By Chance In Oxford

25. Athena

                                                                                  4 weeks later

I was pregnant. I could feel it. The sensation, every arrow pointed at the same conclusion. I, Athena Carter, would be a mother! I wasn't ready. I mean of course nothing would give me more joy than to be a mother to a child created by Lorenzo and I, but I could barely handle myself, let alone a child. I knew I needed to tell Annalise but Lorenzo needed to be the first to hear it, and then my mom. I wondered a lot about what he would say, would he be happy, or would he run. Lorenzo however, wasn't one to run from his problems often, but what if this was the one he ran from. I mean, we never talked about pregnancy or anything of sorts and now I'm having a child. Or at least I thought I was. Lorenzo was still sleeping in bed when the aching, crippling morning sickness hit me like a bus. I headed to the bathroom as I had every morning for the last week but this time I actually threw up. Lorenzo headed out for a meeting and now was my chance to clear everything and make sure I had my facts straight before I told him anything. Over the counter pregnancy test was taken after I got home and it turned out I should trust my sensations more often, I was pregnant. I couldn't wait another second for him to get home and when he did I sat him down in the kitchen and told him everything. The afternoon showed and there he was. This was different though, he didn't even greet me. He ran to his office like he had something really important going on. I couldn't wait all day though, I gave him 15 minutes before walking into his office myself. Regret, regret, regret. His office, filled with other men, all sitting around talking loud about something that must have just happened with Lorenzo sitting at the head of the conversation, at his desk. It was too late to shut the door. They had already seen me and I had heard a side of Lorenzo I never had before. He stopped and looked at me, not as if he was embarrassed though, more because he was wondering what was going on that I needed him. I was wondering how all of these men got in our house, without me seeing and why they were in here. "Everyone shut up! Athena, baby what's wrong?", he spoke, the whole room was silent and I felt so uncomfortable to be here it was almost like my pregnancy could wait. "Oh, I had no idea you were in a meeting, I didn't see anyone walk in. I just have to tell you something really important but I can wait.", I replied, all of their eyes fixated on me. "No it can't. Come here. Don't be scared they're not going to hurt you.", he said as I carefully walked in, some of the men whistled at me. I sat on his lap and wished to bury my head in his neck and not say a word until everyone left. "Go on pretty girl, what is it.", he said while brushing the hair out of my face. I stared around trying to make it clear that I was uncomfortable with everyone there. This was a total mess. He knew me too well as he said, "Everyone get the fuck out for a minute, wait outside, not in the house. GO!", he screamed. They didn't think twice before doing it, he said. I was still in the slippy little sundress I had thrown on this morning and I had hid the test inside one of the pockets. He kissed me on the forehead and began talking. "I know this might not be a good time, to tell you, or a good time to get this news in life. However, I've been feeling really sick every morning for the past few weeks and I missed my period. I didn't want to speculate anything though, I bought a test today while you were out wherever you would and I'm... I'm... pregnant."speaking took so much power out of me, after saying a few words I felt drained. "NO way! You're kidding right!? This is great! I'm happy. I'm just nervous, I don't know if I'm ready to be a father, I don't want to screw the kid over like I got screwed over. But let me tell you something baby, you are going to be the most amazing mother. I'm going to do everything I can to help you, doctors appointments, caring for you, anything. I think you're beautiful now, don't let me imagine you pregnant, I might have to take you to the bedroom.", he said. He was so excited! So happy, he was, and I knew he would be supportive. I think he was just nervous that his situation would turn into his childs. "I know it's kind of early for us and we may have had other plans but I want to keep it. I want it to be ours, together. Our baby. I doubt you will ruin anything, I've seen the way you treat Melody. This child is going to be the best thing that ever happened to you, mark me words. I love you.", I said. "I love you too. We are going to get through this, it'll be a happy time I promise, and you're the best thing that has ever happened to me, nothing could change that. Stay with me.", he said. He called the men back in and I stayed on his lap, my head tucked into his neck like a baby. Eventually the men left and I had gotten a phone call. "Hi, this is John Muller with the Oxford investigators, I'm looking for an