A few minutes after Amelia was done speaking and pleading with her husband over the phone, he stepped into the nursery with Joanna following timidly behind him.
She was looking completely different from the vibrant and fearless lady Amelia used to know. Her long, silky blonde hair was gone, and in its place was a shaggy bob.
Clad in a creamy long-sleeve turtle neck maxi dress that hugged her body in the right places, she looked like a naive and innocent girl entering the city for the first time.
She offered a shy smile to the same ladies who had once been her friends from high school, but all she got were smouldering scowls and looks of disgust.
"Ladies..." Blaze casually greeted Amelia's friends, and they all responded softly before returning their scowls to Joanna.
"How is my queen and my prince?" Blaze walked up to Amelia's bedside and gently perched on the bedside, welcoming a brief kiss from his wife.
"We are fine." Amelia beamed softly her warm gaze occasionally flickering to Joanna, whose head was lowered in shame.
Blaze leaned down and pressed a tender kiss on his son's forehead before meeting his wife's loving gaze.
"I don't want you getting stressed one bit. Let the conversation be brief and straight to the point. I'll be standing by the door if you need me."
Amelia waited for her husband to leave before focusing her gaze on Joanna–who hadn't been able to look at her.
Joanna fidgeted before Amelia like a condemned criminal standing before a judge, as she ransacked her brain for the right words to say.
Amelia's tender gaze shifted to Joanna's beautifully protruding baby bump, and her smile deepened. But before she could speak, Stacy beat her to it, stepping forward.
"You really have some nerves coming down here after everything you did to destroy Amelia." Stacy's eyes shot daggers.
"Did you remember all the nasty things you and your best friend said to her?" Kayla came from the side, her nose crinkled in disgust and her hands positioned like a kitty about to scratch an enemy.
"You and Tina almost ruined Amelia's life, her child and that of an innocent family with your lies and manipulation." Nicole hissed, reducing Joanna to the size of a worthless piece of junk.
Just then, Adrianna barged into the room–completing the girls' squad. She was fuming as she demanded in an ice tone, walking up to Joanna, as though she was about to strangle her. "Who let this trash in here?"
"I did and she is not trash," Amelia said softly, taking even Joanna by surprise.
Joanna slowly lifted her teary face to look at Amelia, her heart already breaking out of guilt and regret.
Her whole body shook in repressed guilt, as she went down on her knees, covering his face in shame.
"Ann, please let her speak." Amelia pleaded, her gaze sweeping across the room. "Let's just give her a chance to air her mind, guys. That is all I ask."
"Let her make it quick...."
"I will only tolerate her because of you..."
All four ladies expressed themselves, holding back their fury.
Amelia's gaze shifted back to the crying pregnant woman on her knees.
"No...I have wronged you so much. I'm such a wicked soul and I do not deserve your pity. I don't even know where to begin to ask for forgiveness for everything I've done." Joanna's voice cracked–thick with emotions.
"Well, you can start by standing up and taking a seat. Kneeling in that posture without support is not good for your baby."
Stacy let out a disgruntled sigh.
"I'm so sorry, Amelia." Joanna clasped her hands, crying even harder at Amelia's show of affection and love. "Please forgive me for everything I've done. I'm willing to do anything to earn your forgiveness."
"Don't make me talk too much Joanna. I just gave birth yesterday and I'm still recovering. Stand up and take a seat." Amelia said in a slightly stern voice.
"Okay..." Joanna wiped her tears as she slowly lifted herself off the ground.
"Nicole, please help her with the armless chair over there." Amelia pleaded as Nicole shot her a disapproving glance. "Please..."
"I'm doing this for you and my godson, not for this witch." Nicole hissed as she angrily grabbed a chair and brought it to Joanna.
"Thank you." Joanna croaked.
"Keep your stinking thanks to yourself." Nicole hissed and returned to her former position, wondering why Amelia was this nice after everything Joanna did to destroy and defame her.
"Girls, please come and sit around me on the bed." Amelia gestured to her other friends and they happily obliged her request with heartwarming smiles while scowling at Joanna.
"Stacy, Kayla, Nicole and Adriana..." Amelia called each one of them tenderly by their names while touching them on the arm. "... You girls are one of the best treasures that life has ever given to me as an only child. You're like my sister, only from different mothers, and I love you all with all of my heart."
"Now you're going to make me cry..."
"You are so special to us, Amy."
Everyone of them took turns expressing themselves.
"But..." Amelia turned to look at Joanna, who was crying silently while occasionally sniffing. "... We used to be six sisters. We saw each other through high school. We even kept in contact when we were at different universities. And we reunited after meeting each other in the city where it all began."
Amelia paused to catch her breath, sparing her sleeping son cradled in her arms a loving gaze before returning her attention to her friends.
"We laughed together. We cried together. We celebrated each other's career successes and failures."
Kayla chuckled, wiping a drop of tears that escaped her eyes.
"....And we encourage each other when faced with disappointment. I remember when I lost my mother and how you girls stood by me, offering me solace. I also remember when I divorced that backstabbing jerk and how we all partied hard, to celebrate my divorce, while getting ourselves drunk and horny."
Everyone in the room burst out laughing, but quickly quieted down when the baby stirred in his mother's arms.
Outside the room, Blaze couldn't stop himself from laughing. He recalled that special night vividly.
Amelia had been so drunk that she audaciously climbed on him in his car, straddling him as she kissed him for the very first time like a wild vixen–awaking a lust within him that even an entire ocean couldn't drown.
He chuckled again when he recalled the embarrassed look in her eye after the intoxication slowly wore off. From that moment, he had known this little bunny had stolen his heart.
Back inside the room, Amelia shared more memories from the past that evoked emotions so strong that they made everyone forget about their anger.
But the moment she mentioned the name Tina, the initial warmth faded, and the animosity and look of betrayal returned.