𝐀𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞 𝐏𝐎𝐕

"Allie?" my visitor says from across the room, my spine stiffening at the voice.

He approaches the bed slowly before pausing a few feet away. He shakes his head in disbelief before rubbing his jawline.

I sit up in the bed, feeling the soft sheets beneath me, and gently shake Jax's shoulder to wake him. His eyes fly open, and he looks at me with concern in his voice as he asks, "Is everything okay?"

"Jax, this is Trevor," I announce, indicating towards Trevor, who stands with his arms crossed over his white t-shirt. "Trevor, this is Jax."

Could this situation get any more awkward?

"I think I already know who it is, Allie. We were together for eight years and you never stopped talking about the guy," he says, running his fingers through his short, blonde hair.

Trevor gazes at me with such disdain that it almost makes me feel ashamed. Almost.

"I got the call from the paramedics since I'm still in your phone as an emergency contact, but it looks like someone else probably should be," he says, his gaze intense and unwavering, as if searching for answers in my eyes. "How long has this been going on?"

Jax sits up in the bed, the mattress shifting under his weight as he stands. He saunters over to Trevor before extending his hand in introduction,

"Hi, Trevor. Sorry we had to meet this way, I'm sure this is rather confusing for you," Jax says empathetically.

Trevor hesitantly accepts the handshake, casting furtive glances between Jax and me before tucking his hands back into his pockets.

"Are the girls with you?" I ask, my voice tinged with hope, as I carefully maneuver myself into a more upright position in bed.

"Well, no. I wasn't sure how you were doing, and it didn't seem right to bring them to the hospital," he replies in a flat tone. "I wanted to make sure you were okay before bringing them by."

My heart feels as though it drops to the pit of my stomach with disappointment at not being able to see my girls yet. I was hoping since he is here then that would mean they would be too. However, he makes a valid point with wanting to make sure I was okay first before subjecting them to something so stressful at their ages.

"Did they say how long you needed to be here?" Trevor asks, his feet shifting below him showing how uncomfortable he is.

I turn to Jax, catching his gaze and tilting my head. "Would you mind giving us a few minutes?" I ask.

"Of course not. I'll be with Ana and Nora if you need me," he replies before slipping through the door, leaving us alone.

I take a deep breath, anticipating the storm of questions Trevor is about to unleash. I'm not sure if I'll be able to answer them, or even if he needs answers at this moment.

"So?" he asks expectantly, throwing his arms up in disbelief. "Is this the reason you decided to go on vacation?"

Is he serious? Yes, of course. I had meticulously planned to coincidentally run into Jax Owens, make him develop feelings for me, and then end up in a car accident, leaving me nearly infertile. How on earth did you figure that out?

"Of course not, Trevor. It just... happened,"  I respond, shaking my head at his accusation.

He ambles over to the unoccupied chair by my bedside and eases into it with a deep, burdened exhale.

"I'm sorry. I know this might be confusing and shocking. I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything, so I can only imagine how you must feel," I said, hoping to catch his gaze, but he seems determined to avoid it.

"I just don't approve of it. He's in a band, Allie. I'm sure you know how rockstars can be with the whole drugs, sex, rock and roll lifestyle. That's not suitable for someone like—" he says, abruptly halting his words as his lips form a taut line.

"Someone like what? Like a single mom?" I ask, a tinge of annoyance in my voice as I fold my arms across my chest.

"I'm just looking out for you and our daughters, Allie," he says, rolling his head to the side and finally locking eyes with me. "Someone apparently needs to."

I scoff loudly at his remark. Was his intention to come here and make me feel even worse about this situation than I already do? This interaction serves as a stark reminder of why he and I didn't work out.

"Why are you here, Trevor? Clearly you're upset and saying things out of anger," I say exhaustedly.

"I came here because they couldn't give me much information over the phone and I needed to make sure my kids' mother was okay," he replies.

"Well, I'm okay," I say shrugging my shoulders. "Are the girls with my mom? Are they in the area so I can at least see them soon?"

Trevor runs his hands down his face and lets out a slow, exasperated sigh. "They're in town, but your mom wasn't in any condition to watch them. You should call her," he says, taking his phone out of his back pocket.

I shake my head in confusion. My daughters are down here, but my mom is four hours away back home. Then who could they possibly be with?

"If they're not with my mom, then who are the girls with?" I ask, my eyebrows knitting together.

I watch as he absentmindedly flips his phone over in his hands, his expression unreadable. "I couldn't bring them with me not knowing your condition, so I had to leave them with my girlfriend," he finally said, his tone neutral.

Instantly, a surge of anger surges through me. How could he leave our daughters with a woman they barely know? They couldn't have been together for long, I'd only been gone for three weeks, and he never mentioned anything about a girlfriend. On top of that, the text messages he'd sent me had made it sound like he wanted to discuss getting back together.

