Sweet and Innocent (Demi Lovato)

Chapter 37

Lilly's POV

I can't believe that Demi wants me to play piano while she sings on TV. Learning the song is a little hard since I haven't been playing piano very long, but after an hour of practicing, I know all the chords. By that time, I'm ready for a break, so Demi tells me I can go play with Nevvy.

Ever since I rescued Nevvy, I've been worried that her adoptive parents will come find her. Luckily, they haven't yet.

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The next morning, Demi and Wilmer drive Nevvy and me to Demi's parents' house. Since they have a meeting with Lizzy, we will be spending the morning there. I'm quite excited to be going there with Nevvy. I still wish I could go with to the meeting, though; I can't wait to see the baby.

They drop us off around 9  in the morning. Nevvy remembers Demi's parents and Maddie from my birthday party, so she doesn't seem to be scared.

We play a game called "Life" then play with one of their dogs outside. Nevvy was nervous around the dog at first, but I convinced her that we wouldn't cause any harm.

The morning passes, and Demi's mom receives a call from Demi saying that they can't come pick us up until later. So, we go to McDonald's for lunch with Maddie, then go back to her house to wait for Demi and Wilmer to pick us up.

They come around 2 pm to take Nevvy and I home.

"Why did it take so long?" I ask, a little worried.

Demi looks at me from the passenger seat. "We had a lot to talk about."

"Okay."

Back at home, Demi continues to teach me piano for her concert, while Wilmer takes Nevvy to the doctor's and counselor's. Apparently, if they can prove she's been abused, her parents might not be allowed to keep her any more.

Today, I learn how to play the whole song without taking any breaks, although I'm still slower than the original song. Demi puts some stickers on the piano keys to help, so I'm picking it up quite fast.

After practicing, we all eat supper together. Nevvy is acting sad, probably because she had to talk about her mean parents and be poked and prodded by the doctor. I understand, and I hope she feels better soon.

Nevvy wants to sleep right away, so Wilmer and I read with her. It's our tradition and now we're including her in it.

After Nevvy falls asleep, I shower, then go to bed myself. I'm tired after the busy day, and I know I have tutoring tomorrow. Nevvy, on the other hand, doesn't start grade 1 until next week Wednesday. She's one grade behind, apparently, but she likes school. I've also been wondering when her 7th birthday is. I don't want her to never find out when her birthday is; I want her life to be happy.

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Demi's POV

We drop the girls off at my parents' house in the morning and go straight to the hospital. Lizzy had called to tell us they were inducing her labor at 8:30 and we should get there around 9, so we make sure to get there in time.

Wilmer and I are lead to the maternity ward where Lizzy is in a room. It seems twisted for her to be in the happiest hospital ward to do such a sad and upsetting thing.

By the time we arrive, Lizzy is already in some pain. The doctors had told her that everything would go quite fast since the baby never got to full-size, but she still struggles and I find it hard to watch, knowing how the end would be.

The baby is "born" on August 18 at 11:12 am. Lizzy cries when it is born, and we are informed that the baby is a boy. She is upset and refuses to hold the baby.

Since she doesn't want to talk afterwards, Wilmer and I are allowed to hold him. He looks very similar to a healthy, newborn baby, just smaller, and, well, not alive. His eyes are closed, and I wonder what color they are. It is depressing to see the baby that could have been ours, dead. I cry a little, but try to stay strong.

"We should give him a name," I say, almost in a whisper.

"That's a good idea," Wilmer replies. He looks at his phone for a moment, then says, "Gabriel means angel."

"How about Gabriel Trenton, because Trenton is my angel, too?" I ask him.

"Sure."

I pass the baby to the nurse when they tell us it's time to let him go. We get a picture of him wrapped in a blanket before they take him away.

I walk up to Lizzy and ask her if she's okay. She's still sobbing.

"Just go." She doesn't look up at me.

I feel hurt by her comment and walk away from her bed to Wilmer. We look at the clock and notice that it's later than we had told the girls we'd pick them up. I call my mom and say we still need more time. My mom doesn't know about Gabriel either.

Wilmer and I go home and just hold each other on our bed for a while. I cry into his shoulder and we talk about life and everything that's been happening. We decide that we should try to adopt Neveah and that we don't need to dwell over the baby because he wasn't really ours anyway, but it's still hard.

We go to pick up the girls around 2, since Neveah has a doctor and counseling appointment to try to prove that her adoptive parents were abusing her and to make sure she's okay.

I continue to teach Lilly the song on piano, the whole time, trying to keep my mind as far away from Gabriel as possible. I know Lilly would have loved him. How are we going to be able to tell her?

I tell myself to focus and place some stickers on the piano keys to help Lilly with the chords. She's picking the song up fast and I'm not worried that she'll have it learned on time.

That night, I dream about Gabriel and the child he could have been.