Not too long later the wine was opened, the candles were lit and placed around my room, and the pizza was on its way.

“You haven’t opened your last present!” Aiden called through to me whilst I was in the bathroom.

“I’ll do it when I’m out,” I shouted back, trying to keep the strain from my voice as I fought to hold myself up over the sink.  I was having weird stomach cramps and had been feeling ill all day, but I didn’t want it to ruin mine and Aiden’s night together.  I was rapidly feeling worse though, and didn’t know what to do about it.

“You okay, babe?” Aiden asked, concerned, upon my return to the bedroom.

“Of course I am – I’m with you,” I smiled, putting on a brave face as he handed me the box I had left untouched.

I slowly opened the lid to reveal a beautiful top that sparkled as soon as I removed it from it’s dark casing and held it to the soft candle light.

“Oh, it’s beautiful,” I cried, hugging Aiden tightly.

“Like you,” he smiled.  “You gonna try it on?”

He helped me gently remove the top I was wearing from over my head and turned me around to tie the the new one lightly around my neck.  He then pulled my hair from its tight bun and let it cascade over my shoulders, his eyes lighting up as he turned me back to face him.

“Beautiful,” he sighed, staring at me intently.

“Hey, I nearly forgot yours!” I suddenly remembered, retrieving a carefully wrapped box from my bedside table.  It was a brand new Rolex watch, courtesy of my father, who had several millions of dollars at his disposal.  To my father, a Rolex was nothing – kind of like his relationship with me.

“Wow, this is awesome,” Aiden grinned, his eyes lighting up with genuine appreciation.  He slipped it over his thick wrist and suddenly lifted me into the air, spinning me round before gracefully putting me back down on my feet.

“You know, I think this calls for a toast!” he enthused, pouring a small glass of wine for me and a large one for himself.  He passed me mine before continuing.  “To us, and our growing baby!” he cried.  He rested a large hand on my still flat stomach and looked at me with such pride and emotion in his eyes I thought he would start crying.  “I figured one glass wouldn’t hurt,” he smiled, gazing at me lovingly before taking a sip of his wine.

I felt my stomach suddenly lurch and ran in the direction of my bathroom, my glass of red wine dropping to the floor and spreading like blood through the thick pile of the carpet as I fled.  A searing pain ripped through my abdomen, terrifying me.  I prayed nothing was wrong as my mind went to the 6 week old baby that was growing inside my womb.

“Ashley!?” Aiden cried.

I heard his footsteps coming after me as I reached the toilet and forced the lid up before I was violently sick inside.  I collapsed to the floor, the pain between my legs tearing through me to the point I thought I was going to faint.  I felt a wet warmth spreading under me on the ground and didn’t need to look down to know what it was.  I was bleeding, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.  The last thing I remembered was Aiden crashing down on the floor next to me, leaning me back in his arms, one hand stroking my head as the fingers of his other hand fumbled with the buttons on his cell phone.  Apparently the ambulance arrived quickly, although it was still too late.  I remember my world crashing down around me as I lay in the hospital bed the next morning, Aiden by my side, holding my small hands between his large ones as he told me:

“Ash, we lost our baby.”