Chapter four
The doctor scheduled the surgery to the end of the week. Cliff had to fast 34 hours and so did Hannah. The doctor said that Hannah's chances are high and Cliff's chances to stay alive after the surgery were even higher.
Zoe, Dan, Sophia, Marcos and Taylor were sitting in the waiting room and praying. It has been half an hour since Cliff's surgery started. Zoe feared that she maybe did the wrong choice and it didn't matter how many times Dan, Sophia and Marcos told her that it was better than doing nothing, it didn't help and made her even more worried. Taylor, who sat on a chair in the corner of the room, looked at her aunt. If it wasn't terrible enough to wait for news about her siblings, seeing Zoe and the way she acted made her heart break into tiny pieces. She knew that Zoe didn't manage to get some sleep in the night before and she could see it in her face. Zoe's ponytail was messy and her hair looked like it was more out of the ponytail than in it. Her face had a greenish gray color that reminded Taylor mold and she had dark circles around her eyes. She was sitting on the edge of the couch, staring at the wall and biting the fingernails of one hand, while the other hand held Dan's. Taylor tried to take her look off Zoe, but couldn't. It was too disturbing too see her like that.
"Aunt Zoe," Taylor's voice was soft.
"Taylor," Zoe almost jumped from the couch. "You scared me."
"I just wanted to ask if you're ok." Taylor said.
"Yeah, I'm fine, kid." Zoe mumbled.
"Ok. I love you, Aunt Zoe." Zoe didn't react. She was now staring at Taylor.
Sophia, who sat on the other side of the couch, looked at her. The Zoe she saw now looked very different than she looked at work. "Well, I'll go and get us some coffee. It's gonna be a long day." Sophia said and got up from the couch. She went out of the waiting room.
Taylor, who tried to find something to do while waiting, looked at the pictures on the wall. One picture caught her eye. It was a picture of a young girl holds the hand of a younger boy and they walk on the beach. It reminded her a picture of her mother and Zoe when they were little girls and the day her mother told her that one day, she and her siblings would be close as she and Zoe were. Taylor had to admit her mother was right. She couldn't imagine what Zoe felt after she lost her older sister and hoped she wouldn't have to feel the same after the surgery will end. She then took another look at Zoe. It seemed to her that the waiting for news is going to kill Zoe and probably her too. She accidentally caught Dan's gaze. He looked very worried about Zoe and maybe about Hannah and Cliff too. She got up from her chair and walked out of the room. The atmosphere in the waiting room started to drive her crazy. Zoe, sitting on the edge of the couch and holding Dan's hand, Dan who seemed to be angry of Marcos, who just sat there and said nothing. Few minutes later, she came back into the waiting room and took a seat next to Zoe. Zoe looked at her for a minute and then wrapped her arms around her and started to cry. Taylor embraced her and started to cry too. She never thought that her aunt could be so weak and it made her feel so insecure about herself. If Zoe couldn't stand this situation, what would happen if Cliff or Hannah dies? What will happen to Zoe? What will happen to their relationship? She couldn't even imagine her life without Cliff. She wouldn't survive, and so would Zoe.
Dan looked at Zoe and Taylor. He felt like crying too. Zoe was the strongest woman he ever met, now she wasn't his cute, and funny Zoe. He prayed that the kids would be ok just to see the smile that made his heart jump everytime, to hear the laugh that made him want to cry until she'll say she loves him.
Suddenly, the door of the waiting room opened. Zoe and Taylor jumped from the couch. Sophia entered the room. Zoe looked confused when Sophia gave her a cap full of coffee. She mumbled a silent 'thank you' and took a sip from it. The hot liquid burned her throat, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes. She saw her sister. One of her hands was holding Hannah's and the other held Cliff's hand. She felt the cold air inside her hands when she saw the two kids running toward their mother. She watched them crying. Was her sister alive or the kids dead? Then she realized that was the truth. Her sister was dead and so does the kids. "Come back! Hannah, Cliff, don't go there!" she screamed and felt someone holding her. She opened her eyes. She was dreaming. Taylor held her and whispered 'everything will be ok' into her ear.
In the noon, the doctor came into the waiting room with good news: Cliff's surgery went well and he was expected to wake up in an hour. Zoe would jump up of the couch if her leg were not broken. She looked at Taylor and they both started crying. They only wished Hannah would be ok.
Two hours later, they both sat in Cliff's room. He looked ok, but they could see that he was worried. He kept asking them questions about Hannah's condition. Two hours later, Cliff fell asleep so Zoe and Taylor left his room. They came back to the waiting room.
The hour was 7 PM. Zoe sat on the couch in the waiting room. She tried to get some sleep but she couldn't, she felt that if she'll fall asleep, then something terrible might happen. She looked at Taylor, who was sitting on the chair in the corner of the room and secretly yawned.
"Taylor, go home." it took Taylor almost a minute to react.
"I wanna stay here until..."
"Tay, you're tired. Go home, take a shower, eat something and get some sleep. I'll call you if anything significant happen."
"Aunt Zoe, I wanna stay." Taylor said.
"Sophia, can you please take Taylor home?" Zoe ignored Taylor.
"Yeah, sure." Sophia said.
"But I don't want to go home." Taylor looked angry.
"Tay, at least take a shower and eat something. We'll wait here at least till ten anyway. You can come back with Sophia if you want, ok?" Zoe said.
"Fine. But please call me if anything..."
"Sure I will." Taylor looked at her for few seconds and then got out of the waiting room. Zoe looked at her clock. She will have to wait at least 3 hours until Hannah comes out of the surgery. She wanted the whole thing to be over. She wished she could get some sleep, but she couldn't – Hannah needed her to be awake. She looked at Dan as she yawned.
"Dan, can you get me some coffee? And something to eat?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah, sure. Mr. Morales, do you want something?" Dan asked and sent him a look full with hatred.
"No, thanks." Marcos said without looking at him. Zoe gave Dan an angry look and he got out of the waiting room and slammed the door behind him. Zoe looked at the wall, don't want to see Marcos.
"Zoe, what's going on between you and this guy?" Marcos asked.
"We're working together and we are good friends. That's all." Zoe said, hoping that she sounds convincing.
"Is he the reason why you turned me down and didn't want to marry me?"
"No. I just don't think that the kids are ready to accept someone... a man in their lives. They haven't accepted me yet... I'm not sure if they ever will. I cannot bring a man into their lives just like that." Zoe knew that that was not all. She wasn't even sure that the kids were the main reason for her decision.
"Zoe, I know you and this 'Lennox' are more than good friends. I think you know I'm not that stupid." Marcos said.
