Silent Lies - Chapter 34: Chapter 34

After a night full of nightmares and at most three hours of sleep, I'm just up for the day, at 6am. Around 7am, a dietary aid came in and served breakfast I didn't even want. Sure, I haven't eaten anything that wasn't connected to the feeding tube I had in for days, supposedly, while I was out but it's like my appetite is now nonexistent.
On the plate there is eggs, bacon, a bunch of mixed fruit, and I was even asked if I wanted a donut. Usually I'd scarf all this down, having an amazing breakfast in front of me, but not today. Instead I end up doodling on the napkins with a pen I had found, sometimes looking up at the news channel playing on the Tv, bored out of my mind.
I want a book, that would help plenty right about now.
"Olivia," I jump at Admira's soft voice, seeing her and Adrian in the doorway, relaxing as happiness takes over. "I'm sorry love, didn't mean to scare you." They walk in and I see the unfamiliar woman standing in the doorway, seeming to hesitate on what to do next.
"Hi." Adrian smiles and sits next to me on the edge of the bed, my hand immediately going to hold his. "Aren't you going to eat?" He motions towards my plate of food and I shrug. "You've gotta eat something." I shake my head and I'm thankful when he lets it go, but I eat a strawberry to comfort him, not enjoying how it settles in my stomach.
"Olivia, this is Daina." Admira motions towards the unfamiliar woman who finally walks into the room with a warm smile. She looks like Adrian, just with blonde hair instead of dark brown.
"Oh, right." Adrian mouths apologies to her. "Liv, this is my mom." I smile at her even though it hurts to, earning another one from her.
"Hi Olivia." Admira sits on the other side of the bed on the edge just like Adrian. "I've been dying to meet you." I remember how me and Adrian were supposed to have dinner with his mom, Daina, the other night until dad got me back. I don't smile anymore.
You should be in school, I write on a napkin to show Adrian but he shakes his head, shrugging also. I write more, Tell your mom it's nice to meet her. My hand aches and Adrian smiles, looking towards his mom.
"She said it's nice to meet you." His mom beams, looking towards me again.
"It's very nice to meet you too, Olivia." I love his mom already, getting nothing but good motherly like vibes from her just as I do with Admira. She frowns though when she looks at the beeping machine, seeing the tube still coming through the hospital gown and the other right under my nose. Even though it burns when I breathe, I really hope I can be taken off oxygen today and all this other shit I hardly know anything about.
It's only been soon to be a day since I've woken up, so I don't feel much better at all. I was able to sit up in bed on my own for the first time this morning, tears welled up in my eyes though. I've had to have Amy's help when needing to use the bathroom, her being someone to lean on for the small walk. That small walk even with the help exhausts my body. But Amy said if everything looks how it should be, today could be the day I'm taken off oxygen and have this tube removed that does hurt like hell if I move certain ways. I'm still going to be kept in the hospital for a few more days at least though, unfortunately.
"How're you feeling this morning?" Admira asks and I sigh at the question but end up shrugging anyway. Physically, I'm still in absolute fucking pain. Mentally, as long as I have distractions I may be fine. Otherwise, I don't know then.
I flinch when Adrian lifts his hand to push the hair out of my face, making him say a string of apologies even though I shake my head to try and tell him it's okay. I had just made so much progress, not flinching as much, but here we are, back at square one as you could say.
"Adrian," his mom says, her eyes speaking everything she's trying to tell him and he frowns, rolling his eyes so she rolls them right back.
"Mom," he mocks, turning his attention back to me and I frown, not knowing what the hell they're trying to get at.
"Go to school, Adrian," Admira tells him with a warm smile and I finally know what his mom doesn't want to say out loud. I want Adrian by my side but I also want him in school, knowing how much he's missed. I'll still be at the hospital later today.
"But-" Admira cuts him off.
"I'll be with Olivia all day, and you can come see her the second the school day is over." He looks at me with a frown.
Go, I write on the napkin, assuring him it'll be fine. He sighs and finally gives into all of us.
"Fine. At least give us a minute?" Admira and Daina nod, walking out of the room and leaving me and Adrian. He looks at me and I know that he wants to ask that question I'm starting to hate but I'm thankful when he doesn't. "I brought you a book," is what he actually says.
