Filed to story: Submitting to My Bestie’s Daddy Read Online >>???
“You never can focus when you’re hungry.”
My head snapped toward the groggy, slightly slurred voice.
My mom’s eyes were open and fixed on me, and she was smiling gently.
I stared at her, unable to react for several seconds. When I did speak, my voice was thick with emotion and there were tears stinging my eyes.
“You’re awake?”
“Shouldn’t I be?” she asked in confusion.
I shook my head vehemently. “You should be,” I said. “I’ve been waiting for you to wake up.”
I wanted to scream in joy and throw my arms around her. I didn’t think it would be a good idea to get her worked up right then, though. There was no telling what state she was really in.
She remembered me. That was a good sign. But she had been unconscious for so long. I didn’t want to cause any stress that might hurt her.
I reached over to her bed and hit the call button. Mom was watching me with confusion clear on her face. I wasn’t sure that she really understood what was going on.
“Why am I in the hospital?” she asked.
“I’ll explain later,” I said.
I smiled. She seemed to be fine, but I didn’t want to get my hopes up.
“Yes?” a female voice said over the crackling intercom system.
“She’s awake,” I said as calmly as I could. “Please, tell the doctor right away.”
My throat felt tight, and I knew that I wasn’t going to be able to hold back my reaction for much longer. I could hear hurried footsteps and voices outside.
I took Mom’s hand and squeezed it gently. “Don’t worry,” I assured her. “You’re safe. The doctors are just going to check on you now that you’re awake, okay?”
She frowned at me. “That’s fine,” she said. “Why are you acting so strange?”
I shook my head helplessly. “I’m not,” I lied.
The door burst open, and several people hurried inside. I stood up and took a few steps back to make room for the doctors and nurses.
The tears were streaming down my face now. The relief that I felt made me almost lightheaded. She had woken up. She got shot, and she was still alive.
A sob shook my chest, and I brought my hand up to cover my mouth. I didn’t want her to hear me crying.
“Cat,” Elio’s voice called softly.
I turned to see him setting a bag of takeout on a nearby table. He held his arms out to me, and I rushed into his embrace.
I felt so weak, but he held me easily.
“Sir?” one of the nurses said gently. “Could we ask you to step into the hallway for a moment please?”
Elio didn’t argue. He led me outside.
I was grateful for the relative privacy, so I didn’t protest. I leaned heavily against Elio and let the tears fall freely. He stroked my hair and kissed the top of my head until I was able to calm myself. I wasn’t sure how long it had been, but by the time I was able to stop crying, I felt exhausted.
All the lost sleep and fear that had plagued me the last two months had finally caught up to me.
“Are you alright?” Elio asked softly.
“Yeah,” I said.
I smiled. He had been so supportive all this time. I didn’t know how I would have made it through this without him.
“I’m sure that this is a lot to take in,” he said.
I nodded. “I’m so relieved,” I sighed. “I don’t want to think about what life would be like without Mom.”
“Neither do I,” he said. “But we don’t need to worry about that for a long time. She’ll have the best healthcare available. I promise you that.”
I nodded. Alessandro had promised the same thing. The family was going to take care of Mom. We could just focus on her health.
We were lucky to have people to support us.
I was pulled from my thoughts by the sound of the door opening. Elio and I both turned to see the doctor approaching us. Elio took my hand, and I held onto him as anxiety washed over me.
“How is she?” I asked nervously.
He smiled. “She’s better than I expected, honestly. She’s pretty shocked to know she’s been out for so long, but physically, she’s doing well.”
I felt my shoulders sag as the good news hit me. She really was alright.
“Now, don’t get too excited. We still have a long road ahead of us. Being stationary for so long takes a toll on the body. There will likely be a psychological impact as well.”
I nodded my understanding. She’d been kidnapped and shot, so of course she was going to be messed up about it all.
“But she’ll make a full recovery?” I asked.
“I don’t see any indication at this point that she won’t be able to,” he answered.
“Can we see her?” Elio asked.
The doctor nodded and motioned towards the door. “Of course. She’s asking for you.”
Elio didn’t hesitate to open the door for me. I rushed inside and went straight to Mom. She was sitting up and sipping a cup of ice water. She had a wide-eyed, shocked expression on her face.
“Cat,” she said when she saw me approaching. “I can’t believe all of this—”
“I know,” I said as I sat on the edge of the bed. “But it’s going to be alright.”
She nodded slowly. Her eyes turned to Elio. “The person responsible—”
“It’ll be taken care of,” he said seriously. “You have my word.”
She nodded. “I trust you.”