Disclaimer: The characters in this story don't belong to me, they are owned by Erle Stanley Gardner's pen. I don't receive any economic good for them. I only write for the pleasure of doing it.
All the errors are only mine.
Author's Notes:
We finally reached the end of this story, but not before thanking all the readers who accompanied me on this adventure. I want to thank a very special thanks to Tegland2 for being by my side supporting me not only in the English revision, but also with their suggestions that made this story what it is. This chapter is the longest one written so far but I wanted to do it this way so as not to leave them hanging. Thanks again to everyone and I hope you enjoy this final chapter.
Chapter Twenty Five
Della couldn't believe, what had happened minutes before. Perry Mason, the man she loved most in this world, her daughter's father, had the audacity enough to threaten to take her baby from her. She still couldn't understand what was going through the mind of that gentle and lovely man she had fallen in love with. That he had now transformed into a cruel man, capable of hating her enough, to take her little girl.
"DELLA!" A worried familiar voice brought her out of her thoughts. Looking up she could reach see, Aurora Mason with Andy entering the waiting room.
"Mrs. Mason, thank God! I am reassured to know that Andy managed to find you to bring you here immediately and report all about what is happening with my little one."
Aurora sits next to Della, sighing, she reaches to take her hand. "Della, Lieutenant Anderson already informed me everything that happened with my granddaughter. But now I just need you to assure me she is really alright."
"Ma´am, you don't need to worry. I can assure you nothing bad has happened to my little one. Despite she does have a cut on her forehead that required stitches and a few scratches my little girl is really just fine. Though my baby is still a bit nervous and scared." Della give Aurora a reassuring smile.
"Della, could you please take me to see her? I would be more at ease if I can see with my own eyes that my granddaughter is well." Aurora begs her. Della just nods, giving her a kind smile as both women get up to head for Alba's room.
When Della, Aurora and Andy reached the room, they found Perry sitting next to the bed, chatting amicably with Alba. He couldn´t avoid feeling uncomfortable, upon seeing Della entering. Perry was very surprised to see that his mother was also there. In that instant he realized had completely forgotten to call her to tell about his daughter's accident.
"Perry, my son, you're here." Aurora smiled, happy to see her son caring for his daughter.
"Of course, I'm here! Where else would you expect to find me? Although I'm sure at this moment my being here is very uncomfortable for certain individuals. Am I not right, Miss Street?" Perry asks, giving Della a defiant look.
"Mr. Mason, I see no reason why you shouldn't be here visiting MY DAUGHTER. You are my boss, one who obviously cares about the children of your employees." Della replies emphasizing the words my daughter, to make it clear that she was not going to allow him to dare try to take her baby away.
"Child of your employees? Does this mean you haven't told Perry all the truth about Alba?" Aurora asks, surprised and intrigued by her son's cold attitude towards Della.
"Mother, I can assure you that Miss Street has already told me everything. That this beautiful young lady is her daughter and for her welfare hid the true relationship that exists between them. But, I am not sure how well it can do to a child that the mother denies him/her before the world."
"PERRY MASON! Please, no more of that talk, least of in front of a child. I have not raised an impolite and inconsiderate son." Aurora says sharply, scolding him, for his lack of delicacy."
"Mother, you are very correct," says Perry. "Miss Kirby, I want to apologize for my bad behavior in front of you. So, it would be best that I leave for now, so not to further interrupt your recovery with my presence." Perry took a deep breath, to calm down, feeling nervous, he hadn't even felt this way when he faced his nemesis Hamilton Burger. "Miss Kirby… Alba, I would like to ask a very special favor for me. I know that until now, I haven't been your favorite person and that you don't have a lot of affection for me. But I do have a great affection for you, so I would like to know that you at some point you will feel the same for me. Alba smiles up at him with the same smile of her mother that smile that when he looked at it made his heart beat harder. "I have begun to appreciate you as my daughter. So, as if it I were your father, I would like to give you a good night kiss. Shall I?" Perry asks feeling very nervous and unsure of Alba's reaction to the proposal. Without can preventing his heart from filling with happiness, when he noticed her little girl's beautiful smile and nodding to him yes. Perry leans down to give the sweetest kiss that a father can give his daughter, then turning to leave the room, as one lost tear escaped rolling down his cheek, wiping the tear away, he left the room quickly, not without first saying his mother he would be waiting to take her home. While Andy followed Perry out of the room, leaving Aurora and Della with his precious goddaughter.
As the door closed, Della smiles at her daughter and move closer to the bed. At that moment she may just realize that Mae wasn't there. "Alba, my girl, where is Aunt Mae?" She asks.
