One Chance

Chapter 22

Since Amanda is still in the hospital, my parents ask me to stay at their place for a while. I agree immediately because after the whole incident, I could use some quiet family time. The next day my mom runs errands for me while instructing me to stay in bed. She goes back to my place to put our stuff the weekend back and get me a few necessities for my stay at my parent's house. She gets Amanda and I a week off  from working in the restaurant and my boss from the newspaper also lets me off for a week after hearing about the incident from Mark. 

I stay in bed almost the whole day with my mom keeping me company while dad stays in the bakery. They both insist on staying but I tell them I will feel guilty if I keep them from work, so my dad decides to go for a few hours. When he comes back home, we all watch childhood home videos together that my mom has collected since I was a baby. We laugh, cry, and make fun of each other. We order dinner since we were all too tired to cook and very comfortable on the sofa. 

The bells rings and my mom goes to open the door and when she comes in I can hear voices behind her and before I can even think or speak, I see Toby and Ashlyn walking inside behind my mom. My mom also has the food delivery package in her hand. 

" They arrived as I was collecting the delivery so I invited them to have dinner with us." My mom says while she walks to the kitchen, which makes Dad and I glance at each other and grin. 

Toby and Ashlyn take a seat opposite us and we all stay silent for a few minutes and the only sound audible is the shuffling from the kitchen which makes my dad get up from his seat to help mom. 

As soon as my dad leaves, Ashlyn says," I'm so glad you are okay. I meant to come sooner but after going back from the police station I stayed in my room. It's nothing like what you guys went through but it still makes me shiver just thinking about it. " She comes and sits beside me and takes me into a side hug. 

" I hope you are doing okay though. I saw Amanda in the morning, she looks much better than yesterday and drove Toby's car to his place. Which reminds me, I am leaving for home tomorrow, so I guess this is goodbye for now. I read the book you sent me and since now isn't the time to discuss any of that, I'll contact you later. Take care of yourself Lucy. " She adds and goes back to her seat before I can say anything. 

" Thank you, for everything. I'll look forward to hearing from you again. I am as fine as I can be, I guess. I feel bad for Amanda a lot more. The events after I hit my head are a blank for me but as much as I gathered from what my mom told me; I must thank you for coming for us. I'm guessing you called Mark and Toby?" I ask quietly just staring in front of me at nothing and no one in particular. 

" Yeah.... I came out to the balcony for some air and I could hear you shouting, so on my way to you I called them both. Luckily Mark was there, and Toby had just returned. I really didn't expect all of that. When Toby and Mark started hitting them both I was terrified. I have never seen Toby that enraged. He rarely gets angry. Mark was well... I was scared, he'd kill Mathew, but I pulled him back before he could. They both deserve to rot in jail for as long as possible." Ashlyn answers and I wasn't even sure if she was looking at me because at this point my mind wasn't really present. 

I guess I was so zoned out that I didn't notice Toby sit beside me and engulf me in a hug, until I could feel his soothing rubs on my back. I came back to my senses and held him closer and a single tear ran down my cheek, followed by other and soon I was in silent sobs. I don't think, I cried since I woke up in the hospital. I didn't let myself feel it all. By now, my face is covered in tears and drenching Toby's shirt. 

I was not really aware of everything that happens after that, my mind wasn't paying attention.  I was eating one minute and the next my eyes were blurred. We ate dinner in almost silence with the others making small talk. I remember Ashlyn hugging me goodbye before she left and I uttered a " safe journey, take care" before she went out the door. My mom and dad went to bed right after Ashlyn left, leaving Toby and I siting on the sofa, with his arms tightly wrapped around me and my hands around my knees, just watching Tv. It was a cooking show I usually enjoyed but for some reason just served its purpose to fill the silence. 

After what seemed like a long time but I'm guessing was an hour since dinner, Toby finally speaks," Do you want me to stay?". I simply nod in agreement. We turn off the Tv and the lights and head to my bedroom. 

I immediately lie down, and Toby joins me. We cuddle and he kisses my forehead and says," good night love". I fall asleep soon after. 

For the next few days, I spend my mornings in the hospital with Amanda while my parents are at work. We talk till her parents come to keep her company. Since they work in the same hospital, it's easier for them to check up on her. Now they have become her doctors too after their initial shock of the situation is gone. Toby picks me up from the hospital and drops me off at home. He hasn't spent the night again since that one day but stays for dinner. He takes me on drives and we even went to the lake one day. We don't really talk much that day but sit in silence, taking in the quiet and nature's beauty. 

After a week, Amanda returns home and I go back home along with her. We settle in and everything almost goes back to normal. About three months later, I quit my job at the restaurant and spend the time writing and updating my novels. Amanda still works at the restaurant, but she cut down on her working hours to stay home and work on her music. Her YouTube channel has really grown these past few months, with Amanda uploading more cover videos and two new original songs. 

I've been hanging out with Toby a lot more too. We almost always have lunch together, either I go to the bookstore or we go to a cafe nearby my office. Amanda and I started trying out new dishes for dinner and for some reason they tasted better than we expect. Everything feels like it's back to normal but we never talk about the incident even once, except for that one day when we were watching a movie and there was a violent scene which made Amanda cry till her entire body was shaking. We cried that day while I held her, and all her emotions came out together. She cried and kept wondering why that happened, cursed Mathew and Henry and cried some more. Amanda was herself again but somehow there was something missing. Most of the time when she smiled, it didn't reach her eyes. Her songs were amazing, but you could feel the pain behind them. She didn't really speak to anyone else other than her family Mark and me. 

Mark shows up to our house on some the weekends and he really makes Amanda happy. They aren't in a relationship yet but at least he makes her happy. On the weekends Mark comes to visit Amanda, Mark, Toby and I hang out together. We've been to the arcade, movies and camping. On days when we don't feel like going out we just play board games or video games at home or just watch Tv. We split out time between Toby's house and ours. 

Time passed by and now it is 6 months since my first date with Toby. I decide to surprise Toby with a dinner and his favorite watch. He mentioned it to me on one of our dates that he always wanted one like his dad's and I found one that looks exactly like the picture he showed me, and I got the delivery earlier today. I'm super excited for today. Amanda helps me decorate the house with some fairy lights and pictures of us. She decides to spend the night at her parents' house and in return I make her a delicious lunch. 

I am done with the final touches on the decorations and the food is almost ready by 8 p.m. I quickly get dressed in my favourite black dress and hoop earrings with a simple necklace. Toby arrives half an hour later as I'm about to put the final dish on the table. I open the door and he gives me a kiss as soon as he sees me. We walk in and he looks around the house and there's a smile on his face which makes me do a dance in my head. We go to the dinning table and take a seat. I can see he's impressed by the way he looks at the food with awe and a sparkle in his eyes. I mentally congratulate myself. 

Toby reaches out and holds my hand on the table and says ," this looks wonderful love. You've done an amazing job. I love you. Happy anniversary." 

" Happy anniversary love ", I reply and give his hand a squeeze.