Jack lifted his face up when he heard the sound of someone rushing to where he sat in front of Mom’s room. And when his eyes got in contact with Daphne, he didn’t know how he lost a beat of his heart. What game was Mom playing now? He was still not over the fact that he could’ve lost her today, but it seemed like she wasn't going to relent right? Or maybe she only wanted to see her friend beside her on her death bed? He quickly shook his head as though that would put the thought away from his mind.
“She wasn't going to die,” he reminded himself and at the same time, Daphne walked over to him as she slightly panted for her breath.
“How is she feeling, Jack? Is she inside?” She asked briskly, and from the looks of it, Jack knew it was Willa that called them, and he knew she gave them the impression that Katharine Roberts was going to die in maybe a few more minutes.
He stood up and bowed his head slightly, “Yes, Mrs. Brayden. She’s inside, and I can say she’s alright for now.” He didn’t know whether what he said was right or wrong, but he knew since Willa didn’t come out after she had gone inside, that was a good sign. Because if something had gone wrong, she would have called him already.
“Oh dear, look at how stained you are with blood.” It seemed as though she passed those words to him as a comment because she didn't even try to wait for an answer from him as she rushed into the room and he sighed. He really wanted to see his Mom, how he wished Daphne could call him inside, he didn't mind even if she was going to speak to him about Anna so long as he was going to take a glimpse of her face. He had never thought that this would be the way he would feel if he lost her until today, and he didn't want to risk feeling that ever again in his entire life.
A gasp caught his attention and it brought him out of his own reverie. He looked up to see Anna standing in front of him with her palms covering her mouth as she stared at his stained body. She tentatively took a step toward him and he just stood there as he stared at how frightened she looked. He had ever forgotten about how he looked until she was there. She was now in front of him and her hand slightly touched his and it felt like a brush of a feather on silk. “Jack...” She whispered and looked up at his face, there was a blood stain everywhere on his body, even his face, “Are you alright?” He had never felt broken to this point in his life and he felt the urge to let her know that he wasn't fine. He had seen her in her most broken self even though she still didn't know he was the one until now, and he knew how she felt when he comforted. What would it feel like to have Anna as his comforter?
He shook his head, his eyes fixed into hers. “I thought she was dead.” His lips trembled as he spoke, and he stared into her eyes that emoted nothing but the sympathy she had for him at the moment. All that hatred, that quest for revenge forgotten.
“Oh, Jack, she’s going to be alright.” And what she did next was something he had never imagined Anna would do in his life, at least not when she wasn't overwhelmed by her desire for him. She walked to him and engulfed him into an embrace, wrapping her hands delicately around his waist and she rested her head on his chest because she knew she couldn't reach up to his face. “It’s fine, okay? She’s going to be alright; you don’t have to feel bad over something you have no control over, just be thankful that she’s finally out of danger now.”
The tears that had pooled the brink of his eyes fell to his cheeks when the warmth her body exuded melted his chest and he hugged her back, placing his chin on the top of her head and he tightened his hold on her. “I was so scared, Anna.” He whimpered and she nodded her head and began to draw some soothing circles on his back. She could only imagine how it would feel to see her own Mother laid in a pool of blood, she would go crazy, that was certain.
He wanted to tell her that he was the reason his mother nearly lost her life, but he didn’t want to come off as a bad man. He wanted her to see him the way she did without an addition of him being the cause of pain to his mother. She slowly broke their hug when she noticed that his breath had relaxed, and she stared at his face. But he beat at before she spoke, “Your face, rashes...” He seemed terrified, but she had a calm smile on her lips as she nodded her head and when she tried to move away from his body, he held her firmly, tightening his hold on her waist.
“They're there already? I get allergy whenever I hug someone that has blood on him or her, or just like you, stained with blood.” He immediately released her without a second thought, and she chuckled, “It’s nothing serious, I'll just go to a pharmacy here and collect some drugs, they’ll be gone in a few minutes.” She smiled warmly at him and he fixed his eyes on her face. He wasn’t seeing her with anger filled eyes nor lust filled eyes, he was seeing her as the human she was. The soft and sweet lady she had always been, but he was so blinded by rage to notice. This might be just a flimsy feeling because he was in pain and in need of comfort, he would get back to his senses by tomorrow but at least, he loved what he was feeling about her tonight.
“You shouldn’t have hugged me when you know what happens to you, Anna. Come, let’s get you the drugs.” They began to walk together but he managed to give a reasonable distance between them, and she appreciate that from him.
