATER

"You know I don't like leaving you alone because of your condition but we have to deliver some wine to the city, I promise that I won't be gone for long love! It's just for few days." Travis said clutching his bag on his back, Jessica gave him a small chuckle before rubbing her tummy gently. 

"Babe, the baby wouldn't be coming out today. I would be due in next two month, don't worry about me! I would be waiting for your return as long as you are careful in the city." Jessica said. 

"You should also be careful around the house, I don't want anything to happen to you or our baby." Travis muttered. 

"Of course. Emerald is here and she takes very good care of me," Jessica told, making Travis nod

"Emerald, I'm leaving you in the care of my wife," He let out. "I won't allow anything to happen to her brother, i would make sure she eat all the food in the house and get bigger before you come back." Emerald let out earning a raft of laughter from both Travis and Jessica. 

"Thank you so much Emerald, I won't mind if you make her put on an extra pounds but not just too much for me not to recognize my wife any longer," Travis said with rubbing Jessica's stomach softly. 

"I have to go now," Travis said hugging his wife tightly and dearly before kissing her on the lips. He bent his face close to Jessica's stomach before whispering.

"Well, bye baby," 

"Take care of yourself too Emerald," Travis said hugging his sister and pecking her forehead before leaving. 

"Why do you look so sad," Emerald asked Jessica as they made lunch. "You're missing my brother, don't you?" Emerald teased. 

"You can't blame me for feeling this way, this would be the first time of being apart from Travis since we got married, it been four days since he left for the city." Jessica let out standing up to check the food they where preparing. She felt a sharp pain close to her abdomen as she let out a painful growl. 

"What? What's wrong with you Aunt Jessy?" Emerald let out worridely but Jessica said nothing but whimper more from the blinding pain.

"Wait here, I need to get help." Emerald muttered.

"Emerald wait! I think my baby just happen to kick." Jessica let out happily. "Why don't you take a seat, I would get you a cup of water." Emerald let out, earning a nod from Jessica. 

"I have been having different thought ever since the bleeding. What if my child grows up unhealthy?" Jessica said after gulping down the whole content from the cup. 

"I don't think so, I'm sure that my Niece\nephew would grow up healthy," Emerald let out. "Oh no, the food." Jessica stood up hurriedly before putting of the food that had begun to get burnt. 

"How did we not notice?" Emerald let out.

"Emerald, I think my water bag just broke," Jessica let out panickly. "Oh no, we need to get you to the hospital real quick! You're definetly going to give birth to my Niece\Nephew today," Emerald muttured out. 

"Emerald, you need to call Travis. I need him now more than ever." Jessica pleaded.

"I've been calling him aunt Jessica but he seemed to be busy," Emerald let out as they entered the hospital.  

"He kept me in this condition, He really needs to be here." Jessica let out. "Don't worry aunt Jessica, I have made a promise to take good care of you," Emerald let out as the nurses rushed to help Jessica out. 

"You should push harder Jessica," the doctor pleaded making Jessica hold the hospital bed before letting out a huge grunt to push the baby. 

She was soaked in her own sweat as she grit her teeth together in pain. 

"Push, push. Jessica you should push more harder! I trust in you." The doctor said as a heavy grunt escaped Jessica's lips. 

"Your baby's head is starting to come out, push harder Jessica." The doctor ordered. 

"Doctor, her blood pressure is beginning to get high. What should we do?" the nurse muttered. After much pushing and effort from Jessica. The crying of a baby filled the hospital air, the baby's body was covered in blood as the doctor stared at her in panic. 

"Jessica your baby isn't well, she was born premature," The doctor muttered, "why, what happened?" Jessica let out panickly. 

Before the doctor could explain anything further, Jessica's eyes slowly shut down.

The city was filled with busy cars and people trying to get on with their various lives and activities. Travis held the full carton of wine to deliver to the wine shop beside the road but an elegant-looking lady who looked frightened, shattered, and unhappy stopped him. "William," she let out before pulling him into a hug. 

"Sorry about the hug, do you have the strongest wine here?" She asked after realizing her mistake."We just got some delivery right now Mam," the shop attendant replied instead. 

"Are those alcoholic wines?" The lady turned before asking Travis yet again. "No, this isn't Alcoholic Ma," Travis said, holding the carton tightly to prevent it from slipping to the ground. 

"I honestly wanted to have a last taste of something really bitter before dying." The lady said with a small sob escaping her lips. She clenched her chest tightly before walking away.

Travis marveled at what kind of a weird lady was that. Was this how people in the city acted? "Hand me that Travis and offload the rest," Travis's coworker let out to him before collecting the carton of wine. Travis was alarmed when the lady crossed the road without sparing a glance at the car that was approaching at full speed. 