"Mama Mae had Uncle Paul take her to get me somethings, so I can stay here in the hospital tonight." Alba looks at Della with pleading eyes. "Mommy are you going to stay with me?"
"Yes, my sweet dawn, I will stay with you all night, I would never leave my baby after what happened to her. I would not have known what to do with my life if something really bad had happened to you." Della tells Alba, as she tries to control her emotion.
Aurora moved around to the other side of the bed, leaning over to hug and kiss her granddaughter, setting on the edge. "My precious girl, I'm so glad to see that you are not seriously hurt. I was so scared for you when Lieutenant Anderson came to tell me, what had happened to you, Mae and Paul. Thank God he brought me here, so I could see for myself, because I was going crazy with worry."
"Mrs. Mason, you shouldn't have worried. Look at me! Nothing really bad happened to me." Alba gives her grandmother a radiant dimpled smile, that same smile she saw so many times in her own son.
"Alba, my child, I would like to ask you for a special favor, one that I hope you will say yes too." Aurora smiles, "my precious girl, I know we just met a week ago and like my son, I am very fond of you. I was wondering if you could call me Grandma Aurora instead of Mrs. Mason. I am certainly old enough to be your grandmother and would consider it a great honor to have such a beautiful little girl as you, calling me that."
Alba looks surprised at both Della and Aurora, with those same big blue eyes of her father. "Wow! I didn't have a grandmother before and now I have two." She says smiling. "Today is so special day for me, as now I not only have two grandmothers but I also don't need to call mommy, Della anymore. Now if only my Daddy, would come back from his very long trip, so we three can live happily ever after as a family."
The little girl feels so happy, while Aurora looked across the bed at Della, who could only shrug her shoulders, knowing what was on the older woman's mind.
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Perry had sit down in one of the hall way chairs, as he waited for his mother, so he could take her his home. He had leaned on the back of the chair, resting his head against the wall, starting to feel that a strong headache threatening with to take hold of him. So, he remembered awhile had passed since the last time he suffered one of them. He had begun to suffer from these severe headaches sometime after he woke up from his coma. There had been some moments when he thought the pain had become a regular companion in his life. Even he come thought he would have to get used to living with them, but as life passed, the pain did too. He realized that how his pains were nearly disappeared since the first day Della came into his life two years earlier.
Doctors had told him that migraines were a reflection of his subconscious trying to make his brain remember. Perry rubbed his hand across his forehead, realizing that someone had sat down next to him, looking over to see who it was, the annoyance began to reflect on his face.
Perry lets out a snort of exasperation, "Lieutenant Anderson, please understand the last thing I want at this moment is to have a cordial talk with you."
"Well, Mr. Mason, let me tell you, like it or not, you and I will have this conversation. One that we should have had after Freckles introduced us in Tragg's office. I know I shouldn't intrude and that you two should solve your own problems without anyone's intervention. Plus, we both know that she is an independent woman and she won´t like to know that I am meddling in her personal issues, but I still do it." He pauses, "Perry, I want to make it clear to you that Della is my friend, my little sister and I will always protect her, from anyone who may want to hurt her. Right now, you're the one hurting her, with your rude behavior and impolite towards her." Andy breathes to try to control the anger, he was feeling towards the lawyer at that moment. "I understand that you're angry, because she kept the fact hidden about Alba being your daughter. But I can assure you she was only thinking of the wellbeing of both you and my goddaughter."
"Lieutenant, right now, I can't help more agree with you, as you are right to tell me that you need to stay out of our private affairs. As for to your dear friend Freckles, I'm completely sure that if she allowed to her aunt to recognize Alba as her daughter, because this was simply would be the most convenient for her own interests, helping her to show herself before the attentive gaze of other people, as the pure and dignified woman who always pretended to be."
"Perry Mason! I can't allow you talk about Della like that." Andy says, looking at Perry in anger without knowing how he is controlling himself so as not to break the petulant face of the lawyer. "I can understand that at this moment you are angry with her. But that is not enough reason for you to even dare to say that she is a woman without morals or principles, as I can assure you DELLA STREET is the purest and most dignified woman I have ever known."
"Well, Mr. Bug!" Perry said sarcastically, "I hate to be the one who will unmasks, your dear friend Freckles, but she isn't who you think she is. Perhaps she was a sweet and innocent young lady, when you two were in high school. But things may have changed between then and when you saw her again. You also told me that she was already pregnant, so you can't know for sure how things really happened. Plus, I know that she told you that ridiculous story about the magical night where we met and fell in love." Perry shakes his head, "do you really believe that any sweet, innocent, dignified and pure woman such as your dear Freckles, would sleep with a man the first night she met him?"