A book? My face lights up, I'm sure, as he digs through his bag and reveals the shaded green and blue cover with a girl seeming to be underwater with another person behind her with their arms wrapped around her. I've been wanting to read this one for a while, oh my god.
"It sounded interesting, all that paranormal or fantasy, whatever, shit mixed with romance? You're bound to love it." I laugh as he knows me so well, doing the sign for thank you a million times until he clasps my hand in his to stop me. "There's no need to thank me. I'll read it after you." I smile, excited to start reading it.
I lean forward, trying my best to not cry in pain, trying to hug him. He moves so I don't have to anymore, gently wrapping his arms around me. Now I wish he wouldn't go to school, wanting to stay in his arms all day, but I don't say that to him as I know he will stay here then and miss more school when he needs to go back.
"I can stay here if-" I cut him off with a shake of my head, trying to tell him to go to school. He frowns but nods, kissing my head and my stomach flutters. "You're sure?" I nod and wish I had a phone just so he could text me a million times throughout the day to calm his nerves but dad broke my phone. "Okay..." He kisses my head again before standing, hesitating plenty. "I'll be right back here at two, okay?"
I nod at him with a smile, it takes a couple more minutes before he even leaves the room, telling me it'll be okay as I assure him the same that I will be okay. Daina leaves with Adrian, saying a nice goodbye to me, as she has work too now.
Just a couple hours pass, but they pass quickly as I read my new book the whole time, enjoying this distraction from both the reality of my shitty life and how much pain I'm in. Now, I'm a little more than a quarter of the way through the book.
Amy had come into the room several times throughout the hours, checking vitals and on me. Jordan and Sienna had stopped by once just to see how I was doing but I feel like there's something being hidden from me, that even Admira isn't in on. I don't like that.
"I've gotta take this call, love, will you be okay alone for a few minutes?" I nod at Admira, knowing she's trying to get work done while staying here with me when she doesn't need to. She walks out of the room, maybe going outside for more privacy, leaving me alone for a few.
Or that is until Jordan and Sienna walk in, searching for Admira but then they just focus on me.
"Olivia, so..." They seem to not know how to say whatever it is they're trying to say as I see some other woman walk into the room hesitantly, one I recognize from somewhere but I just can't place it.
"We said we would... well..." I'm not sure what Sienna is trying to say as I still try to figure out who the familiar yet unfamiliar woman is.
"Hi, Olive." Oh my fucking god. The nickname doesn't make me throw up this time, not like how it did when dad said it the other day I just remembered.
Mom.
"We said we'd look into finding your mom, here we are," Jordan finally spits out the words as he and Sienna smile warmly and I do double takes, wondering if this is a dream.
I practically jump out of the bed as if I'm not in agony and that only causes more, rushing and throwing my arms around my mom as tears fall, nearly ripping the IV, tube for my collapsed lung, and my oxygen out in the process. She wraps her arm around me gently while also crying now.
God I've missed this. I've missed mom. I've missed her comforting hugs. I've missed everything even if she left I could care less right now, I just need her for now.
"I'm so sorry, Olive." She kisses my head and I frown, just as Admira and Amy walk in, confused.
"Hi Olivia and..." Amy says and I pull away as Admira stares at mom, wide eyed and seeming angry but happy at once.
"I'm her mom," mom says as we both wipe our tears and I hold onto her, thankful when she wraps her arms back around me again or else I'll be collapsing in a few.
"Oh! Nice to meet you, Mrs. Carter." Amy walks over to check vitals, frowning when she sees I almost ripped everything out.
"It's not Carter, it's Ford and please, call me Lauren." She's married to someone else now? Not that I'd care, I'm happy for her, but I just wanted to know who and when. Mom noticed my confusion as she helps me back to the bed. "I'll explain everything later, okay?" I nod, wanting her hugs again but I give it a rest, my body unable to handle anything else for a while.
Mom hasn't changed much at all appearance wise, still looking younger than ever. She had me when she was 25, making her 42 now but she doesn't at all look it. Her curly brown hair is a lot longer though now. She's wearing a white button up with black dress pants to no surprise, she'd wear those all the time when she was around, still being a buisness woman I see.
"We'll give you guys some time together." Sienna and Jordan walk out of the room as Amy does also, motioning for Admira to follow but she doesn't.
