Piece By Piece

Numb

Two months as passed since Malia left the hospital and was now comfortably at home. Things weren't going as Jensen had thought they would. Even though his wife was home, it was as if only her body was there, her mind being somewhere else entirely.

From the moment Malia came home, Jensen did everything he could to help her. He gave her her space, he gave her time to process what had happened and was trying to, at least, have her talk to him. It didn't have to be about what happened, he would be happy if she said anything to him, even if she would cuss him out, he still be happy, but she wasn't saying anything.

From the moment she came home, Malia shut down; she wasn't eating properly, she didn't want to see or talk to anyone, and she would only leave their room to go to the garden. Jensen had decided that, in order to give her space, he would sleep in his old room and was now thinking that, from the way things were going, he was going to be staying there indefinitely. He just didn't know what to do to help her and was starting to believe that he was never getting his wife back.

Jensen had started working from home so he could be close to Malia, only going to the office if extremely necessary. He was in his home office when their housekeeper knocked on the door and told him that his mother was there, letting her in and leaving them alone.

- "Hey, mom."

- "Hello, honey. So, how's everything going?" – Donna asked, taking a seat on one of the couches in his office.

- "They could be better, honestly."

- "How so?"

- "It's Malia. She's still grieving, and I get it, but..." – Jensen answered, as he handed her a glass and sitting down as well.

- "But?"

- "I don't know. It feels like she's just given up. She's not eating, she doesn't talk to anyone, she barely even looks at me, and she doesn't leave the room unless it's to go to the garden. That's it. I've given her time and space in the hopes that she would slowly start to get better but... I don't know what else to do. Am I wrong to want my wife back?"

- "I'm sorry to hear that. I really thought that she would be a bit better by now, at least talking and eating. And no, you're not wrong. But does she know how you're feeling in the middle of all this?"

- "No, mom. I don't want to make her feel like she has to worry about how all of this makes me feel. All I want is for her to get better. I don't expect her to be like her old self right away, but at least some sort of improvement would be nice. What do I do, mom? I need help." – Jensen had tears in his eyes as he asked his mother.

- "Well, for starters, you need to talk to her and let her know how you feel. That no matter what you're there for her and that you still love her just as much as you did before this happened. And then you go from there. Decide what to do next together. 'Cause only together, will the two of you be able to come back from this. There's no other way to put it."

Jensen heard his mother intently, knowing that she was right and that the only way to get better was to do what they promised each other on their wedding day: to stick together and have each other's back, no matter what.

He dried his eyes and hugged her, before she got up to leave, promising to call him the next day to check on them. Jensen walked his mother out and saw her leaving, while debating on whether to talk to Malia now or just wait until the next day. Looking out to the garden, he saw her sitting on the same bench where their lives had changed twice for the better and was then he decided that he needed to have this talk today.

Walking up to Malia, he saw she was crying and for a second considered turning back. But something inside him didn't allow him to leave. Clearing his throat to let her know of his presence, he noticed her cleaning the tears from her face and starting to get up to leave. He knew if he let her go, he wouldn't have a second chance at this, so he stopped her.

- "Malia, wait. Please, just listen to me. You don't need to say anything, just hear me out."

Jensen saw her stop for a second, clearly debating with herself whether she should stay or leave, before sitting back down on the bench.

- "Thank you. Look, I'm sorry. I know that things aren't easy and that you're grieving, but so am I. I love you and I already loved our child so much, so yeah, I'm hurting too, Malia. And seeing you like this and not knowing what to do to make it better, makes it hurt even more. So, please, talk to me. Yell, scream, shout at me, I don't care, just please talk to me. Tell me what I can do to make things better. Tell me what to do to help you, because, sweetheart, I'm lost. I have no clue of what to do to help you. Please." – Jensen was crying and pleading with her. He was honestly lost.

- "Get me out of here. I don't care where, just as far away from here as you possible can. Please. I can't stand being here. Every time I walk out of our room and walk past the nursery, I'm reminded of what we should've had, and every time I walk past the parlor, I'm reminded of what happened. I can't, I can't live like this. Please."

Jensen could hear just how broken she was when she spoke. Holding her close while she cried, he decided to do exactly what she asked. He was going to take her away and when they would return, hopefully, things would be better.

He asked her to give him twenty-four hours to get everything set up and then they would go away for a while. He didn't know how long, he just knew that it didn't matter how long it would take, he was going to make sure that she knew he was there for her, no matter what.

Jensen also made one other decision, one that he wasn't going to share with Malia just yet. He was going to sell the house and find a new one for them to live. What good would it make going away for her to recover, if when they got back the reminders were still there?

That night, after Malia went to sleep and everything was set for them to leave the next day, he went to his parents' house and did something he never thought he would.

- "Your mother told me you wanted to speak with the both of us." – His father asked as they sat in the living room.

- "Yes. I need a favor. I'm taking Malia back to Hawaii for a while to help her recover and I need you to sell my house and find me a new one while we're there. I know it's a lot to ask, but we both need this, and I can't do it while trying to help my wife. Will you please do this? If not for me, for her."

- "Wait. Why do you want to sell your house?"

- "One of the reasons why Malia isn't getting better is because everywhere she looks around the house there's a reminder of either what we should've had or what had happened. And I don't want that for her. So, by selling the house and getting a new one, it will be a fresh start, not just for her but for me as well."

- "And you're sure about this?" – It was his mother's turn to question him.

- "I am, mom. Just find us something and I'll wire the money. I trust you both and I'm sure Malia does to."

- "If that's what you want, and what you think your wife needs to get better, then we'll do it. We'll let you know once the house is sold and when we have a new one for you."

- "Thanks, dad. I really appreciate it."

And with that, Jensen left, knowing that by the time they would return, they would be returning to a new home. How everything else would go, he didn't know, but as long as he and Malia stuck together, they could make it through anything.