Eventually Yours

100 - Part II ✽

~Aiden

Two days without Breanna, and I was barely living. Running on fumes. Coffee. Visits from friends and family. My kids.

Breanna’s hand was cool in mine. She was too pale, too small, and fragile in the hospital bed. This bright, golden beam of a woman who lit up my life now had tubes fed into her veins. Her tan was gone and her lips were ashen.

“You need to wake up, Brie,” I said around the lump in my throat. “Meet your daughter. Roman misses you. Please, come back to us.”

Getting nothing but the chirp of monitors, I sighed. I lifted her slack hand to my lips and kissed her knuckles.

“My love, please,” I whispered against her cool skin. “Please wake up. I love you. I need you.”

I wasn’t above begging. Getting on my knees again like I’d done so often in the last forty-eight hours. I wanted to tell Breanna about our daughter. How the baby was strong and beautiful like she was. How despite being early, she was healthy as hell and did not need to be in the NICU. How she cried so much her tiny wail was the strongest in the nursery. How it’s because she wanted her mother. The baby knew it, and I did too.

We need her back.

The door cracked open.

“Aiden?” Iris slipped into the room, Beckett behind her and she dropped into a chair beside me. “Has she woken up yet?”

I cleared the boulder from my throat.

“No.”

Iris crossed her ankles.

“You should go home. Rest.”

I grunted.

“I’m not leaving her.”

“You have a baby now, Aiden. And then there's Roman. You need all the rest you can get.”

“I’ll rest when Breanna is healthy and at home... with our kids and me.”

Tearing my gaze from the woman I loved, I glanced over at her ex-husband.

“Thank you. For helping her.”

He gave me a curt nod.

“It's the least I could do after the hell I put everyone in.”

“Aiden I'm terrified” Iris let out.

I shook my head at her.

“Don't be.”

The line of her lips went flat and she crossed her arms, giving me a small nod.

“You don’t have to be because she isn’t going anywhere” I made myself believe the words.

Iris’ lower lip wobbled.

“Okay” A shudder worked its way through her chest and tears slid silently down her cheeks.

I exhaled roughly.

“I’m going to marry her, Iris.”

“I know.”

“And every day, I’ll do everything I can to be a better husband to her than I was to Jew.”

My sister glanced sharply my way.

“Who said you were a bad husband?” She placed a hand on my arm. “Jewel loved you, Aiden. Despite everything she hid from us” She focused on her lap, picking at the hem of her dress for a while till her gaze drifted to Breanna. “I hope she wakes up soon. It's devastating without her and I don't know how long I can hold myself from breaking down in front of Roman.”