Memories [H.S AU]

Chapter 24

Z was getting worse by the day. She said it was just her asthma and the flu, and I believed her, but I was so scared for her. She was short of breath, her chest would hurt randomly, and her fever had shot through the roof lately. Not to mention her night sweats were worse and her throat was swollen.

She’d been sleeping a lot, and when I hugged her, her body was more fragile and slender. I was terrified I’d hug her to tight and snap her in half.

Something was wrong, but when she came back from the doctors, she said they’d said the same thing she’d been saying for months.

“It’s just the flu, nothing to worry about.”

But that didn’t settle me. The flu is only supposed to last for a few days, a week at the most, she’d had this for months. She’d sporadically get sick like this, from the day we reunited.

“Baby?” I turned to see Z stood in the hallway with our children clinging to her tightly. “Is it time for their naps?”

I checked the time on my watch and pushed myself off the couch, walking over and taking a tuckered out Dawson from her arms.

“MOMMY!” He screeched, reaching back out to her.

That was another odd thing. Lately, Cheese, Sassy, Dawson, and Lily had been glued to Z. If you tried to take her away, they’d scream, cry, growl, hiss. It was scaring me. It was like everyone else knew something that I didn’t. And when it involved my family… That shit wasn’t okay.

“It’s okay buddy, mommy is right there.” I promised him, his eyes locking on Z and his tense body relaxing as he laid his head on my shoulder.

We tucked the two in, Cheese prancing protectively at Z’s side as Sassy took a break and fell asleep at the foot of Dawson’s bed.

“You know what we should do?” I asked Z, wrapping my arms around her teeny waist, nuzzling the back of her shoulder.

“Hm?” She mumbled, turning to face me as I sponged kisses to her warm skin. When I say warm, I meant sun’s surface boiling, but I’d never dismiss a chance to have her in my grasp.

“We should call Lexi over, and go out for the day.” She smiled and nodded.

“Go on an adventure, just like we used to?” She said that with a strip of sadness in her voice, and whether it was from thinking about when I was paralyzed, or we were separated, I didn’t know.

But to erase that sound of pain, I pressed my lips firmly to hers, letting her feel the weight of my love.

“Just like we used to.”

Lexi arrived twenty minutes after we called her, taking a seat on the couch after greeting Z. Then I took my beautiful wife’s hand and led her out of the flat, locking the door and racing down the hallway behind her, hearing that full heartwarming laugh of hers.

We reached the car minutes later, but took ten more before we got in, Z panting her lungs out and coughing harshly every so often. Seeing her weak like that broke me. I never would ever want to see her in such pain. But I couldn't seem to fix what was going on in her.

She fell asleep with her head on my arm once in the car, her body shivering as coughs pursued her even in her dreams.

Then we pulled up to a forest with walking trails that Z and I had always talked about exploring. I felt like it’d lift her spirits.

And it did. The moment she saw where we were, her eyes lit up and any pain or sickly looks to her vanished.

“H! Baby! I want to go down this one!” She happily said as we stood at the entrance. We were the only ones here, so there wasn’t anyone that I had to despise for giving my lover odd looks.

“Alright, alright. Wait up.” I chuckled, lacing my hand with hers and following behind my little princess.

She led the way, talking animatedly about what hidden creatures there could be. It had always been my favorite thing about her. Her creativity. Her imagination.

She would randomly take out her phone and snap pictures of me, the area around us, or pull me into a kiss and snap it.

“What’s with all the pictures?” She shrugged.

“We don’t take that many.” I nodded and took the phone, then tugged her into my body, pressing my lips firmly to hers, catching her off guard. She kind of gasped and caused me to smile, snapping the picture at that moment.

“I love you.” I whispered, smiling as she brushed her eyelashes against my cheek in soft butterfly kisses.

“Je t’aime aussi.” Z murmured, giggling as I dug my fingers into her sides, but I quickly stopped once she began to run out of breath.

“Shit, baby, I’m sorry.” I rushed, stepping back a few feet.

Z shook her head and placed her hand over her heart, taking a few deep breaths then closed the space between us.

“Never apologize for anything that’s not your fault.” She seriously stated, looking right into my eyes.

I felt something at the back of my mind perk up at those words, like she was subconsciously hinting at something, but brushed it off and nodded, wrapping an arm around her waist as we continued to explore.

My heart broke more and more as I watched her, noticing the light in her eyes dim when she realized she couldn’t do something, like climb a tree, or run across an open patch of the forest because she’d possibly pass out, and I made a note to myself to take her to get an inhaler.

I wanted her happy, and I’d make her happy, no matter what.

We went back home at around six and had dinner,then tucked the kids in after their baths, and took our shower, mainly just standing under the water in a tight embrace, letting the world around us continue on as we held tightly to one another.

I didn’t know what it was, but I just felt like I needed to soak up as much of Z as I could. It was like that feeling you get right before something bad happens. The calm before the storm feeling.

After our shower, Z dressed in one of my shirts and her bra and underwear, just as she had for years, and climbed into the bed, her skin pale and her eyes holding dark bags, but the light in her eyes showed the life she held inside her tiny, sickly looking body. The body I’d worship for eternity.

I pulled on boxers and slipped into bed, pulling her to my chest, gazing into her eyes as I ran my hand over every feature of her flawless body.

“What’s wrong?” She asked softly, her voice silky as she gazed at me curiously.

“What do you mean? Everything’s fine.”

Z shrugged. “You’ve just seemed… Off today. Like you were somewhere else.”

I smiled and pecked her lips. “I’m always with you.”

“You cheesy asshole.” At the mention of Cheese, the tiny dog managed to jump on the bed, his big dark eyes trained on Z, before he laid down at the foot of the bed. I heard Sassy purring from somewhere in the room, and knew she was watching as well.

“Well.” I gasped in fake offense.

“I’m kidding, I love this cheesy curly fry.” I rolled my eyes and rolled her onto her back, pressing a long kiss to her lips.

“Did you just call me a curly fry?” She shrugged and ran her hand through my hair.

“What are you gonna do about it?” I growled playfully and dipped my head to press kisses to the soft warm skin of her throat.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Sorry for the short chapter. Getting down to the end.

-Kell