"Hey, miss, lookout." He yelled before nudging her from the road, They both ended up twirling on the floor. 

"Are they okay?"

"What's wrong with this lady?"

"She wasn't even looking at the road, did she want to die?" Those were the comments from the now gathered crowd. 

"Ouch, my head!" She muttered on top of Travis' chest before touching the back of her head. "I hope she is okay?" Somebody from the crowd let out. 

The lady removed her hand from the back of her head to notice the blood that was visible on her hand. "She's bleeding, she needs to be taken to the hospital! Call an ambulance," Somebody from the crowd yelled out panickly.

Travis was about to get her off his body but she had fainted on his chest. "Madam, madam?" Travis muttered before nudging her but she didn't even shake. 

"Travis, what happened here?" His co-worker asked running towards him. 

"Help me carry this woman off me, let's get her to the hospital real quick." Travis stood up before helping his coworker out, they drove fastly to the closest hospital. The nurses instantly brought a bed before rushing her inside the expensive-looking hospital. 

"We have brought this lady to the hospital Travis, shouldn't we be leaving already? Moreover, we obviously can't pay the bills to this hospital and Flevoland is a long trip ahead," his co-worker let out. 

"Can't we just wait for her condition to get a little better? I feel sorry for her," Travis said as they sat in the waiting room. 

"You have been vocalizing how you want us to get home really bad because of your wife's sensitive condition. So let's leave if you want to get to your wife quickly," His co-worker let out as the doctor came out of the room. 

"Excuse me, sir?" The man with the white uniform coat called. Travis knew that he must be the doctor. "Are you the patient's husband?" the doctor asked Travis, holding a notepad clutched to his hand with a pen. 

"No, I'm not," Travis said. 

"Sorry, but how are you related?" The doctor asked. 

"Uhmm__" Travis tried to explain but his Co-worker chipped in. 

"He is the one who saved that lady doctor, he only helped her but they aren't related in any way," His co-worker muttered. 

"Oh, Is that so?" The doctor inquired.

"Yes doctor, by the way, how is she doing?" Travis asked. 

"Well, her condition is normal and right now she is conscious. However, she keeps asking for you so I thought that you were her husband, forgive my mistake," the doctor let out before walking away.

"You should say goodbye to her while I set the car," Travis' co-worker let out, he patted Travis on the shoulders before heading out of the hospital. Travis walked into the room to notice so many patients, it seemed to be the universal room to check patients who were really not in critical condition. he strode towards the bed of the lady he had saved. 

She seemed a bit weak with white clothing wrapped around her forehead. "It's you, you were the one who saved me from that car?" The lady let out. 

"Yes, madam"

"It was nothing but next time please be more careful, I need to leave," Travis let out.

"Uhmm, I'm really sorry you got yourself involved. I truly wasn't myself earlier on! I got really depressed and sad because

My fiance broke up with me." She let out. 

"Was his name William?" Travis let out remembering how she had pulled him into a hug a while ago. 

"You look just like him and that was why I mistook you for him at the wine shop," she let out. 

"Don't worry madam, someday you would meet someone who would truly love you and won't try to hurt you, I have to leave madam," Travis muttered before turning to leave. "Wait a minute, stop. How can I ever repay you for your kindness?" She asked?

"You don't have to do that, what is more, important is that you are safe and you should get some rest," Travis let out.

"Thank you so much," she let out.

"We have to leave right now, I called the factory and told them that we are on our way and the boss says that Jessica gave birth already," his coworker let out.

"Who's Jessica?" the lady asked but Travis said nothing before running out of the hospital room. Travis had so much regret at that point in time, he should have been with his wife when she had their first child. He wondered how she was doing.

***********

"Brother, both of them are in a critical condition right now.  Aunt Jessica had high blood pressure while in labor, and it was hard to give birth to the baby. The baby isn't doing well either, he was born premature," Emerald let out the minutes she set eyes on her brother with panic.

"Doctor, is my wife Jessica and the baby doing well?" Travis asked the doctor who was about to walk past them. 

"Your wife and baby are still in critical condition but I assure you that we are doing our best to stabilize their condition. I would go on then," The doctor said.

"Thank you so much, doctor," Travis said, plunging to the seat in the waiting room before allowing the tears he had been holding to pour. He was the cause of why his wife and daughter were in such a condition. 

He loved his wife and daughter very much and didn't want them to leave him just yet. Travis knew that he wouldn't survive without them beside him, he knew that his life would be meaningless.