A/N: Here is chapter two! Thank you to everyone who took the time to review! There is so much more coming your way!
Chapter Two
Raising Gabie
On the sixth of August, Gabrielle Marie Granger was born at the Cedars Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles. There were not many welcoming presents; in fact there were only a hand full of people who were aware of her existence. Yet she received the greatest gift of all, a mother who sacrificed (and was willing to sacrifice) everything to make her child live.
"Hey there, Gabie." Hermione held onto her daughter for the first time. She stared at the baby trying to memorize every single part of her. From the little hair that was protecting her soft head, the light blue eyes she possessed, to the tiny pinky on her foot. There was really nothing in the world to compare with what she was feeling at that very moment. Everything she had gone through was just a part of the past now, because what was literally in her hands right now was worth every tear she shed.
"She's beautiful." Maggie Granger took a seat on her daughter's bed and admired her granddaughter that was before her. "It's almost like seeing you again." She gently placed her hand on Hermione's forehead. "Justin would've been a proud father."
"I know, mom." Hermione whispered not taking her eyes away from her daughter. "I know."
When Gabie was brought to her mother's hospital room to feed that night Hermione began to remember everything that she had gone through in the past year.
Just fifteen months ago she was at the top of her class and didn't see anything dramatic enough to change but she was wrong. Everything seemed so orderly, all planned out.
"But I never did plan for you." She whispered to her baby. "No one is ever going to take you away from me. I promise you that." She placed a kiss on her daughter's forehead.
"I can't do this anymore!" Hermione cried as she held onto her crying baby. Gabie was now six months old and that too was how long since Hermione had a decent nights sleep.
"Gabie, please." Hermione begged, as nothing seemed to get her to calm down.
The baby was more hysterical than ever. It was two in the morning and Gabie being the colicky baby she was would not stop crying. Hermione held her in her arms and rocked the baby.
The sound of Gabie's wail was driving Hermione mad. "Gabie, please." She had tried to breastfeed but still the baby spit it out, the bottle was out of the question. Hermione's last hope was the pacifier. She picked up the pacifier and tried for it. But Gabie wouldn't open her mouth. "Damn it Gabrielle!" Hermione threw the pacifier across the room. Nothing was going to quiet her down.
"Waah!" The baby's cried were getting louder and stronger and still she couldn't get her to calm down.
"That's it." Hermione placed Gabie in her crib. "I can't do this anymore!" She yelled at the baby as if she'd be able to understand her. "I'm only sixteen." She placed her hand over her mouth trying to stop herself from breaking down. "I'm just not ready." She gave an apologetic face as her tears fell. Both girls cried themselves to sleep.
And yet again Hermione felt like she failed.
"Gabie, sweetheart, can you get mommy her sandals?" Hermione looked at her daughter who was sitting on the sofa watching cartoons.
"Yes, mommy." The five-year-old looked up at Hermione with her big brown eyes. She made her way to the shoe rack and got Hermione's sandals.
"Thank you." Hermione gave her daughter a peck. She checked her make-up on last time and put her sandals on as the finishing touch to her outfit. "Okay, Nana will be here in two," Maggie's entrance had cut Hermione off her sentence. "I'm going to make us some money." She tapped Gabie's nose.
Hermione had graduated off the Internet. It was the best she could do for now, being what society called a teenage mother. She was a finally applying for her first job.
"Hermione, I don't see why you need a job." Maggie rubbed her temples. "You know very well that your father and I will be able to provide more than enough to support your daughter for the rest of her life."
"She's my daughter." Hermione picked up her handbag. "She's my responsibility. Mom, I know that you guys want to help me but I've got to do something with myself. I can't just stay here with Gabie and watch cartoons all day. I'll go crazy."
"Okay, okay." Maggie shrugged. "Go and good luck."
"Thank you." Hermione thought she would never make it out the door. It was going to be her first day without Gabie since she had been born. "Bye, baby." She hugged the little girl. Her hair was browner than it was blonde but if the light hit it right she'd look like a strawberry blonde. The natural blonde streaks of her daughter's hair always made Hermione jealous.
Hermione suddenly remembered Justin. His strawberry blonde hair that gently fell over his baby blue eyes, and the way his lips formed when he would say the word, "no."
