Page 26 of Alexander's Heart

Caroline screams all the air in her lungs and Tiny envelops her in his strong hold. I take hold of Janelle and tuck her into my side moving her out of the room, the poor woman is shaking like a leaf.

“Janelle, you need to know she doesn’t mean it, are you, okay?” I ask concerned.

“I’m… I’m okay.”

Doc steps in and touches her shoulder and she starts crying.

“You did really well, Janelle. I know that was hard to hear, but the interaction was more than I expected.”

“Caroline hates me, Doc.” Janelle whimpers.

“Caroline is angry, sad, and understandably frightened. I was surprised she allowed you to hold her, I know she said horrible things but she did let you touch her.” Doc says encouragingly.

“I couldn’t help it, I needed to feel her in my arms, I’m sorry if that was too much for her.”

“Janelle, you did what any mother would do, but it won’t be easy. Caroline has been away from you for eight years; the recovery of her mental health is going to take time.”

Janelle nods and we start back to her suite and Doc makes sure she is okay and comfortable before we leave, we do not want Janelle’s mental health to slip, she really has come a long way in the past couple of months, much quicker than we ever thought it would take. Doc did say it’s always quicker when the desire to get better and want to be well is there.

LILY

I wake to my belly fluttering and go to reach across to touch it but my arm won’t move, I look down and see black, my vision is still not perfectly clear but much better than earlier and I see Alexa’s little body curled into my side.

“No, Daddy, staying with Mommy.” She says sleepily.

It warms heart and makes me smile; Alexa didn’t want to leave me. It’s nice to know she wanted to stay with me and snuggle, I slowly move my head to the side but I don’t see Alexander.

I try moving my left arm, it’s stiff but I do manage to move it and when my hand touches my belly, I gasp. My belly is so swollen, how long have I been asleep? I didn’t ask earlier, I’m a little shocked but my smile grows wider.

My babies, our babies, they survived the car accident, I’m so grateful to whoever was watching over us from above. And twins just like Caroline and me, my thoughts swim in my head and I feel like there’s something missing from my memory.

“Mommy, you awake?”

Alexa’s sleepy little voice breaks through my scattered thoughts.

“Yes, sweet girl I am but we should be sleeping.”

It feels like it’s the middle of the night, Alexa uncurls from my side and comes higher to hold her little hand over my left cheek softly running her fingers over my freckled heart and looks into my eyes. I blink a few times trying to clear my vision and bring her into focus.

“I’m so happy, Mommy, I’s been waiting faw you to wake up faw so, so long.”

“I’m sorry I wasn’t awake for you, Lovebug, and I’m glad you are here snuggled up with me.”

Alexa drops her little head to my chest and I feel her shaking with her sobs.

“I’m, okay, sweet girl. I’m here with you. I’m not going to leave you.”

“I wished so, so hawd to Mommy and Daddy that you wouldn’t meet them in the staws.”

I stroke my hand over her hair to try and reassure her and feel her little body shaking and it saddens me that I worried her.

“It’s okay Alexa, let it all out my love, you’re allowed to feel.”

“I’m okay, Mommy, I’m just so happy, I’ve been bwave, and wead you many books and dwawed you so many pictaws, I slept heaw with you evewy night until I was healed and could go home, but I missed you so I still had sleepovers a lot, I’m heaw maw than at home.”

“Thank you for reading to me, I can hear your speech has improved so your reading to me helped both of us.”

Alexa giggles, “I’m going to be a big sistaw, Mommy, I can’t wait, it’s vewy exciting.”

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