91. Chapter 91
ninety-one
F rank was awake.
Not fully present, his eyes drifted in and out of focus, his words slurred and soft, but there was awareness behind the blinks.
He squeezed Poppy’s hand when she leant in to speak.
His gaze followed Kitty as she paced the foot of the bed, blue frosting still clinging to the corner of her mouth.
He smiled faintly when Benji said his name.
Monroe stood back, letting the others crowd close. The nurse had said not to expect clarity yet. The pain would cloud him. The medication would fog everything else. But still, he was here.
Breathing.
Responding.
Alive.
“Hey, love,” Poppy said gently. “You’ve got visitors.”
Frank made a low sound, his mouth twitching.
Kitty leant in. “Hi, Daddy,” she whispered. “You missed doughnuts.”
That earned another flicker of a smile, and Monroe saw Poppy’s eyes shine for a second before she blinked it away.
Benji stayed quiet, but he didn’t let go of Frank’s hand. He just held on, his thumb brushing slow circles over the bruised skin, as if willing something stronger to return.
Frank tried to speak but struggled to form words. Poppy was ready, reaching for the small lollipop sponge the nurse had left beside the bed, soaking it in water before brushing it gently across his lips.
A grateful smile tugged his lips upwards and apart as he accepted it.
“Thank…you,” he rasped after the third pass of the sponge.
It was barely more than a whisper, but the effort behind it rang loud enough. Poppy smiled through the emotion tightening her throat and leant in to press her forehead gently against his.
“You’re doing great,” she murmured.
Frank closed his eyes briefly, another flicker of a smile touching his face. Kitty stood beside her mother, wide-eyed and solemn, while Benji leant in a little closer.
“Dad,” he said softly, “we’ve been here the whole time.”
Frank’s eyes opened again, tired, unfocused, but shining all the same.
Monroe still hung back to give them the moment. Something lifted in her one minute, before being replaced with something else, something heavier.
She smiled when Kitty whispered something that made Frank's lips twitch into a tired grin.
Monroe was happy. Truly. But underneath it, something was stirring. And she wasn’t sure she was ready to deal with it just yet.