CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE

18 MONTHS LATER

SEPHY

'I don't understand this,' mumbled Callum with his eyes fixed on the bottle in his right hand. Our baby Callie Rose was being held in his left arm.

'Give it here,' I sighed and he handed me the bottle full of warm milk. I took his hand gently and clasped it around the bottle. Slowly I moved his hand to Callie's mouth and gently placed the teat between her bottom and top lip. Soon she began to suck and I looked up at Callum with a smile.

'You have to do it gently,' I told him still smiling and he smiled back.

'That's just because you're amazing,' he said with a grin and I rolled my eyes in response. He bowed his head and pressed his lips against mine.

'Don't drop her or the bottle,' I whispered between our kiss and he smiled. Finally Callie finished drinking and we removed the bottle from her mouth.

'Well done, Callie,' I smiled as I pecked her head before turning to Callum. 'I'm going to put her to bed, she'll be exhausted.'

'Alright,' Callum replied as he watched me take her from his arms and carry her into our bedroom. We had been living in this caravan ever since we escaped the Nought riots. We were away from everything, including people; because where people went violence went.

No one knew that we were staying here. No one knew if we even existed anymore. Sometimes I wondered if people were looking for us and hoped to find us one day. But it is very unlikely.

Gently I laid Callie in her crib and stroked her cheek gently before leaving the bedroom quietly. I joined Callum in the kitchen who was making us both dinner.

'Smells good,' I commented when I sniffed the soup he was stirring in the pan. He flashed a charming smile before going back to what he was doing. I set the table and poured some drinks for us both.

'Is Callie alright?' Asked Callum, trying to make conversation.

'She fell asleep straight away,' I replied and he smiled to himself.

'As always.'

'That's what babies do.'

Callum stopped stirring the soup and walked up to me. He wrapped his arms around me from behind and planted kisses on my neck. I couldn't help myself from smiling.

'Sephy,' began Callum. 'Do you ever regret running away with me?'

My smile faded and I looked up at him.

'What makes you say that?' I asked confusingly and he looked down at the floor beneath our feet.

'If you had stayed with Stefan, Callie would have much more than she does now.'

'I doubt Stefan would have let Callie live under his roof. And I'd live on the streets if it means I get to be with you.' I felt Callum smile at my warm words and I kissed his cheek.

Suddenly the door was bashed open and Callum shielded me immediately. Callie began to scream in the background and I wanted to go to her. But something was stopping me and my feet were frozen to the floor.

In the doorway stood a man heavily armed. He strolled into the caravan and was followed by many more of his kind. Soldiers. And then to my surprise, Stefan walked in and stood between them. He hadn't changed at all. Same eyes, hair and you still felt that dark presence around him.

'What do you want?' Callum hissed and Stefan's thin lips curved into a harsh smile.

'My wife,' he simply replied and a few soldiers ran up to Callum. They grabbed him by the arms and began to pull him away.

'No!' I cried and I tried to run to him. I pushed my way through the group of guards until I got to him.

'It's alright,' Callum told me and he kissed me gently before letting himself be dragged away by the guards. Tears rolled down my face and I watched him be dragged out of our home. Callie was still screaming in the background.

'Is that your baby?' asked Stefan like everything was normal. I didn't reply, I only gave him a hard stare. 'Girl?'

He could tell by Callie's screams and cries.

'You should tend to her,' Stefan told me and I slowly began to walk to the bedroom. The cries were coming from the crib next to mine and Callum's bed. I walked over to it and scooped her up in my arms.

Then I realised that Stefan had followed me. He was glancing around the bedroom until his eyes caught Callie.

'She looks like you,' he said truthfully but I didn't care about what come out of his mouth. I rocked her gently and she rested her head against my chest. Her screams and cries slowly died down.

'Please, give us back Callum and leave us alone,' I said with tears rolling down my face and into my mouth. The salty taste remained on my tongue for a while.

'You know I can't do that, Sephy,' he told me. 'He's a wanted man.'

'He doesn't fight anymore. He doesn't like war or violence!'

'He's a wanted man by me.'

I hesitated and stared into his evil eyes.

'We should get going,' he told me as he turned his back.

'I'm not going anywhere with you,' I hissed through my gritted teeth. 'And neither is Callie.'

