Shattered - Chapter 58: Chapter 58

Nathan's POV.
I immediately move to hit the bastard as hard as I could manage without losing myself, from the pain of him hitting one of them. With the flower base shattering from the impact of it hitting his skull. How did an argument between us go to a gun shooting? Jack fell to the ground unconscious with a little blood spilling that wasn't as bad as the small puddle that was gradually growing near my desk where my wife and son were.
My mind was running on a crazy speed thinking that they are the most important thing in my life, I've never admitted it to myself or saw it like that until now. I've never realized how selfish, stupid, and ridiculous I've been, my anger has stopped me from being grateful with what I have.
They are my world.
Our family is our first priority and going to my work building to give Alina space made me realize that. She has always been the one to value family and be family oriented when she came from a dark past. I had the privilege to be born with a great family, my way of thinking has been constantly negative that I don't even know who I am right now. You don't understand how much it means to you until you have lost it...
My wife have shared with me her values to keep a strong family bond which I have been uncooperative and been acting immature. We are grownups now, we have been through tough problems, but she was always there to forgive and accept me for who I am.
People take her for granted and I'm not going to use that to my advantage, she is my equal.
Being away from her makes me remember what I miss most of her, sweet words, loving heart, her empathy, understanding every side of the story and every part that makes her the woman I want to be with for the rest of my life. Throughout this bumpy road we have crossed, she has also brought out the best in me when the world isn't out to get us.
Whatever happens, Jack will pay for the damage he has caused in this office.
I quickly snap out of my thoughts that were coming to me in short milliseconds.
Alina's POV.
In this moment my life flashed before my eyes just like every orchestrated movie with a character who dies. A quick vision of the past playing in scenes of the most impactful moments of your entire existence on this earth. Why does it take death for us to remember the best times? During this time we all had together, I was able to gather a conclusion on the true meaning of love.
Just like the movies, I'm getting memories, well I want my best moments in life to fill me with warmth that is slowly escaping me.
A strong emotion is all that comes to mind, if never experienced personally you'll have difficulty associating it with living events. You won't be able to make connections with the term and the proper feeling.
This is love.
And this is family.
Nothing is more important then those two factors.
Doing whatever it takes to keep your love one safe from all the negative things of the external world, which is why I took the bullet for Leo. I rather see him happy, healthy and alive, then to have had the chance to save him and miss my chance. My love for him is the strongest sentiment I've ever felt, a love from a mother to one of their children is so powerful. We don't realize but through the thick and thin the only constants in our lives are our children and their undying love whether you want to accept it or not.
The moment he was born into the world and was placed in my arms from the doctor, my circumstances were the least of my worries because it was only him that mattered. A child which grew in me for seven months was the most beautiful gift that the world could have given me.
If someone asked me if I would do it again, no stutter, my answer is yes. He deserves the world which I can no longer seem to be in, this might be my last time with him, but he'll know I did it with love. Something that everyone should have, my father loved me, he still does. Nathan loves me, Leo loves me, my friends love me, they all love me.
No one should die feeling lonely.
Even if they are angry with me, I would take it no matter what. They are my family that I want to protect.
"Mommy, there's blood." My sweet precious boy tells me which makes me wrap my arms around him as tight as I can manage. That was when the feeling of pain rushed through me answering my question of where the bullet had gone. I don't want to let go.
I was the one who got hit.
Leo was safe. That was the most important thing. When try to utter my words, my throat felt dry when I needed it. "I k-know b-b-baby," you think you have much longer time when it comes to your last words. Let me break your bubble and say that you do bleed out very rapidly.
"Mommy, your hurt." He tells me with tears forming in his eyes. Moving one of my hand to move to the wound putting pressure on it and to reduce the bleeding.
A loud echoed from behind us which meant Nathan was able to hit Jack with the plant vase. "Alina! Oh god," he makes his way over to us turning us slowly trying to not disturb the wound that was already leaking of blood.
I ignore him trying to get my words out just in case, wiping our son's tears hoping he'll hear my words audibly. "L-Leo, I love you s-s-so much and mommy saved you b-because you deserve everything. I-I-I have too much to say.
I put my hand up trying to indicate to Nathan to hold my hand as he was yelling at Larissa to call for an ambulance, he put his warm hand in my cold hand. "You t-take care of our s-son. Promise me." I grit my teeth for the pain coming from my abdomen.
"I will baby, hang in there, you're going to make it." Nathan tells me with tears slipping as we watch me slowly fall into an exanimated state. "You have to make it, I can't do this alone." Saying the words rapidly almost making it unclear.
