Chapter 53 #53
Chapter 53
~Shailyn~
Today was different, I had made early plans to visit my mother at the hospital. It's been a while, I've been swamped by other things that I didn't get to visit her as much as I would love to.
The hospital corridor smelled like antiseptic and old coffee. I clutched the bouquet of white lilies tighter as I approached my mother's room, my heart doing that familiar squeeze it always did before seeing her.
Mom.
I pushed open the door quietly. She was there, as she always was, lying still beneath crisp white sheets. The monitors beeped their steady rhythm, the only sound in the peaceful room.
"Hi, Mom," I whispered, pulling a chair close to her bed. I took her hand, so thin and fragile. "It's me. Shailyn."
Her eyes were closed, but I swear I felt her fingers twitch slightly. A new progress since the day she moved her hands. She can twitch it. At least, something comforting.
"I have news," I continued, my voice cracking. "Big news. I'm pregnant, Mom. Six weeks along."
I waited, watching her face for any sign of reaction. Nothing. But I kept talking anyway.
"I know you can't respond, but I need you to know. You're going to be a grandmother." I squeezed her hand gently. "I wish you could meet him/her. I wish you could hold your grandchild. I Wish we could have those mother-daughter talks about pregnancy and babies and all the things I'm terrified about."
A tear slid down my cheek.
"I'm scared, Mom. I can't remember the last four years of my life. I don't know who I really am anymore. Everyone keeps telling me different things, and I don't know what's true."
Her hand twitched again. Stronger this time.
"Mom?" I leaned closer. "Can you hear me?"
Her eyelids fluttered slightly.
"Mom, if you can hear me, please try. Please try to come back. I need you. I need someone who knew me before. Someone who can tell me who I really was."
The door opened behind me.
"Shailyn."
I turned to find Dante standing there, his expression soft.
"How long have you been here?" I asked, wiping my eyes quickly.
"Just arrived," he said, coming to stand beside me. "I wanted to check on you. You left so early this morning."
"I needed to see her," I said simply.
Dante looked at my mother, his jaw tight. "Has she... shown any improvement?"
"Small movements," I said. "The doctors say it's promising."
"That's good." His hand settled on my shoulder, warm and reassuring. "That's really good, baby."
We stood there in silence for a moment.
"Dante," I said carefully, "do you think she can hear us? When we talk to her?"
"I think so," he said softly. "The doctors say hearing is often the last sense to go, the first to return."
"I told her about the baby," I whispered. "I wanted her to know."
Dante knelt beside my chair, taking my other hand. "That's beautiful, Shailyn. She'd be so happy for you. For us."
"I wish I could remember about us.” I said, my voice breaking again.
"Hey, hey," Dante pulled me into his arms. "It's okay. The memories will come back. And even if they don't, we're making new ones. Better ones."
I let myself sink into his embrace, feeling the steady beat of his heart.
"I love you," he murmured into my hair. "You and our baby. Nothing else matters."
"I love you too," I said, and at that moment, I meant it.
He pulled back, cupping my face. "Come on. Let's go home. You need to rest."
"Just a few more minutes?" I asked.
"Of course." He kissed my forehead. "Take all the time you need."
…
I was in the hospital cafeteria, getting water, when Dwayne appeared beside me.
"Shailyn."
I jumped slightly. "Dwayne. What are you doing here?"
"Had some business nearby," he said vaguely. "Stopped in to... check on something."
"Oh." I studied his face. "Everything okay?"
"Fine," he said quickly. "How's your mother?"
"Same. Small improvements." I paused. "You didn't come here just for business, did you?"
His jaw tightened. "What makes you say that?"
"Because you look like you've seen a ghost," I observed.
"It's nothing," Dwayne said. "Just... hospital smell. Brings back memories."
"Bad ones?"
"Complicated ones," he said.
We stood there awkwardly.
"Can I ask you something?" I said.
"Sure."
"When you look at me," I started carefully, "what do you see?"
Dwayne's eyes widened slightly. "What do you mean?"
"I mean, everyone has this version of who I was. Dante says one thing. Hannah says another. Your father treats me one way. Cynthia treats me completely differently." I wrapped my arms around myself. "But when you look at me, what do you see?"
He was quiet for a long moment.
"I see someone stronger than she thinks she is," he said finally. "Someone who deserves better than she's been given."
"Better than what?"
"Better than doubt," he said. "Better than confusion. Better than having to question everything."
"That's not really an answer."
"It's the only one I can give you," Dwayne said. "The rest... you have to figure out yourself."
Before I could respond, Dante's voice cut through the cafeteria.
"There you are."
I turned to see him approaching, his eyes locked on Dwayne.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, baby," Dante said, sliding his arm around my waist possessively. "Ready to go home?"
"Yeah," I said. "Just ran into Dwayne."
"I can see that," Dante said coolly. "What brings you here, brother?"
"Business," Dwayne said shortly.
"Right. Business." Dante's grip on my waist tightened. "Well, we should get going. Shailyn needs rest."
"Of course," Dwayne said, his eyes meeting mine briefly. "Take care of yourself, Shailyn."
"You too," I said.
As Dante led me away, I glanced back once. Dwayne was still standing there, watching us leave, his expression unreadable.
"What were you two talking about?" Dante asked as we walked to the parking lot.
"Nothing important," I said. "Just small talk."
"Shailyn," Dante stopped, turning me to face him. "I need you to be careful around Dwayne."
"Why? What happened?"
"I don't like the way he looks at you," Dante said. "And I don't want him confusing you or making things harder for you."
"He's not confusing me."
"Isn't he?" Dante's eyes searched mine. "Because lately you've seemed distant. Uncertain. And it started around the time you've been spending more time with him."
"That's not fair."
"Maybe not," Dante said. "But it's true." He pulled me close. "I just want to protect you, baby. Protect us. Is that so wrong?"
Looking into his eyes, seeing the genuine concern there, I felt my resistance melting.
"No," I whispered. "It's not wrong."
"Good." He kissed me softly. "Because you and this baby are my whole world. I can't lose you."
"You won't," I promised.