32. Summer
32
SUMMER
T he beeping of the monitors had become a constant background noise, a rhythmic reminder of why we were here. I shifted in the uncomfortable hospital chair, my back aching from another sleepless night. Ava was asleep, her small hand clutching Bunny while the other rested loosely on the blanket covering her.
“Summer,” Enzo’s voice was soft as he stepped into the room, a steaming cup of coffee in his hand.
I glanced up, exhaustion tugging at my every movement. “Hey,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper.
He crossed the room, setting the coffee down on the small table beside me. “You need to rest.”
“I’m fine,” I said automatically, though the weight of my words betrayed me.
“You’re not,” he said firmly, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder. “You’ve been here for two nights straight. Let me stay with her while you take a break.”
I shook my head, my eyes fixed on Ava. “I can’t leave her, Enzo. Not now.”
“You’re not leaving her,” he said gently, crouching down so we were at eye level. “You’re letting someone else step in so you can take care of yourself. Ava needs you at your best, Summer.”
His words were logical, but the thought of walking out of the room, even for a moment, felt impossible. “What if she wakes up and I’m not here?”
“I’ll be here,” he said without hesitation. “She won’t be alone.”
Before I could respond, the door opened, and Elaine and Richard stepped inside. Elaine carried a small tote bag, her warm smile doing little to hide the concern in her eyes.
“Thought you might need reinforcements,” Elaine said, setting the bag on the chair by the door.
“We brought sandwiches,” Richard added, holding up a small cooler. “And coffee. Real coffee, not the stuff from the cafeteria.”
Tears pricked my eyes at their thoughtfulness. “Thank you,” I said softly.
Elaine approached Ava’s bed, smoothing the blanket gently. “How is she?”
“She’s stable,” Enzo said, his voice calm but tinged with exhaustion. “The doctors are monitoring her closely. We’re waiting on more test results.”
“She’s strong,” Richard said, his voice full of conviction.
“She is,” I agreed, my throat tightening.
Elaine turned to me, her hands on her hips. “Summer, you need to step out for a bit. Let us watch over Ava for a while.”
“I—”
“No arguments,” she said firmly. “Go stretch your legs, get some fresh air. Enzo, take her.”
“Mom—” Enzo began, but she silenced him with a look.
“Go,” she said again, softer this time. “We’ll take good care of her.”
I hesitated, glancing at Ava’s peaceful face.
“She’ll be fine,” Richard said gently. “We’ve got this.”
Enzo offered his hand, and after a moment, I took it, letting him lead me out of the room. The hallway was quiet, the faint hum of activity from the nurses’ station the only sound.
“Come on,” he said, steering me toward the small garden outside the hospital.
The fresh air hit me like a balm, the cool breeze brushing against my skin as we stepped outside. I took a deep breath, the tension in my chest easing slightly.
“Better?” he asked, watching me closely.
“A little,” I admitted, sinking onto a bench beneath a flowering tree.
He sat beside me, his knee brushing against mine. For a moment, we sat in silence, the weight of the past few days pressing down on us.
“She’s going to get through this,” he said quietly, his voice steady.
“I want to believe that,” I said, my voice trembling. “But what if…”
“Don’t,” he said, his hand covering mine. “Don’t go there. We’re not giving up on her, Summer. Not now, not ever.”
His words were a lifeline, and I held onto them tightly.
When we returned to Ava’s room, she was awake, her small face lighting up when she saw us.
“Mommy! Daddy!” she said, her voice weak but excited.
I rushed to her side, brushing a hand over her curls. “Hi, baby. How are you feeling?”
“Tired,” she admitted, her little voice barely above a whisper.
Enzo sat on the other side of her bed, taking her hand gently. “That’s okay, Ava. Your body’s working hard to get better.”
She nodded, her eyes wide as she looked at him. “Am I really sick?”
“You are,” he said softly. “But the doctors are going to help you feel better. And we’re going to be with you every step of the way.”
Her lip trembled slightly. “Promise?”
“I promise,” he said firmly, leaning down to kiss her forehead.
The rest of the day passed in a blur of check-ins from doctors, whispered conversations, and quiet moments with Ava. She drifted in and out of sleep, her small hand never straying far from Bunny.
That evening, as Ava dozed off, Enzo and I sat together by her bedside, the soft glow of the monitors casting faint shadows across the room.
“She asked me earlier if she was going to die,” I said quietly, my voice breaking.
Enzo’s jaw tightened, his hand finding mine. “What did you say?”
“I told her no,” I said, tears streaming down my face. “But what if I’m wrong?”
“You’re not,” he said firmly, his grip on my hand tightening. “She’s going to get through this, Summer. We’re going to get through this.”
I looked at him, his determination steadying me. “I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I whispered.
“You’ll never have to find out,” he said, his voice low but full of conviction.