Edmund walked into his daughter's hospital room and the little girls
smiled widely as she saw him.
"Daddy!" Maddie said. "You came!"
Edmund smiled, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Of course I came," he said. "You're my baby. I would have flapped my arms to fly here for you if I had to."
Maddie giggled. "You're silly, Daddy." Edmund smiled, running his hand back on Maddie's head.
"How are you feeling, baby?" he asked. "You look like you feel better."
"A little bit," she said. "My tummy still feels funny. They give me that pink stuff for it though."
"Oh, the pink stuff, huh?" Edmund said.
"Mmmhmm," Maddie said. "Daddy? Is Mommy here?"
Edmund thought. "Not yet, sweetie." he said. "I'm sure Mommy's on her way though, OK?"
"Did you call her?"
"Abuela called her."
"Are you sure she's coming, Daddy?"
"Of course she's coming. Mommy's probably on her way here right now."
Maddie smiled. "OK," she said. "What about Mommy Brooke. Is she here, Daddy?"
Edmund shut his eyes briefly. "Broke will come in a little later to see you." he said. "She came all the way back with me when she heard you were sick." Maddie yawned. "I know you're tired, sweetheart. Why don't you try to get some sleep."
"Will Mommy be here when I wake up?" she asked.
"Maybe," he said. "Why don't you close your eyes? Go on, Maddie. Close your eyes."
The little girl closed her eyes, almost immediately falling asleep. Edmund sat there for a moment, watching Maddie, before he stood. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
Edmund stepped out of the room, pausing outside the door, running his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath.
"We're looking for Madeline Grey," Edmund heard. He looked up towards the nurse's station. He opened his mouth to call to Maria, but stopped himself as he saw her... with Aidan Devane.
The nurse pointed Maria and Aidan towards the room. Edmund folded his arms across his chest as they started towards him. Maria stopped short, seeing Edmund. Aidan looked at her.
"I can wait," he said, noticing the uneasy look on Maria's face. "Maureen?" He lightly touched her shoulder.
"Would you?" she said. Aidan nodded. Maria slowly made her way over to Edmund.
"How's Maddie?" she asked.
"She's been asking for you." Edmund said, casting a glance over at Aidan.
"I came as soon as I got the message."
"And you brought him along."
Maria gave Edmund a questioning look. "I was hoping it wouldn't be a problem."
"Maddie... is already upset about everything that's going on." Edmund said. "We've explained it to her the best we can, but..." he paused. "look, Maureen. You've made your decision, and I'm trying to deal with that."
"Edmund..."
"Aidan's a lucky guy." he said. "I just hope that... I hope you're happy." Maria was silent. "You've found what you wanted. And even though it... it kills me to know that..." he paused. "I love you too much to see you unhappy... pretending to live a life that you can't remember. That's why I let you go, Maureen." He paused. "I won't deprive my children of their mother. But don't you hurt them. Don't make them promises you won't keep... or tell them thing you don't mean."
"I wouldn't do that to them." Maria said. "I love Sam and Maddie."
"Once you make this choice, stick with it." Edmund said. "Don't pull away from them halfway through like..."
"Like with you?" she said. "Don't start this, Edmund. Don't start tell me again that Maria wouldn't do something like this. That she was so devoted to her children and her husband. I know you want me to say that I remember everything... That I remember our life together. But I don't. And I know that you want your wife back, that you want me to remember being her, but I can't. I'm not Maria."
"No," Edmund said. "No, you're not." He paused. "My wife died in a plane crash. You... I don't know who you are anymore."
"Edmund..."
"Go back to Aidan." he said. "Go on with your life, and I'm going to try to go on with mine."
"Edmund..."
"I'll be back in a little while to see Maddie when she wakes up." Edmund said. "I'll see you around, Maureen."
Edmund turned and began to walk away. Maria's shoulders fell slightly as she watched him get on the elevator. Aidan approached her. "What did he say?" he asked.
Maria was silent for a moment. "Oh, nothing," she said. "Maddie's been asking for me... she's sleeping now."
"Are you OK?"
"Me?" Maria said. "Oh... yeah, I'm fine." She paused. "Why don't you, uh... why don't you go on in and I'll be right there."
"You're sure?" Aidan asked.
"Yeah. Yeah," she said. "Just give me minute, OK?" Aidan nodded silently, lightly touching her arms before walking into the room.
Maria just stood outside the room for a moment, looking off towards the elevator. The doors had shut, Edmund was gone. She brought her hand up and rubbed the back of her neck thinking briefly, before turning and walking into Maddie's room.
