Chapter 12
Ever since Jessica told Sportacus the good news, he couldn't stop thinking about it. He came every day to her apartment (most of the times with Joshua) to take care of her and to decide when and how they will move all of her stuff to his house.
But when Stephanie's death anniversary drew closer, he began to think of it again. Suddenly the time passed so fast, and only now he began to realise that Stephanie's gone. Sure, he was the happiest with Jessica, yet he begins to miss Stephanie, like he did for the first two months after her death, before he and Jessica got together.
The day of her death kept rolling in his mind for the past week, as a nightmare.
He remembered everything.
It was a normal summer day in LazyTown. Stephanie, Sportacus and their 6-months-old son, Joshua, were having breakfast when Stephanie said she'll be out of town today.
"Are you sure that's ok with you?" she asked.
"Yes, of course it is. You deserve a day off, right? Joshua and I will be fine." He told her and smiled, and she smiled back.
"Alright. Just call me if you need anything." She said and he nodded.
It was less than an hour since Stephanie left the house, she called to Sportacus' phone. Sportacus wondered what she needed, but picked it up.
"Hey, honey, what do you need?" he asked.
"Excuse me, am I talking to Mr, um, Sportacus?" asked the man on the other side.
"Y-Yes. Who are you?" Sportacus asked. He began to worry.
"I'm sorry, but your wife got into a horrible accident. We're driving her to the Dance Ville hospital." The paramedic told him.
Sportacus began to freak out. He hung up the phone, dropped Joshua at Stingy and Trixie, explained them what happened, and drove his airship towards Dance Ville.
When he got there, the doctors said that she was taken into a surgery, to see if she can be saved.
After around 3 hours later, Stephanie moved to another room, and Sportacus could finally see her.
"Can I see her now?" he asked one of the doctors.
"Yes, you can. But unfortunately I have to tell you that she might not survive. We did our best, and it seems that she's trying to hold on, but she won't survive long." The doctor explained.
"I see..." Sportacus said, and the doctors could see the sadness in his eyes.
He entered the room and he saw Stephanie just lying there, covered with bandage around her and was on a respirator.
So many fears was coming to his mind. How he will get along with Joshua all by himself? He's less than 1-year-old! Will he ever get to love again anybody like he loved her? Will he find anyone to love him like Stephanie did? Will anyone want him as a single parent? Will he ever get over her death?
He took a deep breath and sat next to her bed.
He took her hand in his and began to talk to her, hopeful that she will hear him and wake up.
"Stephanie... Please don't go. Please don't leave me alone."
He began to cry.
"I need you. Joshua needs you. We both love you so much. We both need you. Please... Don't leave us. I love you."
A loud long beep was sound in the room then. Sportacus fell from his chair to his knees and cried more.
Doctors came into the room, and couldn't ignore the man.
"If there's any last word you want to say to her, that's your time." One of them said.
Sportacus stood back on his feet, took off her oxygen mask and kissed her on the lips for the last time.
"I love you, Stephanie."
Now, the day has come, and all of Sportacus and Stephanie's friends gathered at his house. Jessica asked Sportacus if she can come and support him even that it would be "dangerous" for her since Trixie, Stingy, Ziggy and Pixel will be there. He hesitated a bit but agreed at last.
Except for them, there were also Bessie and Milford Meanswell, and also some other friends such as Mr. and Mrs. Stevens. They shared happy memories of Stephanie and laughed, until the conversation turned to be about Jessica.
"You know, I really think that Stephanie matched you more than this Jessica..." Trixie commented.
"Excuse me?" Sportacus turned to her.
"Yeah, I mean, Stephanie was smarter, more sophisticated, more mature and way more beautiful than her!" she said taking another sip from her juice.
"Wait, are you saying she's nothing of those things?" Sportacus asked a little bit shocked.
"Mmm-hmm. I still can't understand how you fell for her in an instant. I mean, this girl, Jessica, is an absolute-" Trixie wanted to say the B-word, but was cut off.