"Marcos, you know, it's a bad time to talk about it. I'm really not in a mood to have this talk right now. Can it wait for another time?" Zoe tried to be as polite as she could. She didn't want to hurt Marcos's feelings. Suddenly, the door was opened and Dan came in with a cap of coffee and a pizza. He handed it to Zoe and took a seat next to her. Marcos looked at him and then at Zoe.
"I think I'll go now. Call me if you have any news." Marcos said. He opened the door and then turned around and said "Zoe, I love you and I'll stand by you forever." With these words he came out of the room.
"What was he talking about?" Dan asked.
"Nothing." Zoe took a sip from her coffee. She rested his head on Dan's shoulder and closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep. Dan looked at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She never judged him even though she knew about his painful past. He loved a woman just once before and she betrayed him, but Zoe was different, she would never do that. He knew he could trust her, he wasn't mistaking this time.
"I love you, Zoe" He whispered.
Taylor was sitting in the car next to Sophia and looked at the red light they were standing at. She secretly wiped the tears that appeared in her eyes. Sophia looked at the teenaged girl that was trying her best to look optimistic and believe that she's not going to experience another loss.
"Taylor," She said.
"Yes, Ms. Mason?" Taylor said.
"Everything is going to be ok."
"I know." Taylor failed pretending she actually believes what she says.
"Taylor, you have to think happy thoughts. Your brother is ok and your sister will be ok. You just have to wait."
"I know." Taylor tried to pretend again, not very successfully.
"You don't believe in your own words." Sophia said.
"I do... I really do believe..." Sophia's heart broke when Taylor said that. This girl was so brave. She could only guess what it was like for Zoe to lose her sister and she was pretty sure that Taylor was thinking about the same thing. It was the first time she thought of Zoe as a sister and aunt, as a girl who lost her parents at the same age like the girl that was sitting next to her and was raised by her sister, whom she lost too. For the first time, she understood that Zoe wasn't just a smart and funny woman who happened to be a Las Vegas girl. She was trying to guide three little people to make right choices, to be responsible and take the empty space that her sister left in these kids' lives, not talking about replacing her without making the kids think she wants them to forget their mother. The work as a fraud investigator must be easy if you compare the work she had to do at home.
"Taylor, I know it's hard, but you have to convince yourself that Hannah is going to survive this surgery. She needs you to pray for her and think positively." "I'll try." Taylor said. "I love her so much... I'd die for her."
"There's no need to die, because Hannah is strong and she'll be just fine. It will take some time, but it will happen."
"I know." This time Taylor could believe herself. Thanks to Sophia, she did know that Hannah would be ok.
Dan looked at his clock as he yawned. It was hard to sit in that room and wait for something good to happen. The hour was almost 8... he looked at Zoe that was silently snoring and it reminded him the night they had to spend together at the motel while investigating a bull's death. He remembered how he tried to kiss her and she looked at him like she was expecting it. His heart was beating so fast as he closed his eyes as he heard the door open. He looked at Zoe and then at the man that was standing at the door. Now he looked at her. Her head rested on his shoulder, and she seemed to sleep calmly. She deserved to get some sleep. Suddenly, she opened her eyes. She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him with confusion. "Was I sleeping?" she asked and it sounded like she's going to cry again.
"Yes, Zoe. Is everything ok?"
"Oh, my god..." she covered her face with her palms. "What is the hour?"
"Almost 8. Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I'll be right back." She said and ran out of the room.
She ran into the bathroom and washed her face. She fell asleep! How could she do that to Hannah? She had to stay awake for her. She looked at herself in the mirror. What she saw was scary: her ponytail was no longer a ponytail, her face had a strange color, her eyes looked as if she didn't sleep for ages, thought it was only few days. She knew she couldn't leave the hospital, though she wished for an opportunity to take a decent shower.
"Stop it, Zoe! Stop thinking about yourself! You are no longer a Las Vegas girl and you have to think about Hannah, who's in a danger because of you. Nobody cares how you look or what you need and maybe if you would be a little bit more responsible you could be at home right now and eating dinner with the kids." The Zoe in the other side of the mirror said to her.
"Am I going crazy? The mirror cannot talk." She said. "Oh, god... I really do need a decent shower and a good sleep..." she said to herself. She fixed her ponytail and washed her face again. She could at least not look as if she came out from a scary movie. She took one last look at the mirror. "It cannot talk." She said to herself again and got out of the bathroom. Mirrors cannot talk but it always shows us the truth. Am I really irresponsible and egoistic? She thought while she was doing her way back to the waiting room. She opened the door and took her seat next to Dan.
"Are you ok, Zoe?" He asked. She could see he was really concerned.
"I'm totally fine. I just needed to go to the bathroom, that's all." He put his hand on her cheek. His eyes scanned her face and located on her beautiful green eyes. He hoped to see there a clue that he wasn't just a friend and a co-worker, but all he saw there was worry and pain. Well, what was he expecting to find there? The woman was clearly not concentrated on him right now and for very obvious reasons. Sometimes it's not enough to look for something in the right place. You need to look for it in the right time.
"You just seemed to be very... scared." He said and his voice trembled.
"I'm really fine, Dan. There's no need to worry." She leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked at her and then stroked her sandy blond curls as if she was a little girl who woke up out of a nightmare. Suddenly, a nurse opened the door and entered the room. Zoe's heart started beating so fast. Hannah's surgery was supposed to be over only on ten, and the hour was only 8. What if something went wrong? What if Hannah... She tried to move the image of her niece's dead body out of her head.
"Ms. Busiek, your nephew wants to see you. He woke up now and he's very worried about his sister." The nurse said. Zoe took her crutches and limped after the nurse. She entered into Cliff's room and sat beside him. He kept asking what would happen if Hannah dies and she tried to hold her tears while begging him to think positively. She couldn't even think on something that will serve as an answer. She, as a grown woman could get over it, though she knew it would be hard and would take a lot of time, but she knew that the Taylor and Cliff would blame her forever for Hannah's death, if the surgery wouldn't end as they expected.
"How do you feel?" she changed the subject.
"I'm fine. A little bit hungry." The 12 years old kid said. He's voice was very low and Zoe wished she could do something to change the way they felt. Once again, she felt guilty about the accident. Few minutes later, the nurse came back into the room. She told Zoe that Cliff needs to get some sleep and Zoe lightly kissed him on the cheek and went out of the room. She limped back to the waiting room, knowing that she still have two hours to wait. She stopped few steps from the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening the door and taking her seat next to Dan again.
"Dan, I wanna thank you." Zoe looked at him and waited for an answer.
"For what?"
"For everything you're doing for me. For being here, for loving me... for being you." He thought he saw her smiling, but he wasn't sure.
