I wrote this last chapter in the middle of the night while I was half asleep just fot you guys so please shower it with lots of inline comments.
Epilogue will be uploaded soon.

• Arsenio •

Five Weeks Later...

I placed the packet filled with the sandwiches I made on the side table and kissed Ezlyn's forehead. "Goodmorning, wife."

She didn't respond. Obviously. She laid as lifeless as I found her on the first day. I got the best doctors but nothing made a difference. She refused to wake up.

A five months old Izan who was in my arms played with my beard but upon seeing his mother, he as usual extended his arms to her.

I carefully lowered him and placed him right next to her on the bed and he immediately turned to his side and snuggled closer to her. That's the only way he can get physical affection from her and that's how he has been getting it for the past few weeks.

Sighing, I took my seat next to the bed and grabbed her hand, caressing her wrist with my thumb.

"I got a new assistant yesterday. The one before that, he was not very efficient. I know I should have given him more time but I didn't have the patience too. But they are all temporary anyway, you will be replacing them soon."

My heart squeezed painfully when I didn't get any reply but I continued to talk to her anyway. "I have already decided the destination for our honeymoon. It's a surprise for you though and I know you will love it."

A lump formed in my throat slowly as I continued speaking without a single response from her. "I-Izan...is growing up so fast. He can now even sit with some support, I wish you could see him. He sometimes even trouble me during night now, crying for no reason or just refusing to go to sleep."

My fingers started to tremble around her hand from suppressing my emotions. "Sometimes I feel scared to sleep alone, it's so lonely so I have started to make Izan sleep next to me. He's my cuddle buddy now." I chuckled dryly to myself.

"Come on, sweetheart." I spoke softly as a tear slipped down my cheek. "Say something. These one sided conversations are getting quite boring now. Can you imagine holding one sided conversations with someone for the past one month? I bet you could never do that, you would have gone crazy."

Wiping away my tear I left her hand and bending down, pulled out the waffle sandwiches that I made. "You remember when I first made these sandwiches? You loved them so much that you made me make them for the whole week to the point you got sick and bored of them and swored to not eat them again."

I took a small, half hearted bite of it and placed the rest of it inside the packet again. "Please wake up and tell me that you want to eat them again. Wake up and tell me that you loved them and want me to make them for a whole week again. Just wake up."

I shut my eyes tightly, not able to watch her like this anymore until Izan babbled something and I glanced at him as he slowly turned around towards me.

I picked him in my arms, resting my forehead on his. "Please, Izan, tell your mom to come back to us. Tell her you miss her. Tell her we need her."

With his little fingers, he cupped both my cheeks, playing with my beard again and kissing his cheeks, I pulled back.

Tears streamed down my eyes uncontrollably as I stared at him, lost in my thoughts and when he saw me crying, he tilted his head in curiousity and his fingers made their way up my cheeks until they brushed against my tears as if he was trying to wipe them away.

Feeling a rush of emotions, a sob left my mouth and I hugged him to my chest and with the other hand grabbed Ezlyn's hand. "Please come back to us, Ez. I love you so much. And I miss you so fucking much."

I let the tears flow untill my eyes burnt and there were no more tears left and Izan had fallen asleep in my arms.

Getting up, I kissed her belly as usual, feeling sad for our unborn child. "What do you think we would have had? A boy or a girl? I would have loved to have a girl, just like you. Adorable and kind and beautiful."

"But we can always try for another one. That is if you want to, it's okay if you don't want another baby. Just open your eyes, sweetheart." I placed my palm over her belly.

The doctors had removed her oxygen mask a week ago since she could breath on her own again, so I very tenderly grazed my lips against hers. "I am sorry for everything. I miss you. I love you. I need you. You are my everything, Ez. My wife, my love, my best friend, my whole world."

I placed one last kiss to her forehead and left quietly.

.
.
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With my head resting on my mom's lap, I cried softly while she stroked my hair. "She will wake up. Don't worry."

"It's been so long, it's driving me crazy."

Beside us on the bed, dad was entertaining Izan by making weird faces making him smile.

"Have patience, Arsenio. I know she will wake up eventually."

"Eventually? It's been a month and I am already half way to losing all my senses, I can't spend another minute without her."

Her fingers paused in my hair and she let out a sigh. "I know. I miss her too."

Gloomily, I glanced at Izan as he laughed after dad started to tickle his belly. I have to be strong for him. He needs me.

As my fingers brushed his hand, he tilted his head towards me and smiling rolled over until he was facing me and I smiled back at him and pulled him closer.

My phone started to ring and dad picked it up from where it was on the nightstand and handed it to me.