"Wait, so you're telling me that Charlotte and Lydia are currently sitting with a stranger instead of being here with Ana and Nora? Just a few minutes ago you were giving me a hard time about Jax, but now it's suddenly okay for you to leave our daughters with someone we don't even know?" I raised my voice, feeling a mix of concern and frustration.

"She's not a stranger, Allie. I know you haven't met her yet, but that doesn't mean she's a stranger. We've been working together for a few months, and we recently started dating. I was planning to talk to you about meeting her before the girls did when you got back, but things have clearly changed," he says with a hint of frustration.

After all this time, all the text messages and the anxiety they caused, that's what he wanted to talk about? I had been mentally preparing myself for weeks to endure another attempt at reconciliation, and now I feel a little foolish for not just asking for more information. At the same time, I feel a sense of relief knowing he found someone. Yet, the fact that my two young daughters are being cared for by someone I've never met leaves me with a sinister feeling. Memories of my past trauma overwhelm my mind, making me feel as though my body is vibrating with a looming sense of panic.

The rapid thumping of my heart sets the pace as a wave of heat washes over my face. The familiar signs of an impending anxiety attack lurk just beneath the surface, amplified by the unfamiliar surroundings of the hospital and the absence of my medical records. Doubt gnaws at me as I realize they may not have a record of my medications, which means they won't be able to provide my anxiety medication.

As I struggle to catch my breath, the monitors beside me erupt into a cacophony of alarms, signaling that my heart rate is dangerously high. Desperate for relief in the absence of medication, I inhale deeply, but the tears well up and spill over uncontrollably. Trevor rises from his seat just as two nurses burst into the room, their urgent footsteps echoing on the sterile floors.

"Hey, Allie. It's Nurse Abigail," she greets gently as she checks the monitor. "Are you doing okay?"

The words escape me as I feel my throat constricting while I sit in the hospital bed, slowly shaking my head.

Her curious gaze meets mine as she inquires, "Do you have a history of anxiety, or is it just with everything going on?"

Without skipping a beat, Trevor interjects, "she has a history," speaking on my behalf.

My eyes shoot daggers at Trevor as I fight through my enclosing throat. "You call her right now and make sure my babies are safe. You call her and have her bring them here," I say with a trembling breath.

As he rises from his chair, he retreats from the room with slow, deliberate steps, already bringing his phone to his ear. As the door closes with a click, Abigail gives me a compassionate look.

She leans towards my ear and says, "Allie, we're going to give you something to help you calm down. We need to slow your heart rate."

With tears blurring my vision, I gaze at her and slowly nodding whispering, "yes, please."

Over the past half hour, the medication has coursed through my veins via the IV, a comforting sense of tranquility washes over me. I inhale deeply, the relief palpable as my lungs finally expand to their total capacity after what feels like an eternity of shallow, labored breathing.

Nestled in the hospital bed, I reach for my phone on the nearby end table, my fingers moving deliberately to send a reassuring message to my mother. Despite my fatigue, I want her to know I'm safe, even if speaking on the phone is still too strenuous.

A soft knock occurs at the door as I sat up in bed, anticipating the arrival of Ana, Jax, or Nora. As I wipe at my eyes to ensure they're dry, I watch the door creak open and listen to the sound of small footsteps making their way into the room. My heart nearly leaping out of my chest with relief.

"Mommy!" Charlotte's voice echoes through the room as she runs excitedly to my bedside.

Despite the burning pain surging through my abdomen, I quickly sit up, eager to embrace her. I open my arms wide as she rushes into them, the pure bliss of having her in my arms again unexplainable.

"Hi, my baby," I murmured, pulling her close in a tight hug. "I've missed you girls so much."

Trevor sets Lydia down as she barrels toward the bed, climbing in next to her sister as she lays her small head down on the side of my leg.

I am overwhelmed by tears of joy as I look over Charlotte's head and softly mouth the words "thank you" to Trevor from across the room.

He nods graciously as he takes a step toward the bed, gently placing his hand on Charlotte's shoulder. "I'll give you some time alone with them. Do you want Jax to come and meet them afterwards? I think it's only fair since the girls have already met Marissa," he says, trying to stifle a chuckle.

"Ha ha, very funny," I say as I struggle to pick up Lydia to put her next to me in bed.

Trevor steps in and picks her up effortlessly and places her on the bed. "Be careful with Mom, okay?" he says to her as she nods. Like father like daughter.

"Go ahead and send him in after a few minutes," I finally answer, feeling certain I'm ready for this next step.

Trevor turns and exits the room as the girls look up at me, both their eyes sparkling against the sunlight that filters through the room after the rain finally stopped.

I place one hand on each of their cheeks as I kiss their foreheads, smiling at them as I say, "I love you girls so much."

Their smiles are identical as they lean in and nestle against me. The past few weeks have been incredibly difficult without them, but this moment is incomparable. These girls are my greatest achievement in life. No career, no education, and no material possessions could ever match the love and joy they bring into my life.