"Do you love me?"
"Forever."
"Truly love me? For who I am?" He felt that if he wouldn't ask that question now, he'll never know the answer.
"Truly, deeply, now and forever." Her green eyes smiled as she lightly kissed him.
"Zoe, maybe it's not the right time, but I want you to marry me and to share the rest of your life with me. Will you be willing to do that?" His voice was deep.
"Well, you are right. It is not the right time. Dan, I don't think I can give you an answer right now, I'm too worried."
"I understand and I'll wait until things will be the same again." Dan put his hand on her face and let his fingers caress her jaw. She closed her eyes. But what if things won't be the same again? The question jumped into his mind. What if Hannah dies? Then he'll lose Zoe forever. Suddenly, he felt so lonely. Images from his days in jail came into his mind.
"Dan," he heard her sweet voice.
"Uuuu?" his thoughts faded away as he looked at her.
"Why are you crying?" She wiped his tears with her finger.
"I don't know." He lied.
"Dan, if you're crying because of me......"
"It's nothing. Probably an allergy or something." He pulled her closer to him.
"Are you sure?" Zoe leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She fell asleep before Dan was able to answer. He looked down at her face and then leaned his head on the wall and fell asleep too. He dreamt about a woman with sandy blond hair and green eyes. They were walking in an endless black and white garden. The glow from her eyes fell on her face and colored the bushes with green. The light from her skin painted the sunshine with gold and her smile made all the flowers blossom. Suddenly, the blacks and whites disappeared into the sky and so did the woman. He felt a tear falling down from his eye and crushing down on the lifeless ground. The trees in the garden crumbled into dust, the sunshine melted and left huge golden stains on the ground, black clouds filled the sky and green acid rain started pouring. He knew he was alone without the woman and the colorful garden. He was in an empty world, trapped inside a lifeless body that lost the will to be happy once again. Suddenly he saw the woman again. She was wearing white dress and she took his hand. He looked at her and she smiled. They passed the empty world and he saw a house. The windows were made of pure silver and a beautiful little girl with red hair opened the door that was made of glass. Suddenly a noise occurred and he woke up. Zoe was also awake. They both gazed at Taylor and Sophia that came into the room.
"What hour is this?" Zoe asked with sleepy voice.
"Nine." Sophia said.
"Is there something new?" Taylor asked.
"Nothing yet." Zoe silently sighed. Taylor took a seat on the chair in the corner of the room. Zoe got up from the couch and took her crutches. She limped to the other side of the room and took Taylor's hand. "Let's take a walk." She pulled Taylor's hand.
"I want to stay here." Taylor said. Zoe gave her a Do-what-I-say look. Taylor got up of the chair and followed her limping aunt. They got out of the waiting room and entered the elevator. They went out of the elevator in the first floor. "Why are we doing this?" Taylor asked.
"We have to talk." Zoe said and got out of the hospital. The air was cold and there was no one but them outside. They walked in silence and Zoe tried to organize the words that ran inside her head into a sentence. Taylor looked at her aunt and it was clear to her that her aunt was trying to think about the thing that she was going to say. What could be so hard for Zoe to say? Was it something about Hannah? Maybe something... "Taylor," Zoe's voice made her thoughts fade away.
"Yes, Aunt Zoe." Taylor said, afraid that she's going to hear something really bad.
"How would you feel if I get married?" Zoe asked. Taylor sighed.
"Married?" Zoe nodded. "Well, it depends." It took Taylor few seconds to answer.
"On what?" Zoe asked.
"First, on the person you're going to marry to..." Did her aunt wanted to marry Marcos? Or...Dan? "And, the result of Hannah's surgery."
"Ok." Zoe replied.
"Aunt Zoe, why are you asking me that?"
Zoe took a deep breath before she answered. "Dan wants me to marry him."
"He's nice." Taylor replied.
"Nice? That's all you have to say?"
"Yes, he's a nice guy." Taylor said. Her reply made Zoe really angry.
"So, how would you feel if we'll get married?" She asked.
"I don't know. Why do you want to marry him?"
"Because I love him."
"Love. You love him." Taylor said.
"Yes, I do."
"I don't think I want you to marry him." Taylor said.
"Why?"
"Because I think that we need you more than he does."
"Ok." Zoe replied. "Taylor, thank you." Zoe felt the tears falling on her face. She loved Dan so much. She knew he'd understand, but seeing him crying earlier and knowing that it was because of her made her realize again how vulnerable he was.
"What for?" Taylor asked.
"For telling me how you feel."
"But I made you cry."
"It's just because I love you so much and your opinion is important to me."
"Aunt Zoe, you know, I don't care if you'll date him." Taylor said.
"Thank you, Tay. I love you."
"I love you too, Aunt Zoe."
When they came back, it was almost 22:00. They took their seats again and Zoe rested her head on Dan's shoulder. He looked at her. Her face was wet, so were her bloodshot eyes and she had a very sad look every time she looked at him. He put his palm on her cheek. It was cold from the night air. She closed her eyes and he saw a tear falling on her face. He pulled her into a hug and she buried her face under his chin and let herself silently cry. Sophia looked at them. She knew that they both had a silent crush on each other, knowing – not knowing that the other feels the same too. Through their co-operation and the way they worked, she saw the special way they had to comfort and help each other. It was a pure, childish way to say 'I love you and need you'. They put their passion aside, not letting it interfere their relationship, but inside, they both had a desire to know each other not as friends, but as lovers. They wanted to share their bodies too. She looked at her watch. They hour was ten now and Hanna's surgery was supposed to end. She looked at Taylor; she was biting her bottom lip. She was doing her best to be strong and not cry. Suddenly, someone entered the room. Everybody looked at the door. It was Marcos.
"Any news?" he asked.
"Not yet." Zoe had a shocked look on her face. She wasn't expecting him to come back. He took a seat next to Sophia.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier." He said to Zoe.
"It's ok." Zoe replied without even looking at him. He looked at her. She changed a lot since high school. Especially because she had a family to take care of. He remembered their high school days. The boys were always trying to impress her and her friends in order to 'win' a kiss, a date or even a look. He was always watching her from the distance, but never made any move. Instead, he read books and made his homework. Sometimes he would go out with his friends, but she never even looked at him. He remembered the day when he came to school and one guy said that he slept with her the previous night. She was cool, as usual, didn't care that the other guys jokingly asked her to sleep with them too. It was the first time he thought about having sex. He imagined having sex with her. Very quickly he heard more and more rumors about Zoe, having sex with whomever she sees and her girl friends following her deeds. He knew that she have never stopped doing this. Until her sister died. She was forced to become a grownup woman, hold the family together, and help her nieces and nephew make the right choices and guide them through their lives. Being a child trapped in an adult's body made her vulnerable and that was very attractive. He looked at her now, resting her head on Dan's shoulder and worrying about Hannah. He couldn't see him holding her anymore. It was too painful. The door was opened. A nurse came into the room.
