Chapter 2
The next 24 hours were the longest twenty four hours of Willows life. Matt stayed with her for a few hours after being told she would be able to return home the next day but they had decided to keep it a secret from Jasmine as they wanted to surprise her. Willow lay in the bed, staring at the ceiling thinking about home. Its gonna be good to be home. Good but weird she thought to herself good being with Jas, weird being in the old place again with Matt but not as boyfriend/girlfriend. I know we said we weren't going to get back together and that we were going to focus on Jasmine and my recovery but it's gonna be hard when I have all these feelings for him. She closed her eyes trying to get some sleep but she knew deep down that she would be awake in few hours, drenched in sweat and shaking like mad from the same recurring nightmare she had been having ever since awaking from her coma.
Thirteen days after being admitted into the hospital, Willow had already packed what few belongings she had with her at the hospital. She was waiting for Dr Davids to come and do her final check up before being discharged. Matt and Willow decided that Gil would pick her up in order to keep her return a surprise for Jasmine, Amy and the others. Matt was spending the day with Jasmine who was in a sulk because she didn't get to see Willow the night before, so he was taking her to get ice cream. Willow was sat on her bed already dressed in her skinny jeans and hoodie, legs crossed and eyes closed. She was completely relaxed for the first time in three years when a gentle knocking brought her back to reality. "Hello Willow, are you ready to go?" a kind voice asked "hey Gil, come on in. Just waiting on the Dr to come and give me one last check over" Willow replied inviting the older man to come and sit down. Just as Gil sat down, Dr Davids walked through the door to give his final check to Willow. "Everything looks good to me Miss Smithson. Just remember to take it easy. Your body is still healing and you are still greatly underweight but you are doing really well. Looks like you are now discharged" Dr Davids said as Willow let out a huge sigh of relief. Dr Davids and Willow agreed upon a fortnightly check on her weight as that was still their main concern but she was just happy to be on her way home.
"Daddy, when can I see mommy again?" Jasmine asked Matt who replied with a lie "soon baby soon" he hated lying to his daughter, but he had promised Willow that she would be able to surprise her at home. "I miss having mommy around. No amount of ice cream is gonna change that" Jasmine mumbled quietly, but loudly enough for Matt to hear her "I'll take you to see her tonight sweetheart ok?" he replied pulling into the car park next to the small ice cream parlour as Jasmine turned to face him with a huge grin on her face "ok daddy. Let's go get ice cream" she said, taking his hand as they headed into the shop. A few minutes later, Matt felt his cell buzzing in his pocket he took it out and smiled at what was written on the screen in front of him: She's home.
"Gil you know that you really didn't have to do this you know" Willow said as she got into the car with the elder Hardy. "I know Willow. I'm doing it for Matt and Jasmine. I also wanted to have a little chat with you. I want to know why you did what you did and what happened in that manor" Gil asked, he hadn't quite forgiven her for leaving Matt the way she did but by giving him his first grandchild made up for it slightly. "I don't know how much Matt has told you but my head was messed up and I was in a really bad place when I left. I had just lost Eric; I discovered that I was pregnant and didn't know who the father was. I knew it was either Matt or my ex, Dean. The one who made that tape of me and him" Willow said quietly "I was just in a really dark place and needed to get away. I hated doing what I did. I hated hurting everyone the way I did, especially Matt" she continued, feeling tears forming in her eyes. "After I had Jasmine, I did try to contact Matt to let him know that he had a daughter but I got no response from him. I met Victor one month later. It was all good at first; he made me feel wanted for the first time in a long time. It all changed when he started working on that place. He became aggressive, abusive verbally and physically, he also started controlling who I spent time with and what I ate. That's how I became so thin, I was borderline anorexic. He never once touched Jasmine. He pretty much demanded that Jas and I move into Ravenhearst with him, and the last thing I remember from there is handing Jasmine over to Brooke to bring to Matt. I remember going to sleep in my room then waking up in that God forsaken room on that metal slab, ankles and wrists restrained. I remember hitting my head on that table and that was it until Matt got to me. I felt soothing chill around me, it made me feel safe. I remember passing out from so much pain in my chest then seeing Matt stood over me, crying. I can't ever remember seeing Matt cry" she said, wiping away the silent tears as Gil drove up to the house. "I'm sorry Willow. I shouldn't have made you relive that nightmare" Gill said apologetically, stopping the car "Matt hasn't told me much lately. He's been preoccupied with you and Jasmine. He's still in love with you, but he won't admit it to anyone" "I love him too Gil and I wanna make it right with him but we've agreed that right now we need to both focus on Jasmine and my recovery" Willow replied as she got out of the car, sighing as she looked up at the old house she said "finally, I'm home"
