Orchards and Moonlight - a Mialotte story (TNN)

White walls

"Charlotte I swear to god if you don't stop pacing I will throw up," Autumn told the woman.

Charlotte was walking holes in the waiting room floor. They were already on their way to the hospital when Charlotte got a call. They had finally found Mia's wallet and phone, getting Char's number off it.

"Autumn, what if it was Winter?" Charlotte asked her friend as she continued pacing. 

"Fine. But I am not going to sit here and watch you panic." Autumn got up from her seat and walked over to the nurse behind the desk. Just as she was about to start asking questions, the doctor came out.

"Charlotte King?" Charlotte nearly ran to the man. She had a million questions, but her throat was closing up.

"Is she?" was all she could get out. She was so scared. She couldn't lose Mia. 

"She is stable. Surprisingly, she had minimal injuries. But she did hit her head very hard, and she had some swelling on her brain. It has gone down slightly now, but we will be monitoring her. She is in Room 406." The doctor was so calm. That's a good thing, right?

Charlotte couldn't move. She was terrified. She almost didn't feel it when Autumn placed her hand on her shoulder. Charlotte looked at her friend, tears brimming in her eyes. Winter came to stand by her other side, and so the three of them walked down the hall. 

The closer they got, the faster Charlotte's heart was beating. She didn't know what to expect. She was absolutely terrified. She stopped outside of the door, bracing herself. Taking a deep breath, she stepped inside. She choked back a sob as she saw her girlfriend lying on the bed.

Mia was always someone who looked so strong, no matter what she did. She looked like she could take on anyone, but right now, in this hospital bed, she looked so fragile. Like if someone were to touch her, she would break. 

Charlotte slowly made her way to the side of the bed. She hesitated before picking up Mia's hand. Placing a soft kiss on the back of her hand. Mia was alive, and that was enough for now.

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Over the next 24 hours, not much changed. 

Charlotte called her parents and asked them if they could take the kids for a bit. She explained to them about Mia and what happened, and they were more than happy to help out. 

Charlotte had not left Mia's side. She had barely eaten and she had not slept a wink. Marjorie was worried about her friend. She brought Charlotte some coffee and an everything bagel from her favourite coffee shop.

"Please Char. Eat something. How are you going to take care of her if you don't take care of yourself first?" Charlotte looked up at Marjorie. Eyes puffy and red. She just nodded and took the food, before slowly eating it.

"Good, now please go home and get some sleep."

"No. I am not leaving her here alone."

"I will sit right here next to her. She won't be alone. And I will call you if anything changes. But please, you need some sleep. If not for yourself, do it for her."

Charlotte hated it when Marjorie was right. And so she finally gave in. She would go home and sleep, but just a bit, she wanted to be back next to Mia as soon as possible. 

Walking into their home didn't feel right without Mia there. Charlotte had taken a long warm shower, already feeling slightly better. After her shower she grabbed one of Mia's shirts and got into bed, cuddling with Mia's pillow. 

The rain was pouring down. Charlotte could see herself begging Mia to stay. The next thing she knew, she watched as Mia's car was flipping, landing on its roof, skidding to a stop. 

She tried to scream for Mia, but nothing came out. She didn't have a voice. She kept trying to scream for Mia

Mia... Mia...

"Mia..." Char sat up straight in the bed. Sweat dripped down her forehead. Her breath was rapid as she got out of bed. She closed her eyes for a second, trying to catch her breath. She needed to get back to Mia. 

She quickly took another shower, heading straight for Mia's side of the closet. Her clothes smelled of Mia, and that was the only thing keeping Charlotte stable right now. She looked for her favourite sweater, it was so soft and Mia loved wearing it to their movie nights. Just as she picked it up, something fell from the back of the pile.

Charlotte reached behind the clothes, feeling around for what had fallen. Her fingers brushed the velvet box. She froze for a second... No... It couldn't be. With shaky hands she grasped the box, pulling it out from the back. She stared at the box for a second before finding the courage to open it up.

She gasped as she opened the box. The ring was incredibly beautiful. The diamond was wrapped in a black rose. Tears stung in her eyes again, and with a shaky hand she took the ring out, as she lifted it to look closer, she could see the engraving on the inside.

 For my Forever Person

Charlotte couldn't keep her sob in anymore. She put the ring back in the box and put it where she found it. Mia will give it to her when she is better. Now Charlotte had something more to hold onto.

She quickly got dressed and made her way back to the hospital. As she walked into Mia's room, she was surprised to see everyone there. She smiled at Marjorie, knowing that she didn't leave Mia alone. She walked over to her girlfriend and placed a kiss on her forehead. 

She sat down next to her, taking her hand again, before looking over at her friends.

"Any news?" 

"The swelling on her brain has gone down. The doctors hope she will wake up soon." Marjorie explained. 

"Charlotte, you say she was on her way to Autumn. Why?" Reece asks Char. She looked up at them all, and before she could answer, a voice came from the doorway.

"Probably to tell you about me."

Everyone turned to the voice.

Reece was the first person to speak up.

"Mom?"