"Bonnie, you going to be late... come on."
"Coming Grams..." she calls back, retrieving her log book from her bedside table, before heading down stairs.
"Do I have everything?" She asks aloud- checking through her bag one more time.
Not to delay any further, Sheila takes her by the hand and leads her out the door... "My goodness girl... You would think we were going on an expedition, not a hospital visit... come on you'll be fine..." she winks at her knowingly.
Bonnie had her first sonogram booked today, and to put it mildly she was a bag of nerves. Sheila was acutely aware of this fact, but did her best not to play into it. Bonnie had come a long way since she first revealed her pregnancy, and Sheila was not about to let her slip backwards; especially today. Because today was something to look forward to, a promise of joy that this baby will undoubtedly bring back to Bonnie's life again. That precious first glance of your baby on the monitor, and the ethereal sound of her little one's tiny heartbeat fluttering away in the background, nothing else can quite compare to that feeling; because it is simply breath-taking, and she knows it is exactly what Bonnie needs right now. This was such a poignant moment for a first-time mum, and in Sheila's opinion, it should and MUST be treasured, and therefore the last thing she wants is for her granddaughter to be overshadowed by anxiousness, or worse, overwrought with the sadness that Enzo's disappearance bestows. The past six weeks had been emotionally turbulent for them all, and it was high time that they were graced with a sense of happiness, and something wonderful to look forward to.
Damon was working at the hospital today, so he planned to meet them in the maternity ward for Bonnie's appointment. He had been a godsend in all this. Not only did he give Bonnie the courage to go ahead with the pregnancy, he was an invaluable support as well. When Bonnie struggled with morning sickness, he advised Sheila on a recommended diet, he prescribed Bonnie with anti-sickness medicine, and he was not adverse to rubbing her back when he found her hunched over the toilet bowl either. He also pulled strings at the hospital to ensure that she was assigned to the best OB/GYN in Mystic Falls. And when it came to emotional support, well he was always there. Firstly, he took over all correspondences with the army base, he chased for updates and leads, anything that could shed some light on what had happened to Enzo. Unfortunately, as days turned into weeks, the outlook was becoming more and more bleak. From the little intel the army did have, it was believed that Enzo's had been captured by enemy forces during the ambush, but other than that there was still no sign as to whether or not he was alive. After hearing the news, the little faith Bonnie did have saved for Enzo's return was officially lost- and instead she found herself plagued with visions of her husband being tortured and maimed to death. Damon immediately sort counselling for her, because at one point it seemed grief was threatening to get the best of her. She would fluctuate between inconsolable sadness, to angry outbursts and fits of rage; she was like a ticking time bomb waiting to explode, in which Sheila and Damon bared the brunt force; because as soon as Rudy received a taste of it, he was suddenly called away on "business" again. However, Shiela and Damon stayed firm throughout it all, and never once left her side, and between the bereavement counselling and their steadfast support, the Bonnie they knew and loved slowly began to resurface. Granted, she still had her bad days, which was to be expected under the circumstances, but they came fewer and far between. But the defining moment came, when Sheila found Bonnie's head buried in a book titled... "What to expect when you're expecting..." Unconsciously, Sheila found herself sigh in relief. Thank God, she thought, because up until that point, Bonnie had only viewed her pregnancy as burden; to her it was just another thing she had to go through. So, to witness her granddaughter finally take an active interest, she interpreted it as a sign of better days to come.
Time however stopped for no-one and before she knew it, Bonnie was 12 weeks pregnant and coming to the end of her first trimester, and with that came a few welcomed changes. For one, her nausea and morning sickness had started to taper off, which she was eternally grateful for, and what appeared to her "permanent state of lethargy" had disappeared along with it too. With her energy levels on the rise, Bonnie was beginning to feel a lot brighter. She ventured out of the house more, and recently found pleasure in taking long leisurely strolls through the park. Pregnancy seemed to heighten all her senses, and she found that her body reacted well to the crisp fresh air of the Autumn Fall, it seemed to possess the ability to refresh her mind, her body and her spirit; causing her look at her life differently. During these walks she would also allow herself to think of him, sometimes she even found herself speaking to him out loud, in the hopes that maybe he was out there listening, and funnily enough she derived a great sense of comfort from that. In her heart of hearts she knew he was gone, but yet his presence still lingered around her. Maybe it was due to the fact she was carrying his child, or maybe time really was a healer and she could finally think of her husband without falling apart.