Andy breathes to calm down, "Mr., Mason, considering that we are in a hospital and I am a police officer that respects his job and his badge. At this precise moment, I really want to make you, swallow your own words. Andy stands up sharply. "I can't endure longer, by sitting here listening to you, as I may do something that I will regret later. Granted you are the father of my goddaughter and for her sake I will turn a deaf ear of all the barbarities I just heard about your daughter's mother." He pauses, "now, all I ask is that you to do is respect my little sister, as I will do anything at any cost, even if that means losing my badge. So, you can take what I just said as you wish like it, either as a warning or threat." Andy turned to walk down the corridor, as he knew that if he stayed there for another minute, he could not control himself.
Perry found himself watching Lieutenant Anderson walk down the corridor, when suddenly his headache hit harder, this was such a piercing pain, as if several pins running through his brain. Such an unbearable pain that forced him to close his eyes and lean his head back against the wall to drive away the feeling of dizziness. Suddenly fragments of his lost memories started flashing through his mind like a slide show, making him feel stunned, his head was about to explode. He was having a hard time breathing and his need to find fresh air became increasingly urgent. Leaning forward, to start to push himself up from his seat, suddenly everything turned black around him suddenly feeling engulfed in deep darkness. Perry never knew how he stood up, much less knew how he end up fallen and hitting to the hard hospital floor.
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At the precise moment when Perry fell to the floor, Aurora Mason came out her granddaughter's room, to looks for her son, to take her back to his apartment. She managed to see out of the corner of her eye, Perry falling to the floor, rushing to her son a flood of anguish overtook her, when she saw him lying on the floor and unconscious. Kneeling down next to him, she touched his shoulder, shouting for help.
Della, who was still with Alba, she heard Aurora calling for help. The woman's desperate scream made Della hurry quickly into the corridor. Leaving her in shock for a few seconds, when she found there the cause of the cries of anguish, seeing Perry on the floor with Aurora kneeling beside him. She fast approaching to him and his mother. "PERRY!" Della cries as she kneels beside him. "What happened Mrs. Mason?"
Aurora moves her head from side to side with despair, "Della, I don't know! I was coming out of Alba's room, as I saw my son falling." She replies scared and nervous not knowing what happens to her son. "I'm trying to get him to wake up but he doesn't react."
Several members of the staff approached Della and Aurora helping both women up and out of their way. Then having turning Perry over, one of the nurses proceeded to check him before having him placed on to the stretcher that had arrived. He was then taken to the emergency room, while Aurora would go after them, knowing Della couldn't go with them, because she needed to go back to her daughter's side.
Della started to feel her tears stream down her face, as she watched the stretcher, carrying the man she loved, disappear into the elevator. She would have wished to follow them, but she knew couldn't because her priority was to returning to her daughter's room. As she knew her baby would probably be very scared not knowing what happened to make her mother to run out, leaving her alone in her room. Wiping her tears, she entered Alba´s room. After closing her eyes for a few brief seconds, she prayed that the man she loved and father of her daughter would be fine.
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Alba knew almost immediately that something was wrong, when Della returned to her room, but waited for several moments before saying anything. "Mommy, what is the matter with you? You keep looking at the door, after you came back from seeing what was wrong in the hallway. You said someone had fallen, but that the nurses were taking care of the person. But it was really something bad wasn't it?" Alba asked, there was no doubt she had inherited her parents' suspicion and intuition.
"There is no need to worry about it, my girl. As for me, I'm just getting a slight headache and need to find some aspirin, as I must to stay awake with you for a few more hours, before you can go to sleep." Della attempts to smile. "Perhaps, when your Mama Mae returns with your things, I can go in search of that aspirin and coffee."
Hearing noise at the door, Della turns to see Mae entering carrying Alba's things. She sighed in relief, "Aunt Mae, Paul, thank heaven you are here. I need to go check on something and there is no one to stay with our girl."
Mae realized immediately that something was bothering her niece, "Della what is going on?" She asked intrigued by Della's strange way of acting.
"Aunt, you don't have to worry for me, there's nothing wrong, and it's just a slight headache. All I want is to go get an aspirin." Della responds without giving more information.
Mae shrugged her shoulders knowing there was more to what Della was saying, but apparently she not going to talk in front of Alba.
Della gazed to her friend, "Paul, would you come with me, in search of coffee and aspirin?"
