I’m on the other side of the bed within seconds, laying flat on my back and using my arm to pull her onto my chest while my heart goes a mile a minute.
“I’m sorry,” she croaks, her fingers digging into my side. “I’m a mess.”
I shake my head and run my fingers down her spine. “You’re incredible. Never apologise for feeling what you feel, Blue. I’m right here,” I whisper into her damp hair.
“I don’t know what to do,” she whimpers. “Everything feels wrong. It hurts to– It hurts.” She chokes out a sob and I feel her tears wet my skin.
“Turn around, baby.”
She does as I ask immediately, turning to face away from me and I scoot down, placing my knees behind hers and wrapping her in my arms. Her back is placed firmly against my chest and my eyes sting with unshed tears as she begins to quietly cry into her pillow.
I place my hand on her sternum, nuzzle into her neck, and do the first thing that comes to my mind.
I sing.
As I recite the lyrics to “The Book of Love”, her sobs increase in volume, but she holds my hand in place, refusing to let go.
I continue, but when her body trembles against mine, I stop, unsure if I’m doing the right thing or just hurting her more.
“Keep going,” she chokes out in between ragged breaths.
The sound of her voice breaks my fucking heart. My chest physically hurts, knowing she’s in pain and there isn’t a single thing I can do about it, but I continue, because she asked me to, trying to keep the emotion clogging my throat out of my voice, but it doesn’t work.
We cry together while I singtheirsong over and over, and eventually she falls asleep in my arms.
I’ve never been so sad and yet so happy at the same time.
-31-
INDIGO
“INDIE-GIRL.” A WHISPERcomes from my bedroom door, but I’m too warm, too comfortable to move. “Indie. Sweetheart, wake up.”
It takes me a second, but the voice registers in my brain, and I scramble to my feet and spin toward the door.
“Mum?” I whisper, tears automatically pooling in my eyes. My heart aches as I look at her, standing in the doorway, smiling at me as if she’s just popped in for a visit. “Mum…”
She grins, and raises her finger to her lips, and then points to Pax, who is still sound asleep.
When I look back at her, she slowly backs away and disappears from view.
I don’t know how I manage to get my legs to work, but as I move across the room, I don’t look away from where she was standing only a moment ago.
Pulling the door closed quietly behind me, trying not to disturb Pax, I take a deep breath, and tiptoe down the hallway.
“Mum?”
No answer.
“Mum?” I ask, more frantically, terrified she’s disappeared.
I let out a sigh of relief when her head pops out from the doorway to the kitchen. “Calm down, love. I’m right here. Come and have a coffee with me. We need to talk.”
My heart races, and my hands tremble, but she’s here.
She’s really here.
My cheeks feel wet as I move closer. Her figure is blurred by the tears in my eyes, but there she is. Making coffee. Humming our song like nothing’s happened.