It was Zenith's call. It was Sunday and he sent me home after assuring me that he would stay at the hospital for the meanwhile.

"Yes?" I mumbled, picking up the call.

*Arsenio." His voice sounded unassured but at the same time so full of excitement. "She woke up."

Not able to believe his words, I sat up straight and my parents stared at me curiously.

"She woke up?" I whispered in disbelief.

"Yes! She even spoke a little to me. You need to come see her, now!"

Still not believing him, I warned him and picked up my car keys. "This better not be some kind of a sick joke, Zen. I'll fucking kill you."

"I won't be fucking joking about this!"

I sighed and told him that I would be there soon.

"Ezlyn woke up." I told my parents after I hung up the call, my voice not holding any emotions. I didn't know what to feel.

"You go. We will be there soon with Izan." Dad spoke.

I nodded and rushed out of there.

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.
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What am I even going to say to her? There are a thousand things that I need to say and a thousand things I want to do. Hug her, kiss her, hear her voice after so long.

All those thoughts vanished as I approached the private hospital room and met Zenith outside it. "She's asking for you."

I swallowed hard and nodded and was about to step inside when he stopped me and said, "I haven't told her about the baby, just don't tell her about it right now."

"Okay." I mumbled, understanding his point.

Slowly, I walked inside, everything felt the same except her eyes which were now open and fixed on me.

I exhaled shakily as I walked closer to her bed, a weak smile forming on her lips.

Hovering over her, I traced her cheeks with my fingers. "Hey, little cupcake."

Her eyes glistened with tears and she murmured, "Nio..."

I didn't let her speak anymore as I pressed my lips to her. I needed to feel her, needed to assure myself that she was here with me now. That she was okay.

I made sure to be careful and I kissed her leisurely and she tried to kiss me back. Even though I wanted to deepen the kiss, I pulled back a few seconds later and dropped my forehead on hers.

"Goddamn it, Ez." I said breathlessly. "You do know how to make me fucking suffer."

She let out a choked sob. "I don't wanna leave you again. I am sorry."

Tears fell from my eyes and mingled with hers. "Do you have any idea how many days I spent wondering if you will ever open your eyes? I feared the worst, Ezlyn."

She continued to cry making me cry even more. "I fucking missed you every second. Don't leave me ever again, I would rather die."

Her fingers trembled as she cupped my cheeks. "I won't, Nio. I won't." And she touched her lips to mine, letting it stay there.

A couple of minutes later, when our sobs had subsided and I somehow was half lying on the bed next to her, with her head resting on my shoulder, I murmured against her forehead, "I love you."

She looked surprised and her eyes twinkled. "But you have said it will be a grand gesture when you will confess your love to me."

"I don't need any grand gesture to confess my love to you. You hearing me is enough. You being here is enough. You are enough." I explained, stroking her hair. "I love you. Sometimes I don't even know how to handle so much love."

Tears welled up in her eyes. "I love you too, Nio. A lot."

Something inside me settled, my heart seemed to be in peace now that I have told her those three words.

When a tear fell down on her right cheek, she wiped it away hastily but paused as her fingers grazed that scar there. "What's this...?"

I removed her fingers from there and kissed them. "You had a huge cut on your cheek which they stitched up. It's just a little scar from that."

She looked unassured. "That doesn't feel like a...little scar."

"Ezlyn, it's okay--"

"Give me your phone."

"Ez..."

"Please."

Defeated, I handed her my phone and she opened the front camera and gazed at her, her eyes widening. "That's...such an ugly--"

"Don't even think about it. Wear your scared proudly, Ezlyn, there are a proof that you won all the battles, hmm?"

"But, Nio--"

I pressed my lips directly over that scar. "I don't fucking care if you have one or hundreds of scars, I will love you the same."

"Besides the doctor said that it will fade a bit. It won't be as dark as it is now." I assured her.

"You are as beautiful as you were always, don't doubt that, hmm?" I pecked her mouth.

Her worries seemed to wash away as she relaxed and buried her face in my chest, whispering, "I love you."

Later, that day Izan was overjoyed when his mother finally held him in her arms and showered him with kisses and with promises to not leave him ever again.

Three days later, I gathered the courage and told her about our unborn baby. She stared at me with a defeated look on her face for a long time.

Then she wept in my arms for an hour making me cry along with her.

"We can always try for another one." I tried consoling her once she stopped crying. "If that's what you want."

Sniffling, she nodded. "I want to. Promise?"

"Promise." Smiling softly, I sealed our mouths together locking our promise along with it.

Chapter written and published on: 30/1/23