"Miss Busiek," She said. "The doctor wants to have a talk with you." Zoe slowly got up from the couch and took her crutches. She followed the nurse; her legs are melting from fear. She could barely hold her crutches because her hands were trembling. The nurse stopped in front of the doctor's office and opened the door. "He'll be here in a minute." She said and got out of the office. Zoe looked at the door, wishing that the nurse could show a little more respect and stay there with her. The door was opened and the doctor came in.
"Miss Busiek," he said. "Please take a seat." He pointed at a chair in front of his desk and she sat down.
"Is Hannah ok?" Zoe asked.
"Hannah is a very strong little girl. There was a small complication but she's ok. The next 72 hours are very crucial, but I'm sure she'll make it." The doctor said.
"Thank you, doctor. Thank you very much." Zoe's voice trembled. Hannah was ok.
"You'll be able to see her tomorrow." The doctor said. "I guess you want to go and tell your family the news......," The doctor said and they both went out of the office. They walked to the waiting room and told everyone the good news. For the first time since the accident, Zoe slept at home and had not a single nightmare.
In the morning after, Zoe told Cliff the news and they went to see her. She looked very confused, but was happy to see Aunt Zoe and Taylor and Cliff. Mr. Lennox was there too and he brought her a doll. Her aunt had a really beautiful look on her face when he gave the doll to Hannah. Mr. Morales and Ms. Mason brought her candies and balloons and that made her very happy. In the afternoon of the same day, Ms. Mason left and so did Mr. Morales, they drove Cliff and Taylor home and Mr. Lennox and Aunt Zoe stayed with Hannah.
"Aunt Zoe, I want to go home too." Hannah said.
"In few days we'll take you home. I promise." Zoe said. "I love you, kid."
"I love you too, Aunt Zoe. You're the best aunt in the whole world." The little girl said.
"Thank you, Hannah." Zoe kissed Hannah's cheek.
"I'm tired. I wanna go to sleep." Hannah said. Zoe stroked her cheek and gave her a goodnight kiss. "I want Mr. Lennox to tell me a story." Hannah said.
"Ok, Hannah." Dan said. "Once upon a time, there was a princess."
"What was her name?" Hannah asked.
"Ummm... Her name was..." Dan wanted to say Zoe's name, but decided that Zoe wouldn't want him to do that. "Her name was Julie." He said. "She was the most beautiful princess in the whole world and she had a boyfriend called Marco... No his name was Bob, but he didn't really love her. He wanted to marry her because she was very rich." Hannah closed her eyes and he saw that she was sleeping. He looked at Zoe. "I love you." He said.
"Dan, I've talked with Taylor. I told her that I love you and that we want to get married." She said, knowing that the thing she was going to say is going to be hard for both of them. "She doesn't feel ready to have a new family member." Zoe said.
"We'll wait until she'll be ready. It doesn't matter as long as we're together." Dan lightly kissed Zoe. Very quickly, they both fell asleep.
In the next morning, Zoe went home and took a shower. She ate something and went back to the hospital. She brought Hannah her teddy bear and could imagine the smile on the little girl's face. She did her way to Hannah's hospital room when she heard screaming and saw people running into the room. She ran after them, but a nurse stopped her from entering the room. "You can't go in," he said.
"What's going on there? You have to tell me, I'm her legal guardian." Zoe said, feeling the fear again.
"I'm sorry, miss, I can't let you go inside the room and I can't tell you what's going on, you'll have to wait for the doctor." The young nurse said.
"No, I have to know what's going on right now!!!" Zoe raised her voice and tried to open the door, but the nurse held her shoulder and tried to prevent her from entering the room. She started crying and the nurse looked helpless. He knew how to take care of patients, but not how to calm worrying aunts down. Ten minutes later, the doctor came out of the room; his clothes were covered with blood. Zoe stared at him as he told her the painful words that she heard so many times before.
"Ms. Busiek, Hannah started bleeding from her stomach. We did everything we could. She... didn't make it." Zoe didn't feel the tears falling on her face, she didn't hear the voices of the people, she hugged Hannah's teddy bear and then fainted.
Dan and Sophia knocked on the door and Jeannie opened it and let them in. There were many people there, parents of children that were in Hannah's class, Hannah's teachers, friends of Cliff and Taylor and neighbors that cam to say how sorry they are for Hannah's death. Zoe sat on the couch, thanked them for coming. Dan looked at her. She was wearing a black skirt and a black shirt and listen to what people told her without hearing the words and shook people's hands without feeling their fingers.
"Zoe," Sophia said. "I can't tell you how sorry I am." She knew how banal her words were, but that was the only thing she could say.
"Thank you." Zoe embraced her and Dan.
They stayed there until everyone left. Then they made sure that Zoe, Cliff and Taylor were ok and went home, promising that they'll come again in the morning.
One year later
Zoe looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white dress and a huge smile on her face, but no one knew that something was missing for her. She always wanted little Hannah and her sister to be there in her wedding day, but both of them were gone. "Are you ready?" Taylor asked. Zoe nodded. Taylor kissed her aunt's cheek. She looked beautiful. "Good luck." She said and got out of the room. Zoe took one last look in the mirror. She's going to be married in ten minutes and a mother in six months. Taylor and Cliff didn't know it yet, nor did Sophia. She took a deep breath and went out of the room. Dan looked at her when she walked down the aisle. She was gorgeous and he couldn't wait until the moment she'll say 'I do' and he'd kiss her. He knew that she was a little bit sad because Hannah wasn't there, but he promised her that she's watching her from heaven and smiling. He didn't listen to the words the priest said until he had to say 'I do' and kiss Zoe. It was the happiest day of his life. In the evening of the same day they both told Cliff and Taylor about Zoe's pregnancy. Both of the kids seemed to be very happy for their aunt and new uncle. Zoe looked at them. She could see the sadness that Dan will never see inside their eyes. They were happy for her, but they were afraid that their unborn cousin will replace Hannah and they didn't want that to happen. "Don't worry," She said. "This baby will never be able to replace Hannah. She'll always be your little, cute sister and you'll always remember her." Zoe cried while saying that. She knew how hard it was for them to lose their mother and sister in the same year, accept Dan as a family member and be happy for her. She wanted to have a baby girl and ask their permission to call her Hannah.
The doctor scheduled the surgery to the end of the week. Cliff had to fast 34 hours and so did Hannah. The doctor said that Hannah's chances are high and Cliff's chances to stay alive after the surgery were even higher.
