Note: Thank you so much for the reviews! I was expecting people to hate it, considering most people detest Julie. This chapter is rather short but I hope you'll like it anyway.
Julie groggily groaned as she opened her eyes. She had a headache, a very severe one and couldn't quite remember where she was or how she had gotten there. Her attempts to sit up where fruitless, as each time she tried, she became overcome with dizziness and had been forced to lay back down.
As she was about to yell for Neil, he appeared in the doorway as if he had known she needed him.
"Feeling better?" He cautiously asked, hovering in the entrance of the room.
Julie swallowed. "I'm dizzy." She couldn't remember what had happened earlier that morning. Something told her it wasn't good, but she just couldn't remember.
"Stay there and I'll get you some water." Neil left the doorway before Julie could protest.
As she waited for him to return, Julie tried to remember what it was she had forgotten. It was something bad, horrible…. Something involving Marissa.
And suddenly, she remembered.
Marissa was dead. Her baby was gone forever. She couldn't remember the details, how it had happened, but it didn't matter. Just when things had gotten calmed down between them and they were on good terms, she was gone. Julie clenched the blanket beneath her in her hands, her nails ripping into the silky fabric. The unstoppable tears began, and she choked back the sobs that threatened to explode from her.
Neil reentered the room, a glass of water in hand. He saw Julie, the tears on her cheeks, and he ran forward to hold her, dropping the glass to the floor.
He pulled the crying woman into his arms and stroked her hair. Just as his arms encircled her, sobs erupted. They filled the silence, echoing throughout the empty house.
Julie sobbed uncontrollably, pain shooting through her body with each cry. She took Neil's shirt in her hands, which had balled into fists. She buried her face in his chest, his arms still around her shoulders.
"It'll be okay," He offered in attempt to calm her.
"It won't!" Julie's muffled voice retorted. "She's dead! Don't you understand!"
She released his shirt from her grasp as she sat upright. Her tears slowed, but didn't stop completely.
"She's gone," She said again, calmer this time.
"I know. I'm sorry."
But Julie failed to see or hear just how truly sorry Neil was for her loss. She stood up from the bed, unsteadily, and strode into the bathroom. He followed after her, only to moments later have the door slammed in his face.
He sighed, seeing that things were already getting worse with her. He had expected it, just not so soon.
With another sigh, Neil walked to the large window, glancing out at the ocean. He listened to Julie's quiet cries for a moment, then turned back to face the door.
"Julie, if you need me, honey, I'll be in the kitchen."
It seemed cruel, leaving a grieving mother alone while she was crying her poor heart out. But he couldn't bear hearing her sobbing, and knew that she wouldn't be stopping anytime soon.