Cinders

~84~ Sasha~2

I spend the next couple of days at the hospital, but I don't see mom. I can't. Dad hasn't left her room, and neither has Taylor.

Actually, Grandpa, Jake, and Justin haven't left her side either. She is doing better, but she still hasn't woken up yet. They are almost positive she's going to make it, though.

Instead, I spend the majority of my time in the nursery. I finally held the baby, and I fell completely in love with her. She's the cutest thing. She's so soft, and she smells really good.

Her little grunts and noises are adorable, and when she grabs my finger I all but melt. She's the calm that's getting me through.

She looks a lot like mom, but I see Taylor in her too. She's really a good mix of both of them. I'm in there... She has the same eyes as me and mom. It's pretty cool to see yourself in someone else.

Slightly freaky, but cool nonetheless. Genetics are weird

My phone vibrates while I'm outside, walking the courtyard for a while.

***mom is awake and talking! Come see her

***on my way!

Tears are already streaming down my face. I thought for sure that I was going to be without a mom.

And I couldn't fathom an existence like that.

I need a few minutes before I get the courage to go and see her—I'm not sure if she's going to forgive me for avoiding her, and I'm nervous.

I finally make my way up to her room and stand at the door, too nervous to go in.

I see Grandpa, Dad, Jake, and Justin sitting, cramped in the tiny room. I'm assuming Taylor is next to mom but I can't see him from this angle.

Dad sees me standing there and smiles at me gently.

"She's waiting for you, bud," dad says, grabbing my shoulder gently and pushing me through the door.

The moment I see mom, awake and well, I rush over and throw myself carefully onto the bed. Mom wraps her arms around my head and just kisses me softly.

"I'm so sorry I scared you," she says weakly.

Of course Mom is apologizing to me. Mom was worried about ME. She couldn't care less that I wasn't here

I'm the luckiest kid to have her as a mom.

"I'm so sorry I couldn't be here," I say, trying not to cry. I have never felt such guilt before.

"You were here—I heard you asking me to come back to you. I did my best," she says with a small smile.

Taylor was right! She could hear me! The look on Taylor's face tells me that he is just as surprised as I am. He must have thought he was feeding me a crock of shit!

I reach up and kiss her forehead, and then lay back down so she can rest her cheek on my shoulder. We just stay like that for a long time. We say nothing, and we're just enjoying the peace that is pouring through. I never thought I would be able to sit next to her again. To feel her hug me again. To see her smile.

After a while, Grandpa breaks the silence. "You haven't told Liam his sister's name yet."

"She has a name?!" I ask, excited. Taylor was adamant that he wasn't naming her until mom woke up. He made a nurse cry after she asked him one too many times—He apologized to her later for that.

Taylor nods. "Apparently your mom had one all picked out and didn't think to fill me in," he says with a teasing smile.

"Well?" I ask, looking at mom.