The arena was filled with guests. The newly wedded couple was the center of attention, however. She happily chatted with the guests, dragging her husband along with her. His phone suddenly rang. His calm demeanor slowly changed to that of panic. He quickly left the hall, heading to the garage. The guests were confused as to where he was going and after a few minutes, the once calm and peaceful hall became a ground of murmuring and gossip. His sudden leave made her worried. Grabbing her long velvet gown, she went after him, also wondering where he was going.
"Where are you going? The party isn't over yet!" She said once she saw him. He pretended as though he didn't hear her and kept on heading for the garage. She caught up to him and said, "If you're gonna bail on me, at least tell me where you're going!"
Pissed off, he turned and said, "Hannah's in labor. I'm going to the hospital,"
Angered, she said, "You're leaving me for that thing? How could you? It's our wedding day for crying out loud! You can't just go! What will I say to the guests?"
"I'm sure you'll think of an explanation," He said before stepping into the Rolls-Royce.
Watching him drive out, she pulled the pins and ornaments out of her hair, making it cascade on her shoulders. She kicked a bucket next to her and screamed. She calmed herself down and angrily walked back into the hall, thinking of an explanation for her guests.
Not wasting a second, he walked into the hospital. Calling his driver, he found out that she had already delivered the baby. He rushed to the maternity ward, where he saw her and the baby. She looked pale and weak, exhausted from childbirth. Seeing him enter the ward brought a smile to her face. He knelt by her side, running his fingers along her once neat cornrows, which had become tangled due to her unnecessary kicking and screaming.
"Congratulations," She said weakly.
"You look terrible," He said jokingly.
She chuckled and said, "You don't have to tell me, I know," They stayed like that for a few seconds before he asked about the baby. Her eyes darted to the cot at the side of the bed that he didn't take notice of when he entered the room. He looked in it and found a chubby baby girl. He gently lifted her out of the cot, his smile broadening with every passing second. The baby was very light in complexion when compared with her mother. He stared at her innocent brown eyes. She was wide awake and stared back at him. She took his finger and grasped it in her tiny hand. Her action made his heart melt. He gently caressed her soft, luscious curly black hair before finally dropping the baby into the cot.
"What are we gonna call her?" She spoke from the bed.
"How about Julianne?"
"Seriously?" She said sarcastically.
"It's a nice name, isn't it?" He asked.
"Whatever you say…" She replied briefly. He spent two hours with them before he went back home.
She woke up the next day feeling energetic. She stared at her flat stomach. The feeling of not having a baby in her made her feel strange. She chuckled and lifted the baby out of the cot. Playing with her for a while, she dropped her back in it and lay on the pillow. She heard the door open. Thinking it was Julian, she tried putting her disheveled hair in place. However, to her greatest surprise, it was none other than her good friend June. She went to her side and lightly hugged her.
"How are you faring Hannah? You seem fine to me, although your hair doesn't," She said jokingly.
"I've never been better. How are you doing?" She said happily.
"I'm good. Guess what, I'm getting married next month!" She said excitedly, showing her the platinum ring on her finger.
She smiled warmly and said, "Congratulations I'm so happy for you!"
"Thank you!" She said warmly. She walked to the cot by the side of the bed, where she saw the baby, who was still wide awake. She could feel her heart burst. She picked the baby out of the cot and gently rocked it. The baby touched her face, making June giggle.
"What's her name?" She asked.
She paused before saying, "Her name's Julianne,"
"You named her after her dad?" She said, her voice full of surprise.
"I didn't name her, he named her after himself," She said in her defense.
"It's good to know that you're both on good terms," She said calmly
"How's your son?" She asked.
"He's giving Adrian and me tons of trouble," She chuckled, "Your baby's so pretty, way prettier than you,"
"Seems like I've got competition," She laughed.
"Are you coming for the wedding?" She asked.
"I don't…"
"Please?" She begged.
She laughed and said, "How could I say no to that face?"
She squealed and said, "Thanks, Hannah! You have no idea how happy you've made me!"
"It's the least I could do after all you've done for me," She said calmly. They chatted for a while before she left the hospital.
A month passed and she found herself standing in front of Hotel Spring Day, the place where her whole life changed. She couldn't blame June for having her reception there, it was the biggest and grandest hotel on Summer Bay and even put it on the world map. She bit her lips and pushed the stroller into the hall.
It was quite different from the last time she came there. There was no loud music, pungent odors, and no disco balls. Instead, it was a beautiful wedding reception. She smiled when she thought about her last experience at the hotel. She looked at her baby who was trying with great effort to take off her woolly cap. Her eyes darted round the hall. She spotted June in a silver gown, talking and laughing with some of her friends. She could recognize them, the redhead on green was Poppy, the brunette on yellow was Amber, but she couldn't remember the blond-haired girl on purple. She knew she had seen her before, but she couldn't quite remember her name.
She heard the strange voices once more. The screaming, creaking, and gunshots. She shook her head, thinking it was just a figment of her imagination. Her mind went back to room 3045 where the voice directed her to go that night. She wondered what connection the voice had with the room. Still in thought, she was embraced from behind. She turned back only to see June's smiling face, her perfect white teeth gleaming.
"I'm so glad you made it Hannah! These are my friends, Poppy, Amber, and Lizbeth," She said happily.
She exchanged greetings with them before she was dragged off by June. She introduced her to her husband and finally to her son.
"He looks just like you June," She said warmly.
"I know," She said proudly.
The boy's focus wasn't on them but on the baby in the stroller. He tugged Hannah's crimson gown and said, "Can I play with her?"
She smiled and said, "Of course! But be careful, she's feisty…"
He didn't let her finish before he went to the stroller and stared at the baby in it. She was still trying to tug off the woolly cap. Seeing her uninvited guest, she stopped tugging at the cap and stared deeply into his emerald-green eyes. He pulled funny faces to make her laugh. It worked as she giggled. He began to laugh too. Their laughter was so infectious that it made everyone laugh. She yawned in the stroller and slowly closed her eyes. After a short while, she fell asleep
"Your baby's pretty Aunt Hannah," He blushed.
She laughed and said, "Thank you,"
The party continued and everything went on smoothly.