This is going to be a AU series for Joel and Sarah. It'll include short stories/scenarios from the time Sarah was born to her adulthood. In this chapter, you'll meet Joel's wife, Brittany. This was really difficult for me to write (because feels) but I really hope you enjoy it. Hopefully another chapter will up soon! And please leave a review with any comments or suggestions. Thank you! :)
"Congratulations on your new baby girl, Mr. and Mrs. Miller."
The nurse walked over to the couple and carefully placed the newborn in Brittany's arms. She was wrapped tightly in a blanket and wore a small, pink hat to help shelter her from the cold.
"She's beautiful," Brittany gasped, her eyes welling up as she cradled the baby in her arms.
"And she has your eyes." Joel looked longingly over her shoulder, studying the infant's face. She had a full head of light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, just like her mother.
"Here," Brittany shifted herself forward in her bed and carefully placed her in Joel's arms. He looked at her hesitantly - he'd never held a child before, let alone a new born baby, and he wasn't ready to screw it up.
"Hey there, beautiful," Joel said quietly, gently caressing the side of her face. She cooed at his touch and her eyes fluttered opened to meet his. He smiled. "I can't believe you're mine."
"Do you have a name picked out?" The nurse asked as she reentered the room. She was scribbling something down on her clipboard.
Brittany shook her head. "I don't thin-"
"Sarah," Joel interrupted. "Sarah Jane Miller."
Brittany looked over at Joel as he held their daughter in his arms - he looked at her as if she hung the moon in the night sky, like she was his whole world - and she couldn't help but smile.
"Sarah Jane Miller," she repeated. "I like that."
"What do you mean you're leavin'?" Joel asked as he followed Brittany up the stairs of their apartment and into the main bedroom.
"I can't do this anymore, Joel!" She yelled as she opened the drawers of their dresser and pulled out everything in sight, throwing them into the suitcase on the bed. "We're young. Too young. I should be out there living my life and making something of myself - not married at 16 with a child and just enough money to get us by."
"Brit..." Joel walked over to her and placed his hand on her shoulder, but she quickly pushed him away.
"Don't fucking touch me!"
"Listen to me, baby. We can make this work. I'll get a second job - hell, I'll even get a third one if I have to. We'll save up our money and buy a big house on the lake just like we talked about, yeah? You'll go to college and get your dream job, we'll watch Sarah grow up together. I... I want this to work, Brit. Just give it a chance."
He held her face in his hands and gently wiped away her tears as they trickled down her cheek. "Please."
She squeezed her eyes together tightly and broke away from his grip. Without saying a word, she zipped up her suitcase and walked down the stairs, Joel following closely behind her.
"So you're just going to leave me here?" He spread out his arms into the open air, his voice cracking slightly and a wave of desperation crossing his face. "You know I can't do this on my own."
She swung open the front door and took a step outside, her suitcase trailing directly behind her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder, looking directly into his sad, hazel eyes. "Goodbye, Joel."
He didn't move. He didn't say anything. He didn't try to stop her. He just kept his gaze on the door as he took everything in.
He walked over to the couch and bowed his head down, placing his hands on the back of his head and ruffling his hair in frustration. And that's when he lost it.
It's like he was completely out of touch with his body - his body slumped over, his back rising and falling as broken sobs escaped his mouth and echoed throughout the rest of the house.
He was broken.
It was funny; he had always thought of himself as a strong, capable man who could overcome everything and anything without feeling a goddamned thing. But as he sat there on that couch, his head in his hands and tears flowing down his face, he felt weak. Helpless. Like everything good in his life had been torn away from him in a matter of seconds, and there was absolutely nothing he could do to stop it.
This was the girl he had known since he was a child - his best friend, his high school sweetheart, the love of his life, his first everything - and she walked out of that door like none of that had even mattered.
As he sat alone in the darkness, his thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sound of crying coming from the floor above him.
Sarah.
He raced upstairs to her bedroom and shuffled over to her crib, gently lifting her up and cradling her in his arms. As she continued to cry, he panicked - he had absolutely no idea what to do to make her feel better.
He held her closer and leaned his face in, quietly singing a lullaby to calm her down.
Hush little baby, don't say a word
Daddy's gonna buy you a mocking bird
And if that mocking bird don't sing
Daddy's gonna buy you a diamond ring...
Sarah's crying began to dissipate, and she cooed quietly as she began drifting off into sleep and her eyes slowly fluttered closed.
Hush little baby, don't you cry
Daddy's gonna sing you a lullaby...
As he finished the song and held the sleeping infant in his arms, a faint smile crossed his face. This was his child, his baby girl - the only good thing he had left in his life - and he was absolutely terrified. Terrified of giving up on her, terrified of letting her down. He was determined to give her the best life possible, and he made a promise to himself that he would never leave her side. No matter what happened, no matter what the circumstances were - he would always be there for her. Always.
"You're gonna be alright, baby girl," he whispered. "Everything's gonna be alright."