Yes, It's Another Cliché Love Story

Twenty one

Lisa’s POV

I woke up in a hospital bed. That hadn’t been my plan. I wanted to sleep and never wake up again. I was tired. I had been tired for as long as I could remember.

“Mom,” Joey called out when he saw my eyes open. Lee Young moved closer to the bed.

“Water,” Lee Young poured some into a glass as Joey helped me sit up. Lee Young handed the glass of water to Joey who almost fed it to me.

“Are you okay?” Joey asked, “Do you need anything?”

“I’m good,” I said handing the glass back to him, “But who are you and what am I doing here?”I asked looking at my wrapped wrists.

“What are you talking about? Mom, it’s me, your son. I’m Joey, Joseph Albert Michaels. Don’t you remember me?” I couldn’t hold it in anymore.

“I’m sorry, I couldn’t let the chance go by. You should have seen your face,” I said laughing out loud. He was upset, no, he was furious. I could see the veins forming on his temple.

“That wasn’t funny, at all,” he said and stormed out of the room.

“Way to traumatize your son even more. That was unnecessary,” Lee Young said sitting next to me.

“I know. I was just trying to lighten the mood,”

“He’s been by your side for three days. He was scared that you’d never wake up,”

“Shit, I’ve never slept that long in my life. Three days?”

“Yes, three agonizing days at that. You have a stubborn son, he refused to leave your side or eat healthy,”

“Sounds to me like you’ve got a very stubborn boyfriend, Kim Lee Young,”

“Boyfriend sounds so casual. Hopefully someday it’ll be husband,”

“It’s possible in some countries. You two could move abroad and get legally married,”

“You think he’d leave you alone? By the way, we’ll be moving in…scratch that, we already moved in and there’s nothing much you can do about it except act surprised when Joey tells you,”

“You do know snitches get stitches, right?”

“I’m not the one in stitches right now,”

“Oh no, you did not just go there,”

“I just did,”

That’s what I wanted. To lighten the mood because the seriousness behind what happened made the atmosphere heavy, if that made any sense.

It had happened, I had tried to end my life again. I knew we were going to have to talk about it but I didn’t want it at that particular time. Joey walked in as we were laughing.

“I’m glad you could both find humor in what happened,”

“Joey, have you had enough sleep? You know how cranky you get when you don’t get enough sleep,” I said

“I’m okay. I don’t need any sleep,”

“Come here baby boy,” I said raising my arms and he came in for a hug, “I’m sorry baby boy. I love you so much and I’m sorry,”

“I love you too,” he said pulling away before blowing his nose. My boy was a sensitive soul and maybe that’s why I always prioritized him every time those thoughts crossed my mind.

There was a gentle knock before the door slowly opened. Leila peeped inside and when she saw me awake she almost ran to me. She was already crying.

“Baby,” she said hugging me. “What were you thinking?” she asked hitting my shoulder. “I’m not going to talk to you ever again,” she said looking away.