Chapter 57

"Hey Charlie," Paula whispered to her husband, "I'll check on Paul."

Charlie just nodded, his eyes on his tiny, now sleeping granddaughter in his arms.

"What is it?" Bella asked. She'd heard Paula. Oh, she didn't want to make her worry.

"Nothing, Bella. I just want to ask if he wants to talk. He had quite a fright just now. You should try to sleep." Patting Bella's shoulder, she leaned down and kissed her forehead. She looked so pale and fragile in that big bed. Paula had never had children but loved Bella as her own child as she did love Paul. They were her children and now their daughter, too.

Bella nodded and turned to look at her father and daughter. Paula's heart made a jump. She was so happy to be part of this family. She had a family now.

Paula left the room and followed the signs leading to the front door. She hoped she would find Paul. There had been something about him that worried Paula. Paula knew Paul's temper and quite a bit about his childhood and wild days before meeting Bella. Charlie had told her how much Paul had changed from those days and for so much better; he hardly recognized the young man he now was.

The way that man loved Bella was something she'd never witnessed in her life, and she knew that his almost losing Bella had broken something in him. Paula knew that Paul wouldn't survive if Bella had died. And Paul knew it, too.

And to think that a shock that almost killed Bella was caused by Paul's mother, a woman who had abandoned her son, was almost perverse. Because Paula knew it had been a shock to Bella, it had also been a shock for her. To see the woman she'd heard something about, the woman who had abandoned Paul. She couldn't comprehend how anyone could do such a thing. To think of Paul as a small boy, abandoned by his mother, left behind to be abused by his drunken father. It was almost too much to bear.

And now that woman had come back after all these years. Why?

Paula arrived at the entrance hall and sighed in relief; Paul was there... But so was his mother.

Paula stopped abruptly, watching them. They were staring at each other. The woman moved toward Paul, stretching her arm to him, and he stepped back. He slowly shook his head, his face twisted with disbelief and rage. He was visibly shaking. Paula had never seen him like this before. She was afraid of what he might do.

"Paul." Paula heard the woman saying.

"No!" Paul spat, and Paula saw him moving closer to his mother, stretching his fingers from the tight fists.

"Paul!" Paula shouted.

Paul stopped and fled the hospital.

Paula ran after him past his mother. But when she got out, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Damn," she muttered. Now she was really worried. She could not even start to think what Pau was feeling. For sure, he had recognized the woman that she was his mother.

The woman came outside and stopped beside Paul.

"Why did you come here?" Paula asked, not caring how unfeeling and rude she sounded. But that poor family didn't need her here, not now.

She turned her head to look at Paula, tears rolling down her cheeks. Paula gasped; she looked shockingly so much like Paul, only her nose was different. But the curve of her mouth to the sharp cheekbones and dark, almost black eyes were all Paul. Yes, there was no way Paul hadn't recognized the woman.

"I just wanted to know what happened to the baby and Bella," the woman whispered. "I … I wanted to see Paul... He..." Paul's mother's voice trailed off, and she shook her head, tears continuing to fall.

"They are both well and fine. Bella's father is there with them. I'm sorry to sound rude, but you need to leave. Come see me in my bookshop a few weeks from now. You've caused a terrible shock to Paul, and he has a lot on his plate now. Bella needs time to heal; Paul almost lost her. You have to give him space to get his head around about you showing up like this."

Paul's mother looked terrified.

"I have to go after Paul and see if he's okay. Please, you need to leave now," Paula said. She was feeling angry at the woman in front of her. But she also felt sorry for her. She'd abandoned the best thing in her life. She'd missed so much. She probably didn't know what she'd missed. A woman who had the most beautiful son hadn't understood the gift she'd be given. Paula tried not to let her own pain about never having children of her own add up to how she felt about this woman, but it was hard. If only thinking of her, she would've tried anything to get her leave and never return. But for Paul, if Paul wanted to see his mother, then this woman needed to come back.

Paul's mother took a tissue from her back and blew her nose. "Yes, I'll leave." She took a card from her back and gave it to Paula. "Here. This is my card. If you think I should come to meet Paul and his family sooner than in a few weeks, let me know."

Paula took the card and put it in the back pocket of her jeans. "Thank you." And left to look for Paul. She really hoped Paul's mother had left by the time Paul came back.

Paula ran along the front side of the hospital. Paula knew Paul's tendencies to lash out, and knowing that he would not go too far from Bella and their baby, the small forest area behind the hospital was the obvious place for him to go.

And sure enough, she heard him shouting, and as she came closer, she saw him hitting the tree. His hands were bloody.

"I fucking kill you!" he shouted and punched the tree.

"Paul!" she shouted and ran to him. Paula needed to make him stop. He was hurting himself badly.

He didn't seem to notice her.

"Stop it, Paul!" Paula shouted and grabbed his waist, pulling him away from the tree. But he didn't stop; he was too powerful for her to get him to stop.

"I kill you!" he hissed and hit the tree; his voice was rough from the shouting.

"Paul, stop!" Paul shouted and pinched his neck.

It helped, and Paula managed to get him away from the tree. Then he seemed to realize she was there, and it was like all energy left him, and he dropped to the ground, burying his face into his bleeding hands. Paula took the tissue paper from the earlier from her pockets and knelt beside Paul. She pulled Paul's hand away from his face and tried to stop the bleeding.

