[GIOSEFFO]
These past few days, even though I knew Millie was safe and out of danger, I felt empty. It was as if my soul had left me the moment she was hospitalized.
Why is it always Millie? Is this my karma for everything I’ve done? If it is, then please, don’t make my wife suffer for my sins. Let me pay for it.
I fell asleep clutching the part of the bed where Millie used to lie.
I had a nightmare. I woke up, gasping and sweating. Beads of sweat lined my chest and temples. I sat up and quickly wiped my forehead. This is why I despise shutting my eyes. Every time I do, I inevitably dream of witnessing my wife getting shot in the chest, collapsing into my arms while blood seeped from her body in a dreadful loop. It’s a recurring nightmare.
I got up and checked the time. I had been asleep for quite some time, even though it was haunted by that nightmare.
I swiftly prepared to head back to the hospital. I noticed that Dad had been trying to reach me earlier, but I hadn’t noticed.
Dad: Return my calls immediately.
His calls had been going on for a while, and because of my deep sleep, I hadn’t answered him. While driving back to the hospital, I attempted to call him, but there was no response.
Fear coursed through me. Had something terrible happened to Millie? That question haunted my mind as I drove to the hospital.
I rushed to where Millie was. Dad and the others greeted me when they saw me.
“Millie…” they began.
I hurriedly entered the ICU, uncertain if I would be allowed in. I didn’t pay attention to what others were saying; I just needed to know what had happened to her.
I froze when I heard faint voices. I stared at her, and even though I wanted to run towards her, my feet felt rooted to the floor.
A faint, weak smile graced her lips while Sienna chatted with her. They noticed me, and Sienna quickly smiled at me, calling my name.
“Gio!” Sienna greeted me and waved, but I didn’t return the gesture because all my attention was on one woman.
“Millie,” I said her name. She’s awake, finally.
~*~
“I need to step out for a while,” Sienna said, looking at Millie. “Sis, I’m going outside so you can talk to Gio.”
Sienna smiled at me one last time before leaving me alone with Millie. With every step I took toward her, it felt like I was walking on the moon. She smiled at me, that beautiful smile I always yearned for, the one I longed to see.
“Hi,” I greeted her as I got closer. The truth was, I didn’t know how to talk to her. I was still struggling to process everything.
“Hi,” she replied in a soft and weak voice.
I held Millie’s hand. Her hand was warm, no longer cold like before. It had regained its warmth, a sign that she was alive.
We exchanged glances for a moment before she slowly placed my hand on her belly. My lips parted, but I couldn’t find the words.
“Did you hear the news?”
I wanted to tell her not to speak for now, fearing it might strain her, but I also knew she wouldn’t be silenced.
“We’re pregnant,” Millie said. A smile spread across my face as I saw how genuinely happy she was.
Despite her still-weak state and her struggle to regain her strength, she managed to smile, and that smile reached her eyes. “Finally.”
“Yes,” I said. I couldn’t hold back any longer. I slowly approached her and gently ran my fingers through her hair. I kissed her forehead. “You’re carrying my child, Millie. We’re going to have a baby. The baby is safe too.”
I sat down on the edge of her bed. I couldn’t take my eyes off her; I wanted to soak in everything about her now that she was awake. She had been given a second, or maybe a third, chance at life, and I wanted to cherish this moment because she hadn’t been taken away from me.
I brought her hand to my lips and kissed it gently. Millie’s smile slowly grew.
“I missed you,” I whispered as I kissed her hand. “So much.”
“I’m sorry, Gio. Did I make you worry?” Millie tried to smile, but I could see the pain in her eyes and the threat of tears.
“Very much,” I whispered, lowering her hand. I entwined our fingers, feeling her. “Don’t do that again.”
She didn’t respond. The doctors needed to examine Millie, so our conversation was interrupted.
I stepped out of her room, and the heaviness I had been carrying for the past day began to lift.
My parents greeted me as I walked down the corridor. I smiled at them. Dad nodded, and my mom beamed with relief.
We were informed that Millie could be moved to a private room later. We had prepared the VIP room for her. I wanted Millie to be comfortable until she was discharged from the hospital.
Our next encounter with Millie occurred when she was moved to the VIP room. I found her engaged in a conversation with Gian. He had paid her a visit earlier, a friend of hers.
I clenched my fist, torn between the urge to grab him by the collar and forcibly eject him from the room or deliver a punch to his face. I still detested the presence of other men around my wife. However, I restrained myself now because I didn’t want to upset Millie while she was in recovery.
I cleared my throat, drawing their attention. Millie looked at me and immediately smiled. The color was returning to her lips, although still somewhat pale. Her skin remained paler than usual, a reminder that just a day ago, her life and the life of our child hung in the balance.
“I think my wife needs to rest,” I declared, crossing my arms and sending a warning glance to Gian. It seemed he understood my unspoken message as his shoulders stiffened.
“Oh, of course,” he replied. He glanced at Millie once more. “I’ll visit you again later or tomorrow. Your husband seems quite protective.”
Millie chuckled at his last remark. “Because he doesn’t know your secret yet.”
They both laughed. My left eye twitched, no longer amused by their laughter.
Gian bid farewell once more before leaving for good. I immediately approached Millie and adjusted her position in bed.
“Are you hungry? There are some fruits and other snacks on the table in your room. I can slice an apple for you if you’d like, or I can order something if you prefer.”
Millie shook her head, her modest smile still gracing her lips.
“Gio,” she called me. “Can you lie beside me?”
I hadn’t been too close to Millie since she regained consciousness. If I did approach her, I did so with great caution, afraid of causing her any discomfort with my movements.
“But-”
“Please?”
I let out a sigh. Once she gave me that pleading look, I was powerless. There was nothing I could do because my body automatically obeyed her.
Millie shifted to make room for me to lie beside her. I carefully settled next to her, and she quickly wrapped her arms around me. I was still nervous, fearing I might inadvertently hurt her after her recent surgery.
“Are you feeling okay?” I gently stroked her hair, the sweet scent of her filling my senses. While earlier I hesitated to be close to her, now I didn’t want to leave her side.
“I’m okay, Gio. Don’t worry too much,” Millie reassured me, resting her head on my chest. I tensed up; every movement she made filled me with anxiety.
“Millie, I’m afraid I might hurt you. Please, don’t move too much,” I expressed my concerns. Each time she shifted, my breath caught in my throat.
“Is that why you’ve been avoiding getting close to me? Are you afraid of hurting me? I’m fine, Gio. I want you near me.”
I let out a sigh of relief. I allowed Millie to embrace me, and soon, I embraced her as well. There were so many things I wanted to say, but I was so comfortable in that moment that I wanted to cherish it, so I wouldn’t forget it.