Chapter 48 - VISITOR
"Thank you, Lord, for letting my daughter live."
I sat there on my hospital bed, a captivated smile plastered on my lips while my eyes were fixed into the angel curled on her tiny bed, and peacefully asleep.
Love swelled inside me making my chest tight until it wanted to burst from the overwhelming emotion. I never stopped thanking the Lord for letting my daughter live. I'd never been so happy the way I did now as if a thorn had been taken off from my chest.
Faith Vienne was prematurely born and yet look at how miraculously healthy she was, that she doesn't need to stay in the incubator. Those chubby cheeks of hers were fresh and red like a blossoming rose and those thin but shapely lips of her seem to curve into a smile when she's awake, and sometimes even when she's asleep.
The doctor said that she was born healthy and we could take her home after the hospital allows us to be discharged. I couldn't be happier by the news of coming home knowing everything was slowly returning to its normal pace.
I was deep in my thoughts when the door unceremoniously flung open, emerging from it was Elisa wearing a mask of worry in her tear-stricken eyes.
When she spotted me seated on the bed's edge, the tears she's holding back failed to be restrained, and it came racing down her smooth, porcelain cheeks.
She laid the basket filled with fruits just beside the door where a water dispenser stood and ran to me as the tears spilled on her flushed cheeks.
"You made us all worried! I thought I will never see you again!" She sobbed on my shoulders.
Hearing her cry for me stirred my emotions. Before I knew it I was sobbing too as I reciprocated her embrace with equal warmth.
"The Obstetrician-gynecologist told us you almost died! Your weak heart almost stopped beating for a couple of minutes!" Elisa continues to weep as she pours her heart out. I listened quietly biting my lips as tears continued to tumble down my cheeks.
"I'm okay now Elisa," I said when she finally stopped chattering. We need to stop crying before Faith Vienne wakes up."
At the sound of my daughter's name,? she straightened. Her fingers flew to her cheeks and quickly wiped the tears that made her vision blurry.
"How could you vanish just like that without saying goodbye!? You scared the hell out of me that I failed to sleep last night!" She said, her expression looked cheated, her gaze never leaving mine. "You should have told me the truth!" Her voice shifted to a reprimanding tone that made my heart ache with guilt knowing she was right.
"If I told you the truth will you allow me to go?" I asked despite knowing her obvious reply. I wiped the tears from my eyes using the sleeve of my hospital gown.
"No, because I'm scared something will happen to you." As expected it was the response I heard from her.
"And that's the reason why I didn't bother to tell you."
"If you didn't give birth to this seraphic creature I swear, I will never forgive you." She replied but this time the stern voice was gone. She was slowly returning to her usual soft-spoken tone. Her gaze was now on the baby lying on her bed, unmindful of the world while she was on her peaceful slumber.
"Oh look at that angel! And that nose, isn't it perfect?" Elisa exclaimed when her gaze landed on the baby who surprisingly didn't stir on her bed despite the commotion.
I smiled, that sweet, unrestrained smile that brightened up the whole room. I couldn't agree more with my friend's remark. Faith Vienne's nose was perfect and I wonder where she did get that from, my nose was not that upturned and definitely not chiseled to perfection like an artist's work of art.
"She was so beautiful Belle—I mean Beatrix!" Elisah exclaimed with excitement, her eyes glowed with amazement as it continued to stare at Faith Vienne. "But she doesn't look like you, Beatrix!" She threw me a quick glance before she focused her undivided attention back on the baby. Her last remark plunged me into a swirling thought, for the first time I asked myself if my daughter doesn't look like me then who?
"Oh look at that dimple she just flexed!" Elisah grinned widely when she caught the baby smile in her sleep and deep dimples emerged from her rosy cheeks.? "This angel was a charmer!? You cute little thing! You must have inherited your charming features from your father."
I froze from her last remark.
When she suddenly shifted her gaze on me, she caught the look of confusion spreading into my face. "I-I'm sorry Beatrix! I shouldn't have said it out loud." She said regretfully as she quickly came to me with a worried frown scrunching her temples.
"It's not your fault Lisa, It's not your intention to offend me. It's just that Faith's father was such a huge enigma to me until now. I can't remember even the tiniest detail about him."
"Don't force yourself to recover your memory, Beatrix. Time will give you the answer you are looking for, one day when you least expect it to come, your memories will return."
"Yes, I understand Lisa but I couldn't shake a few doubts off my mind. If I did have a husband why didn't he search for me? Or if not, how did I become a single mom? Not that I regret having my Faith. In fact, she was the best thing that ever happened to me. I will never regret having her."
"Stop overthinking okay? You will stress yourself and so the baby."
Elisa brushed the stray hair that fell on my face with her fingers. She was like the sister I never had. She was so sweet and so gentle. She gave me affection without reservations. I followed her advice and shook the bothering thoughts off my head. She's right, overthinking will only stress me and so the baby.
When she saw my face cleared, she brightened. A smile then slowly stretched on her lips. I smiled too and thanked her.
It was around one o'clock when Elisah bid goodbye. After landing a kiss on my left cheek, she hurriedly ran to the door. She almost forgot about her tutoring schedule. It totally slipped out of her mind since all she'd been thinking was me.? Not that I can blame her, it was her nature to care too much that sometimes she forgets about herself.
"Take care!" I waved back at her before the door closed.
Once more I was alone but not totally. Faith Vienne was here with me. I know I will never be alone or lonely as long as I have her.
The door opened. Just when I thought? Elisa returned after forgetting something behind, Alexander Crawford emerges from the door. He was carrying a fresh bouquet in his hand.
When he saw me looking up to him his mouth twisted into a smile, making the corners of his eyes crinkle with mirth. I couldn't believe that this man was my father. Behind the cold-hearted facade, he used to fool everyone lies the kindest and the gentlest man I'd ever seen.
"For you my darling." He said as he handed the bouquet of fresh red roses to me.
"Thank you, papa," I responded gleefully, taking the flowers to my nose. The sweet enchanting smell of roses permeating my nostrils nearly made my eyes close. The scent was so relaxing that I had this urge to lie down and fall asleep.
"All your brothers were outside the room arguing who will come here first. I didn't allow them to come here all at the same time. The room will become crowded for the eight of them. Also, I don't want to disrupt this angel's sweet slumber." He was looking at his granddaughter when he said the last remark.
Surprise made my eyes wide and I stared at him unbelievingly. "It's so kind of them to come Papa. They shouldn't have bothered. We will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow."
He grinned and shook his head. Amusement lingered in his eyes. "I told them so. They wouldn't listen. I let them come with me since they couldn't contain their excitement to see you and this little girl."
"Pa can we talk for a while?"
He took a deep, long breath before he continued. "Is it about the Hotel Project at the seaside?" Concern bloomed in his eyes as he gazes at me. Now that he knew my intention, I couldn't make a retreating step backward.
I nodded my head in confirmation. I? know it's not the perfect timing to talk business inside the hospital but I couldn't put my mind to rest unless I candidly speak about my concerns.
"Sure darling, I know it's important to you. Let's talk about it now." He finally said.
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