The Wedding Planner

XIV

"Nathaniel, could you please stop pacing back and forth? I'm having a headache looking at you." Joanne told her husband.

They're all in the suite room where Daniella was in. Lindsay and Anton were both sitting on the couch in the corner while the couple sat on the couch situated on the other side of the room.

"How could I calm down when our daughter is still not waking up? Can we call Dr. Hemmings and ask why it's taking too long for her to regain her consciousness?" Nathaniel explained nervously. It's obvious that he is worried about his daughter's situation at the moment and could not help but feel anxious on what might happen to her.

"He said we should let Daniella take a rest as much as she can. She's been stressed out at work lately." Joanne tried to calm her husband down.

Surprisingly, Nathaniel settled down beside his wife but not before taking a slow, deep breath.

Joanne turned her attention to the two young people inside the room.

"How was Daniella doing at work recently? I noticed she's been very busy and she even renders some overtime way past the usual shift she's taking." Her voice was calm but her eyes looks sincere and worried at the same time looking at Anton.

"We've been very busy after Hillary's wedding, honestly. I, too, were rendering overtimes but not longer than Daniella. Sometimes she tells me to go home first and promised that she'll go home too after an hour. But you know me, I could not sleep until I'm sure that Deb and Daniella are safe inside their homes." Anton told Joanne while looking at Daniella's calm, sleeping face.

Lindsay, after hearing Anton say those words, felt her heart swell in awe. She did not expect for Anton to be this caring and sweet. She thought he was the typical gay 'wingman' just like in chick flick movies. She's glad Daniella have Anton and Deborah as her best friends. They're all looking after each other. She couldn't feel but long for a best friend like that. She has Hillary, yes, and Hillary doesn't fail to be with her as long as she's free from daily meetings and her family's business.

"I'm so glad Daniella has someone like you and Deb." Lindsay thought out loud.

"Right. Deb was texting me nonstop this morning. She could not sleep until she knows that Daniella is safe. She wished she was here but she's a plane ride away from where we are right now." Anton told everyone in the room.

"I just wish Daniella would understand that health always comes first. She doesn't have to work that hard, she knows we can help her in any way she needs." Nathaniel said, he was almost convinced that Daniella can handle it on her own but the instinct of a parent do not just fade away so fast.

"I-I can hear you guys from here, you know." Daniella's voice cracked a little and the hoarseness of her voice is evident due to a long sleep.

All of them almost jumped out of their seats when they heard a familiar voice. The voice Lindsay has been longing to hear since this morning.

"My baby!" Joanne and Nathaniel cried out in unison which amazed Anton a bit. He knows however Daniella covers herself up with her image in public, she's always been the Crawford baby that she is when it comes to her private life.

"How are you feeling?" Joanne asked her daughter in the most loving tone Daniella ever heard. She caressed her daughter's face while waiting for her to answer.

"I'm fine, mom. I needed this sleep." Daniella tried to laugh to show her mom that she's ok. She couldn't help but feel emotional while looking at her mother's eyes. She tried hard to calm herself down as she doesn't want to breakdown.

Daniella noticed that they're not alone in the room, when she looked past her mom, she didn't expect to see Lindsay looking at her passionately. She couldn't help but flash her a cute smile which lured Lindsay and made her drag herself on the bedside. Joanne excused herself.