You're Mine

chapter 37

Friday, 21st August:

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"What are you doing?", Amelia wondered, watching her colleague push in a cart with bread, eggs, sausages, cheese, fruits, vegetables, and spreads, as well as water and juice. "Are you extra hungry today? Because I won't have any of that, I'm eating dry bread."

"I figured it's time to stop eating dry bread. Let's have a normal breakfast together and try different things to put on top of your slice. Maybe we find something we like.", Owen explained, smiling at her.

"Owen, you know what cheese and all these things taste like.", the brunette replied and shrugged. "Why are you really doing this? I thought we wanted to be home for lunch.", she reminded him softly.

"I know what they taste like, yes. But do you? Do you still know? What is it that makes you continue to eat dry bread when you can have any food you'd like?", the trauma surgeon asked, noticing the distress in her eyes. "I'm sorry! I understand that this is what you have eaten for the past year, but how about we try something else, huh? Just a bite."

"Okay.", his friend finally agreed, still scared of what the other stuff might taste like. "Are you going to be mad if I don't enjoy some of it?", she wanted to know shyly and watched him shake his head. "This is really hard, you know? All of it. I've lost track of time and now...I...what if the kids don't know me anymore? Leo was just baby and Layla only a toddler. What if Teddy is their mom now? You said she's been there every day since I went missing.", she sniffled.

"Amelia, I am not going to lie to you.", the redhead sighed. "Teddy definitely is Leo's mother figure.", he admitted, watching her heart break. "But I am not sure about Layla. When you went missing, she...she wasn't herself. We will have to find out.", he carefully suggested.

"Can you make two slices ready for me and add your favorite toppings, please?", his friend changed the topic, knowing he was right and not wanting to continue thinking about the fact that her son wasn't her son anymore.

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"Hey...", Owen said, noticing the way his friend nervously played with her fingers. "It will be okay.", he promised when they arrived at home, where Teddy was waiting with the kids. "I...uh...I need to tell you something though."

"Okay...what is it?", Amelia wondered shyly, her heart beating faster than ever before because she had no idea how her children would react to seeing her again after a whole year of being gone.

"At some point...around Christmas...I felt so lonely that...I just...Teddy has been here every single day since you've been gone and...she told me I deserved to not be alone...and I thought you were dead...so...she and I have been sleeping with each other for half a year now...and while I know that there are definitely romantic feelings on her behalf...I can't lie to you and say that I don't feel anything for her. She's been here...and I thought you were dead.", the redhead explained and repeated himself, feeling bad now that she was obviously alive.

"Yeah.", was the only thing the neurosurgeon replied, leaving him questioning her and the reaction he had gotten for being honest. Then, she got out of the car without any further words and walked up to the door, waiting for her colleague to open it for them.

"Is this her?", they heard Logan ask once they had walked into the hallway. He couldn't know for sure since they weren't in sight yet. Amelia slowly entered the living room, feeling her heart break when she saw Teddy with her kids. The blonde was carrying the two youngest while the eleven-year-old was hugging her tightly.

"God, I can't do this!", the brunette started sobbing and turned around to leave, causing Owen to get in her way and embrace her to calm her down. "Let me go! Please, just let me go!", she screamed, making the baby cry. "I can't breathe!"

"Yes, yes you can!", the trauma surgeon contradicted firmly. "What's the problem? Talk to me!", he begged, letting go of his friend's body to cup her wet cheeks. "Deep breaths, honey.", he ordered softly, surprising not only the two women but himself as well.

"My kids are now her kids...", Amelia whimpered after noticing how quickly Teddy had calmed down Leo. "You are basically her boyfriend...what used to be my life is now her life.", she cried, finally getting a chance to escape, and fleeing into the bathroom.

"Teddy isn't my mom.", Logan pointed out as he joined his mother. "I don't really know about Layls. She is Leo's mama though. But she was here for us when you couldn't be and when dad wasn't able to do everything himself, so I don't want to hear anything bad about her. She does not deserve this!"

"Note taken.", the neurosurgeon sighed. "When did you grow up so fast?", she asked her son, wiping the tears off her cheeks. "You haven't just grown taller but you're also so wise.", she realized proudly. "And already eleven.", she remembered. "I'm sorry, I missed your birthday."

"Wasn't your fault.", the boy answered and took a seat next to his mom in front of the bathtub. "Can I ask you what happened to you?", he wanted to know. "I mean, I know you were kidnapped...again...but what did they do to you?"

"No, buddy. No, you cannot ask me this. Not yet.", his mother informed him, the pain in her eyes visible. "I am not ready to talk about it, especially since I hadn't even processed the first time of being kidnapped when the second time happened."

"But you will tell somebody eventually? Dad maybe?", the young brunette didn't give up. "I need you to talk to him. Because I love you and I need you to be okay. I need my mom back!", he shared, watching her nod. "You can't ever leave me again!", he started tearing up and threw himself into her arms.

"I love you too!", Amelia said, kissing her son's head as she tried to calm him down. At least one of her kids still loved her. Even though she had definitely lost her baby and most likely wasn't Layla's mother anymore, she had a little bit of hope left inside of her.

"Hey!", Owen carefully joined them after knocking on the door. "Teddy is starting lunch if you still want to help her, buddy.", he informed his child, watching him kiss his mom's cheek before he got up and left. "Is there something I can do?"

"You can tell me what's it gonna be.", the brunette replied honestly, staring into his worried baby blue eyes. She was a little surprised when he sat down in front of her and sighed. "What will it be, Owen?", she repeated.

"What do you mean?", her counterpart wondered, overwhelmed with the whole situation and a little pissed that she was intentionally making this hard on him, so she wouldn't have to be the only one suffering. But maybe that was her coping mechanism.

"Do you want Teddy or me? You cannot have both of us, so you have to make a choice.", his friend demanded. "Because if you want her, you can definitely have her. I am not here to destroy that for you."

"Are you kidding me?! There is no choice! The only person I ever wanted was you and I still do! I am not in love with Teddy, I am in love with you and the few feelings I developed for her...don't judge me! I just...I want you, Amelia! And I might not be able to act clearly yet because I still cannot believe you are actually sitting in front of me, alive.", the redhead answered. "But I held on to you whispering in my ear that you think you love me too and I couldn't get myself to stop."

"Okay...", Amelia mumbled softly and nodded before she looked at the floor. "Then you probably don't mind me doing what I have been waiting for and holding on to for an entire year.", she said, confusing him again. Before he could process the information in his head, he felt her straddle him and suddenly, her lips met his in a kiss that started out soft but soon became more passionate. "I love you, Owen.", she whispered into his ear in between their kisses.

"Lunch is read-", Teddy began, interrupting their kissing session. "Oh wow, that was...fast...", she judged, hurt by what she had seen. The disappointment in her eyes was obvious, causing Amelia to feel bad for stealing Owen from her.