Chapter 24

"Robbie, I should have told you the rule on the photos. You don't get to pick any where I look goofy."

He looked up at her before glancing back at the photo. Laura smiled at him but seeing the look on his face her eyes dropped to the picture in his hand.

"Laura, this photo, are you…" It was all she heard before the floor came rushing up to meet her. Robbie watched helplessly from across the room as she fainted.

To Robbie it was like it happened in slow motion. He tried to get to her but she was down before he could move. He heard her head hit the area rug and said a silent prayer of thanks he'd lost the battle with her when he'd moved in.

Once by her side he checked her over. Her pulse was strong and she was breathing fine. He ran his hand under her head and couldn't feel any blood. He didn't want to leave her but something in his mind told him he needed a cool rag. He grabbed a throw from the back of the sofa and placed gently across her.

As quickly as he could he ran to the kitchen and wet the nearest towel with cold water. He ran back to her side and lightly dabbed her forehead with the towel, "Laura, Laura." He was starting to panic when her eyes fluttered. He stroked her cheek lightly, "Laura."

She blinked once, then a second time, "Robbie, what happened?"

"I don't know. You came into the room to tell me something and down you went. Are you OK? Do you want to go to A&E?"

She shook her head then winced, "No, I think I'm fine. Can you help me up?"

"Laura, are you sure? You hit your head pretty hard, albeit not nearly as hard as it would have been had I won the battle of the rug."

She smiled up at him, "I'm sure."

He helped her to a sitting position, "Laura what happened? I've only ever known you to faint once. And that was when you saw Ligeia's body."

Wrapping her arms around her legs she looked away from him, "I didn't want you to find out that way Robbie."

He looked at her confused, "Find out what Laura?"

"What you were about to ask me, about the picture you had in your hand."

Robbie wracked his brain trying to remember what he was going to ask her. Watching her fall and hit her head had made him forget. He saw the picture lying forgotten on the table and reached for it. The minute he saw it his question returned, "You were pregnant?" She nodded with her head buried in her knees. As tenderly as he could he wrapped his arms around her.

He held her, sensing that he needed to let her come to him. Silence enveloped the room. He felt her shoulders shaking before he heard the sobs. Tightening his arms around her, he pulled her more tightly to him. She melted into him, the sobs growing louder.

All Robbie could do was wait. He closed his eyes and buried his head in her hair. He let the scent he associated with Laura wash over him. He tried to quieten his mind but all he could think was how he'd let her down.

He had no idea how long they sat in the floor clinging to one another. Finally, her wracking sobs subsided, her body relaxed. Robbie held his breath waiting for her. When she finally spoke her voice was so small it broke his heart, "I'm sorry Robbie."

"Why love?" He kissed her head, "There is no need Laura."

"I should have told you."

"I think it's what you're doing now."

She looked up at him the hurt in her eyes was painful to see, "I meant years ago. Anytime over the past 20 years would have been preferable to this."

"There's no time like the present. I'm not going anywhere." The small smile she gave him made his heart pound, "Although I wouldn't mind if we moved somewhere, maybe more comfortable."

He helped her up then they made their way to the sofa. Again, we waited, letting her come to him.

"I was 27. We'd been married just over two years when I found out I was pregnant. We were blissfully happy."

He took her hand, holding it tenderly, "What happened?"

"I was seven months along. We decided to take a vacation before she was born. We went back to where we were married."

"Scotland, right?"

She nodded, "We decided to drive up, take our time. It was a lovely week." Robbie waited, knowing she needed to tell this in her own time, "It was on our way back to London. We were just outside of Birmingham a large truck ran us off the road. Malcolm tried to steer around, he overcorrected and the car flipped."

Robbie held his breath. He didn't want to say anything for fear he would stop her talking but he needed her to know he was with her. The only thing he could think to do was squeeze her hand.

"I don't remember anything after that. I woke up in the hospital the next day. Malcolm was there, he was banged up pretty badly. His collarbone was broken, he had a couple of cracked ribs and a concussion. The minute I saw his face I knew something worse had happened."

He felt the first tear hit their joined hands and it was all he could do not to pull her to him. But even without James' words from earlier in the day he knew he had to let her get through this.

Laura wiped the tears from her face then twined her fingers with Robbie's. She was grateful he wasn't asking questions, she wasn't sure she could do this if he interrupted her, "There was no fetal heartbeat. The baby was dead." She felt his hand tighten on hers, "I still had to go through the trauma of labor. As if that wasn't enough, there were complications, whether from the accident or the labor no one knows. I was told that more children wouldn't be possible. In the course of 48 hours we went from future parents to childless with no hope."

Robbie stared at her stunned at what she'd revealed. He dropped his head having to look away. How had he never known this? In the twenty years he had known her, she'd kept all of this from him.

Laura held her breath waiting for Robbie to say something. When no words came she turned to him. The look on his face tore a ragged breath from her, "I'm so sorry I never told you. I know you must hate me. All I can ask is that you please forgive me."

Robbie looked up at her. The pain etched on her face broke his resolve, he pulled her to him, "Oh God Laura, I couldn't hate you if I tried. I'm angry at myself. How could I have known you for so long and never known this? What did I do to make you not trust me enough to tell me? Was I so wrapped up in my own grief that I ignored yours?"

Laura clung to him, his words washing away all of her own guilt at having kept her secret for so long. They held each other, shedding tears for the secrets they had each held back from the other. Finally Laura pulled away, she lightly stroked Robbie's tear stained face. "It had nothing to do with anything you did. By the time we got closer, I was past it. There are only a handful of people that even know about the accident and only three that know everything about the aftermath. It's not something that I share easily."

"Me, Malcolm and who else?"

"Me, I've never told anyone else."

Robbie kissed her, it was all he knew to do. He poured everything he had into the most tender kiss he could manage, "Thank you for telling me."