'So Callie is her name. Well I'll make a deal with you, you come back with me to our house and you can bring your daughter. And I'll let Callum go.'

'You'll never keep to your promise.'

'I don't want poor Callie an orphan yet.'

I narrowed my eyes and he held out his hand.

'What do you say?' He asked and I chose to walk up to him. He smiled but I looked away and walked out of the bedroom. Even though my life would be hell, I want Callum to live. Just the thought of him being alive would keep me going.

After I had finished unpacking, I walked over to the crib and looked down at Callie. She looked so peaceful when she slept. I glanced around the bedroom and sighed to myself. She would have a good life in this house. But she would have a life without her father.

'Nice to see you've finished unpacking,' said a voice from behind. I turned to find Stefan standing in the doorway of the bedroom. All I could do was half smile and nod.

'Good, good,' he carried on. 'Because I have a surprise for you and Callie. A nice surprise, a welcome back present.'

'Is Callum safe?' I asked, ignoring what he had said.

'Oh, yes of course. My men took Callum back to the caravan and I told him what had happened. He wrote a letter for you.'

He waved an envelope to show me and to my surprise it was sealed; I would have thought Stefan would have opened it. I placed Callie back in her crib before pacing up to Stefan and talking the envelope. I ripped it open and began to read.

Dear Sephy,

I know what you have done for me but you shouldn't have. All I want is for you and Callie to be happy and safe; even if I'm not with you. If you are happy with Stefan then I wish you all the best.

I love you and I always will. I hold you in my heart until the day I die. And when I do, you will be the only thing on my mind.

Callum

This letter could not be fake. It was Callum's handwriting but I could tell it was a bit shaky. He must have been upset or nervous when he wrote this.

'Thank you,' I told Stefan before slipping the letter into my pocket and it did not seem to bother him. I would expect Stefan to want to know what was in the letter.

'No problem,' he replied. 'Follow me.'

CALLUM

Did Sephy get the letter? I hope she did because I meant every word and if she didn't get, my heart would break.

This morning Sephy and I had been together, smiling and laughing and playing with Callie. Callie was happy too... happy to be with her Mum and Dad. Now I pray that she will be happy for the rest of her life. Happy with her mother.

SEPHY

'Why are we here?' I asked confusingly as Stefan opened a door. I recognized this place, it was the police station. The place where Callum's Dad (Ryan) had been executed.

'I want to show you something,' Stefan replied as he took me through the door.

I stopped walking.

I stopped thinking.

I stopped breathing.

We were in the same place we had both sat at Callum's Dad execution. And Callum was on the scaffold, a noose around his neck.

'No!' I screamed and my voice echoed around. I turned to Stefan who's eyes were fixed on the scaffold. 'You bastard! You lied!'

I burst into tears and buried my face in my hands. How could I have been so stupid?

'Don't cry Sephy,' Callum called up to me. I could hear him because the place we were in was empty.

'I hate you, Stefan!' I carried on as I thumped him hard. 'I thought you were being kind. Now I wish you were dead.'

'Harsh words for your husband,' snapped Stefan and I screamed even louder. My eyes adverted to Callum on the scaffold.

'Callum, I'm so sorry,' I apologized.

'It isn't your fault,' he told me and I carried on crying.

'It was nice knowing, Callum McGregor,' Stefan said to Callum with a smile.

'SHUT UP!' I screamed in his face and he looked shocked. Then I turned to Callum. 'CALLUM I LOVE YOU! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH AND CALLIE LOVES YOU TOO.'

Stefan twitched with anger and turned to the scaffold.

'On with the execution,' he shouted and I pushed him furiously. The noose around Callum's neck tightened and he looked up at me with liquid eyes.

'I LOVE YOU SEPHY!' He shouted loudly to me. 'I LOVE YOU SO MUCH.'

'CALLUM I LOVE YOU AND I ALWAYS WILL!'

'SEPHY I LOVE YOU. YOU AND CALLIE ARE THE BEST THING WHICH EVER HAPPENED TO ME. I LO-'

The trapdoor opened and Callum's body dropped like a stone. My voice automatically turned into a whisper. All was quiet apart from the sound of Callum's body rocking side to side.

I love you Callum.