25. Chapter 25
Chapter 25
Mira
T he sun filtered through the trees, casting dappled light across the garden as Beau and Pari chased each other across the lawn, their laughter filling the warm air. I sat on the grass, watching them, my heart full in a way I hadn't felt in years. Beau caught Pari, scooping her up, and twirling her around while she squealed, her little arms flailing with joy.
"Bodaddy!" Pari shrieked, her curls bouncing as she giggled uncontrollably.
Beau looked over at me with a grin, his eyes bright with happiness. "You're wearing me out, kiddo!"
I couldn't help but laugh. "She gets her energy from her father."
He groaned dramatically, pretending to collapse on the grass with Pari still in his arms, both of them breathless from the chase. Pari wriggled free, and ran toward me, her little legs moving as fast as they could. She flung herself into my lap, her face flushed from the exertion, and I wrapped my arms around her, holding her close.
" Miramashi , Bodaddy is sleeping." She giggled, nestling into me.
"You tired him out, my Shona ." I kissed the top of her head. "You're just too fast for him."
Beau sat up, leaning back on his hands, watching us with that look—the one that made my heart skip a beat every time. It was the kind that said this amazing life was ours now! It was happy, peaceful, and full of love.
"You two are my world, you know that?" Beau's gaze locked on mine. "I love you both very much."
"I know." I trusted my Beau. "I love you both very much, too."
Pari squirmed in my lap, holding up a dandelion she'd plucked from the grass. "Blow, Miramashi ! Make a wish!"
I leaned down, blowing the tiny seeds into the breeze, watching them scatter into the sunlight. I didn't need to make a wish. I had everything I could have ever dreamed of—right here. Beau, Pari, this life. It was more than I ever thought I deserved.
"I love you, my Shona ," I said, smiling widely.
I felt a sharp pain in my chest, and I doubled over.
"Mira? Can you hear me?" Beau called out, but his voice didn't sound like his own.
The warmth of the sun became distant, the laughter around me faded into something darker, colder. The world tilted, and everything became a blur.
"Mira?" Beau's voice was faint, like he was calling from underwater. "Do we know what she took?"
"Ambien," someone else said.
I tried to focus on the voices to identify who was speaking, but I was drowning. The pressure inside me was unbearable, like I was being pulled under, sinking into a place where I couldn't escape. I felt my body slipping away, my mind spiraling into darkness.
Loud, urgent voices woke me. Someone was shouting. The world around me wasn't our garden anymore—it was harsh and sterile, with beeping sounds and bright lights. I tried to keep my eyes open, but they felt too heavy.
"She's unresponsive!" A voice cut through the haze, sharp and authoritative. "Get the IV ready and start Flumazenil."
An IV? Who needed an IV?
"Hang in there, Mira, don't let go," someone else said, their voice softer, calmer. I wanted to reach for it, to hold onto something, but my body felt like it was floating, disconnected from everything.
"She's crashing!" another voice yelled. "We need that shot, now!"
I tried to reach out, but my limbs were heavy like they didn't belong to me anymore. I could hear chaos around me—footsteps, machinery, the rapid-fire exchange of words I didn't understand. I felt like I was trapped inside my own mind, unable to break free.
I wasn't in the garden anymore. I wasn't with Beau and Pari. This wasn't the life I'd been building.
The last thing I remembered before slipping into nothingness was the sound of an ambulance siren wailing in the distance.