Zoe, Dan, Sophia, Marcos and Taylor were sitting in the waiting room and praying. It has been half an hour since Cliff's surgery started. Zoe feared that she maybe did the wrong choice and it didn't matter how many times Dan, Sophia and Marcos told her that it was better than doing nothing, it didn't help and made her even more worried. Taylor, who sat on a chair in the corner of the room, looked at her aunt. If it wasn't terrible enough to wait for news about her siblings, seeing Zoe and the way she acted made her heart break into tiny pieces. She knew that Zoe didn't manage to get some sleep in the night before and she could see it in her face. Zoe's ponytail was messy and her hair looked like it was more out of the ponytail than in it. Her face had a greenish gray color that reminded Taylor mold and she had dark circles around her eyes. She was sitting on the edge of the couch, staring at the wall and biting the fingernails of one hand, while the other hand held Dan's. Taylor tried to take her look off Zoe, but couldn't. It was too disturbing too see her like that.
"Aunt Zoe," Taylor's voice was soft.
"Taylor," Zoe almost jumped from the couch. "You scared me."
"I just wanted to ask if you're ok." Taylor said.
"Yeah, I'm fine, kid." Zoe mumbled.
"Ok. I love you, Aunt Zoe." Zoe didn't react. She was now staring at Taylor.
Sophia, who sat on the other side of the couch, looked at her. The Zoe she saw now looked very different than she looked at work. "Well, I'll go and get us some coffee. It's gonna be a long day." Sophia said and got up from the couch. She went out of the waiting room.
Taylor, who tried to find something to do while waiting, looked at the pictures on the wall. One picture caught her eye. It was a picture of a young girl holds the hand of a younger boy and they walk on the beach. It reminded her a picture of her mother and Zoe when they were little girls and the day her mother told her that one day, she and her siblings would be close as she and Zoe were. Taylor had to admit her mother was right. She couldn't imagine what Zoe felt after she lost her older sister and hoped she wouldn't have to feel the same after the surgery will end. She then took another look at Zoe. It seemed to her that the waiting for news is going to kill Zoe and probably her too. She accidentally caught Dan's gaze. He looked very worried about Zoe and maybe about Hannah and Cliff too. She got up from her chair and walked out of the room. The atmosphere in the waiting room started to drive her crazy. Zoe, sitting on the edge of the couch and holding Dan's hand, Dan who seemed to be angry of Marcos, who just sat there and said nothing. Few minutes later, she came back into the waiting room and took a seat next to Zoe. Zoe looked at her for a minute and then wrapped her arms around her and started to cry. Taylor embraced her and started to cry too. She never thought that her aunt could be so weak and it made her feel so insecure about herself. If Zoe couldn't stand this situation, what would happen if Cliff or Hannah dies? What will happen to Zoe? What will happen to their relationship? She couldn't even imagine her life without Cliff. She wouldn't survive, and so would Zoe.
Dan looked at Zoe and Taylor. He felt like crying too. Zoe was the strongest woman he ever met, now she wasn't his cute, and funny Zoe. He prayed that the kids would be ok just to see the smile that made his heart jump everytime, to hear the laugh that made him want to cry until she'll say she loves him.
Suddenly, the door of the waiting room opened. Zoe and Taylor jumped from the couch. Sophia entered the room. Zoe looked confused when Sophia gave her a cap full of coffee. She mumbled a silent 'thank you' and took a sip from it. The hot liquid burned her throat, but she didn't care. She closed her eyes. She saw her sister. One of her hands was holding Hannah's and the other held Cliff's hand. She felt the cold air inside her hands when she saw the two kids running toward their mother. She watched them crying. Was her sister alive or the kids dead? Then she realized that was the truth. Her sister was dead and so does the kids. "Come back! Hannah, Cliff, don't go there!" she screamed and felt someone holding her. She opened her eyes. She was dreaming. Taylor held her and whispered 'everything will be ok' into her ear.
In the noon, the doctor came into the waiting room with good news: Cliff's surgery went well and he was expected to wake up in an hour. Zoe would jump up of the couch if her leg were not broken. She looked at Taylor and they both started crying. They only wished Hannah would be ok.
Two hours later, they both sat in Cliff's room. He looked ok, but they could see that he was worried. He kept asking them questions about Hannah's condition. Two hours later, Cliff fell asleep so Zoe and Taylor left his room. They came back to the waiting room.
The hour was 7 PM. Zoe sat on the couch in the waiting room. She tried to get some sleep but she couldn't, she felt that if she'll fall asleep, then something terrible might happen. She looked at Taylor, who was sitting on the chair in the corner of the room and secretly yawned.
"Taylor, go home." it took Taylor almost a minute to react.
"I wanna stay here until..."
"Tay, you're tired. Go home, take a shower, eat something and get some sleep. I'll call you if anything significant happen."
"Aunt Zoe, I wanna stay." Taylor said.
"Sophia, can you please take Taylor home?" Zoe ignored Taylor.
"Yeah, sure." Sophia said.
"But I don't want to go home." Taylor looked angry.
"Tay, at least take a shower and eat something. We'll wait here at least till ten anyway. You can come back with Sophia if you want, ok?" Zoe said.
"Fine. But please call me if anything..."
"Sure I will." Taylor looked at her for few seconds and then got out of the waiting room. Zoe looked at her clock. She will have to wait at least 3 hours until Hannah comes out of the surgery. She wanted the whole thing to be over. She wished she could get some sleep, but she couldn't – Hannah needed her to be awake. She looked at Dan as she yawned.
"Dan, can you get me some coffee? And something to eat?" Zoe asked.
"Yeah, sure. Mr. Morales, do you want something?" Dan asked and sent him a look full with hatred.
"No, thanks." Marcos said without looking at him. Zoe gave Dan an angry look and he got out of the waiting room and slammed the door behind him. Zoe looked at the wall, don't want to see Marcos.
"Zoe, what's going on between you and this guy?" Marcos asked.
"We're working together and we are good friends. That's all." Zoe said, hoping that she sounds convincing.
"Is he the reason why you turned me down and didn't want to marry me?"
"No. I just don't think that the kids are ready to accept someone... a man in their lives. They haven't accepted me yet... I'm not sure if they ever will. I cannot bring a man into their lives just like that." Zoe knew that that was not all. She wasn't even sure that the kids were the main reason for her decision.
"Zoe, I know you and this 'Lennox' are more than good friends. I think you know I'm not that stupid." Marcos said.