Paul nods Della, then he goes around Mae, bending down to kiss the little daughter of his dear friends on the forehead. "Don't worry, my pretty little girl, I promise to return your mom soon." Alba smile him. "Now you and I, my beautiful, come to search of a coffee." Paul smiles as he takes Della's elbow to going out into the hallway, after the door closes behind them. Paul looks questioningly at his friend, as he had also realized that something bad was happening with her. "Well, beautiful, now are you going to tell me, what is wrong?"
"Paul..." She sighs. "Its Perry, he was taken to emergency. Not long ago, he collapsed here in the hallway. His mother saw him fall, when she was coming out of Alba's room and is with him now. I don't know what is happening, because I didn't want to leave Alba here alone." Della wipes a lonely tear that begins to fall down her cheek. "Paul, it didn't look very good, HE WAS UNCONSCIOUS!" Della says, as Paul pulls his beautiful, into a hug comforting.
"Beautiful, please calm down. You know your boyfriend's big guy is a healthy person. I doubt anything seriously wrong with him, when we arrive to the emergency room, will see with your own eyes that I'm right." Paul smiles at Della, hoping to have reassured her. "Now take a deep breath, I don't want you to get sick and end up here in the hospital too."
Della nods and together they head to the emergency room. Once there, the two reached to see a worried and nervous Aurora sitting in one of the chairs in the waiting room. As they were closer to her, they could both realize that her eyes were red and swollen from crying. Aurora upon seeing Della and Paul who were entering the area, she quickly stood up.
"Mrs. Mason, is there any word on how Perry is doing?" Della asks Aurora very scared, feeling afraid of the answer, as she could not bear that something bad had happened to the man she loves.
Aurora gave Della a hug, feeling the need to be supported by her, after separating them both took a seat to start talking. "Honey, I don't know what is going on with my son. Since I arrived here, no one has come to tell me something. The only thing they have told me, is that he was being examined and it will be awhile before they have anything to tell me." Aurora responds unable to avoid start cry again.
Paul sits on the other side of Aurora, "Madam, your son is my best friend and I know he is a very strong person. I'm sure that he will be fine and the reason for the doctors have not yet come out to inform us anything, it's because they just have a lot of tests to do, to make sure everything is fine with him." He gives her shoulder a gently pat, as she smiles at him.
It was about a half hour later, when the doctor finally entered in the waiting room. He stood there for a moment, before he saw Aurora and the others. The three getting up quickly all from their seats as the doctor was approaching them.
"Good evening! I'm Doctor Potter, are you Mr. Mason's relatives?"
Aurora nods, "Yes doctor, I am his mother and she is his girl…"
"His confidential secretary!" Della interrupts quickly, before Aurora finished talk. "My name is Della Street," she gives a nervous smile. "Doctor, please, could you please tell us how my boss is doing?"
"Well... after having done several tests on Mr. Mason, I can tell you, that we have not found anything physically bad in him. But it's his mental status that I'm concerned about. I understand that he is one of the most important lawyers in California, therefore I imagine that his work schedule is longer than usual." Della nods. "Now I would like to ask, if you know if Mr. Mason has had any emotional charge both personally and professionally in recent times, since it is most likely that this was the cause of his collapse."
"Doctor, you're correct about his working situation. There are times we do spend a lot of hours working on a case nonstop, which includes late into the night and weekends." Della sighs as she remembers all the stress that had settled in their lives, after Perry appeared at the porch of her house in Bolero Beach. "Plus, the fact in the last month he had a recent issue in his personnel life, which is part of the reason we have brought us here to the hospital early today and I'm sure that this has to do with his collapse." She responds to the doctor, as Paul reaches out to rest his hand on Della's for a while.
"Mmmm, it seems that this corroborates our initial diagnosis. Now, I just want wait for the results of the latest tests, before deciding, if we move Mr. Mason upstairs to a room or not. In this moment we have him in a cubicle emergency, we are monitoring him and if everything goes well with the tests, we will leave him there to rest for a couple of hours and then he can go home." Dr. Potter smiles at them. "Now I will do the coordination so that you two can see it for a moment. But I should inform you, that maybe you will find him asleep, as he has been given something to help him rest."
"Thank you, Dr. Potter." Aurora letting out a heavy sigh, she didn't know she was holding it. Then she raises a silent prayer, as she watches the doctor leave the waiting room.
Finally the nurse approached to inform them, they could see him. Aurora offered Della the first visit to Perry's cubical, as she would have to return soon to Alba's room. Della smiled, knowing that her little girl would be bombarding their aunt with questions about why her mommy still hadn't returned to her side. After Della saw Perry, Aurora would stay with her son until he woke up.
