It doesn't take me a long time to find Olivia. She's standing by the hospital's vending machine in the cafeteria, placing coins into it.
While she's unaware of my presence, I feel the depth of my longing for her.
A few nurses and hospital visitors walk past me, blocking my vision of her and getting in my way.
“Olivia.”
She turns around, a moment of shock passing over her features, then relief, then a wave of sadness.
“Leo.” She breathes, her eyes meet mine, glossed and she doesn't have to say more. I see the heart in her eyes.
Everything blurs away, the hospital air, the nurses and the distant sound of someone coughing.
Olivia runs to me, and before I take another step forward I'm wrapped in Olivia's embrace. I've never known her hugs to be strong like this, to be as warm and as life-giving as this.
It's in her arms that the strong heart I walked in with melts.
I hold her closer, tighter, and she follows suit.
We stand there in the midst of chaos finding comfort in each other.
I think back to that time when I was having a panic attack due to exams, that time in the rain when I didn't want to go home and many more times. The times that Olivia tried to step in and I pushed her away because I didn't know how to receive comfort from anyone else.
Despite all that it's like Olivia learned to unravel the pain in my heart and bring light into the situation. Her comfort is something new and refreshing. A blessing.
The warmth of her embrace almost makes me cry in a public place. She places a kiss on my forehead, as she pulls away, her lips linger, a skipped heart beat, only for her to place another kiss.
Her eyes hold mine, glimmering with heart, with hope and so much more.
“What do you need to hear right now?”
Her question isn't expected, it makes me pause and think, but nothing comes to mind. “I don't know Olivia.”
“Come on, think. What do you need to hear right now Leo?” She repeats with a gentle patience.
It takes me a while, but she's willing to wait that long. I look in her eyes, honest and deep, sharing the depth of my pain.
“ That Mkhulu's going to be alright. That I'm going to talk to him again and we'll all step out of this hospital. I need to hear that our story isn't over. That God's still written more days for the both of us.”
Olivia holds me by my shoulders, the tears in her eyes, escaping and falling on her cheeks. The smile she gives me doesn't waver but it's vulnerable. Then she tells me everything I need to hear right now, she repeats it back to me with unwavering hope.
❄️❄️❄️
Olivia and I come back with coffee and tea for everyone.We all sit outside Mkhulu's room by the waiting area and because there's nothing else to do we talk.
We talk because if we don't then we're all left alone, kept to our thoughts and it gets darker by the second.
One by one, we all start sharing stories about Mkhulu, things about him that we love and hate. Things that he's done for us that many people don't know. We share the best memories we have with Mkhulu and that leads to the sound of sweet laughter erupting from our lips, the glimmer of joy and hope in our eyes and a light feeling settling over our heavy hearts.
YOU ARE READING
36 Questions to Fall in Love...in 36 days!
Romance" Olivia, I liked you from the moment you hiccuped your way into my life. It's funny really but it's the truth. I also wasted a lot of time and this is me trying to fix things. I'm asking you to give me 36 days to show my love for you and for you to...
