A Love So Absolutely Clear {Crowen} ✔️

20: welcomed in open arms

"okay, so i'm back." cristina opened the door to the hospital room where novella sat on the bed, still pumped on medication and still being monitored. owen was out looking for jobs, so helen was there with lolo, who couldn't even touch novella because her parents were too nervous to let him do so.

"where's your grandmother?" she asked, walking over and sitting on the bed. there was no lolo. he was in the daycare with a doctor.

"she's taking a shower in there." she pointed to the closed bathroom door and cristina rubbed her brow in annoyance.

"in the middle of the day? where does she think she is? beverly hills?" she scowled, hearing the noise of a running shower in the distance. "how long has she been in there?"

novella shrugged. "i don't know, but i watched five whole episodes of peppa pig while she was in there!" she giggled, while cristina just stood there astonished.

"that woman is crazy. don't ever follow in her footsteps." she got up from the bed and opened the bathroom door where helen was showering. fortunately there was a curtain so she wouldn't need to see her own mother standing there butt-naked.

"mother, get out of there. you've been showering for too long." cristina yelled over the loud water dropping to the ground. this startled helen, who was covered in soap from head to toe and wasn't able to hear her daughter open the door and come barging in.

"gah!" she hollered, her hand over her bare chest, but cristina couldn't see. before she could say anything more, cristina shouted again still aggravated by just her mother's existence.

"or you know what? stay in there for as long as you want. i don't care." she closed the door shut again and rubbed her face with both her hands before she sat down on the bed again. she was just in surgery, and there would be another one in a few hours.

novella and cristina looked at each other in the eyes with no words. neither of them knew what to say until novella spoke up.

"school started today, mom." she said, her legs crossed like a pretzel underneath the thin hospital blanket. cristina rose her eyebrows.

"really?" what else was there to say? "how do you feel?" she just said. she knew novella liked school very much and was upset that she couldn't go with the rest of her friends.

"i want to go to school." she sighed, fiddling with the sheets on the bed with her small fingers. cristina moved her head closer to one of her shoulders.

"i know that, but you know how it's going to be." she told her. she remembered when novella didn't want to go to school because of the way she looked. now that she was past that point, she couldn't even go to school.

"you'll be too sick to do much, especially because of the treatments and how they're still looking for a bone marrow for you." cristina kept on going. "when the other kids are outside for recess having fun and running around, your body might not be able to handle it."

novella understood, but it was hard for a growing girl like her. she sucked the bottom of her chapped lip and refrained eye contact from her mother. cristina felt a small twang of guilt, however she knew it was best for her.

"but you'll still be learning." she tried. "your grandmother will be teaching you when you're homeschooling. sometimes at the hospital and then sometimes, when you feel better, at home." she turned her head to look at the closed bathroom door where water was still pouring from the shower head loudly.