Petals For Armour | r.r

42

The steady beep of the heart rate monitor swayed me out of my deep yet somehow exhausting sleep. I felt something warm engulf my hand. I squeezed it trying to figure out what it was. The warm object squeezed my hand back but it's grip remained. I could hear the murmur of voices.

My eyes unhinged and fluttered open. There were faces almost floating above me. One was crying and saying something I couldn't quite make out. The voices started to fade in slowly.

"She's awake!"

"Oh, my baby!"

"Babe, A.J, can you hear me?"

"Sir, ma'am, please give her some space."

My eyes fully opened. The bright hospital light stung my eyes. I was sat up in my bed by a button that a nurse has pushed. I took in my surrounding. My left arm was wrapped I'm bandages, two doctors and a nurse stood in front of me, dozens of flowers and gifts covered the bedside table and my family was all crying.

"Everyone, clear the room. We're going to do some tests to see if everything is okay and you can visit." A doctor said.

Everyone left the room slowly. Ronnie looked back once more at me before leaving.

"Miss Meyer," the doctor spoke. "We're just going to run some tests and your family will be back in soon."

I nodded my head. "Also, a man was here and asked me to give you this." He handed me an envelope.

He took my blood pressure, vitals and asked me a series of questions about how I was feeling. I was given a small cup of jello and a water before all staff left my room.

I held the jello in my hands, watching it move as my hand shook. I opened the letter. '2 days!' It read. I was getting less confused about these letters and more concerned. Seeing the bandages on my arm washed guilt over my entire body. My thoughts were interrupted by the room door opening. A set of tattooed fingers wrapped around the wooden door and Ronnie face appeared. He peeked in before opening it fully and walking in. Willow followed closely behind him.

I smiled widely at the pair. They were always just what I needed to make me feel better.

"A.J!" Willow cheered and ran to my bedside. Ronnie smiled as she reached to give me a hug. I wrapped my hands around her tiny frame the best I could from my seated position. I let go of her and watched Ronnie sit in the chair next to my bed.

"Hi, love." Ronnie smiled as he grabbed my hand. His thumb traced circled on the top of my hand.

"Hi." I smiled back.

I was so caught up in his gaze that I didn't notice Willow crawling up on the bed with me. She was aware of the bandages on my arms and was sure not to go near them.

Ronnie put his other hand on top of mine and bowed his forehead so it rested on my stomach.

"Please don't ever leave me again." He whispered. Tears threatened to fall from my eyes as I heard him sniffle.

"It's okay, daddy." Willow patted his hair. "She's not sad anymore. She has us."

I laughed aloud and let my tears fall. Ronnie picked his head up and I hugged them both. He put his face up to my ear. "I love you so much." He breathed.

"I love you, too." I smiled and kissed his cheek. I let them out of my hug. "I got another letter."

I handed Ronnie the envelope and he read it. His eyebrows shifted into a angry expression. The door opened and my mother and Zach walked through.

"Oh, honey!" My mom lifted her arms up and pulled me into a hug. "I love you!"

"I love you too, ma." I smiled and rubbed her frail back.

Zach walked up to me as she pulled away. "Do that again and I'll kick your ass." He said as he hugged me. "I love you."

"I love you, too, man." I laughed.

We all chatted for a bit, but mostly listened to Willow talk. I didn't mind. I didn't want the attention on me. I was too busy sharing glances with Ronnie to care too much. His gaze was adoring but also sorrowful. It's like he was taking me in as if I were to disappear right in front of him.

"Guys," I addressed everyone. "Can I talk to Ronnie alone for a second?"

My mother put her hand on Willow's shoulder. "Sure, honey, I'll take Willow outside."

I watched as they all filed out of the room. Zach closed the door with one when while holding Willow in his other arm. I waited for a few seconds to start talking.

"Ronnie, I-"

"I'm so sorry." He interrupted.

I furrowed my eye brows. He's sorry?

"I'm sorry I wasn't there when you needed me." He explained. "I was too busy to realise how you were dealing with this. That video, it's illegal to look up now. Baby, I sued them for almost ten million dollars. I told you I would fix it."

I looked at my lap and then back at him. "Ronnie, none of this is your fault. You didn't need to fix anything. It was my mess and you got dragged into it. I'm sorry that I almost left you."

We were both crying now. I couldn't believe he thought that this was his fault. I held his head to my chest and ran my fingers through soft, short hair.

"I promise I'll never leave you." I said into his hair.

He pulled away from my chest. "There's something else you need to know." He wiped a final tear from his eye.

"What?"

He sighed. "Lex, you were pregnant."

I fell silent. I felt numb. "Wh-what do you mean 'were'?"

He grabbed my hand again. "I'm so sorry, baby. They made me choose. They could only keep one of you alive. I'm sorry. I had to choose. I can't live without you."

He was almost pleading to my eyes. It's like he was begging me for forgiveness.

"We were gonna be parents?"

"I'm so sorry." He cried.

I was shocked. How could I be pregnant? When I was seventeen I was told I couldn't have kids. I meant to tell Ronnie the first time we had sex after he asked about me being on the pill.

"No, no." I said. "This is great!"

"What?" He said, looking up at me quickly.

"Ronnie, I was told I was infertile when I was seventeen. This means I can have kids! If you're serious about this, we can try later down the road."

His grip on my hand tightened. "I am serious about us."