"A what?" Jessica asked as she entered.
Trixie and her friends' couldn't believe their eyes! They thought they separated them for good. Sportacus wanted to laugh. It was kind of a revenge.
"What is she doing here?" Pixel asked.
"Yeah, who invited her?" Trixie asked in disgust.
"Um, my boyfriend agreed me to come over and support him. So that's basically why I'm here, yeah." She told them in a sarcastic tone.
"Wait, your boyfriend?!" Trixie was still shocked.
"Yes, we're back together." Jessica said proudly as Sportacus wrapped his arm around her waist.
"But... But..." Trixie didn't understand what was going on and so were her husband and friends.
"But what? Trixie, guys, just accept this! We're in love with each other, and yet she knows that I still miss Stephanie and it doesn't bother her and she accepts that, and Joshua loves her as if she was his own mother, and-and, we're even going to have a baby together!" he angrily told them all.
Everyone were looking at them in shock, and Jessica lowered her head so they won't see her blushing and smiling about the last thing he said.
"So if you guys don't like it, you can leave. The door is right over there." He told them directly.
"Fine, we'll go!" Trixie stood up and went to the door, her friends following there. But only Mariah stayed in her sit.
"Mariah? Aren't you coming?" Pixel frowned at his girlfriend.
"I'm sorry Pixel, but Jessica is my friend." Mariah apologised. Jessica smiled at her and Mariah smiled back
The others just turned and left.
There was now silence at the living room. Nobody knew how to react or what to say until Mrs. Stevens spoke up.
"Jessica, dear, you shouldn't be standing, come on, sit down." Mrs. Stevens told her.
"Oh, no, that's ok..." she said but Mrs. Stevens insisted and pulled her down. Jessica and Sportacus looked at each other in disbelief. They couldn't believe that the others had accepted their news.
So the whole afternoon they kept telling stories about Stephanie, and suddenly she felt like she known her for years and been her friend. She loved the stories and she even related to some of them. She actually thought that if she was still alive and with Sportacus, they could actually be really good friends.
Sportacus was also happy. He was really excited to see her so interested in Stephanie's stories from the other LazyTowners, and even Milford and Bessie congratulated them for the pregnancy.
"Oh, wait, does that mean you won't teach next year?" Mrs. Stevens asked her.
"Oh, um, I haven't talked to the principal yet, but I think I'll still be there for like 3 or 4 months before I'll go for a maternity leave." Jessica said.
"That's really great to hear, our children just love you!" Mrs. Stevens added.
"What about you, Sportacus? How do you feel about this?" Mr. Stevens asked.
"I couldn't be happier." Sportacus simply said and smiled at Jessica, which made her blush a little.
In the evening, after all the guests left, Sportacus and Jessica left alone.
"It was actually pretty nice today." Jessica said and took a sip from her cup of tea Sportacus made for her.
"It really was. At least now everybody knows that we're back together and... Sigh going to have a baby." He said.
"Yeah. You know, I really like that you're coming over to take care of me. I mean, besides that, the company is just nice. Oh, that reminds me, I really need to start packing and-" She was about to finish but Sportacus cut her.
"Look, um, about that... I don't think that now I'm mentally ready for you to move in." he told her.
"Oh..."
"I'm sorry, but it's just that only now I'm letting Stephanie's death to sink in. But as soon as I'll feel ready, you'll move in."
"No, of course. I understand and I respect it." She said but felt a little disappointed.
"Um, I think I'll go home now." She said and jumped from the bar chair she sat on, next to the counter. Sportacus could see that she got a little hurt from the last decision.
"Wait, I'll walk you home." He said and hurried before she opened the door.
"Really, that's not necessary..." she told him and wanted to open the door but he held her in his arms.
"Hey, you're my woman and you're also having my baby and I love you. If something will happen to you on the way I will not forgive myself." He told her seriously and kissed her.
Eventually, she gave up.
"I hate you when you say things like that. Alright, let's go." She said and made him laugh.