But with the date of her first scan speedily approaching, she couldn't help but feel a little bit apprehensive. She tried her best to hide it, mainly because she didn't want to worry her Grams and Damon unnecessarily. She had put them through enough over the last few months. Although, it went without saying, that she couldn't have come this far without them. During her darkest hours they had helped her in more ways than one, and now she owed it to them to keep moving forward. She also had her baby to think about , he or she had already lost their father, so she couldn't afford to give anything less than 110% of her love, her care and devotion, and in order for that to happen she had to be alright with herself. And she was trying, each day had its battles, but she did her best to persevere through. Like any new mum to be, she found herself facing the usual doubts and fears; the scan itself raised several worries- such as, what it is showed there was something wrong? Honest to God, she couldn't face another knock back. But what she found even more difficult to comprehend was the fact that Enzo would not be there with her. She had always envisioned being at her first scan with Enzo right beside her, reassuringly squeezing her hand, whilst the doctor in him tried to appear cool and collected, the new-to-be-father in him would have been secretly just as nervous her. They would have then looked at that monitor in awe, love pouring out of their eyes, as they took their first look at their baby, and simultaneously allowed their minds to imagine the endless possibilities of what life had in store for them. However, never in a million years had she imagined she would be doing this without him, not even when he was stationed on tour did she think she'd be here alone. Although in reality she was not alone, because she was fortunate enough to her Grams and Damon with her, but without trying to sound ungrateful, she would have given anything to have Enzo here instead.
Damon was already waiting for them in maternity when they arrived, he graced them with a huge smile before greeting them both with a hug. When he hugged Bonnie, he whispered in her ear reassuringly, "It's going to be okay".
"I know," she replies, despite her anxiousness, because remaining positive was key, she told herself.
A few minutes later they are called in. Grams assists her onto the gurney as the doctor asks her to lift her shirt up and explains each step that's about to take place. She flinches as the cool gel is applied to her belly, "it's cold" Bonnie states simply, causing Sheila to smile in recognition… "Well, it's been a while, but I can remember just how cold that stuff is." The three of them laugh, almost out of nervousness it seems, before quickly refocusing their attentions to the screen, attentively waiting for the doctor to begin the sonogram.
A pause of silence, and then a few seconds later, there he was. Gasping with emotion, tears presently filling her eyes as Bonnie looks at her baby in utter amazement. Her heart begins to soar.
The doctor's words, they no longer seem to register, as she finds she is no longer concerned or scared, because profoundly, call it mother's intuition, but at this precise moment, somehow, deep down she realises that everything was going to be just fine.
"Oh he's so precious", Sheila gushes, unable to keep her tears at bay.
Damon, reaches over to hold Bonnie's hand, momentarily drawing her from her reverie. He too is struggling to keep himself together, as he tells her… "Did you hear that Bonnie, the doctor said he's developing as expected, he's perfect Bonnie, and I'm so proud of you…"
Chocked up with emotion, unable to speak, Bonnie simply nods in agreement… Her baby was indeed perfect, and for the first time in a very long while she felt full of pride. The journey to this point had been so fraught with sorrow and pain, she had been ready to give up, but through sheer tenacity alone these two amazing people sat beside her wouldn't let her do that, and instead gave her all the support and strength she needed to carry on. And she cannot thank them enough, because finally, after seeing her baby for the first time, she could also see a light at the end of the tunnel, and it looked beautiful. And as the doctor turns up the volume on the monitor, filling the room with the sound of her baby's heartbeat, she knows no matter what else lies ahead, even without Enzo being there, she was not going to give up, because above everything else she was responsible for this little life growing inside if her; he was a part of Enzo and a part of her, and he gave her everything to live for.