Waiting
The weeks quickly went by, and soon it was only a few days before Hunter's wedding. Just like any other bride just days before her big day, Hunter felt nervous. Unlike most brides, Hunter's nerves were more than the normal variety. She knew that marrying Stuart was a huge mistake, but she didn't have nay other choice did she? Who else would take on a woman with two children, from two different fathers? When most brides put on their dress for the last dress fitting before the grand event, they feel joy and maybe cry tears of joy; not Hunter. Her tears were of sorrow and regret, and the only feelings she experienced were of nausea and guilt. She ran her hands over the front of the dress, cupping her slightly swollen stomach with her hands. Despite being just over 2months gone, due to the complications and the fact she'd loss so much weight due to stress, meant she was already showing. She looked in the mirror, and at the pitiful sight before her. How could she do this? How could she subject her poor innocent to this life? Unbeknownst to any one else she had considered an abortion. She even looked into details of clinics and leaflets informing her of the risks, but she couldn't do it. Just like she couldn't do when she was pregnant with Summer. Then she had even considered it. Callum had tried to pressure her into it, but she stood strong; it was her baby, her choice. But now, now, she didn't feel strong and yet she should have felt stronger. This time she had family and friends, and the baby wasn't just part of her, it was part of Mickey. The man she loved more than any other. The man who could make her complete. The man who'd walked out on her, and whose phone call she had waited on for weeks, and yet nothing.
Hunter wasn't the only woman waiting for a call from the man she loved. Sam waited for his call, but it never came. She didn't know that he had totally forgotten about the phone call, or that he never checked his answer phone messages. She never tried to call again believing him to be uninterested. She tried to stay positive, after all he could still get in touch but her hope was fading. To try and suppress her own sadness she threw herself into the preparations for the Hen Party.
Most of the girls from work would be going: Emma, Diane, Nikki, Kezia, Jo, Sally and of course herself and Beth. She was determined that it would be a night to remember, even though Hunter was adamant that she didn't want a fuss. It was all planned, a few drinks at Sam's and of course a stripper. Her and Beth had opted for a low key option due to the fact that Hunter and Beth were pregnant; though know one knew about the latter's condition.
Beth was actually quite good at keeping the secret under wraps, ignoring the urge to shout to the world the good news. Occasionally, Hunter would catch her and Callum sharing 'moments', where he'd place his hands on her stomach, or his ear, but apart from that no one suspected a thing, which was just how they planned it for the future Stone Junior.
On the Friday before the wedding, Hunter woke up and looked at her surroundings. All hers and Summer's belongings were in boxes, ready for the move into Stuart's after the wedding. The very thought, along with morning sickness proved to much and she made a desperate bid for the toilet. She wiped her face and looked in the mirror, what had she become? In a few hours her and her new friends would be celebrating her last day of freedom, but in reality that had been a long time ago, this was just the last day before a life time's imprisonment in a loveless marriage. She hadn't been free since she chose Stuart over Mickey. And she didn't believe she ever would be again.
The hours slowly went by, and she sat helpless as Beth ran around packing the last little bits. Or as Sam popped in with some things they needed for tonight. She just sat helpless, enclosed in her only little prison of thoughts. There was no escape; she was destined for a love less life. He obviously didn't care about her or the baby. If he had surely he'd have called? Soon she was being whisked away to a night of fun with the girls, but it didn't feel like it. When ever anyone asked how she was, she'd just reply that she was nervous about tomorrow, which wasn't actually a lie.
The girls drunk themselves silly, while her and Beth stayed sober. She wasn't stupid. Beth could make excuses that she needed to stay sober to look after her all she liked; Sam was doing that. It was obvious that Beth was pregnant, and she was thrilled that her brother had found genuine happiness, unlike the façade she had created.
She needed to escape this rowdiness. Have some time to recollect her thoughts. She walked into the hall and sat half way up the stairs. It reminded her of when she was a child. How her mother used to get into drunken states and Callum would protect her, telling her to stay out the way. But, instead she climbed up the stairs of their maisonette, and listened to her mother's yells. Back then, she knew Callum would protect her, but now. Now he had his only family to protect. He had tried to protect her, save her from danger. But this time he couldn't, she'd already fallen victim of her own worse enemy-herself. If only she'd followed her heart instead of her head, this would never have happened, she thought miserably. The shrill of the doorbell pierced her thoughts, and she made her way down the stairs.
'I've got it.' She shouted through to the others, though they seemed to drunk not to notice. She opened the door and stood staring at the man before her.
'Hi, is Sam in?' he said with an urgent tone in his voice, she just stood staring at him. At that moment Sam, blundered tipsily into the hall.
'Is it the stripper Hunter?' Hunter couldn't answer. She just stood staring at him.
'I could be if you wanted me to be, Samantha.' His voice stopped her in her tracks, and she turned to look at the man, she feared she'd never see again.
'Phil.' She breathed.
