Ch 38: Waking up

Serena's POV

The first thing I noticed was the smell.

That sharp, sterile scent of disinfectant that screamed "you are in a hospital" filled my lungs before I even opened my eyes. The second thing I noticed was warmth—someone was holding my hand.

I cracked my eyes open, blinking at the blinding white room. The fluorescent lights buzzed softly above me, and everything looked a little too clean. 'Yep, definitely a hospital'. But before I could start overthinking why I was here, my gaze landed on the person sitting beside me.

Valerie.

She was asleep, hunched forward in the world's most uncomfortable position. Her arms were crossed, her chin almost touching her chest, and I could see the faintest crease in her brow even in sleep.

My heart clenched. She must have been sitting like this for hours.

Smiling softly, I squeezed her hand, running my thumb over her knuckles. "Val, wake up."

She stirred, her brow scrunching further before her eyes fluttered open. The moment she saw me, her entire posture changed.

"Serena!" she gasped, sitting up straighter. Her grip on my hand tightened. "Are you okay?"

I let out a small chuckle at her immediate concern. "Calm down, hon." I murmured, reaching up to cup her cheek. Without hesitation, I leaned forward and pressed a soft kiss to it. "If anything, I should be asking you that."

Valerie exhaled a shaky breath, her shoulders relaxing. "I'm fine."

The way she said it told me she had been worrying way too much. That wasn't surprising. She had a tendency to carry everything on her shoulders—even me, sometimes, quite literally. But now that I was awake, she finally let some of that tension go.

We sat in comfortable silence for a few minutes, her hand still in mine. I just wanted to bask in her presence, to let the reality settle in that we were both here. Alive.

But, of course, my brain didn't like peace for too long.

"…Where are Brianna and Cecilia?"

Valerie straightened slightly. "They're in another room."

I frowned. "Are they okay?"

She nodded. "Nothing happened to them. Brianna should wake up in a few hours."

A weight I didn't even realize I was carrying lifted off my chest. I hadn't been fully conscious of what had happened before I blacked out, but knowing that we all made it out okay was enough for now.

"How long was I out?"

"Seven and a half hours."

I hummed, processing that. "That's not too bad." But before I could say anything else—*Grrrrrrr.* 'Oh'. I froze.

Valerie, ever so perceptive, tilted her head and gave me that smile. The one that said, "I heard that, and I am going to tease you."

I coughed, pretending like my stomach hadn't just exposed me. "Well. That's embarrassing."

She reached out, ruffling my hair. "I'll go get you something to eat."

I let out a dramatic sigh, mostly to cover my own embarrassment. "Thanks, hon."

As she walked out, I found myself staring after her. 'How did I even end up with her?'. At the start, it had been more one-sided—her feelings for me had been obvious, while I had been, well… me. But now? Now, I couldn't imagine life without her.

Shaking my head at my own thoughts, I grabbed my phone from the bedside table and called Jake.

After a few rings, he picked up. "Hey, want to talk to the kids?"

"Yes." I didn't even hesitate.

It had been almost two days since I last saw them. The moment I heard Rodan's excited voice, my eyes watered.

"Hey, sweetheart. What are you up to?"

"We're playing!" Rodan's voice was bright and full of energy. "Don't worry, Mommy! I'm taking care of Cristina!"

I let out a soft laugh, blinking back tears. "You're such a good big brother."

Rodan giggled proudly. "Wanna talk to Cristina?"

"Yes."

"Cristina! Mommy's on the phone!"

I heard some shuffling, then tiny baby noises. My chest clenched, and I couldn't stop the tears that spilled over.

Rodan, ever the observant one, immediately picked up on it. "Mommy? Are you okay?"

I wiped my eyes quickly, forcing a smile. "I'm okay, sweetheart. I just—" 'just miss you so much it physically hurts'. "I'm sorry we had to leave you."

Rodan huffed in that way kids do when they're trying to sound grown-up. "It's okay! You guys were cool! I saw you on the news with Uncle Jake! You were awesome!"

I chuckled, shaking my head. "Well, thanks, buddy."

Rodan paused for a moment, then said, "Leon wants to ask something."

There was some shuffling before Leon's quiet voice came through. "…Auntie Serena?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"…Is my mom okay?"

I smiled softly, even as my heart ached. "She's okay. She just can't use her phone right now."

Leon exhaled a breath of relief, his voice getting lighter. "Okay."

I heard him mumble something, so I asked, "What was that?"

"…Is Cecilia okay?"

That made my smile widen. "She's fine too."

Leon made a small, affirming sound before Rodan's voice returned. "Mommy, can I talk to Mom?"

At that moment, Valerie walked in, holding a ridiculous amount of food. I handed her the phone, watching as she balanced everything on the table before taking it.

As she spoke to Rodan, I tilted my head. "Have you eaten yet?"

Valerie blinked. "No."

I rolled my eyes and picked up a spoonful of food. "Here."

She gave me a small smile before leaning in and taking the bite.

And so, we ate together, surrounded by Rodan's excited chatter, Leon's quiet affirmations, and Cristina's little coos.

After finishing, we said goodbye to the kids, and I stretched. "Let's go check on Brianna."

Valerie helped me up, but I quickly realized I didn't need as much support as I thought. My legs felt steady. That was a good sign.

When we arrived at Brianna's room, we found Cecilia sitting beside her, peeling an apple. She glanced up and nodded at us. "Want some?"

Valerie and I both shook our heads, taking seats nearby.

We talked for a while about the attack, keeping things light, but then Brianna stirred.

Cecilia immediately leaned forward. "Brianna? Are you okay?"

Brianna's eyes fluttered open, her expression dazed. "…Where are we?"

"The hospital," Cecilia answered.

Brianna suddenly sat up, grabbing Cecilia's wrist. "Where's the baby I was holding?" she demanded urgently.

Cecilia, unfazed, calmly patted her back. "She's in the nursery. She's safe."

Brianna visibly relaxed, leaning against Cecilia with a relieved sigh.

From our seats, Valerie and I exchanged knowing looks.

Yeah. We all had our people. And that? That was a blessing.