Gabie looked up at her mom with the expression that haunted her. "Gabie's not dwessed yet." She was still at the stage where she was having trouble pronouncing her "L's" and "R's."
"Gabie, mommy's got to go to work." Hermione squatted to the level of her daughter's height.
"No." She shook her head. "Not now."
"I have to go and make us money. I have to find a job." Hermione nodded.
"Ermm…" She whined as she scratched the back of her back showing signs of disagreement. "Don't leave Gabyel." She put out her lips and pouted.
"Gabie," Hermione stood up. "I have to go." She looked at her wristwatch.
"Mommy stay with Gabie!" She started getting hysterical. "Don't yeave me mommy!" She shut her eyes and rocked back and forth.
"Don't give me a hard time." Hermione tucked a strand of hair behind her daughter's ears."
Hermione didn't walk out the door of her apartment that day. It was then she realized how unconditional her love for her daughter was. She was really willing to give up everything for Gabrielle.
"Mommy," Gabie crept into Hermione's bed a few months after the whole job thing happened. "I feey hot." She rubbed forehead.
Hermione placed her hand on her daughter's forehead and felt that her temperature was a little high. "I'll go get the Tempra so that you can sleep and then we'll take you to the doctor tomorrow."
"Okay." Gabie nodded as she took her mom's hand. They walked to the kitchen together and Hermione watched her daughter fall asleep before returning to her room. She had gone in so many times that night that she had lost count.
Hermione awoke to the sound of her daughter's groaning. She had fallen asleep on the floor beside Gabie's bed. "Gabrielle." Hermione instinctively put her hand on her forehead and felt that it was much more than a fever now.
"I can't byeath!" Gabie panted as she clutched her chest and started hitting it with her tiny fists.
"Don't hurt yourself." She picked up her daughter and ran to her room and got the phone. She first dialed her mom and told her about the situation. She dressed up as quickly as possible.
"Mommy, am I okay?" Gabie looked up at her with watering eyes.
"You'll be fine." Hermione whispered. "Could you please hurry? This is a little bit of an emergency." Hermione told the cab driver. Gabie seemed to be getting hotter and hotter. The little girl stifled and a yawn and closed her eyes.
Hermione whispered in Gabie's ear to wake her as they pulled over to the hospital but the child did not budge.
"Gabie," Hermione shook her this time, still she did not respond. She ran to the emergency room with her daughter in her arms.
The nurses placed her in a gurney while the doctor checked her. One of the nurses had tried to get information from Hermione but there was not much to give since the Tempra had seemed to work the night before.
"She wouldn't wake up. She fell asleep on the ride here." Hermione tried to remain calm. Maggie burst through the Emergency Room doors while they were talking.
"How is she?" Maggie asked.
"We've given her antibiotic and for now the only option we have is to wait and see if she will respond." The doctor looked at his sheet. "I've got to go and check on my other patients. I will be back with you."
All they could do now was wait.
Gabie had stabilized but the fever had caused her lungs to collapse. She was attached to an oxygen tank to help her breathe. Her nervous system had a bug, which caused her body to fail, and her temperature to rise.
"Hi," Hermione smiled as she watcher her daughter, trying to sit up while avoiding the I.V that was attached to her. "What would you like to do?" She sat down on her bed and gave her quick peck on the lips.
"Can I wayt a yettey?" Gabie had struggled with the last word. "Letter."
"Sure." Hermione smiled. "You going to send thank you notes?" A lot of their neighbors at their apartment had sent gifts and get well soon cards.
The little girl put her head down as if ashamed to say it, "To my daddy."
Hermione's heart stopped. She was too afraid to tell her about him. "Sure you can." She said a little too soon.
"Weally?" Gabie's eyes shone. "What do I say?"
"Tell him about what happened to you." Hermione said as her heart began to race.
"What does my daddy do?" She asked.
"Do?" Hermione squirmed.
"Does he stay at home yike you?" She looked up.
"He," Hermione tapped her fingers on the table, "takes pictures." She saw the postcard that her father had sent Gabie.
"Wow." Her eyes shone like Hermione had never seen. "How do I start it?"
"How about Dear Daddy?" Hermione smiled uneasily and offered.
"Good idea, mommy." She smiled and her face was so bright it was almost as if she was not sick.
A/N: And now our story begins! Please read and review. I hope you guys like it!
