Chapter 7:

Two weeks after Joseph's proposal, they were married.

Due to the short time to prepare for the wedding, it wasn't fancy and only close friends and family attended.

Carlo was there to stand by Joseph and be his Best Man, while Solana asked a good friend of hers to take her down the aisle. They each had good friends attending, and they see these as taking the place of their family. After all, both Joseph and Solana no longer had any living relatives.

But despite the rush, and the lack of family, it was a day to remember.

Solana was beautiful in a long flowing white satin dress that trailed slightly behind her. Her veil was made of the softest material and reached just below her shoulders at the front, and flowed down her back to her waist.

Solana had never before looked more like a queen. And everyone in the small, warm church agreed. She was spectacular!

Joseph was just as regal. Dressed in a spotless black tux with a satin white tie to match Solana, he looked extremely handsome. He was practically glowing with love and pride as he watched Solana walk slowly down the aisle.

Their eyes were locked. They didn't break eye contact until they were wed, had kissed, and looked out at the applauding crowd.

Life was good.

OoOoOoOo

"How was your day, love?" Solana asked quietly as Joseph sat down heavily in the chair opposite his wife.

"Long, tiring and extremely frustrating," Joseph grumbled, kicking off his shoes.

"I had to translate from Spanish to Japanese over and over again as the pair I was translating for were in a full out argument," Joseph sighed, then smiled over at his wife.

"Dignitaries can be so repetitive, my dear, that they often forget what they have or have not repeated," Joseph chuckled as Solana rolled her eyes.

Joseph took in his wife's appearance with a grave face.

"Back again?" he asked, seeing how she was curled up around a hot water bottle and covered in a huge blanket.

She was looking rather pale and tired, now that he thought about it.

"Back again," she nodded glumly.

They had been married for 8 months now and had been trying to have a child for 6 of them. Things just weren't going well in that department and they had tried everything.

Standing up, Joseph walked over to the couch and settled down beside Solana. She leant back into his embrace as he wrapped his arms around her slim form.

"Don't worry, dear, it will happen," he reassured his wife, stroking her hair softly.

"I sure hope so," she murmured, closing her eyes and dozing in the warmth and comfort he provided.

OoOoOoOo

It was a bright sunny day. The sky was the clearest blue Joseph had seen it in many weeks.

He hummed a happy tune as he walked into his cosy home, early for a Thursday afternoon.

Walking through the door, he was surprised to find it unlocked. Frowning with confusion, Joseph walked into the hallway, dropped his things by the door, and walked towards the closed bedroom.

Opening the door, Joseph peered into the dim room. It was empty. He looked over to the bathroom and was interested to see that the light was glowing from under the closed door.

Walking curiously over to the door, Joseph knocked quietly.

"Solana?"

"Come in, Joseph," was the weak reply.

Opening the door carefully, Joseph was surprised to find Solana sitting on the floor, leaning up against the cool wall, and holding a cloth to her face.

"I was not expecting you home until well after tea tonight," Solana murmured, pulling the cloth off to reveal a very rosy face.

"I finished early. Is everything all right? You don't look at all well," Joseph said in concern, crouching down to his wife and running a hand over her warm face.

"Well…I was not planning on telling you like this, but…" Solana started, allowing Joseph to help her to her feet as she spoke.

Solana looked Joseph straight in the eyes, and Joseph was confused by what he saw. Fear? Joy? Confusion? Excitement?

"Joseph…I'm pregnant," Solana explained, smiling broadly for the first time.

"Pregnant?" Joseph whispered weakly before it hit him.

"Pregnant!" he exclaimed, enveloping his wife in his excited and joyful embrace.

He practically lifted her off the floor in his joy. Solana just laughed, wrapping her arms around his neck and burying her face in his chest.

"How long?" he asked, placing her carefully back on the floor, and leaning back to look into her glowing face.

"Almost a month along. I'm surprised I didn't realise sooner," Solana answered, smiling all the while.

"Wow…" was all Joseph could manage before pulling his blessed wife back into his arms.

They stood in silence as they both looked ahead to what their lives would become and just how special this moment was. They had finally been blessed with a child…

There was so much to look forward to, and so much more that needed to be prepared in anticipation of the new addition to the family. Their family would finally be able to grow again.

Joseph and Solana Romero could count themselves as truly blessed!

OoOoOoOo

"Joseph!"

Joseph turned in his chair to see Fabian's head peering around the open door.

Joseph was just preparing for a meeting with the Genovian Prime Minister and a Japanese ambassador. He had to translate Japanese to English as the Ambassador only knew very basic English and the Prime Minister didn't know any Japanese. He knew the Prime Minister was great to work for so he was looking forward to the meeting.

"What is it?" he asked, brow furrowed.

"It's Solana," Fabian answered with a grave face as he entered Joseph's office.

