Chapter 192 Wait For Her To Wake Up
Chapter 192 Wait For Her To Wake Up
\[Collin’s POV\]
I hold Lilah close, listening to the sound of her breathing, and just enjoying the way her warmth feels against me.
After everything we faced. All the ups and downs. All the backfires. And all the ways that fate worked to try to keep us from being together, it was nice to just lay here like this. However, before I can get too into our cuddle session Lilah’s stomach rumbles and when she flinches from shock and embarrassment, I untangle my arms and sit up.
“Let’s go feed you.” I tell her, slowly sliding out of bed. “And our twins.”
“Yeah,” Lilah smiles, though her cheeks are flushed from embarrassment. “Let’s do that.”
Later, we sit together at a small cafe just a block away from the hospital.
I sip on coffee while Lilah works at a crepe that I would consider unhealthy and not a proper breakfast if it didn’t at least have fruit in it.
From the way she eats, it is almost like she has been starving for a while, and honestly, that was kind of how it was.
For the first few days after the incident with Tony, she didn’t eat much of anything. And the days following that, her appetite slowly returned, but not enough to make me comfortable. Now though, it is clear that she is making up for all the meals lost and when she finishes her food, I lift a hand for our waiter to return.
“Can I get some eggs and another crepe?”
“Of course,” the man smiles and as he walks away, Lilah gives me a look of confusion.
“You don’t like sweets.” She says and I simply smile.
“I didn’t say I would be the one eating the crepe.”
“But I’m not hun…”
She doesn’t get to finish her words before her stomach rumbles again and as I laugh, she hides her face in embarrassment.
“Stop,” she whines adorably as I continue to enjoy the moment. “Please, just pretend you didn’t hear that.”
“You’re eating for three.” I point out. “Is it really an issue that that crepe wasn’t enough?”
“If I eat like a pig, I’m going to get fat.” She points out and I almost want to tell her that she is being ridiculous. “Even if I don’t, I’m going to.” She continues when I don’t speak. “Don’t women become huge when they are pregnant with twins?”
“They do,” I confirm. “But there’s nothing to be ashamed about.”
Even when she became round with pregnancy, she would still be the most beautiful woman to me.
“You won’t want to look at me once I’m fat and covered in stretch marks.” Lilah murmurs and I suddenly feel like maybe we’ve made it. “And after…” She trails off and when her hands touch her stomach, I know that she is certainly considering how her body will change and I once again, find myself relieved that these are the things that she is now worrying about.
If she could just continue to only worry about the changes in her body from pregnancy, wouldn’t that be nice? At least that would mean that she wasn’t worrying about Tony or the repercussions of what happened.
“No matter how you change, you will always be the most beautiful woman to me.” I say now, smiling gently while Lilah gives me a look that screams she doesn’t quite believe it. Well, that was fine. Even if she didn’t believe it, I would spend the rest of our lives proving that I meant exactly what I said.
After that, the food I ordered arrives and despite Lilah’s arguments, she doesn’t hesitate to devour everything she is given.
Once we finish breakfast, I pay and then we head out and toward the hospital, but instead of going inside, we find our way to a small park beside it and just enjoy the day while waiting for Vincent’s call.
When it finally comes, the sun is setting and honestly, I can’t quite believe that it took that long for them to finish.
“Was everything alright?” I ask Vincent as Lilah and I make our way toward the building. “It took longer than expected.”
“Everything went well,” Vincent confirms. “They decided to remove her lymph nodes while they were at it.”
“I see.”
“How’s mom?” Lilah asks as we reach the hospital and head inside. “Did everything go well?”
“It did,” I tell her and feel a wave of relief over how much she relaxes from that single confirmation. “She’s still in recovery, but we can go ahead to her room and wait. Vincent is already there waiting for us.”
“I’m not waiting for you.” Vincent, who remains on the phone that I clamp to my ear, says. “I’d prefer if the two of you came later.”
“Aw, don’t be like that.” I chuckle, leading Lilah through the hospital’s lobby and toward the door that leads to the room Donna will be taken to and when we reach and I spot Vincent, I hang up.
“I know you want Donna to yourself, but her daughter is worried.”
“I don’t want her to myself,” Vincent grumbles, but I don’t miss the way the tips of his ears turn red. “I just don’t want to have to watch your PDA.”
“Then we just won’t do it.” Lilah says, finding a chair and collapsing in it. “Ugh, I’m exhausted.”
“Did you eat too much?” I chuckle and when she shoots me a look I laugh. “Just kidding. You haven’t been sleeping well lately, so I’m not surprised.”
“Still having nightmares?” Vincent asks, eyeing Lilah. “You know, if you just talked to a therapist, it may…”
“No,” Lilah says quickly, her guard coming up. “I don’t need to talk to anyone about it and anyway, what exactly could I say?”
She trails off as her gaze that was becoming brighter darkens and I fight the urge to hit Vincent for ruining the progress that she was making.
“You don’t have to say anything.” I assure her, shooting Vincent a look. “You just keep doing what you’re doing because you’re doing great.”
At my words, Lilah nods and as Vincent opens his mouth to say something more, the door to the room we are in opens and two nurses wheel in Donna who sleeps soundly.
“She’s still out,” one of the nurses murmurs as they position her in the middle of the room. “But that is to be expected after what she went through.”
“Did the doctors say about when she should start to come to?” Vincent asks and I don’t miss the slight worry in his tone.
“Anytime now.” The other nurse answers. “She will wake up when she is ready. For now, this is good because it beats the alternative.”
Nodding, we turn our attention to Donna once more as the nurses finish with their task and once they do, they head out of the room after insisting we call them when she wakes. However, as time passes, minutes turning to hours, it becomes increasingly clear that something isn’t quite right.