Only You- Jade and Leigh-Anne

Jade 1.11

December, Aaliyah 4 years old, Haven 2 years old, Amina 1 year old

"Mammy." Aaliyah whimpered as wired were hooked all around her.

"You're alright baby, mammys here." I smiled, taking her tiny hand into mine. My head was spinning, every possibility was circling around in my head.

"What kind of smell do you want? There's grape, strawberry, mint." A nurse came in with a clipboard.

"What kind Aaliyah?" I asked.

"Grape." She whispered.

"Grape it is, somebody will be by in a few minutes to go to pre op." The nurse smiled, walking out of the room.

"What gonna happen?" Aaliyah asked, hiding a yawn. It was well past her bedtime, but she would be fast asleep under all the drugs she was about to be given.

"They are going to take that tiny little thing that's been hurting you out." I explained. "They are going to make you feel so much better baby, you won't hurt anymore."

"It hurt?" She wondered.

"No, you won't feel anything, I promise." I nodded. "They'll send you off to sleep and when you wake up mammy will be right here, I won't leave you kitten."

"I wake up and you here?" She confirmed.

"Mammy will be right here for cuddles." I smiled. "Your sisters will be here in the morning to see you too."

"I sorry you not singing." Aaliyah frowned.

"No, don't be." I started. "You come before any gig mammy has, and I'm glad you told me you weren't feeling well."

"We are ready for her." A team of people came in, unlocking her tiny bed. "Mom you can follow us and stay with her until she's asleep." I nodded and followed alongside, my heart racing. "Now we've got your grape air all ready for you."

"You're just going to breathe that air in for a little bit, you'll start to feel a little sleepy, but that's good." Another person joined in, handing her the mask.

"Smells like grape mammy." Aaliyah whispered, putting the mask up to her face just as she was told to. She was a lot for calm then I thought she would be. She didn't seem to care too much about anything. Maybe it was best she was worn out from a long day, it saved me a lot of worrying if she went in calm and collected. "Nanite mammy."

"Nanite Aaliyah, sweet dreams baby." I cooed, letting go of her hand as she fell asleep.

...

I had been sat for the last hour in her room she would be staying in for the next day. I flipped through some old magazine that had been left behind, trying to waste time.

"She's out of surgery, everything went really well." A lady said walking in. "You should be able to see her in a little bit."

"Thanks." I yawned looking at the time. Nearly one in the morning. I had been briefed by some man after Aaliyah had left me that she would probably be very cranky and emotional when she came off of the anesthesia. So I was prepared to have a very tired and cranky Aaliyah on my hands. Just to think this time yesterday I was sound asleep without a care in the world, now I was sitting in a tiny hospital room waiting to see Aaliyah in post operation. I had called Sam, who was on his way to LA as we spoke, he would be here in the early morning to see her. I couldn't imagine being on a long red eye flight not knowing how Aaliyah was until the plane was landed.

"She's just waking up." A nurse said, coming in to fetch me. I walked along the countless hallways, until a curtain was pulling revealing a still sleeping Aaliyah. "She should be up in a few minutes, but she's been moving around a bit." I nodded, settling in a seat next to her bed, taking her hand.