Chapter 1

"Why do you always have to leave? I don't understand why they always want you? Can't someone else find this one?!"

"No this is my job and if you don't like it, then you can just get out!"

"You are just going to kick your pregnant wife out?!"

"I never wanted to be here in the first place, you tricked me!"

A pane of glass breaks and Merope runs out of the house. She is carrying a single suitcase and wearing a thin coat. She walks down the road of pristine and wealthy looking houses and into the village not knowing where she is going to go and if she is going to be able to protect her unborn child. She makes into the village and looks for shelter. Merope spots an orphanage and decides to ask them if they knew where she could stay. Merope runs up to the front door and knocks loudly. An older woman answers

"Can I help you?" The woman asks looking up at Merope.

"Do you know of any place that I can stay?" Merope asks feeling the effects of walking quite a distance.

"No, I don't but why don't you come inside and warm yourself". The woman gestures to the fire in the room behind her.

"Thank you very much" Merope says walking over to the couch and sitting down. As Merope takes off her coat, her baby bump is just noticeable and the older woman gasps.

"You're pregnant?!"

"Yes, about 12 weeks" Merope says proudly.

"Then why are you out in the cold?" the woman asks grabbing a blanket and draping it over Merope's shoulders.

"My husband kicked me out and now I have nowhere to go" Merope says sadly.

"Well that changes things, doesn't it" the woman says "we could always use some help here if you are willing to work"

Merope's eyes lit up "you would really let me stay here?!"

"Of course, we could never let you be on the streets in your condition" the woman smiles gesturing to her stomach "now let me show you to where you can stay"

The woman leads Merope down a hallway and stops at a room with a 70 stamped on it. "I hope this will suffice for the mean time."

"I am forever in your debt, may I ask your name?" Merope says before she opens to door into her room.

"My name is Kayla but everyone here calls me Ma. Sleep well and I will come get you in the morning to start your work." Kayla says walking back down the hallway.

"Thank you again" Merope says opening the door to her room.

The room isn't large like her room back home but it will suffice. The bed is covered with white sheets and a gray blanket. The room also has a wardrobe and a small washing table. Merope sets her things down on the table and climbs under the blanket. The blanket is a little scratchy but nothing too uncomfortable. As soon as her head hits the pillow, Merope falls into a restless sleep.

The next morning, Ma comes back and leads Merope into a cafeteria. "We eat here and you will also work with Gertrude in the kitchen"

Gertrude, as Merope found out, is a small freckled woman with curly red hair. Merope and Gertrude work well together and soon develop a friendship. Many months go by and Merope loves her job in the orphanage. She is able to tell the children stories and make sure that they are taken care of. Every once in a while, she thinks of her husband and what he could be doing but dismisses that thought as soon as it comes. She often talks to her child and wonders if they are a boy or a girl. She can tell that they are going to be big since she seems to be larger than what she has seen other woman to be but doesn't think much more about it.

One night after her shift in the kitchen, Merope is sitting on her bed going through the things that she has set up for the baby. She congers up a bassinet and a little mobile that rocks and sings on its own. Merope admires her work when a sharp pain courses through her abdomen. Merope hunches over and tries to ride the pain out when her water breaks spilling water onto her blanket and sheets. Merope manages to stand up and walk over to her door. She opens it and hobbles to the phone on the wall. She presses some buttons and tells the person on the other end of the phone that she needs Ma immediately. Merope hangs up and tries to hobble back into her room when anther pain hits her. Merope crumples to her knees and plants her hands on the ground. Hurried footsteps come down the hall and Merope can hear Ma's voice exclaim to someone that they need help. Ma helps Merope to her feet and gets her back into her bed. Merope whimpers in pain while Ma gets her comfortable on the bed.

"The nurses will be here soon Merope just hang on." Ma says in a comforting tone.

"Don't leave me!" Merope says grasping the older woman's hand "I don't want to be alone"

"I'll be right here hon" Ma says calming Merope down.

Soon the nurses arrive and they check Merope to see what is going on. They tell Merope that she has gone into labor and will deliver her baby very soon. Pain racks her body but the thought of meeting her child has Merope focused. Many hours later, Merope is pushing and soon delivers a baby boy. Merope is exhausted but ecstatic, a son!

"Hello my love" Merope coos to her son "I think I'll name you Tom Marvolo Riddle after your grandfather"

"That's a good name Merope" Ma says smiling down at Merope.

Before Merope has a chance to really look at her son, another pain racks her body.

"what's happening?" Merope says handing Tom to Ma.

One of the nurses pops her head up and says that she has another baby coming.

"I'm having twins?!"Merope says pushing again. "How is that possible, they only told me I was having one?!"

"I guess they were wrong" Ma says taking Merope's hand helping her focus on pushing again.

A few minutes later, Merope's second child a little girl was born. By this time, Merope is ready to pass out. One of the nurses hands Merope the baby. Her daughter is so tiny and can barely open her eyes.

"why hello" Merope coos to her daughter "I'm sorry I didn't know you were in there"

"What will you name her, Merope?" Ma asks holding Tom in her arms.

"I think I'll name her Mikayla Amelia Riddle" Merope says smiling up at Ma. Ma's eyes glisten with tears.

"I'll let you rest now dear, congratulations" Ma says taking the babies and placing them in the bassinet.

"Thank you Ma, I couldn't do this without you." Merope says as her eyes start to droop.

Ma closes the door and walks back to her office. Sometime later, Ma can hear people running down the hallway towards the resident's rooms. Ma gets up and sees that people are entering Merope's room. Fearing the worst, Ma gets up and walks quickly down the hallway. Before she can see with her own eyes, she hears a nurse exclaim that she is losing too much blood. Ma rushes into the room and sees Merope looking very pale against her sheets. Merope's eyes fund Ma and lock onto her. Ma moves to Merope's side and grasps her hand.

"Take care of them for me" Merope says struggling to get out the words.

"We are going to fix this Merope, don't give up!" Ma says squeezing her hand.

"Please" Merope pleaded "take care of them for me"

Unable to stop the bleeding, Merope dies only hours after giving birth to her children. Every member of the staff at the orphanage are stunned, Merope looked so healthy but they guessed that the stress of a twin birth was too much for her body. The twins are taken in as orphans and treated with the utmost care. A month after their birth and their mother's death, the twins Tom and Mikayla were adopted by a woman named Nyssa Riddle who enamored by the twins took them into her home without delay. Nyssa kept their names the same as per Merope's dying request and the orphanage never saw them again.