Paul's head was hanging low; he was sobbing. That broke Paula's heart once more.

"Everything is okay, Paul," Paula said softly while tending to his injured hands. "Bella is safe; your baby girl is safe. Me and Charlie are there for you. Whatever you need, whenever you need us, we'll be there."

Paul's sobs didn't lessen; he was wailing now, rocking his torso back and forth. It was almost too much for Paula. The emotions flooded out of Paul: the confusion, the rage, the fear...

Paula wrapped her arms around him and pulled him close.

"Let it out," she told him.

Paul cried as she held him. Paula understood that he cried like the boy he once was, the eight-year-old boy who had lost his mother. She felt helpless, not knowing exactly how to help him, but at the same time, she was happy to be here and share his pain. When Paula had lost her parents, she hadn't had anyone to share it with.

Paula didn't know how long they had been there sitting on the ground before Paul stopped crying and spoke. "Why?" his voice cracked. "Why did she come back?"

"I don't know," Paula answered truthfully.

"I..." Paul sniffed, "I don't want to see her ever again," Paul continued wiping his face to the hem of his t-shirt. "I don't want her anywhere near Bella and Lilyanne."

"I know," Paula said. Lilyanne. They'd named their daughter Lilyanne. How beautiful.

"Never," Paul added.

"You don't have to see her if you don't want to." Paula knew that, in time, Paul might change his mind, but now all that was important was to get him to feel good enough to go back to his family.

"She is the reason Bella almost died," he said, his voice hardening. "Isn't she."

Paula didn't know what to say. It was most likely true that the shock Paul's mother showing up in the bookstore today had caused this.

"She came to the bookshop when Bella was there," Paula told him. "She was shocked seeing her, and she fainted."

"What?!" Paul growled and jumped up from the ground. "Why didn't you call me?" You've promised to look after her for me?"

Paula felt a bang of regret and guilt. She had failed Paul and Bella. She got up from the ground as well.

"I know, and I should have called you. I offered to call a doctor, but she said she was fine, and you know how she is. But I know that I should have called both you and a doctor. It is easy to be wise after bad things have happened."

Paul looked at her for a long moment. "Yeah, she probably threatened you with something if you called the doctor," Paul said, almost smiling now.

"Let's find a doctor who can stitch your hands before you return to your family."

A huge grin spread across Paul's face.

"I have a family now," he said, almost like he didn't quite believe it was true.

"Yes, you do," Paula said, her heart mending back together piece by piece. This young man had all the love he needed, and he had a big heart and loved fiercely. That was all that mattered.

Paul sat by Bella's bed, holding sleeping Lilyanne in his arms. Bella had been sleeping when he finally came back feeling somewhat ashamed of his meltdown. He was a father now, and he could not lose his temper like that ever again. He was lucky he hadn't caused permanent damage to his hands. But he had stitches in both of them, and it would take a few weeks for them to heal. What a fucking moron he'd been.

He stared at her sleeping daughter, hoping this moment wasn't tainted by his mother. He'd first tried to stop thinking about her but had given up. He understood why Bella hadn't wanted to tell him about his mother. But he hated that Bella had been willing to carry the weight of the knowledge of her showing up by herself. He wanted to talk with her and hear what had happened. But it had to wait for a few days.

It was apparent his mother had seen the article about him. There is no other explanation why she'd snowed up now. Paul hadn't had any contact with her and hadn't known her whereabouts since the day she'd left him and his father. As far he was concerned, she'd been dead ever since. And now she was back. And Bella had almost died because of her.

When he had realized that he'd almost killed his mother. If Paula hadn't shouted his name, he would have snapped her neck, and no one would have been able to stop him. Knowing that scared the shit out of him. Not because she would be dead now, but he would be going to jail and forced to live without Bella and Lilyanne, possibly for the rest of his life. A tremor shot through his body.

The door opened, and a nurse came in.

"Are you ready to sleep, too?" the nurse asked. "You need to rest and gather your strength."

Paul wasn't sure he could give Lilyanne to the nurse, but he did feel all the emotional turmoil and a sleepless night weighing him down. He needed to sleep. Although he knew his sleep wouldn't be restful. Paul would never forget the sight of Bella lying in the middle of a pool of blood, and he was sure the sight would also haunt him in his sleep.

"Yes, I probably should sleep."

The nurse checked Bella and then moved to take Lilyanne.

"We take care of your baby. Sleep as long as you need. The doctor wanted your wife to sleep through the day and the next night. He will wake her up tomorrow morning."

It alarmed Paul.

"There is nothing to worry about," the nurse hastened to add, seeing his worried expression. "It's a standard procedure after such a huge operation your wife had gone through."

Paul sighed in relief, and before handing Lilyanne over to the nurse, he kissed her cheek. He would sleep, and then he would hold both Bella and his daughter in his arms and never let them go.

AN:

I can't believe it's been over a year since I last updated this story. But it is. Time flies so fast. But then I needed time to get this forward. Paul meeting his mother after almost losing Bella was just too much for me as well. I almost thought I had written myself into a corner. 😊

I hope there is still someone who wants to read this story and was happy to get an update. I think that this story has gone to its natural end. Do you think so? An epilogue is in order, but otherwise, I feel that it's time to let my firstborn go (this is the first story I started to write here, thinking it's the only one I'll ever write).

Let me know what you think. But otherwise, I thank everyone who had stuck with me and with Bella and Paul.