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As Della entered Perry's cubical, felt her heart clench as she saw the big self-confident man, laying on his back in a hospital emergency room. He seemed so helpless and vulnerable she couldn't forgive herself, for all the pain she had caused him. While she stepped closed to the bed, Della saw Perry was sleeping peacefully, his features had softened. She smiled sadly seeing again the tender sweet man she was in love with and not the hard, rude man, had become in the last couple of hours.
Della, cradled Perry's face in her hands, so it can to place a tender kiss on his lips. As she did, she can feel the tears escaping down her face.
"Perry, my love, I'm so sorry, so truly, sorry." Della wipes the tears from her eyes. Feeling at that moment the urgent need to get out everything she wore inside her chest, regardless of the fact that Perry was hear her or not. "Honey, I did not want to hurt you, as you apparently think. If I hid you, the truth about our daughter. It was because I wanted to protect you and our baby and not because this was all part of a malefic plan that had orchestrated against you." Della sighs, "Perry please, believe me! I am not the ambitious and unscrupulous woman that you think I am. You don't know, how much it would have given because you, I and our sweet dawn would have been a family, from the beginning. You can't even imagine everything I would give because would have been you and not Andy who was next to me, the day our baby was born and that you, only you were the one held her for the first time. That you were with her when she uttered her first word, you don´t know, how happy I would have been, hearing her say for the first time dad and not mom. To see her from day one, how she would wrap you, around her little finger." Della rolls her eyes. "Granted! There is no doubt, she already has you around her little finger, because she already became forever Daddy's little girl. I don't care at all either you love her more than me or that you to start spoil rotten her."
Della stop talking for a moment, to accommodate a rebel curl off Perry's face. Sighing, she continued talking, hoping he could hear and understand all she was saying, as the only thing she always wanted was to keep Perry and their daughter to be safe from the gossip and backbiting of ill-intentioned people.
"Perry..." She tries to find her voice. "You don't know how happy I would have been, if we had shared my pregnancy together. Being able to go anywhere without being ashamed of my protruding stomach, walk proudly holding your arm. You don't know what I would have given for both of us, to have been together the first time my little one kicked." A nostalgic smile is drawn on Della's face when that image begins to appear in her mind. "See you go in search of a craving or being together to choose her name." Smiling Della leaned closer to his ear. "You really want to hear the best part of this confession to you. I'm sure we would have chosen Alba as a name anyway, since she is the wonderful gift that the dawn gave us." She whispers to him.
Della took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself. She knew couldn't break down, she would have to do was recover her composure soon to quickly return to her little girl's side, as she didn't want her to realize that something was wrong. "Perry, I just want you to know, I love you and I will always love you! Even if you never forgive me. Also, you need to know that you and Alba are the most important people in the world to me. Now, I need to leave, so that your mother can come in, as she is very worried and scared for you. Besides the fact our little girl, is also having to spend the night here. Just now, she is probably driving Aunt Mae crazy asking about where I am. No doubt, like father like daughter!" Smiling Della leans to kiss Perry's lips again, as Della turned to leave, she couldn't see the lonely tear rolling down Perry's cheek.
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Perry was in a deep dark place, that he couldn't escape from, just hearing Della's voice whispering in his ear that she loved him. DELLA! The woman who he loved so very much, the mother of his daughter, his little one Alba. He could feel his tears roll down his cheeks, he struggled to open his eyes, but he felt so tired, couldn't to get away from the darkness that enveloped him. Suddenly everything changed around him, seeing himself in Bolero Beach the day he met Alba, his beautiful little girl sitting on the porch swing of Mae's house reading. Remembering when she looked at him and smiled, unable to understand how his heart did not melt when those two blue stars looked at him for the first time.
A whirlwind enveloped and transporting him another part of his memories. Perry saw himself in his office sitting his desk and beautiful lady standing before him, accompanied by the most radiant and beautiful smile he had seen in his life, so heavenly same as its owner. Perry's mind took it further back in time, until he found himself on the night of the USO dance and in front of him the most beautiful hazel eyes he had ever seen. His only wish was to approach the woman behind those eyes to hiss and love her, as he had never done before, as no woman had ever stirred such passion and desire in him. Perry´s mind redirected him again to another place, this time he found himself in his apartment, seeing himself loving Della, holding each other in bed the next morning, watching the beautiful sunrise peeking through the large window of his apartment.
Until the darkness pushed him away from his memories again, to carrying into a very familiar dream to him. That dream that had been haunting him for the past two years, this same dream that had started when he woke from his coma. Where he had seen a young woman, accompanied by the sound of the cry of a baby. He suddenly realized this dream was different to others. Now he could clearly see the young woman's face it was Della's. She held a baby in her arms, smiling at him as she told him the baby was Alba, her daughter. But as always happened in his dreams she began to fade into a deep fog. He tried to call her by name, but this time was different, because he could heard himself, shout, DELLA!"
