Hi everyone. Thank you so much for the reviews. They mean a lot.
The chapter after this one will probably be from Rachel's POV, but for now, this is from Eddie's.
Please enjoy and let me know what you guys think x
For a while, Eddie watched whilst Phil and Rachel remained lost in each other's presence. They were equally as broken by recent events. One thing that concerned him was Rachel's damning silence. She still hadn't muttered a single word.
Not one.
He wished she would confide in him once more, like she had done countless times in the past. Before, it had taken far too long for Eddie to gain Rachel's trust, and everything has changed since then. Could he regain it now? With all his heart, he hoped so. Rachel's certitude was overly important to Eddie - more so now than ever.
A glimpse of hope coursed through Eddie's body when Rachel's head emerged from its position on Phil's shoulder.
Had she read his mind? Before the pair were cruelly torn apart, they both held an amazing ability to somehow know what the other was thinking. During the throes of self doubt, Eddie had himself convinced that this had been washed away along with the remnants of their relationship. Perhaps not.
Eddie began to scan her features rapidly, he aimed to search for any kind of inkling about what she was truly thinking. It was only when his sight met her lips, that Eddie recognised Rachel's desire to speak. Instantly thoughts spread across his mind like wildfire. He wanted to be prepared for whatever was thrown at him, he wanted to be able to support Rachel no matter what. She was his priority.
Next Rachel's throat was ambiguously cleared.
Uncertainty. Confusion. Anxiousness.
For once, the woman sat in front of Eddie was unreadable. The expressions that Rachel's face contorted into were unfamiliar, different, new.
Bit by bit Eddie's own ramblings were eating him alive. Just when he thought that he could no longer take this, Rachel allowed a bundle of words to escape.
"Wh… what about the baby? Where is the baby?"
The baby. His daughter.
Several hours ago, Eddie's little girl was all he could think about. All he had to hold on to. Now though, the dynamics of Eddie's situation had changed dramatically.
The mother of his child had died. Rachel was now sat in front of him; the love of Eddie's life who he thought had been lost for good.
How could something so tragic produce the only thing that could make Eddie happy?
The complexity of the question he posed to himself was surreal. Eddie swiftly came to the conclusion it was something he would never figure out.
One thing hit him though: his child was motherless, and Eddie hadn't even met her yet. That had to be his next step; the hurdle he was yet to overcome.
"I… the baby is fine Rach,"
Eddie dared to adjoin his hand to Rachel's arm before he continued. He watched as her eyes darted towards his touch and a half hearted expression began to form. In a way, this made Eddie's heart warm with hope and a sense of yearning.
At least she knew it meant something.
"I haven't met her yet though."
As expected, this certainly provoked a reaction from Rachel. Sadness? A longing for her little sister who had been so barbarically snatched away?
"Her?"
No, he had been mistaken. This was happiness. Not much of it, but Eddie saw it - loud and clear.
"Yes."
Eddie tilted his head slightly before allowing a smile to form.
He didn't want to push Rachel, equally though - he knew what he had witnessed. For the first time since being reunited, Eddie's vision of her mind was clear.
She wanted to meet her niece.
"Rachel…"
He spoke softer than ever with endless amounts of care.
"Would you like to see her, the baby?"
For a moment, Eddie thought he had been wrong once more. Self doubt overtook the irrationality behind his original thought process.
Thankfully, this was only brief. Any inkling of uncertainty was ruled out by Rachel's next actions.
The gap between the pair was closed by the small but significant step Rachel took.
"Yes… I… think I'd like to. You know, if that's alright. "
If that's alright.
His whole demeanour shattered. Of course it was alright. Rachel was the baby's auntie. But above all, she was the love of his life; the person Eddie clasped closest to his heart. He wanted her to be a part of his little girl's life more than anything.
He noted that her voice was continuously shaking, and he understood that completely. As well as that though, Rachel's words held clear undertones of hope. This seemed to parallel perfectly to the way Eddie was currently feeling.
That hope was the phenomenon that spurred Eddie on to take a risk. The hand that had been resting firmly on Rachel's arm was now removed and attached to her hand. He accompanied this with an identical copy of his prior thoughts:
"Of course it's alright."
Electricity bounced between them as soon as their skin made contact. Not for the first time since parting, Eddie's mind was flown back to the day they met. Despite Rachel ultimately taking his role as head master, that same connection had been felt instantly.
Love. At first sight. He had experienced it first hand. Eddie knew that it existed.
A mirror image of Rachel's earlier actions brought him back to the here and now. Her glance was taken down to their intertwined hands. Eddie was sure her uncertain expressions were now none existent. What he witnessed in front of him was clear as day. Rachel still felt something for him, her feelings still remained.
As much as this enlightened him, Eddie knew it was unlikely Rachel would admit it aloud any time soon. Not one inch of his body was bothered by that; he would take care of her first and foremost, allow her time to grieve for Melissa.
Only if Rachel would let him look after her.
If he was granted that, Eddie was willing to give her all the time in the world.
With reluctance, Eddie let go of Rachel's hand and spoke a final sentence before parting.
"I'll go and get a midwife."