INTERLUDE

CHAPTER 3

Hey everyone, I'm back again. This chapter is really a tear jerker...get your tissues ready. This interlude is really needed for this story so here it is. Thanks for reading ;) Enjoy.

It was a cold winter day in Toronto, Canada. Drake and his girlfriend Ashley was putting their four month old daughter Scarlett to bed. Ashley was in the glider with her daughter in her arms rocking her to sleep while Drake was reading one of her books. Drake and Ashley were high school sweethearts, they met when they were seventeen. Even though after they finished high school they didn't stay together, they remained good friends. When Ashley was twenty her boyfriend at time cheated on her with her best friend. She didn't take the news very well. Every night she would cry herself to sleep. Drake was there comforting her the entire time even though he was in a relationship of his own. Seeing her in that vulnerable state really hurt Drake. He was always there making sure she alright. Him being so caring towards her didn't sit well with his girlfriend. She just didn't understand how he could care for her in that way. Needless to say she broke up with him. Drake couldn't understand why she was so quick to leave him and her not understanding the situation. It's not like he was hiding his whereabouts to her. He came to the conclusion that she probably didn't give a damn about him anyway. Ashley started to come around after a few weeks. Drake was the main reason why she felt a little better. Even though they had broken up she always had love for him. When they were around each other they always had fun. One night Ashley and Drake were watching a movie and eating ice cream in her living room, just like the old high school days. Being in each other's company everyday ignited those old feelings for one another. Ashley was leaning her head on his shoulder and Drake had his arms wrapped around her. The movie ended and Drake took the bowls to the sink and rinsed them and put them in the dishwasher. He started grabbing his keys to leave when she grabbed his hand "Stay with me tonight..please." she pleaded.

"Are you sure?" he asked confused.

"Yes", she replied smiling.

"But I need a shower, I feel dirty" he said sniffing himself.

"You can take one here" she offered.

"Ok, what am I gonna put on after, I have no clean clothes here"

"Nothing" she said seductively.

"What?!?" he asked furrowing his brow.

"Come on Aubrey...please"

Drake dropped his keys back on the counter and Ashley began kissing him. She pulled back and looked in his eyes.

"I didn't get to thank you for helping me through all of this". He didn't know what was going on but he welcomed it. He would be lying if he said he didn't still had feelings for her. He deepened the kiss and gently picked her up by her waist, she wrapped her legs around him as he took her to her bedroom.

*13 months later*

As Drake finished reading the book to his daughter, Ashley got up and put the child in her crib. She tucked her in and kissed her. Drake made sure the baby monitor was on and they both exited the room.The next morning, Ashley woke up refreshed, the baby kept Drake up all night and he was knocked out. She stepped out of bed and got ready for work. Once she was ready she made her way to the kitchen to set out some clean bottles for the baby and made some coffee for herself and Drake. After she poured the coffee in her thermos she went to go check on her daughter who was sleeping peacefully. She leaned over the crib and kiss the sleeping child and rubbed her tiny head.

"I love you baby, mommy have to go to work I'll see you later" She walked into her bedroom and found Drake still fast asleep, she walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. He rolled over and opened his eyes.

" Good morning babe, you leaving already?"

"Yeah, they need me early today"

"Ok, is the baby still sleep?"

"Yes, she should be up any minute now"

"Alright, let me start getting that bottle ready I know she gonna be hungry when she wake up" he smiled.

"Alright babe, I guess I'll see you guys later then" she smiled back.

Drake got up from the bed and planted a kiss on her lips. When he pulled back they locked eyes,

"Take good care of my baby" she said seriously.

"You know I will" he answered.

With that she was out the door. She had no idea it would be the last time she would see them. Drake and Ashley wasn't planning on being parents this early in their lives but now that they had a child, they couldn't imagine life without her. They had strict schedules now, Ashley would work during the week and Drake would work weekends and some nights, just so one of them could be able to take care of the baby while the other was working.

*Later on that day*

Drake was in the living room watching NCIS with his daughter in his arms. He had just given her a bath and she was slowly drifting back off to sleep. It was now 7:45pm and he was wondering where Ashley was. She usually got off work at 4:30. He reached over to the coffee table making sure he didn't wake the sleeping child and dialed her number. He called her six times and still no answer, he was really getting worried now because she always answered her phone. He quickly put the child in the swing and called Ashley's mother.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Mama Williams, have Ashley contacted you today?"

"No she hasn't, why what's going on?" She asked worried.

"It's just that she gets off at 4:30 and she's not here yet. I called her phone six times but she didn't answer, and I'm getting worried it's not like her"

"She probably has her phone on silent, or working late, when was the last time she called you?"

"She called around lunch time to check on me and the baby" he answered.

"Ok just try to calm down I'll make some phone calls then I'll call you back, ok?"

"Ok" he said hanging up. Drake sat his blackberry on the kitchen counter and walked over to the swing to make sure his daughter was still sleeping, she was. He went back to the kitchen and started dinner. He knew when Ashley got home she probably would be tired from work. He began preparing his home made lasagna that his mother taught him how to cook.

When he was finished preparing dinner, he started setting the table. He placed two vanilla scented candles on the table and went into the kitchen to get two plates and placed them on each table mat along with eating utensils. He then placed the food in the center of the table. Just then Scarlett started crying, Drake quickly ran over to her and picked her up. She immediately stopped crying from the warmth and security of his arms. Drake looked at her like 'really?' and laughed as she settled down in his arms. Drake was just about to sit on the couch when his phone rang. He walked into the kitchen still holding his daughter and picked up the phone.

"Hello" he answered but no one answered he only heard sniffling and hard breathing through the phone.

"Hello, Mrs. Williams" he said worried.

"Hey Drake....baby....I have bad news"

"Omg, what is it, please tell me it's not Ashley...please" he pleaded.

"My baby, she....she....."

"She what??"

"My baby.....she's gone....she's gone...oh god she really gone" she said between sobs.

"Wait, WHAT!??!"

"She was involved in a really bad accident on her way home by a drunk driver, it was a hit and run...my baby...my baby"

"......................." he couldn't talk, his words was stuck in his throat. Quite sobs began escaping his mouth still holding on to their daughter.

"Drake please say something baby!" she said concerned.

"I don't know what to say, can I call you back later"

"Ok, I'll be waiting baby" she said sniffling.

"Ok, Bye" was all he offered he didn't even wait for her goodbye.

Drake put his phone back on the kitchen counter and walked over to the dinning room table that he set so that they could have a nice dinner together. He sat down in one of the chairs still holding onto Scarlett. He immediately started breaking down looking at how empty the other end of the table was. He couldn't believe what he just heard, deep down inside he felt like a part of him was ripped away. He looked down at their daughter sleeping like nothing happened. Looking at her little face reminded him of how much she looked like her mother and it didn't help to ease his pain knowing that she'll never be able to know her mom or do mother-daughter things. It pained him even more thinking about it. An hour had passed when he finally got up with his cheeks stained with tears still holding onto the only piece of her that was left, their daughter.

*I really was crying writing this interlude. This was really sad *grabs Kleenex*

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