It was night that was filled with anxiety, reunions, tears, restlessness,
happiness, and even hope.
Hope that Antonio would find his way back to his family.
Hope that his condition was not as bad as they thought.
Hope that in the morning, his family would see his bright eyes again.
As the dawn broke in the small coastal town, and the sun began its ascent over the Atlantic Ocean everyone's prayer was finally answered.
She hadn't left her brother's side the entire night. Not even when Theresa offered to drive her home to grab a bite to eat and a change of clothes. Paloma promised herself that she wouldn't miss out on anything, bad or good. And she was glad she made that promise when she awoke to the smiling blue eyes of her eldest brother.
"Mana?" Antonio whispered and stroked his youngest sister's hair. "Is that really you?"
When he woke up that morning, he felt a hand clinging to his own. At first, he thought it was Sheridan, his wife, but he didn't feel a wedding band on the hand's ring finger. As he moved to take the hand from his own, his fingers brushed against a bracelet on the owner's wrist. The moment he felt it, he knew just who was there beside him.
********11 years earlier********
"Antonio!" Paloma's eyes widened when she opened the box her brother had placed in her hand.
It was her seventh birthday and she had opened all her presents, except the one from her brother, Antonio. As soon as she laid her eyes on his present she ran toward 16-year-old Antonio and hugged his waist.
"I'm glad you like it Mana!" He smiled and picked up the young girl.
"Like it?" Paloma laughed. "It's beautiful! Look everyone!"
She ran around the room and showed her new present to the entire family. Her mother shook her head at her son, she knew it was much too expensive, and that Antonio should be saving for college, but it was the smile on her little girl's face that melted her heart.
After Paloma tired herself from holding the bracelet in the air, she sat down and admired it. The sun from the window hit the shiny gold bracelet and made it sparkle. She couldn't believe it was really hers. Paloma looked up once more and smiled the most sincere smile before hugging Antonio once again.
"Thank You!" She whispered excitedly into his ear.
****************
Paloma stirred from her sleep when she heard Antonio's voice. She looked up and his face was smiling brightly.
"Antonio?" Her eyes lit up with joy. "You're awake! Mama! Luis! Everyone, he's awake!"
The other's in the waiting room all rushed in to see if what Paloma had said was really the truth, and to the surprise of many, especially Dr. Russell, he was indeed awake.
"Mana?" He said again.
"H-how did you know it was me?" Paloma asked. She had almost forgotten he was blind at first, but then she remembered when she looked at him his eyes didn't meet her own.
"You were holding my hand." He smiled. "I knew it was you because I felt the bracelet."
She couldn't help but cry when her brother remembered. Her heart ached so much at that moment, she was upset to see her brother this way, but she knew that he was always the strongest.
"Oh, Antonio." She laughed, and playfully hit his arm.
The rest of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family entered the small area and they all practically jumped on Antonio out of sheer joy that he was awake. There were tears and hugs being given all around.
Pilar stood off to the side and watched as her children greeted each other. It was the most beautiful sight she had laid eyes on in the past ten years. Her family, her children. They were all together, here, and her heart swelled with a mother's love.
Theresa reached her hand out to her mother and pulled her into the tight embrace that the siblings were sharing.
As the embrace broke, and each member of the family's face was covered in tears, Pilar stepped back and smiled. They were all so beautiful.
And they were all, finally, home.
*A/N* I know it was short, but I think I was able to sum it all up in such a small amount of space. Hope you all enjoyed! I'll be back with another chapter soon! Thank you for the responses!
Hope that Antonio would find his way back to his family.
Hope that his condition was not as bad as they thought.
Hope that in the morning, his family would see his bright eyes again.
As the dawn broke in the small coastal town, and the sun began its ascent over the Atlantic Ocean everyone's prayer was finally answered.
She hadn't left her brother's side the entire night. Not even when Theresa offered to drive her home to grab a bite to eat and a change of clothes. Paloma promised herself that she wouldn't miss out on anything, bad or good. And she was glad she made that promise when she awoke to the smiling blue eyes of her eldest brother.
"Mana?" Antonio whispered and stroked his youngest sister's hair. "Is that really you?"
When he woke up that morning, he felt a hand clinging to his own. At first, he thought it was Sheridan, his wife, but he didn't feel a wedding band on the hand's ring finger. As he moved to take the hand from his own, his fingers brushed against a bracelet on the owner's wrist. The moment he felt it, he knew just who was there beside him.
********11 years earlier********
"Antonio!" Paloma's eyes widened when she opened the box her brother had placed in her hand.
It was her seventh birthday and she had opened all her presents, except the one from her brother, Antonio. As soon as she laid her eyes on his present she ran toward 16-year-old Antonio and hugged his waist.
"I'm glad you like it Mana!" He smiled and picked up the young girl.
"Like it?" Paloma laughed. "It's beautiful! Look everyone!"
She ran around the room and showed her new present to the entire family. Her mother shook her head at her son, she knew it was much too expensive, and that Antonio should be saving for college, but it was the smile on her little girl's face that melted her heart.
After Paloma tired herself from holding the bracelet in the air, she sat down and admired it. The sun from the window hit the shiny gold bracelet and made it sparkle. She couldn't believe it was really hers. Paloma looked up once more and smiled the most sincere smile before hugging Antonio once again.
"Thank You!" She whispered excitedly into his ear.
****************
Paloma stirred from her sleep when she heard Antonio's voice. She looked up and his face was smiling brightly.
"Antonio?" Her eyes lit up with joy. "You're awake! Mama! Luis! Everyone, he's awake!"
The other's in the waiting room all rushed in to see if what Paloma had said was really the truth, and to the surprise of many, especially Dr. Russell, he was indeed awake.
"Mana?" He said again.
"H-how did you know it was me?" Paloma asked. She had almost forgotten he was blind at first, but then she remembered when she looked at him his eyes didn't meet her own.
"You were holding my hand." He smiled. "I knew it was you because I felt the bracelet."
She couldn't help but cry when her brother remembered. Her heart ached so much at that moment, she was upset to see her brother this way, but she knew that he was always the strongest.
"Oh, Antonio." She laughed, and playfully hit his arm.
The rest of the Lopez-Fitzgerald family entered the small area and they all practically jumped on Antonio out of sheer joy that he was awake. There were tears and hugs being given all around.
Pilar stood off to the side and watched as her children greeted each other. It was the most beautiful sight she had laid eyes on in the past ten years. Her family, her children. They were all together, here, and her heart swelled with a mother's love.
Theresa reached her hand out to her mother and pulled her into the tight embrace that the siblings were sharing.
As the embrace broke, and each member of the family's face was covered in tears, Pilar stepped back and smiled. They were all so beautiful.
And they were all, finally, home.
*A/N* I know it was short, but I think I was able to sum it all up in such a small amount of space. Hope you all enjoyed! I'll be back with another chapter soon! Thank you for the responses!