LOGINSEREIAThe hospital room felt smaller than it had three weeks ago.. Maybe I was just ready to leave. The white walls. The beeping machines. The smell of antiseptic that clung to my clothes even after I changed. Liyana had been cleared for discharge that morning. Dr. Hayes said her counts were stable. Her body was accepting the marrow. She needed rest, good food and love."We can go home today " I told her excitedly.She was sitting up in bed her rabbit tucked under her arm her hair finally brushed. Color had returned to her cheeks. The dark circles under her eyes were fading."Home home?" she asked. She sounded curious."Home home " I replied with a smile.She looked at Valerian. He was standing by the window his hands in his pockets watching us."Is Daddy coming?" she asked.My chest tightened. She had been calling him that since she woke up. Every time. No hesitation. No awkwardness. Like she had always known.Valerian walked to the bed. Sat on the edge. "I'm coming, one " he said
SEREIAThree days went by slowly.I sat next to Liyana’s bed every morning every afternoon and every night. Valerian sat on the side of her bed. We did not talk much. There was nothing to say. We just sat there. Watched her breathe. We listened to the machines beeping. We saw the color coming back to her cheeks.I couldn’t stop thinking about the night Liyana was conceived. I remembered the rain, the street and the man who yelled at me. I remembered the bar and the whiskey. I remembered his hands on my waist and his mouth on my neck. It was one night. One stupid night.. Now we had a daughter.I looked at Valerian across Liyana’s bed. He was staring at her face. He did not know I was watching him. He did not know I was thinking about that night.I looked away as blush creeped up my cheeks.---On the third day Liyana’s fingers moved. I was holding her hand when it happened. It was a small movement. I thought I had imagined it. Then her eyes flittered open."Liyana?" My voice was roug
SEREIA"The doctor wants to see us. Now."Those words hit me hard.I was on my feet before I even realized it. My bag fell off my lap. Landed on the floor. I didn't bother picking it up. Valerian was already moving, grabbing his keys from the table and his coat from the hook by the door."Valerian what did the doctor say? What happened?" I asked."He didn't say " he replied."Then why does he need to see us?" I pressed."I don't know " he said.My hands were shaking. I couldn't feel my fingers. I bent down to grab my bag. I missed it at first but when I finally picked it up, my heart was pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.Valerian took my arm. Pulled me toward the door."We need to go. Now " he said.I didn't argue. My legs were moving. I didn't feel like I was in control.The front door slammed shut behind us. The night air was cold and bit at my cheeks and lungs. I hadn't grabbed a coat. I didn't care.Valerian opened the drivers door. I got into the passenger seat. The
SEREIAChapter 164I did not have an answer to give.Gracie stood beside me at the window. Her arms were. Her face was pale. The press was lined up along the fence. Camera’s were pointed through the bars and faces were pressed against the gaps."Why are they here?" Gracie had asked earlier but I wasn’t sure on what to tell her.I looked at Valerian and he looked right back at me.Gracie’s eyes moved between Valerian and me. "What? What is it?" she asked.I took a breath. My chest felt tight. My hands were cold."Gracie there is something you need to know " I whisperedHer face went tighter. "What happened? Is Liyana okay?" she asked me."Liyana is fine. This is not about Liyana’s health " I said to Gracie."Then what?" Gracie asked me.I looked at Valerian again. Valerian nodded at me."The DNA test " I said to Gracie. "The one the court ordered " I told Gracie.Gracies hand went to her chest. "What about it?""Lucas is not the father " I answered.Gracie blinked. "What do you mean Lu
SEREIA The courtroom doors swung open. Judge Morrison walked in and everyone stood up immediately.The wooden benches creaked. Shoes scraped against the floor. I gripped the defense table tightly. My knuckles were now white and my palms were sweaty. The only thing calming me down was Valerian. He stood behind me and his warmth was calming."Please sit down " the judge said. We sat down.Judge Morrison adjusted his glasses. He picked up some papers and he held at them like they were something heavy."We have received the DNA results requested by Mr. Sterling," he said. "The court has also received additional documentation from the hospital."Lucas’s lawyer stood up. "Your Honor we want to add those documents to the evidence."Margaret stood up beside me. "No objection, Your Honor."The judge opened an envelope. He pulled out some pages. He read them. Left to right. Left to right.I stopped breathing.The room was so quiet. I could hear the clock on the wall. Tick. Tick. Tick.Judge M
SEREIAThe mansion was quiet when we walked in. It was too quiet. The kind of quiet that felt like the walls were holding their breath. Gracie stood in the foyer. Her hands were clasped in front of her. Her face was pale and I was sure that she had been waiting, for hours."Where is she?" she asked frantically immediately she sighted us. "Where's Liyana?""She's at the hospital " I whispered. "She's stable. The doctors are taking care of her." I added trying to assure her.Gracie’s eyes filled with tears. "What happened? I've been calling your phone for hours."I hugged her. "She's okay, Gracie. She’s going to be okay.""What happened? What did the doctors say?"I led her to the living room and Valerian followed. We sat down and I told her everything. The tests. The bone marrow failure. The transplant. Valerian being a match.Gracie stared at Valerian. "You're a match? How?""The doctor said it's markers " Valerian shrugged . "Just a coincidence." He added.Gracie repeated, "A coinc
SEREIALucas wasn’t good at this fathering stuff; he pushed Liyana on the swing, but it was too high causing her to grip the chains tightly, her face expressionless."Higher!" he spoke, like he was doing her a favor with a small smile on his face. "You want to go higher?" He asked and Liyana immedi
SEREIA I walked until my feet began to ache and until my chest hurt from exhaustion, the entire city had blurred around me as tears dripped into my eyes and I didn’t even know where I was at this point.They had dumped me in a part of town that was filled with warehouse and old bricks and I couldn
SEREIAThe morning sun streamed in through the windows of the kitchen, brightening up the entire place and setting a stage for Liyana to twirl around in her tutu."Mommy, can we go to the park? Please, please, please?" Liyana begged me her face twisted into a pout and I glanced at Valerian as if to
SEREIAAs Liyana's giggles faded into the distance I couldn't stop myself and my feet moved before my brain caught up."I'm coming too," I called out, hurrying after them and then Valerian halted at the top of the stairs but he didn’t turn. “That would be unnecessary.” He replied and Liyana immedi