Athena Carter.", his voice was concerning. "This is her.", I replied. "I need you to pay attention to everything I am about to say. Annalise Channing and her husband Henry Channing were killed in a helicopter crash at about 5 am this morning. Leaving Melody with no parents. According to their records, you are the next of kin if something were to happen to them. I need you to come down to their home and pick Melody Channing, their child up. There we can run background checks and make sure everything is good before we let you go home with the child. I understand this comes at short notice and that you may need time to sort out your life, but this is an innocent child we are dealing with and we need to get her safe, and make this transition as comfortable as possible for her. Thank you, and please arrive here before 3pm today.", he said. He hung up the phone, as mine dropped to the floor, along with my body. I began sobbing, screaming. How much more loss could I take before I broke? "Baby, what's wrong?! TALK TO ME ATHENA! WHAT'S WRONG! STAY WITH ME! DID YOU FALL?"Lorenzo said as he came running to my rescue. "Annalise and Henry are dead! I just got a call from the police and you and I have to take Melody as her parents because I was designated as next of kin if something were to happen to them. I can't do that! I can't take her from her parents! I'm not ready to be a mom, not today! Let alone a mom to two! I'm so sorry! If I had just never been in your life you wouldn't have to be a dad so young, you could be living happy right now, in success.", I said. "Baby, don't say that, you know I could never live without you so dont say that! We love Melody, we are going to do just fine as parents, everything will be perfect, we have to give our children what we never had. I know it's upsetting that they died, and I'm sorry! You don't deserve to go through this much trauma, through this much loss. However, right now, we need to go get that child and make sure she feels safe, or else she'll be screwed up just like us.", he said. "Ok, let's go! I don't know if I can go in that house, I'm just nervous. I know if I do I'm going to break.'', I said. He got me up off the ground and walked us outside, right before opening the car door for me he lifted my dress and got down to kiss my stomach, rubbing his hand over it and saying, "How is this tummy feeling? Do you need anything from me baby? It is my child right? I'm shocked we are going to have a copy of the two of us, a mixture of our love walking around our house someday. And Melody, she is going to love us. We are going to do everything for her, it's all going to work out.", he said. I kissed him and he guided me into the seat of the car, I felt heavier and more in pain everyday, it had become more difficult to sit down. There she was, the young, pure, innocent child standing before me. She was sitting on the front steps coloring and I felt like I hadn't seen her in years. I stopped working for the Channing's after moving in with Lorenzo because of how my life was turning out and the fact that I couldn't manage time for being a nanny anymore. I ran to her and gave her the biggest hug. Little did she know her parents were gone, and that was the driving reason I needed to suck up all my emotions and be there for this kid. Lorenzo came up behind me saying, "Hi sweetheart, we're going to take you home! You're going to be ok, we can do something fun. How does that sound? We can play in the yard, color, get you something to eat." Melody admired him so deeply as she reached forward for him to hug her. The way he acted around children made me confident we would be ok with having two children on our hands. It was beautiful, he was so calm and it looked like it came easy to him. The house in front of me looked twice its size, it was so hard to believe that they were gone. They were all I had here. When I was feeling most homesick and feeling down during my first year here, they were there for me, constantly supporting me and making me feel like it would turn out alright, and it did. I left Lorenzo with her and walked to the police. "I'm so sorry about all of this. Don't cry, I promise you will be ok. I see this happen all the time and it always works out. Just stay calm and I need you to sign some paperwork, then you can go home and figure all of this out. If you need us, call us. These basically confirm that you took the child and that you are willing to provide her a stable home, etc.", he said. I signed the papers and watched a tear fall to the paper. "Thank you for helping here today. I'm going to try my best, that's all I can do.", I said as I walked away from the scene and got back in the car with Lorenzo and Melody. "Hi lovey! Are you ready to go home!?", I said. "Wheres mommy?", she said. I stared at Lorenzo and he saved me before I could cry. "Mommy and daddy had to go somewhere for a while, so from now on you're going to live with us, we're going to have so much fun! I promise you ok?", he said as he rubbed her cheek softly. And that was it, we drove home.