BeBe lay sleeping in her bed, tangled in blankets, curled around Nadir.   Nadir slept soundly, one hand planted on her stomach.

Their unborn son seemed to also be sleeping, moving around every so often, but not doing his usual aerobics routine that he did all day every day.

BeBe’s mind seemed to wander back to before Rippen was born…her dreams over taking her mind.

BeBe had given birth to Rippen at the young age of 15.   Chase and BeBe were very young, in love, and unmarried.  Chase was the manager of the movie theater.  BeBe worked at the counter.   They were raising little Haylee as their own daughter, and had been for almost a year.  Haylee was a handful but both Chase and BeBe loved and adored the little girl, always thinking of her as their own daughter.  

BeBe and Chase had been having some issues.  Tusken had taken an interest in BeBe and Chase hated it.   Little did Chase know, he wasn’t the only man that had an interest in her.   “I don’t want that sick, mother fucking, psycho, around you, Bella!”  Chase’s deep voice, with his slight Italian accent, rang out.  It echoed off the apartment walls, filtering through their bedroom door.   Little Haylee sat on the sofa out in the living room, which also served as the child’s bedroom.  She pulled her knees up, wrapping her arms around her legs, a few tears falling from her face.   BeBe and Chase hardly fought, but when they did, Haylee didn’t like it one bit.

“I didn’t do ANYTHING!” BeBe protested as she sat on their bed, “He was only TALKING to me…why are you so jealous?!”   Chase paced around the bedroom, suddenly stopping.  He threw out his right hand, extending his index finger at her, “Bella, you haven’t seen what that fuck is capable of…I WILL NOT have -MY- girlfriend around that kind of person!” he shouted back at her.   BeBe looked up at him, her voice dropping down to a whiser, “I’m sorry, Chase.”  “I will be sure to avoid him from now on.”     Chase tilted his head at her, moving over to the bed.   He sat by her wrapping his long arms around her tiny frame.  “Bella, I love you..I love Haylee..you are both all I have.”  He took in a breath, then kissed BeBe’s forehead.  “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to yell.” “Just please stay away from that man.”   BeBe nodded to him, hugging him back tightly.

Later that evening, Haylee had asked to stay with a friend, Chase letting her.   After returning home from dropping her off, he and BeBe “made up” from their fight.   He held BeBe all night, as she slept.   Little did BeBe know, that would be the last time Chase held her.

The next day, BeBe woke up and Chase wasn’t there.  It wasn’t something that was unusual, actually, BeBe was used to it.   She sat up in the bed, looking around.   She perked an eyebrow at Chase’s art easel.  Chase LOVED art and sketched and painted often…something Haylee had picked up from him.   She stood, reaching over to the end of the bed where Chase had left a shirt, pulling it on over herself.   She quickly buttoned it up as she walked over to the easel.  There was a beautiful painting of a flower.  A note was taped to the easel.   BeBe smiled at the painting, taking the note, pulling it open.   The note, from Chase, simply said, “I love you.”  “I’ll -ALWAYS- love you.” 

BeBe got dressed, heading out to the theater.   She didn’t know where Chase was, but again, that wasn’t unusual.  Chase rarely told BeBe any of his doings, nor did BeBe know much about his past, but for some reason, it never bothered her.    She reached the theater doors, walking in, seeing the current staff working away.  She smiled to everyone, giving them waves, moving behind the counter to get her smock.   Her work day had started.

After her shift was over, she still hadn’t heard a peep from Chase.  Haylee and her friends had breezed in the theater, getting candy and soda from BeBe.    As she left the theater, Haylee was waiting outside for her, “I’m hungry, Bee!”  she proclaimed.  BeBe laughed, nodding, “Ok, let’s go home and I’ll fix you some dinner.”   Haylee smiled wide, nodding, “Where is Dad?” she asked.   BeBe’s forehead wrinkled, “I’m not sure…I’m sure he’ll turn up.” 

The two walked the short distance home, climbing the stairs of the old apartment building.  They reached their apartment door, unlocking the half a billion locks Chase had put on the door to protect them.  They walked in, the apartment dark and quiet.   Haylee charged in, turning on almost every light in the place, then flopped down on the floor in front of the TV, flipping on her video games.   BeBe smiled, shaking her head, as she headed into the kitchen.  She start cooking dinner, going about their usual night.   Little did BeBe know, it was not a usual night.