"Marcos, you know, it's a bad time to talk about it. I'm really not in a mood to have this talk right now. Can it wait for another time?" Zoe tried to be as polite as she could. She didn't want to hurt Marcos's feelings. Suddenly, the door was opened and Dan came in with a cap of coffee and a pizza. He handed it to Zoe and took a seat next to her. Marcos looked at him and then at Zoe.
"I think I'll go now. Call me if you have any news." Marcos said. He opened the door and then turned around and said "Zoe, I love you and I'll stand by you forever." With these words he came out of the room.
"What was he talking about?" Dan asked.
"Nothing." Zoe took a sip from her coffee. She rested his head on Dan's shoulder and closed her eyes. She quickly fell asleep. Dan looked at her. She was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen. She never judged him even though she knew about his painful past. He loved a woman just once before and she betrayed him, but Zoe was different, she would never do that. He knew he could trust her, he wasn't mistaking this time.
"I love you, Zoe" He whispered.
Taylor was sitting in the car next to Sophia and looked at the red light they were standing at. She secretly wiped the tears that appeared in her eyes. Sophia looked at the teenaged girl that was trying her best to look optimistic and believe that she's not going to experience another loss.
"Taylor," She said.
"Yes, Ms. Mason?" Taylor said.
"Everything is going to be ok."
"I know." Taylor failed pretending she actually believes what she says.
"Taylor, you have to think happy thoughts. Your brother is ok and your sister will be ok. You just have to wait."
"I know." Taylor tried to pretend again, not very successfully.
"You don't believe in your own words." Sophia said.
"I do... I really do believe..." Sophia's heart broke when Taylor said that. This girl was so brave. She could only guess what it was like for Zoe to lose her sister and she was pretty sure that Taylor was thinking about the same thing. It was the first time she thought of Zoe as a sister and aunt, as a girl who lost her parents at the same age like the girl that was sitting next to her and was raised by her sister, whom she lost too. For the first time, she understood that Zoe wasn't just a smart and funny woman who happened to be a Las Vegas girl. She was trying to guide three little people to make right choices, to be responsible and take the empty space that her sister left in these kids' lives, not talking about replacing her without making the kids think she wants them to forget their mother. The work as a fraud investigator must be easy if you compare the work she had to do at home.
"Taylor, I know it's hard, but you have to convince yourself that Hannah is going to survive this surgery. She needs you to pray for her and think positively." "I'll try." Taylor said. "I love her so much... I'd die for her."
"There's no need to die, because Hannah is strong and she'll be just fine. It will take some time, but it will happen."
"I know." This time Taylor could believe herself. Thanks to Sophia, she did know that Hannah would be ok.
Dan looked at his clock as he yawned. It was hard to sit in that room and wait for something good to happen. The hour was almost 8... he looked at Zoe that was silently snoring and it reminded him the night they had to spend together at the motel while investigating a bull's death. He remembered how he tried to kiss her and she looked at him like she was expecting it. His heart was beating so fast as he closed his eyes as he heard the door open. He looked at Zoe and then at the man that was standing at the door. Now he looked at her. Her head rested on his shoulder, and she seemed to sleep calmly. She deserved to get some sleep. Suddenly, she opened her eyes. She raised her head from his shoulder and looked at him with confusion. "Was I sleeping?" she asked and it sounded like she's going to cry again.
"Yes, Zoe. Is everything ok?"
"Oh, my god..." she covered her face with her palms. "What is the hour?"
"Almost 8. Are you ok?"
"Yes, I'm fine. I'll be right back." She said and ran out of the room.
She ran into the bathroom and washed her face. She fell asleep! How could she do that to Hannah? She had to stay awake for her. She looked at herself in the mirror. What she saw was scary: her ponytail was no longer a ponytail, her face had a strange color, her eyes looked as if she didn't sleep for ages, thought it was only few days. She knew she couldn't leave the hospital, though she wished for an opportunity to take a decent shower.
"Stop it, Zoe! Stop thinking about yourself! You are no longer a Las Vegas girl and you have to think about Hannah, who's in a danger because of you. Nobody cares how you look or what you need and maybe if you would be a little bit more responsible you could be at home right now and eating dinner with the kids." The Zoe in the other side of the mirror said to her.
"Am I going crazy? The mirror cannot talk." She said. "Oh, god... I really do need a decent shower and a good sleep..." she said to herself. She fixed her ponytail and washed her face again. She could at least not look as if she came out from a scary movie. She took one last look at the mirror. "It cannot talk." She said to herself again and got out of the bathroom. Mirrors cannot talk but it always shows us the truth. Am I really irresponsible and egoistic? She thought while she was doing her way back to the waiting room. She opened the door and took her seat next to Dan.
"Are you ok, Zoe?" He asked. She could see he was really concerned.
"I'm totally fine. I just needed to go to the bathroom, that's all." He put his hand on her cheek. His eyes scanned her face and located on her beautiful green eyes. He hoped to see there a clue that he wasn't just a friend and a co-worker, but all he saw there was worry and pain. Well, what was he expecting to find there? The woman was clearly not concentrated on him right now and for very obvious reasons. Sometimes it's not enough to look for something in the right place. You need to look for it in the right time.
"You just seemed to be very... scared." He said and his voice trembled.
"I'm really fine, Dan. There's no need to worry." She leaned her head on his shoulder. He looked at her and then stroked her sandy blond curls as if she was a little girl who woke up out of a nightmare. Suddenly, a nurse opened the door and entered the room. Zoe's heart started beating so fast. Hannah's surgery was supposed to be over only on ten, and the hour was only 8. What if something went wrong? What if Hannah... She tried to move the image of her niece's dead body out of her head.
"Ms. Busiek, your nephew wants to see you. He woke up now and he's very worried about his sister." The nurse said. Zoe took her crutches and limped after the nurse. She entered into Cliff's room and sat beside him. He kept asking what would happen if Hannah dies and she tried to hold her tears while begging him to think positively. She couldn't even think on something that will serve as an answer. She, as a grown woman could get over it, though she knew it would be hard and would take a lot of time, but she knew that the Taylor and Cliff would blame her forever for Hannah's death, if the surgery wouldn't end as they expected.
"How do you feel?" she changed the subject.
"I'm fine. A little bit hungry." The 12 years old kid said. He's voice was very low and Zoe wished she could do something to change the way they felt. Once again, she felt guilty about the accident. Few minutes later, the nurse came back into the room. She told Zoe that Cliff needs to get some sleep and Zoe lightly kissed him on the cheek and went out of the room. She limped back to the waiting room, knowing that she still have two hours to wait. She stopped few steps from the door. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before opening the door and taking her seat next to Dan again.
"Dan, I wanna thank you." Zoe looked at him and waited for an answer.
"For what?"
"For everything you're doing for me. For being here, for loving me... for being you." He thought he saw her smiling, but he wasn't sure.