He felt the hand on his shoulder, followed by a familiar voice, "Perry, my child, you need to rest, Della isn't here, but I am." Aurora leans over to place a kiss on her son's forehead.
Perry opened his eyes slowly, glancing around, he felt a bit disorientated due to the medication that had been given him, calming down when he sees his mother. "Mom, what happen to me, why am I here and lying on this hospital bed?" He asks, as he looking at his mother still without understanding anything.
"My child, you were waiting outside Alba's room, when you passed out and were brought down here. The doctor seems to think it is because of stress, tension, they gave you a relaxant to help you sleep for a couple of hours. You just need to rest a bit more, so you can go home, instead of spending the night here." Aurora stroked her son's dark hair.
"NO, NO MOM!" Perry shakes his head desperately. "I CAN'T GO HOME; I NEED TO SEE DELLA." Perry shouts.
"Perry, please try to calm down. You need to rest, so you don't have a relapse. You can see Della later, she is with Alba." Replies Aurora, wishing he would calm down.
Perry pushes the control button raising the top portion of his bed, in order to see and talk to his mother.
"Mom! You don't understand me." Perry attempt to all explain to his mother, while she hears frustration and anguish in her son's voice. "Mom! I remember, I remember EVERYTHING! I remember that night, the night I saw Della for the first time. THAT NIGHT that I fell madly in love with her and I knew that I would love her for the rest of my life. Plus, I also remember my promise to return to her side to marry her." Perry took a deep breath feeling the urgent need to calm down. "Mom, please, listen to me. I need to see her right now! I have to apologize to her, I said many terrible things to her, and she didn't deserve to hear. I was an angry man as to blame her, of being an upstart, in search of one who could provide her with a better life style. I accused her of being with several men in her bed, before me. I wanted to hurt her by revenge, I threatened to take away our daughter, with the sole reason of seeing her suffer, and I just wanted to make her pay for her deception. But now I know that was not true. I was the first in her life and I also know, that I will be the last." Perry wipes the tears from his face, swinging his legs around the edge of the bed, standing up cautiously steps away to ensure his balance. Finding his shirt and jacket he putting both on, before leaving his mother alone in the cubicle in search of his family.
Aurora smiled as she watches her son hurriedly leave the room in search of his woman and daughter. Giving thanks to heaven that Perry will finally would have recovered his lost memories. Because now she could be sure that everything would be fine and especially to her sweet girl, her little Alba.
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Upon returning to Alba's room, Della found Paul and Andy there in the room beside to her little girl, she couldn't help smiling as she saw, how the two men strived to entertain her. She left them in charge of Alba, as she talked to her aunt in the hallway, regarding what had happened to Perry. After Della updated Mae of all things. She sent the three off to get rest of their own, while she would be in care of watching her baby, as doctors had said that she had to keep Alba awake awhile longer, to insure there were no signs of a concussion.
Della had also informed to her aunt, that she would take advantage of time alone with her daughter, to try to explain her all the changes that would have in their life. She wasn't sure at the moment, if she would admit to Alba that Perry was her father. But, which if she was sure going to tell her daughter was the fact her daddy, was already back in their lives and that the three would soon get together, so she can finally meet him.
Andy had offered to take Mae and Paul to their respective places or where ever they chose to go, as Paul's car was out of service. After they said goodbye their two girls, the three went to rest leaving their mother and daughter alone.
Once Mae, Paul and Andy were gone, Della asked Alba, if she needed anything. The little girl accepted to being very thirsty and that would like some water, along with a piece of chocolate cake. The unusual request of her daughter made Della roll her eyes, informing the little missy that unfortunately the water would be the only thing she would get this time. Della pouring a glass of water a straw put into it, handing the water to her, requesting that she drink it very slowly, then the little one told her mom had a bit headache, which made Della call the nurses station and minutes later one nurse arrived with the medicine to the pain, requesting that Alba, try to stay awake for at least another hour, to ensure everything was fine with the little girl.
Then that Alba taking the medicine, Della placed the glass on the nightstand, moving to sit next to her daughter. Drawing her little girl closer to give her hug. "My girl, you're going to be fine, once the medicine starts doing its work." Says Della, tenderly stroking the brown curls of her girl.
Alba smile sadly at her mother, looking visibly uncomfortable. "Yes, Mommy, but I want my head no longer hurts. I'm so sleepy and just want to sleep to this pain go away."