The phone rang suddenly when BeBe was about half done making dinner.  Pasta was boiling on the stove, sauce bubbling away.  Chase had taught BeBe to cook, so Italian dishes were pretty much all BeBe knew how to cook.  She was in the process of grating Haylee’s cheese as both girls jumped at the sudden outburst of phone rings.  Haylee darted up from the floor, grabbing the receiver, “Hello?!” she asked into the phone.   “Uh huh..she’s here…”  “Uh huh, you can talk t’ her.’   Haylee held the receiver out, looking at BeBe, “For you, Bee.” 

BeBe wiped her hands on a dish towel, then threw it on the counter.  She made her way over to Haylee, ruffling her hair as she took the phone from her.   She gave her a wink, “Thanks, Blinkums.”  Haylee giggled, dashing back to her game.   BeBe took in a breath, answering, “Hello?” “Yes, this is BeBe Pink.”   “Yes, I know Chase Thomas Antonelli.”  BeBe’s face suddenly went pale, her voice cracking, lowering to almost a whisper, “He….he what?”  

Suddenly, BeBe slammed the phone down, moving over to the stove.   She turned all the burners off, then went straight to her bedroom.   Haylee grew nervous, turning her game off.   She made her way to BeBe’s room, pushing the door open enough to poke her little freckled nose in, “Bee?”  “Wassa’ matta?”     BeBe lay there on her bed, her bed she had shared with Chase for the last year and a half.   BeBe was way too young to be dealing with this kind of thing.   Suddenly tears started to pour down her face.   She choked up, whispering out, “He’s gone, Haylee.”

Haylee grew angry, shoving the door open, “Whatta’ ya mean, Bee?!” she demanded, “Why he just up and leave us?”  “That ain’t fair!”  she squealed.   BeBe sat up, reaching over to take Chase’s pillow, hugging it to herself.  “No, Haylee” she said through her tears, “He died.”   Haylee stopped, falling over on the bed.   She lay there next to BeBe silent for what seemed to be forever, then suddenly wailed out in tears.  BeBe lay next to her, wrapping her arms around her, hugging her tightly.  Both girls lay there, crying themselves to sleep.

The next morning, BeBe woke.  Haylee was laying there, sleeping, hugging her father’s pillow tightly.   BeBe took in a breath, willing herself to get up.  She had to keep going, she had Haylee to think of.   BeBe might have been young, but she had her “daughter” and she loved her with all her heart.   She quickly changed her clothing, thinking of what Chase would want her to do as more tears fell from her face.   She went out to the kitchen, cleaning up everything from the night before, then started to clean the whole apartment.   It’s really all she knew to do.

Weeks passed, Haylee and BeBe went through the motions of life.  Haylee and BeBe went to school, BeBe went to work.   Finally the girls were able to have a memorial service for Chase.  Haylee grew bitter that Chase had left her and started to act out..not at BeBe specifically, just in general.   BeBe struggled to keep going to school and working, and eventually ended up ditching school all together so she could work.  Bills had to be paid.

One morning, about two months after Chase’s death, BeBe woke up feeling sick.  She bolted from the bed straight to the bathroom.   Haylee woke up, following behind her.  BeBe threw the toilet seat up, vomiting profusiously.   Haylee wrinkled her whole face, “EWW!”  “You need to go to the clinic, Bee!”   BeBe sat there on her knees, on the cold bathroom tiles.   She shook her head, “Can’t afford no clinic bills…prolly just ate something bad.”   Little did BeBe know, she’d keep vomiting for the next three days.

Finally on the third day, Haylee demanded BeBe go to the clinic.  BeBe felt weak and was worried herself, so she gave in and went.   Thankfully, Doctor Arizona was there.   BeBe sat nervously on the exam table. 

Doctor Arizona listened to her symptoms, then laughed.   She took a blood sample from BeBe then came back a few minutes later.  “BeBe, you are just fine…you are just pregnant.”

BeBe suddenly jerked up from her sleep, closing her eyes. BeBe’s past haunted her, often invading her dreams. She pulled the blankets up over her stomach, letting out a breath.   Nadir also sat up quickly, wrapping his arms around her.  “Belle, what’s wrong?” he asked.   She looked over at him, leaning into him.  “Nothing, sweetheart, just bad dreams….”

(To be continued.)