"Do you love me?"
"Forever."
"Truly love me? For who I am?" He felt that if he wouldn't ask that question now, he'll never know the answer.
"Truly, deeply, now and forever." Her green eyes smiled as she lightly kissed him.
"Zoe, maybe it's not the right time, but I want you to marry me and to share the rest of your life with me. Will you be willing to do that?" His voice was deep.
"Well, you are right. It is not the right time. Dan, I don't think I can give you an answer right now, I'm too worried."
"I understand and I'll wait until things will be the same again." Dan put his hand on her face and let his fingers caress her jaw. She closed her eyes. But what if things won't be the same again? The question jumped into his mind. What if Hannah dies? Then he'll lose Zoe forever. Suddenly, he felt so lonely. Images from his days in jail came into his mind.
"Dan," he heard her sweet voice.
"Uuuu?" his thoughts faded away as he looked at her.
"Why are you crying?" She wiped his tears with her finger.
"I don't know." He lied.
"Dan, if you're crying because of me......"
"It's nothing. Probably an allergy or something." He pulled her closer to him.
"Are you sure?" Zoe leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. She fell asleep before Dan was able to answer. He looked down at her face and then leaned his head on the wall and fell asleep too. He dreamt about a woman with sandy blond hair and green eyes. They were walking in an endless black and white garden. The glow from her eyes fell on her face and colored the bushes with green. The light from her skin painted the sunshine with gold and her smile made all the flowers blossom. Suddenly, the blacks and whites disappeared into the sky and so did the woman. He felt a tear falling down from his eye and crushing down on the lifeless ground. The trees in the garden crumbled into dust, the sunshine melted and left huge golden stains on the ground, black clouds filled the sky and green acid rain started pouring. He knew he was alone without the woman and the colorful garden. He was in an empty world, trapped inside a lifeless body that lost the will to be happy once again. Suddenly he saw the woman again. She was wearing white dress and she took his hand. He looked at her and she smiled. They passed the empty world and he saw a house. The windows were made of pure silver and a beautiful little girl with red hair opened the door that was made of glass. Suddenly a noise occurred and he woke up. Zoe was also awake. They both gazed at Taylor and Sophia that came into the room.
"What hour is this?" Zoe asked with sleepy voice.
"Nine." Sophia said.
"Is there something new?" Taylor asked.
"Nothing yet." Zoe silently sighed. Taylor took a seat on the chair in the corner of the room. Zoe got up from the couch and took her crutches. She limped to the other side of the room and took Taylor's hand. "Let's take a walk." She pulled Taylor's hand.
"I want to stay here." Taylor said. Zoe gave her a Do-what-I-say look. Taylor got up of the chair and followed her limping aunt. They got out of the waiting room and entered the elevator. They went out of the elevator in the first floor. "Why are we doing this?" Taylor asked.
"We have to talk." Zoe said and got out of the hospital. The air was cold and there was no one but them outside. They walked in silence and Zoe tried to organize the words that ran inside her head into a sentence. Taylor looked at her aunt and it was clear to her that her aunt was trying to think about the thing that she was going to say. What could be so hard for Zoe to say? Was it something about Hannah? Maybe something... "Taylor," Zoe's voice made her thoughts fade away.
"Yes, Aunt Zoe." Taylor said, afraid that she's going to hear something really bad.
"How would you feel if I get married?" Zoe asked. Taylor sighed.
"Married?" Zoe nodded. "Well, it depends." It took Taylor few seconds to answer.
"On what?" Zoe asked.
"First, on the person you're going to marry to..." Did her aunt wanted to marry Marcos? Or...Dan? "And, the result of Hannah's surgery."
"Ok." Zoe replied.
"Aunt Zoe, why are you asking me that?"
Zoe took a deep breath before she answered. "Dan wants me to marry him."
"He's nice." Taylor replied.
"Nice? That's all you have to say?"
"Yes, he's a nice guy." Taylor said. Her reply made Zoe really angry.
"So, how would you feel if we'll get married?" She asked.
"I don't know. Why do you want to marry him?"
"Because I love him."
"Love. You love him." Taylor said.
"Yes, I do."
"I don't think I want you to marry him." Taylor said.
"Why?"
"Because I think that we need you more than he does."
"Ok." Zoe replied. "Taylor, thank you." Zoe felt the tears falling on her face. She loved Dan so much. She knew he'd understand, but seeing him crying earlier and knowing that it was because of her made her realize again how vulnerable he was.
"What for?" Taylor asked.
"For telling me how you feel."
"But I made you cry."
"It's just because I love you so much and your opinion is important to me."
"Aunt Zoe, you know, I don't care if you'll date him." Taylor said.
"Thank you, Tay. I love you."
"I love you too, Aunt Zoe."
When they came back, it was almost 22:00. They took their seats again and Zoe rested her head on Dan's shoulder. He looked at her. Her face was wet, so were her bloodshot eyes and she had a very sad look every time she looked at him. He put his palm on her cheek. It was cold from the night air. She closed her eyes and he saw a tear falling on her face. He pulled her into a hug and she buried her face under his chin and let herself silently cry. Sophia looked at them. She knew that they both had a silent crush on each other, knowing – not knowing that the other feels the same too. Through their co-operation and the way they worked, she saw the special way they had to comfort and help each other. It was a pure, childish way to say 'I love you and need you'. They put their passion aside, not letting it interfere their relationship, but inside, they both had a desire to know each other not as friends, but as lovers. They wanted to share their bodies too. She looked at her watch. They hour was ten now and Hanna's surgery was supposed to end. She looked at Taylor; she was biting her bottom lip. She was doing her best to be strong and not cry. Suddenly, someone entered the room. Everybody looked at the door. It was Marcos.
"Any news?" he asked.
"Not yet." Zoe had a shocked look on her face. She wasn't expecting him to come back. He took a seat next to Sophia.
"I'm sorry about the way I acted earlier." He said to Zoe.
"It's ok." Zoe replied without even looking at him. He looked at her. She changed a lot since high school. Especially because she had a family to take care of. He remembered their high school days. The boys were always trying to impress her and her friends in order to 'win' a kiss, a date or even a look. He was always watching her from the distance, but never made any move. Instead, he read books and made his homework. Sometimes he would go out with his friends, but she never even looked at him. He remembered the day when he came to school and one guy said that he slept with her the previous night. She was cool, as usual, didn't care that the other guys jokingly asked her to sleep with them too. It was the first time he thought about having sex. He imagined having sex with her. Very quickly he heard more and more rumors about Zoe, having sex with whomever she sees and her girl friends following her deeds. He knew that she have never stopped doing this. Until her sister died. She was forced to become a grownup woman, hold the family together, and help her nieces and nephew make the right choices and guide them through their lives. Being a child trapped in an adult's body made her vulnerable and that was very attractive. He looked at her now, resting her head on Dan's shoulder and worrying about Hannah. He couldn't see him holding her anymore. It was too painful. The door was opened. A nurse came into the room.