Della gives a look of understanding to her little girl, seeing the pain reflected on her face, wishing in that precise moment, having a magic wand so that pain to get away from her immediately. "My baby, I know you're getting very sleepy, especially for everything that you have been through today. So sorry, but you can't fall asleep for at least another hour." Della sighs. "Alba sweetie, you need to stay awake for a while longer. So, how about you and me better talk? I have something very important that talk with you about, something that is really important for both of us."
Alba tilts her head a bit to look at Della with her big blue eyes, feeling a bit of a worried look. "Mommy! Don't you want me to live with you? So, do I have to live again with Mama Mae?" She asks, as the little girl's eyes start to fill with tears.
Della shakes her head in surprise at her little girl's questions, "NO! No, my girl, believe me, I will never regret it that you and I let's live together. I promised you that we would do it and it will be." Della hugs her girl tightly. "What I want to talk to you about is something very different, but it does in the end relate with the fact that you and I are going to live together. Alba, sweetie, what I want to talk with you, about is your Dad."
"My Daddy?" Alba asked both surprised and excited forgetting that she had been sleepy just moments before.
Della smiles seeing how excited her daughter was, but she couldn't help feeling a bit of fear and worry about the reaction her little one as it was revealed to her who her father was. "Yes, my baby, let's talk about your Dad." Kissing her forehead, "but now, you need to try to remain calm and let me explain it all to you so that you can will understand." Della pauses to try to order her thoughts hoping that everything she say it would make sense to her girl. "Well, my sweet dawn, I have always told you that your Dad was traveling, which was the reason why he couldn't be with us." Della starts explaining to her daughter, trying Alba understand everything.
"Yes, Mommy, I know that is what you told me. I was four, when a classmate made fun of me for not having a dad. I came home kept crying trying to tell Mama Mae everything and she called you to explain to you which had happened to me. You came that same afternoon to Bolero Beach from Los Angeles to see me and it was that night you told me that I did have a Daddy that he loved me very much. But couldn't be with us, because he was a very important man and was always traveling. That was the same night you told me my favorite story for the first time, the story of how Dad kissed Mom."
Della takes a deep breath before starting to tell her daughter everything, "Alba honey, your dad, came back into our lives and is living here in Los Angeles."
Della looked at Alba who had remained quietly listening to her, taking her left earlobe, just like her father. Della recognized very well, the attitude that her girl had taken, was the same attitude of Perry when he faced a question that needed an answer.
A bit confused, Alba looked at Della, "Mommy, when my Daddy came back from his trip? Why didn't he come to see me immediately? Doesn't he want to meet me?"
Della sighs, "My baby, never think that, your daddy loves you, much more than you imagine. Plus, he feels happy, knowing that you are his daughter. I also have a lot things to tell you about him."
"My daddy, is he happy to know who I am?" Alba questions her mom, "does he know who I am."
"Yes, my girl, he has already seen you, although he didn't know he was close to you. But due to situations beyond his control, he didn't know that you were his daughter." Della sighs, "Actually your Daddy was sick. Kind of like you, he had a head injury, making him not remember some important people and events in his life." Della tries to explain everything to her daughter in the best possible way. So her little girl can understand.
"My daddy was sick, he had a head injury. Like mine?" Alba asked, pointing to her cut on the forehead.
Della smiles at her daughter's reasoning, "No, my sweet dawn, It is not equal to your injure on the forehead. Alba honey, there are different types of head injuries and perhaps when I explain your daddy´s sickness you will understand me." Della pauses slightly, while she searches inside her head for the exact words so that her daughter can understand her. "Your Daddy was in the Navy during the war and while he was on a ship at sea, he had an accident, which caused him to forget me. For that reason he didn't know you existed until recently. My little girl! I finally told him who you really were and now he wants you to know who he is and I am sure that you will get a great surprise as you see him."
Alba stayed quiet for a moment, Della knew her daughter's mind was in operation trying to assimilate everything which her mom was saying and to find out who was her Daddy. "Mommy, mommy! You just told me my Daddy doesn't remember that he met you, he doesn't know about my favorite story. The story of the night that Dad kissed Mom." Alba says excitedly. "MOMMY! I'm sure when you tell my daddy the story and he will remember you." Alba smiles at the thought of the wonderful idea she has had.
Della felt sad to see her little girl so excited and proud of her idea. Because she knew that her daughter would be disappointed, when she will find out that her father had already heard the story and he still didn't remember anything. Plus to the fact her dad believed that all that story was just a mom farce with the intention of scamming him. Della also remembered how angry Perry had been a few hours earlier. He was so angry with her, that he had threatened to take her daughter. "Alba, for now I don't think you Daddy wants to hear that story, because..."
