Tomorrow
Written for the 10_quotes community at LJ, inspired by the quote "Tomorrow the birds will sing," from the movie "City Lights".
She miscarried three days later.
Lying in bed, her expression blank, her face pale against the white sheets of the bed, she stared up at the ceiling. Her husband held her hand, staring at her sadly.
"Mary, darling, are you all right?" he asked her.
She ignored him, continuing to stare up at the ceiling. He squeezed her hand.
"Mary, please speak to me," he said.
"Tomorrow the birds will sing. Tomorrow the sun will come up and tomorrow we'll go on living," she said dully. "But we'll never be the same."
"We can try again, Mary darling," he comforted her.
"It will never be the same. We'll never be the same," she repeated. Her thoughts drifted to Bert. Losing her baby was a punishment for lying to Jack about loving him, for refusing to be with Bert, for putting her duties as a nanny before her love for Bert.
"Mary my love, it will be all right," he soothed her.
"No, it won't," she snapped, sitting up in bed. "It will never, never be all right! It's all my fault our baby died – it's my fault!" She began to sob, and her husband joined her on the bed, rubbing her back lightly. She turned away from him, burying her face in the pillow.
"Mary, darling," he whispered. "It'll be all right."
"Stop saying that!" she cried out, her voice muffled by the pillow. "Just leave me be! Please, just let me be!"
"Is that what you really want, Mary?" he asked, and she nodded.
"I'll be in the other room," he said, bending down to kiss her temple, and then left the room.
"Oh, Bert," she sobbed, once the door had closed. "Oh, why, why didn't I stay with you? If I'd stayed with you, then this never would have happened!"
Another three days passed.
"I must go," Mary told Jack as she packed her things. "I can't remain here anymore."
"Don't leave me, Mary," he begged her. "I love you."
"I must leave, Jack. I'm so sorry," she said, closing her carpetbag with a snap. She pulled on her gloves and picked up her parrot-head umbrella. She rested her white-gloved hand on her cheek and kissed him lightly. "Goodbye."
He gripped her hand tightly. "I love you, Mary – I love you so much."
"Goodbye," she said again, and left their house for the last time.
She walked through the park, filled with purpose. She reached Bert's building and walked briskly up the stairs. Mary rapped sharply on the door, three times, and Bert opened the door.
"Mary? What are you doing here?"
She flung herself into his arms.
"Oh, Bert," she sobbed. "I love you so much!"
He stroked her hair softly, enfolding her in his arms. "Come inside," he whispered, and she nodded, stepping into his flat.
"I've miscarried," Mary whispered as soon as he closed the door behind him. "I've miscarried and I've left Jack."
"Oh, my darling," he whispered, pulling her into his arms once more. "I'm so sorry."
"As am I," she whispered. "It was my punishment for not staying with you."
"Mary, of course it wasn't!" he exclaimed.
"It was," Mary said firmly. "It was my fault and I shall never forget it. But losing my baby made me realise that I couldn't go on living without you."
"Mary, I never thought that you'd come back to me," he whispered, stroking her cheek. She gave him a faint smile.
"I love you, Bert," she whispered.
"And I love you, Mary, with all my heart, forever and ever."