Blindly Loved

Chapter Twenty-Two

Ava POV:

I watch in silence as Alesso carries Gaia into the house. Her head is resting on his shoulder with her thumb in her mouth. My poor baby looks exhausted. There's still bruising around Gaia's eyes, along with recovering from major brain surgery and her first round of chemo.

We got discharged today after Gaia was fitted for a radiation mask. We'll have to go back to the hospital next week for another round of chemo and a round of radiation. For now, all we're planning to do is spend time together at the house.

"Here. You carry her upstairs and I'll go find the boys." Alesso tells me, handing our daughter over to me.

Gaia nuzzles her face in my neck and groans softly. I pat her butt as I climb up the stairs, making my way into my bedroom.

"I want a bath." Gaia whines into my ear.

"Okay, precious. I'll start you a bath."

Gaia was able to take a shower at the hospital, but she complained the whole time. She was too exhausted from the chemo to stand up by herself, so I had to get in with her.

"I want you to take a bath with me, Mama." Gaia says sadly while running her fingers through the back of my hair.

"Okay, precious. I'll get in with you, but you have to sit down by yourself for a minute so I can get undressed."

This seems to be the end of the world to my baby. She whines and clings harder to my neck, shaking her head rapidly. With a weary sigh, I move Gaia onto my right hip and turn on the bath with my left hand.

Getting the both of us naked is a challenge, but I manage it by taking my time.

I step into the bath with Gaia in my arms, pulling her close to my chest. Most people would think it's weird for me to take a bath with my six year old, but in reality she needs this. It's not like she can see me anyways. Plus, Gaia has the mentality of a four year old. All she knows is that she wants my comfort and I'm more than happy to give it to her.

"I don't want anymore of the owie medicine." Gaia whispers in my ear as I pour handfuls of water over her back.

"It's going to make you better, precious. You have to have it." I explain.

All Gaia does is sob softly into the skin of my neck. Her frail body shakes against mine as she cries her little heart out. I whisper sweet words to her while pressing kisses to the top of her head.

The water eventually turns cold and I reach forward to pull the drain. After grabbing a towel off the warming rack, I carefully wrap it around Gaia and I.

Alesso is waiting for me in the bedroom when I leave the bathroom. All the boys are crowded around him, trying to get a glimpse of Gaia.

"Does she really have cancer?" Lucien asks.

My baby boy looks absolutely devastated. There's tears shining in his eyes and he quickly swipes them away with the palms of his hands.

I nod my head sadly and move to the closet to get dressed. Gaia has some spare pull-ups in here that we keep for the late nights that she ends up in our room.

Once I'm dressed in an oversized hoodie, shorts, and fluffy socks, I step out of the closet with Gaia cuddled close to my chest.

"Is she gonna die?" Aspen asks as he holds his arms out to his little sister.

Alesso picks him up and sets him down on the bed. Aspen is my youngest and smallest boy. He can't really hold Gaia properly without sitting down.

I pass Gaia over to him and then sit on the bed beside Alesso. Enzo and Lucien both climb up, cuddling into my arms as we watch Gaia sleep. Every now and then she'll whimper and complain that she's hot, but otherwise she stays asleep.