"Miss Busiek," She said. "The doctor wants to have a talk with you." Zoe slowly got up from the couch and took her crutches. She followed the nurse; her legs are melting from fear. She could barely hold her crutches because her hands were trembling. The nurse stopped in front of the doctor's office and opened the door. "He'll be here in a minute." She said and got out of the office. Zoe looked at the door, wishing that the nurse could show a little more respect and stay there with her. The door was opened and the doctor came in.
"Miss Busiek," he said. "Please take a seat." He pointed at a chair in front of his desk and she sat down.
"Is Hannah ok?" Zoe asked.
"Hannah is a very strong little girl. There was a small complication but she's ok. The next 72 hours are very crucial, but I'm sure she'll make it." The doctor said.
"Thank you, doctor. Thank you very much." Zoe's voice trembled. Hannah was ok.
"You'll be able to see her tomorrow." The doctor said. "I guess you want to go and tell your family the news......," The doctor said and they both went out of the office. They walked to the waiting room and told everyone the good news. For the first time since the accident, Zoe slept at home and had not a single nightmare.
In the morning after, Zoe told Cliff the news and they went to see her. She looked very confused, but was happy to see Aunt Zoe and Taylor and Cliff. Mr. Lennox was there too and he brought her a doll. Her aunt had a really beautiful look on her face when he gave the doll to Hannah. Mr. Morales and Ms. Mason brought her candies and balloons and that made her very happy. In the afternoon of the same day, Ms. Mason left and so did Mr. Morales, they drove Cliff and Taylor home and Mr. Lennox and Aunt Zoe stayed with Hannah.
"Aunt Zoe, I want to go home too." Hannah said.
"In few days we'll take you home. I promise." Zoe said. "I love you, kid."
"I love you too, Aunt Zoe. You're the best aunt in the whole world." The little girl said.
"Thank you, Hannah." Zoe kissed Hannah's cheek.
"I'm tired. I wanna go to sleep." Hannah said. Zoe stroked her cheek and gave her a goodnight kiss. "I want Mr. Lennox to tell me a story." Hannah said.
"Ok, Hannah." Dan said. "Once upon a time, there was a princess."
"What was her name?" Hannah asked.
"Ummm... Her name was..." Dan wanted to say Zoe's name, but decided that Zoe wouldn't want him to do that. "Her name was Julie." He said. "She was the most beautiful princess in the whole world and she had a boyfriend called Marco... No his name was Bob, but he didn't really love her. He wanted to marry her because she was very rich." Hannah closed her eyes and he saw that she was sleeping. He looked at Zoe. "I love you." He said.
"Dan, I've talked with Taylor. I told her that I love you and that we want to get married." She said, knowing that the thing she was going to say is going to be hard for both of them. "She doesn't feel ready to have a new family member." Zoe said.
"We'll wait until she'll be ready. It doesn't matter as long as we're together." Dan lightly kissed Zoe. Very quickly, they both fell asleep.
In the next morning, Zoe went home and took a shower. She ate something and went back to the hospital. She brought Hannah her teddy bear and could imagine the smile on the little girl's face. She did her way to Hannah's hospital room when she heard screaming and saw people running into the room. She ran after them, but a nurse stopped her from entering the room. "You can't go in," he said.
"What's going on there? You have to tell me, I'm her legal guardian." Zoe said, feeling the fear again.
"I'm sorry, miss, I can't let you go inside the room and I can't tell you what's going on, you'll have to wait for the doctor." The young nurse said.
"No, I have to know what's going on right now!!!" Zoe raised her voice and tried to open the door, but the nurse held her shoulder and tried to prevent her from entering the room. She started crying and the nurse looked helpless. He knew how to take care of patients, but not how to calm worrying aunts down. Ten minutes later, the doctor came out of the room; his clothes were covered with blood. Zoe stared at him as he told her the painful words that she heard so many times before.
"Ms. Busiek, Hannah started bleeding from her stomach. We did everything we could. She... didn't make it." Zoe didn't feel the tears falling on her face, she didn't hear the voices of the people, she hugged Hannah's teddy bear and then fainted.
Dan and Sophia knocked on the door and Jeannie opened it and let them in. There were many people there, parents of children that were in Hannah's class, Hannah's teachers, friends of Cliff and Taylor and neighbors that cam to say how sorry they are for Hannah's death. Zoe sat on the couch, thanked them for coming. Dan looked at her. She was wearing a black skirt and a black shirt and listen to what people told her without hearing the words and shook people's hands without feeling their fingers.
"Zoe," Sophia said. "I can't tell you how sorry I am." She knew how banal her words were, but that was the only thing she could say.
"Thank you." Zoe embraced her and Dan.
They stayed there until everyone left. Then they made sure that Zoe, Cliff and Taylor were ok and went home, promising that they'll come again in the morning.
One year later
Zoe looked at herself in the mirror. She was wearing a white dress and a huge smile on her face, but no one knew that something was missing for her. She always wanted little Hannah and her sister to be there in her wedding day, but both of them were gone. "Are you ready?" Taylor asked. Zoe nodded. Taylor kissed her aunt's cheek. She looked beautiful. "Good luck." She said and got out of the room. Zoe took one last look in the mirror. She's going to be married in ten minutes and a mother in six months. Taylor and Cliff didn't know it yet, nor did Sophia. She took a deep breath and went out of the room. Dan looked at her when she walked down the aisle. She was gorgeous and he couldn't wait until the moment she'll say 'I do' and he'd kiss her. He knew that she was a little bit sad because Hannah wasn't there, but he promised her that she's watching her from heaven and smiling. He didn't listen to the words the priest said until he had to say 'I do' and kiss Zoe. It was the happiest day of his life. In the evening of the same day they both told Cliff and Taylor about Zoe's pregnancy. Both of the kids seemed to be very happy for their aunt and new uncle. Zoe looked at them. She could see the sadness that Dan will never see inside their eyes. They were happy for her, but they were afraid that their unborn cousin will replace Hannah and they didn't want that to happen. "Don't worry," She said. "This baby will never be able to replace Hannah. She'll always be your little, cute sister and you'll always remember her." Zoe cried while saying that. She knew how hard it was for them to lose their mother and sister in the same year, accept Dan as a family member and be happy for her. She wanted to have a baby girl and ask their permission to call her Hannah.