“I know how it feels for someone to be in pain and in need of a hug. And trust me, hugs gotten at that moment of dire need of them are the best hugs and they stay with you even when that person is no longer there.” She had both a sweet and sad smile on her lips and Jack knew exactly what she was talking about even though she though he didn’t know.
He didn’t utter a word until they got to the pharmacy and she told them the usual drug she took, and he turned to her, “I’ve seen a boutique out there, I'll go and get changed before you’re done, okay?”
She nodded her head and flashed the woman that handed her the drug a smile, “Can I get some water please? As you can see, I'm having the reaction already, I need to take them as soon as possible before it escalates.” She immediately turned to Jack that had his intense gaze fixed on her face while she spoke, “Okay, Jack. I'll wait for you on that bench, you shouldn’t be long.” He nodded his head and walked off.
She took the pills and put the remaining ones in her bag, she was sure if Maya knew she had held Jack while fully knowing that she would get a reaction, she would be both mad at her and Jack, but Kate would understand and would want her to know the reason why she did what she did despite the undying hatred she was sure still lived in their hearts. There were moments that they just had to be there for each other. Just like he was there for her in Spain, she wanted to be there for him at least for the night. By tomorrow morning, they would be back to the Anna and Jack they both knew and hated.
She tried all she could to push away the thoughts of Dad’s letter from her mind because if she dwelled in that, she might make a mess of her cheeks in this hospital lobby and some paparazzi’s will spread news that her Mother was sick, and she was found crying at a hospital lobby. She sighed and palmed her face; she was glad that even before she read Dad’s letter she had made the right decision of telling Mom that whatever Jack said would be her answer because she knew he would never say yes. And if it happened that he said yes, she would have to find another man and get married to him because of what Dad had told her in the letter.
She just lifted her face when she saw him walking into the hospital, walking toward her with a relaxed smile on his face and she felt the way her heart lost a beat and her palms already got sweaty. Damn it, she had nearly forgotten the kind of effect he had on her until now. She stood up even before he reached where she was because a proximity with him was the last thing she wanted. She knew the kind of body she had whenever she was around Jack and being swarmed by desire was the last thing she wanted tonight when his Mother was still fighting for her life.
“Let’s go to the room now.” He didn’t argue with her until they were in front of the room and he stopped mid track with a lopsided smile on his lips.
“I think you should go in first, Anna. Mom doesn’t want to see me yet.” She took him off guard by entwining their hands and she pulled her toward the door as she spoke, so sure of herself.
“I don’t know what you’ve done to her for her to say that, but I'm sure she wants to see whether you care about her or not. You not going in will be worse than you going in, trust me.” She pulled him into the door and when she opened the door, three pairs of eyes turned to look at them and both their Mother’s eyes landed on their entwined hands.
They quickly pulled away from each other as she awkwardly closed the door behind her, “He had to find a boutique to get changed, that’s why it took us so long.” She didn’t know why she had to explain but she knew her Mother needed the answer to this unspoken question, and she could see and understand the look on her face.
Jack’s eyes were fixed on his Mother’s face that still looked pale and he didn’t know how he walked himself to the bed. She turned to look at him with a glare and hissed angrily, “Don't even think...”
He surprised them all by taking her into a light embrace and despite the way she wanted to show him how angry she was at him, she ended up melting in his touch because Jack was the kind of child that you could never stay angry with. A single smile from him will make you forgive him. “I’m sorry, Mom. Please forgive me.” He whispered to her hearing alone and she shook her head, even though a smile was finding its way to her lips.
“You know what will make me easily forgive you, do that.” She wanted this to be trap so she could punish him for as long as she wanted, she had never imagined what he would say next.
“I can’t even imagine my life without you, Mom. You know it already; I'd have to accept this union because I freaking love you a lot.” Mom broke their hug with a wide grin on her face.
“Are you sure?” She asked out loud and Jack did all he could not to stare at where Anna now stood beside Willa.
“Yes, I am.” All he wanted was to restore this smile on this beautiful face, and it was a relief that he did, nothing else mattered now. He would deal with the regret tomorrow but for today, he wanted to make his Mother happy.
She turned to the other three women in the room, “Jack has accepted to get married to Anna. We should get a quick and silent wedding in the hospital before I get discharged, Daphne. The big wedding will be after we prepare for it slowly. Willa, can you arrange for a wedding in two days?” Anna shot her eyes up just when Jack stared at her and they all couldn’t believe what their shopaholic Mother’s had done with their lives.