"Is this okay, Olivia?" She asks me, hesitating as she stares at mom and mom looks uncomfortable. Admira and my mom haven't seen each other for as long as I haven't seen her, so much being communicated with their eyes it seems. I nod at Admira finally. "I'll be right outside, okay?" I nod again, smiling when she kisses my head once more.
"Olivia I am so sorry I-" I cut her off with a shake of my head, already knowing what she's going to say.
Mom left but I didn't care, not now. Sure, at first I resented her so much for leaving me and Hadley but then I was happy for her; she didn't have to deal with this new version of dad. And sure, the moments she left and dad realized that's when he turned into a fucking nightmare but it's not her fault that there was that side to him we never knew about. All that matters is that she's here now.
"I never should have left you and Hadley I am so-" I cut her off again with a hug, my tears started falling again at the mention of Hadley. "Oh your sister..." She starts crying harder and I now know she knows that Hadleys gone. "I'm so sorry."
Me and mom hug each other so tight even though it's hurting me, both crying while doing so, having the happiest yet saddest reunion of them all.
I move towards the table where napkins are, taking one I've been writing on, taking my pen and writing on it for mom. It's okay, stop apologizing. She looks at me, wondering why I'm writing instead of talking. But either way she hugs me again and I know we'll be doing a lot of that today.
"I'm so sorry I left, I know sorry doesn't do anything for that though. I never should have left and I regret it so much." I let her talk this time without stopping her. "I never once thought your dad would ever do that to you guys... never." Neither did we. "I should have taken you guys with me." Yeah, you should have. "It's not an excuse for why I left but your dad had hurt me a lot, not like he's done to you guys though. We were fighting a lot and he ended up cheating a bunch. We'd gotten a divorce." What? "We both knew it wasn't going to work out yet we kept trying, but he just... it became too much to handle..."
He cheated? I ask quickly, confused as fuck. All these years he said mom was the one cheating, lying to us, making mom be the bad guy. I don't even care about the part that me and Hadley never knew about; a divorce. They were perfect together in front of me and Hadley, but it was all just an act.
"Yes, but that's not an excuse for me to just leave." It's not, I don't say. "But I was coming back, I promise. The social worker, Sienna, and Jordan got to me first." I smile, feeling happier knowing she was coming back. Then she frowns and finally asks, "You don't talk, Olive?"
Sometimes I do, sometimes I don't. That's the best way I can explain it, not adding all the sadder details like dads the reason I became so scared I stopped talking. She nods with a sad smile, understanding, and I remember her new last name that isn't even her maiden name, curious. I look at the ring on her finger, pointing at it as if to ask about it.
"Oh, right... I've gotten married again. His name is Mason, I really hope you like him." I smile as she says it happily, also happy that she's found someone new, better. "If you don't like him then we're done for." I laugh while shaking my head, as long as she's happy. "And... well, I just want to make sure, I'm going to gain back full custody as long as you're okay with that?" I nod right away. "I know Admira was trying to adopt you, I heard so..."
I shake my head, writing, It's okay. With mom back, Admira doesn't need to do that, although I'm going to have so much to thank Admira for and pay back.
"Also, then, you've got step siblings." Oh my god. "There's Cassie, she's nine. And Noah, he's fifteen." I remember Noah from school, our new friend, wondering but knowing that's just a big coincidence. "You three will get along great." She smiles warmly at me and I genuinely feel excited and happy.
It goes quiet for a while, just us enjoying the silence and the fact that we're back, moms back. "Are you okay, Olivia?" She doesn't mean physically, I know, but I shrug. I just feel better now with mom back. "I'm so sorry he did this to you." She pushes my hair back and I lean into her touch as I shrug, not wanting to keep talking about dad.
Stuff happened, my dad beat me for years and this last time damn near killed me but I don't want to talk about that now. Especially when I actually have hope, with mom being back and her able to get full custody, he won't be able to do anything to me anymore. But he's still out there, not in prison like he should be. Sure, I'm in pain and at a low point mentally but I've got hope again, just like that. I don't focus on all that though. Fuck that.
Me and mom catch up for a while more, her telling me everything while apologizing a million more times. I write whatever I can, sticking with nods and shakes of my head as my hand cramps. Soon Sienna comes in, going over custody and legal shit, making me wonder about Admira.
"Is this what you want?" Admira asks me as she sits on the edge of the bed as mom talks to Sienna about stuff. I nod at Admira, thanking her. "I'll still be here either way, forever and always, okay?" I nod, hugging her.