"She's at the hospital. I was just informed and told to alert you immediately," Fabian was searching Joseph's face for his response.

Joseph was a very hard person to read as far as what he was feeling went, he usually just showed a completely blank face.

But the shock and concern was more evident on his features than Fabian had ever seen.

"What happened? Does she need me there?" Joseph asked, standing and already preparing to leave.

"Yes, she needs you. She's in labour," Fabian answered, knowing this was not good.

"What?" Joseph froze in his packing.

"But that would mean she's a month early!"

"I know, Joe. That's why she needs you. Now," Fabian explained, gesturing Joseph should leave.

"Right. I need someone to –" Joseph began but Fabian cut him off.

"Its already sorted Joe. Just go to the hospital, now."

Joseph didn't reply as he rushed out the door, running to his car, his heart in his throat.

Solana would be fine. The baby would be fine.

But no matter what Joseph told himself, he couldn't fight the fear creeping up his spine and taking over his mind.

Something was going horribly wrong.

OoOoOoOo

Joseph had been sitting in the corridor for almost an hour now. He had tried to go to Solana but had been sent out. No matter what he tried, he could not go to his wife.

He was just sitting, waiting to hear news of how his wife and soon to be born child were doing.

But still nothing came.

Joseph stood and began to pace the corridor for the thousandth time, when the door finally opened and a nurse appeared.

She ushered him inside the stuffy room, and made him wait for the doctor to emerge from behind the curtained bed.

"Joseph Romero, I presume?" the doctor asked, exhausted and looking so sorrowful that Joseph's heart fell.

What had happened? Joseph thought as he nodded vigorously.

"I'm so sorry but the child did not make it," the doctor explained, offering his condolences and reassuring Joseph that he had done all that could be.

"The child was still born. There was nothing that anyone could have done."

Joseph nodded slowly, his heart tearing in two.

Their child they had been waiting for was gone. The poor soul had not even drawn breath in their world, before departing it so suddenly.

Joseph took a deep breath, willing the tears not to fall.

"I'm sorry to say that is not all," the doctor began and Joseph looked up in confusion.

"It's Solana. She has been damaged a lot in the birth and that has caused severe internal bleeding. There is nothing we can do."

"What are you saying?" Joseph asked in a hoarse and broken voice.

"I'm sorry, Joseph, but she's dying. She is still conscious though, and is asking for you as we speak," the doctor explained, tears filling his eyes.

Joseph didn't hear any more as he pushed past the doctor, and slipped behind the curtain. The nurses were silently cleaning up the mess the hurried birth had caused and were even silently tending to Solana.

Joseph noticed one of them had a small bundle in her arms as she leant over towards Solana, speaking softly.

"Joseph," Solana's voice cracked as she saw him and tears streamed down her face.

Joseph was at her side in an instant.

"Our child…he…" Solana tried to explain but she choked on her own sobs.

Reaching out his arms, Joseph took the still bundle from the nurses' arms. She handed him over and then left.

Joseph looked down at the blue, still baby. His child was dead. His son was dead. He looked up into Solana's eyes as the tears began to stream down his face.

"I'm sorry Joseph," she whispered, reaching her hands out to him.

Sitting down beside Solana on the bed, Joseph grasped one of her hands as he kept a hold on the baby.

"It's all right, my love. There was nothing you could have done," he reassured her through their tears. Solana just sobbed, reaching out for the bundle.

Placing their child in her arms, Joseph sat as close to Solana as he could. She traced a finger over the tiny features, falling silent, the tears still flowing.

Looking up into Joseph's eyes, she knew the answer before having to ask.

"I'm dying aren't I?" she asked flatly.

Joseph didn't reply as a sob escaped his lips and he pulled his limp wife into his embrace.

They fell silent, mourning their loss together, and fearing the inevitable. They clung to each other, whispering words of love, devotion, and comfort as the time passed and Solana grew weaker and weaker. The painkillers were a blessing but they did not take away the raw truth of what they were both waiting for.

"I love you, Joseph. Please never forget that," Solana whispered after a long moment of silence.

"I will never forget," Joseph answered, feeling her life slipping away as he spoke.

Solana's body suddenly jerked slightly as she gasped quietly. Joseph held her even closer, letting the tears fall, as her body fell limp in his arms and her last breath hissed out between her teeth.

"I will never forget," Joseph repeated hoarsely.

"Because I love you, too."

Then he finally allowed himself to let all his sorrow and pain flow out.

Joseph's heart shattered as he mourned the loss of the only family he had in the world. Things would never be the same…

A.N: Wasn't that the saddest chapter you have ever read? It broke my heart to write it, but I knew it had to be done. For that was always their future. Please review and give me some comfort. I need encouragement to start the next chapters. Joseph must make it to Genovia!