"Because your Daddy, REMEMBERS EVERYTHING!" A powerful voice, it is heard in the room, as Perry stepped inside, causing Alba and Della to look up, seeing him standing in the doorway smiling at them.
Della just stayed, looking at Perry, without finding her words and unable to believe what her ears had heard. Perry stood there staring into Della's eyes, with the same look full of love as she had the first time they met. That same look that had made her fall in love with him forever. "P-Perry, do you really, remember everything?" Della asks, barely able to get the words out while she started to cry. Perry just nods.
Alba sat looking between her Mom and her boss without understanding. Why Mr. Mason had entered at her room, raising his voice? Suddenly she realizing her Mom had started to cry. "Mommy, Mommy! Why are you cry? PLEASE, don't cry." Alba asked Della with pleading eyes, that she stop crying, as she felt very scared by the strange reaction of both adults.
"My beautiful young lady, you shouldn´t worry about your mommy crying. I'm sure Miss Street..." Perry shakes his head. "My other beautiful lady is crying with happiness. Isn't that right?" He asks Della, while both looking at each other with love.
Della nods, "Alba, Mr. Mason," pausing as she looks at Perry, who smiles back. "Perry is right, I am crying because of happiness. Remember a moment ago, my sweet dawn, I told you that your Daddy was someone you knew and are going to be surprised when you discover who he really is."
"Alba, which your Mother means." Perry pauses, "is that your father is here and he is someone who is very grateful to find out the wonderful gift that the life it had given, his BEAUTIFUL DAWN." Perry smiles, while the two pairs of cobalt blue stars stare at each other.
"My Daddy is here?" Alba asks, she looking surprised Della, not quite sure having understood what Perry had said. "Mommy! If my Daddy had his memory back. So, why hasn't he come to see me?"
Della stares at Perry, asking her a silent question. Both smile at each other, as Perry nods yes. Approaching her little girl, Della takes Alba's chin so they would look each other in the eyes. "My sweet dawn, your Dad has already come to see you and is here in this room. He is standing in front of you right now."
"But Mommy, I don't understand, the one standing there is your boss Mr. Mason." Alba asks still not understanding what she has just been told. Her little mind started to work putting the pieces of what her mother had said and what the man at the foot of her bed had just said to her. "OH! Mommy. So, Mr. Mason, are you really my Dad?"
"Of course, my beautiful missy, I am your DAD!" Perry says, extending his arms towards his daughter.
Alba pulled away from her Mother, getting off, the bed. The little girl took several quick steps towards her father, to jump directly into his arms. Catching her, Perry hugs her tightly, gently kissing on the brown curls of her little daughter, as he hugging her, Perry could see Della wiping away her tears. With Alba's arms around his neck and one of his arms holding her around the waist. Perry extends his available arm to Della, who gets up, approaching her two great loves, to slide into Perry's extended arm, which he wraps around her waist. At that moment, Perry was not able to describe all the emotion that overwhelmed him by having his daughter and the woman he loved in his arms.
After sharing a long hug, Perry placed Alba back in the center of the bed, Della sat beside her little girl, while Perry sat on other side her. Feeling ready to all the questions his little lady's questions. Perry would try to explain to Alba in the best possible way, what had happened to him. He would tell his daughter about accident he had, the loss of his memory and the fact he didn't know her mom, even when he saw her again the day she showed up at his office to work for him.
Finally, the doctor and a nurse came in to check Alba one last time. He indicating to them that everything seemed to be going perfectly with her and that the girl could finally go to sleep and rest.
After the doctor and nurse had left, Alba was still too excited to go to sleep. So, she had no better idea than asking her mother to read tell her favorite story. "Mommy, mommy! I want you to tell me and Daddy, my favorite story before bed, the story of how dad kissed mom, since he has never heard it." Alba looks at both her parents with a mischievous smile drawn on her face.
Perry lets out a mock laugh at Alba's request, gazing at Della, "Miss Street! I am very afraid that now you are the one with a slight memory problem." Perry looks Della throwing her a mischievous smile, then he look at his daughter. "Alba, my little missy, Its time your Daddy tells you the true story, the story in which Mommy kissed Daddy." Della shakes her head as she rolls her eyes.
Perry puts Della a tender kiss on the lips in sign of apology, when Alba sees her parents kissing, she covers her eyes with her little hands, making her parents laugh at her little girl's reaction. Then, Perry begins to tell his daughter for the first time the story of the magical night in which the world of her father and mother changed forever. The wonderful meeting where both had found their soulmate and although fate tried to separate them, managed to get together again, feeling sure that this time, it would be forever. Because this time they would be accompanied, by their SWEET DAWN!
...THE END...