Emma felt the reassuring weight of Theo in her arms as she held him close to her body. His soft whispy curls tickeled her chin as she leaned down to lightly kiss his head. A heady scent of lavender and chamomile filled her senses as she inhaled. Theo’s tiny hand clutched tightly onto her hospital gown as he slept.

Suddenly the door to the room opened and two nurses walked in, one smiled gently as she walked towards where Emma and the baby were sitting whilst the other impatiently tapped her foot.

Emma felt her heart drop as she realised what was happening. She didn’t want to give her baby to them. Holding the baby closer to her body she stood up from the chair and moved towards the door.

“Please don’t take him,” she begged softly as tears began to well up in her eyes. “He’s mine. I want my baby.” The nurse reached out with her arm and attempted to grab Theo who had begun to whine at Emma’s movement.

“It’s ok Miss Blaire. We just need some paperwork signed by you first,” she spoke kindly and kindly enough.

“You have no right to take my child! He is mine and I will not let you take him. I won’t let any fucking person have him,” her voice was a mixture of anger and desperation and her grip on Theo had tightened.

The nurse looked at the small bundle in Emma’s arms and sighed. She knew this was going to happen sooner or later, but it still hurt for both parties involved when that would happen.

“I’m sorry Miss Blaire but it has already been decided. Theo’s new family are waiting to take him home.”

At the sound of his name, Theo whimpered louder and waved his tiny fists towards Emma, who immediately began to cry. She felt Theo wiggling in her arms. This was it then. She’d lost her son. She couldn’t live without him now. Tears streamed freely down her face and she looked away from the nurse. The other nurse who had been waiting by the door marched forwards quickly.

“Doris, this is getting tiresome. Take the baby to Lord and Lady Treveleyn at once.” Her tone was sharp yet calm as though she did this quite often.

Doris looked surprised at the command, but obeyed anyway. Without another word she scooped Theo out of Emma’s arms and left.

Emma collapsed to the floor, fresh tears began to make their way down her cheeks before falling onto the floor. She wrapped her arms around herself and rocked to and fro, afraid that she would fall apart. Her cries echoed throughout the empty room and seemed so loud in the quietness of the hospital.

She didn’t know how long she sat there, rocking back and forth trying desperately to contain all of the emotions threatening to spill over. But eventually the dam burst and it became too much for her to bear. Everything just kept getting worse and worse. It wasn’t fair. What happened?

She didn’t remember agreeing to give Theo up. She had been in so much pain during the birth that they had to give her morphine. Emma looked up as one of the nurses from before, Doris, returned holding some freshly laundered clothes.

“It’s time to leave.” she said remorsefully. Emma didn’t respond. All she could manage was nodding as she wiped tears away from her face and rose shakily from the floor to get dressed.

She followed Doris through the halls and to the lift, not daring to look up at the nurse beside her, who didn’t seem inclined to speak either. They rode in silence down to ground floor. Once they were both outside Emma looked up at the sky hoping that if she stared hard enough maybe it would make everything go away. Nothing came.