Mend (Care Duet, #2)

24 | mend love

HER EYES PARTED, taking in the bright light of the hospital room just before they closed and opened again. Once she adjusted to the light, she was able to see Adrik and Marina sitting in a chair just beside her bed. She gazed down at her baby and still couldn't believe she was real. It felt like it was a dream, but no matter how hard she pinched herself, Mariana and Adrik were right there.

Avelina moved her hand, grasping Adrik's attention. He looked at Avelina with a smile before standing up and holding out Marina for her to take. She giggled as she pulled her baby to her chest, smiling down at her. If only Miss Paola could see how beautiful she was.

Suddenly, Avelina looked around the room, hoping to see the loud woman and her fierce ebony eyes. As she searched the room, she quickly noticed that there was no one to be found other than Adrik. A frown came across her face.

Miss Paola was going to kill Avelina for not giving her time to be present for her child's birth. She could just hear her yelling about how she should've held that baby in her stomach until Miss Paola was able to be there.

"Miss Paola... she's on the way, right?" she asked Adrik.

"No," he answered. She sharply turned to him with her brows furrowed.

"Why not?" she questioned.

"She is sick and weak," he answered. Her heartbeat was skyrocketing. Not only could see feel it in her chest, but she could hear it.

"What are you talking about?" Avelina demanded. "Did she say that?"

Before Adrik could open his mouth, the nurse entered the room. She held a kind smile on her face as she gazed at Avelina and the baby. The nurse was completely oblivious to the obvious tension in the room.

"You know, Mom, babies thrive more with skin-to-skin contact," the nurse said, heading over to her. She allowed the nurse to help her with her hospital gown just before gently laying the baby belly-down on her chest.

Despite her mind going crazy with different scenarios about Miss Paola, she couldn't help but swoon at the sight of her baby girl's face.

After the nurse checked Avelina's vitals, she left the room.

"Cheyenne did. She mentioned she was Miss Paola's daughter," Adrik answered.

Her heart dropped to her feet. It was all beginning to make sense. From Miss Paola taking time out to visit her daughter, someone who once told her she wanted nothing to do with her, to the urgency the other night on the phone to speak with Avelina. She didn't want it to be true.

"Can you hand me your phone please?" Avelina asked, holding out her hand. She was still exhausted from giving birth. Not to mention, the pain medicine was wearing off, so she was really starting to feel it more and more with each passing second.

The only thing that kept her going was knowing that Miss Paola would do the same for her if the roles were reversed. The one person she could always count on and who was always right by her side, pushed her to grab the phone from Adrik's hand and dial Miss Paola's number.

The phone rang. It rang and it kept ringing. Not too long after, someone picked up the call.

"Hello?" Cheyenne's voice came across the phone's speaker. She recognized it from the countless times Miss Paola would try to reach out to her and only receive a voice recording of how she couldn't get to the phone and to leave a message after the beep.

"Cheyenne? I'm not sure if you've heard about me or anything, but this is Avelina. I really need to speak to Miss Paola—"

"Avelina? Yes, I've heard all about you. Thank you for watching over Momma," she said. There was a sense of longing in her voice that Avelina couldn't help but not ignore.