"Daddy!" Maddie said. "You came!"
Edmund smiled, taking a seat on the edge of her bed. "Of course I came," he said. "You're my baby. I would have flapped my arms to fly here for you if I had to."
Maddie giggled. "You're silly, Daddy." Edmund smiled, running his hand back on Maddie's head.
"How are you feeling, baby?" he asked. "You look like you feel better."
"A little bit," she said. "My tummy still feels funny. They give me that pink stuff for it though."
"Oh, the pink stuff, huh?" Edmund said.
"Mmmhmm," Maddie said. "Daddy? Is Mommy here?"
Edmund thought. "Not yet, sweetie." he said. "I'm sure Mommy's on her way though, OK?"
"Did you call her?"
"Abuela called her."
"Are you sure she's coming, Daddy?"
"Of course she's coming. Mommy's probably on her way here right now."
Maddie smiled. "OK," she said. "What about Mommy Brooke. Is she here, Daddy?"
Edmund shut his eyes briefly. "Broke will come in a little later to see you." he said. "She came all the way back with me when she heard you were sick." Maddie yawned. "I know you're tired, sweetheart. Why don't you try to get some sleep."
"Will Mommy be here when I wake up?" she asked.
"Maybe," he said. "Why don't you close your eyes? Go on, Maddie. Close your eyes."
The little girl closed her eyes, almost immediately falling asleep. Edmund sat there for a moment, watching Maddie, before he stood. He bent down and gently kissed her forehead.
Edmund stepped out of the room, pausing outside the door, running his fingers through his hair, taking a deep breath.
"We're looking for Madeline Grey," Edmund heard. He looked up towards the nurse's station. He opened his mouth to call to Maria, but stopped himself as he saw her... with Aidan Devane.
The nurse pointed Maria and Aidan towards the room. Edmund folded his arms across his chest as they started towards him. Maria stopped short, seeing Edmund. Aidan looked at her.
"I can wait," he said, noticing the uneasy look on Maria's face. "Maureen?" He lightly touched her shoulder.
"Would you?" she said. Aidan nodded. Maria slowly made her way over to Edmund.
"How's Maddie?" she asked.
"She's been asking for you." Edmund said, casting a glance over at Aidan.
"I came as soon as I got the message."
"And you brought him along."
Maria gave Edmund a questioning look. "I was hoping it wouldn't be a problem."
"Maddie... is already upset about everything that's going on." Edmund said. "We've explained it to her the best we can, but..." he paused. "look, Maureen. You've made your decision, and I'm trying to deal with that."
"Edmund..."
"Aidan's a lucky guy." he said. "I just hope that... I hope you're happy." Maria was silent. "You've found what you wanted. And even though it... it kills me to know that..." he paused. "I love you too much to see you unhappy... pretending to live a life that you can't remember. That's why I let you go, Maureen." He paused. "I won't deprive my children of their mother. But don't you hurt them. Don't make them promises you won't keep... or tell them thing you don't mean."
"I wouldn't do that to them." Maria said. "I love Sam and Maddie."
"Once you make this choice, stick with it." Edmund said. "Don't pull away from them halfway through like..."
"Like with you?" she said. "Don't start this, Edmund. Don't start tell me again that Maria wouldn't do something like this. That she was so devoted to her children and her husband. I know you want me to say that I remember everything... That I remember our life together. But I don't. And I know that you want your wife back, that you want me to remember being her, but I can't. I'm not Maria."
"No," Edmund said. "No, you're not." He paused. "My wife died in a plane crash. You... I don't know who you are anymore."
"Edmund..."
"Go back to Aidan." he said. "Go on with your life, and I'm going to try to go on with mine."
"Edmund..."
"I'll be back in a little while to see Maddie when she wakes up." Edmund said. "I'll see you around, Maureen."
Edmund turned and began to walk away. Maria's shoulders fell slightly as she watched him get on the elevator. Aidan approached her. "What did he say?" he asked.
Maria was silent for a moment. "Oh, nothing," she said. "Maddie's been asking for me... she's sleeping now."
"Are you OK?"
"Me?" Maria said. "Oh... yeah, I'm fine." She paused. "Why don't you, uh... why don't you go on in and I'll be right there."
"You're sure?" Aidan asked.
"Yeah. Yeah," she said. "Just give me minute, OK?" Aidan nodded silently, lightly touching her arms before walking into the room.
Maria just stood outside the room for a moment, looking off towards the elevator. The doors had shut, Edmund was gone. She brought her hand up and rubbed the back of her neck thinking briefly, before turning and walking into Maddie's room.