My baby boy was so active as I was working hard, it sucks when he presses on my bladder although it isn't as bad right now. Six months already, and my stomach was pretty big, thinking that it will grow even bigger is crazy. Going off for break, I go outside to take in some fresh air that will do me good. Finally getting to sit on the chair that always awaits for me, my feet were hurting a little with my slightly swollen feet from my additional weight with myself baby Leo.
Wasn't much in the parking lot, he starts kicking strongly. "You are for sure a rowdy little thing aren't you." I lift my uniform shirt to reveal my stomach, "your dad used to tell me how energetic he was when he was younger," I take a deep breath in trying to stop the hormonal tears. "God, I really wish your dad was here and cared, I really did love him and he was amazing." More kicks happened right under my hand.
"I love you, Nathan Peterson, m-more then you k-k-know." My probably last statement of love to him was said with no stutter, I made sure of that.
"Mommy, don't go." Cry's to me, hugging me tightly and placing his small kisses onto my forehead.
"Here he is, he's beautiful," my doctor passes my new-born tiny baby into my arms with a blanket after he was cleaned and the umbilical cord was cut.
The moment he was in my arms close to my body was when my heart was only going to be occupied by him. It was something magical, that was the cheesy description, it was actually indescribable. "Hello!" I whisper in tears to Leo in my arms. "You are so precious." I cry and lean him up a little to put my forehead against my tiny baby's.
Me and Nathan have gotten all we ever wanted, to be together, have a child together, a home we both love very much. Although our story wasn't a simple one to get to where we are now.
"Come on Leo! You could do it buddy!" I encourage in a baby voice to get him to walk to me as my baby shakes. A smile grew on his face as he lost balance, immediately regaining it within seconds. "Walk to mommy Leo!" He slowly took steps towards me and I cried at this incredible moment as I record it with my phone.
"I'm right h-here Leo, I'm not going a-a-anywhere."
"You're going to school tomorrow, are you excited?" I asked Leo as we ate dinner together after a long day of work.
"Will I take a school bus?" He asks me as he puts a spoon of food in his mouth.
"You're so special that mommy is going to drive you to school every single day," I start tearing up just knowing that he won't be home all day anymore. My schedule was rearranged so that I'd be able to work when he was asleep, play and spend time with him during the day and go to work at night. Occasionally having to go into the office for a day, with him going to school it means that I can actually have a normal schedule.
"An ambulance is on it's way, just stay with us..." His voice was uneven and Nathan's hands were trembling as he stroked my forehead. "Leo, can you go wait outside to call auntie Catherine when she comes back?"
When Leo got up to leave I grabbed his hand, "no! D-don't leave mommy, keep me c-company." I manage to smile.
"Mommy?" Leo's faint whisper came into my stygian room from my blinds being closed.
Rubbing my eyes a little to tell if it wasn't my dream, he was there. "Why are you awake baby?" I whisper to him with a raspy voice.
He walks over to my left side of the bed, "I'm scared, it's thunder-storming. The lightning is scary."
My heart clenches, "come here and sleep with me tonight." He comes to snuggle into me as the thunder that I had never heard until now. "You shouldn't be scared. It's only the guardians playing bowling." I tell him to ease his fear.
"Guardians? Who are they?" He asks me curiously.
"The people who watch over you, they are having fun tonight."
"They like bowling?" I can hear his smile from the tone in his voice.
"Yes they do, I'm going to take you bowling one day, just like me and my dad did. Now go to bed or you'll be tired tomorrow." I kiss his head falling back to sleep.
Leo was looking at me with tears making there way down his cheeks, "mommy, I don't want you hurt." His tiny hand grips onto my hand tighter while his other rests on my arm.
"Look what I made you today!" My son runs up to me as I wait in front of the school entrance. His artwork was always so cute. I crouch down to see what he has for me today, "this is for you mommy!"
I take it out of his hands to see a white paper framed with black paper in the back, there were hand prints side my side of small hands making me realize they were his. Palms orange, with his thumbs and pinkies yellow, index fingers was a reddish pink, his middle fingers purple and the ring fingers blue. On a glued small piece of paper above it was a tiny message I suspected which was handwritten in pencil. He probably got help from his teacher.
I start to read it,
Mom, this isn't just a butterfly, as you can plainly see.I made it with my hands, which are part of me.
It comes with lots of love, especially to say, I hope you have a very Happy Mother's Day! Love, Leo.
It was incredible what his teacher was able to do t get the kids to do. That was a lot to write, but I'm assuming all the kids in his class made the same for their mom's. I even forgot it was Mother's Day. "I love it Leo," I was getting emotional and tearing up.
He pulls me into a hug and kisses my cheek. "You're the best mommy, I love you."
I smile at Leo, "you are my greatest gift."
My vision was getting spotty. It was getting hard for me to keep my eyes awake and my willpower was slowly being drained, until I couldn't go on any longer.
All was left for me was darkness.