Hey everybody! I am so glad to finally update and have worked on this story every free second I got. Good news: my last exam is May 14th-ish, then I will be in the final two weeks of school, which we won't do much. I hope that after my last exam, I will have more time to write, but we never know. Fingers crossed! Oh, this is definitely one of my favorite chapters so far, and I think most of you will love it too.
Disclaimer: I do not own Revenge, nor do I profit from this story. This is merely a figment of my imagination! Also I have no deep medical knowledge, so incorrect facts are sure to pop up.
Third POV:
Emily is released into a regular room the next day, and she couldn't be happier: she is one step closer to seeing Arrayah. Her arms and heart ache to see her, and she wishes she could call Nolan or Aiden and tell them to bring Arrayah with them if they visit.
Emily is on the verge of sleeping when she hears a distinctive voice, "Now, Arrayah, when we go in there, you may have to be quiet because Mommy maybe asleep. And I can trust you to behave, right?" Emily opens her eyes, and sits up. She hears their footsteps come closer and she holds her breath, hoping her mind isn't playing tricks and it's not them. She hears the two security goonies ask for ID and the rattling of a pocket. She hears them grunt, and she feels like her heart is going to stop. When a small pair of blue eyes peeps around the corner, she gasps and feels the tears prick her eyes.
"Mommy?" Arrayah asks timidly, not coming around the corner of the wall that separated her and her mother.
"Arrayah!" Emily chokes out. Arrayah feels tears run down her cheeks and runs the short distance to Emily's bed. Emily opens her arms and Arrayah crashes into her Mommy's chest. The bunny Nolan had given her is squeeze between them. Emily doesn't pull away from her daughter and wishes she could pull her on the bed with her. Her tears drop onto Arrayah's curls and Emily feels the hospital gown start to grow moist. She keeps squeezing and notices Nolan standing awkwardly by the corner with a flamboyant bouquet of flowers. Emily reluctantly pulls back and wipes her daughter's tears with her thumbs and pulls her face to kiss her on the forehead.
"Did I hurt you, Mommy?" Arrayah asks, worried that when she hugged her she had squeezed too hard.
"Of course not; I've just missed you so much." Emily wipes away her tears and notices her pink cast decorated with shiny stickers, "What happened to your arm, Raya?"
"I don't know. When a nice man dropped me off at the hospital, they put me to sleep and when I woked up, it was like this. They said I had hurt my wrist a while ago, and they had to re-brake it. It comes off in three weeks, though!"
"Oh, that makes sense." Emily makes it a note to track down the man and thank him for helping her daughter. She looks further down and notices the bunny sitting on the bed, "Who's this, Ray-bear."
"Bonnie, it sounds like 'bunny', so it's easy to remember." Arrayah explains and shows her the bunny.
"Hello, Bonnie, my name is Emily, Arrayah's Mommy, I hope you've been a good friend to her." Emily has a formal voice and shakes the paw of the bunny. She is rewarded with Arrayah's giggle,
"Mommy, she can't talk." Arrayah's laugh is music to both Emily and Nolan's ears.
"Really, I thought she could." This statement frightens Nolan; Emily may have brain damage. "Who gave her to you?" Emily lightly traces the nose of the plush bunny.
"Nolan gave her to me, he's nice mommy!" Emily looks at her daughter curiously, trying to figure out how her daughter didn't know. Wouldn't Nolan be able to see it? Emily finally looks at Nolan and Arrayah follows her gaze and sees the flowers he holds.
"Look how pretty they are! He even let help me pick 'em out!" Arrayah says, excitement filling her voice.
"Thank you so much Raya!" Emily reaches an arm out and pulls her into a side hug. She looks up and mouths 'thank you' to Nolan and he nods in return.
"You can set them on the counter if you would like. They look heavy." Nolan places the flowers on the indicated counter, and walks closer to the bed.
"Hey, Ems." He finally says.
"Mommy, Nolan helped find you! He's so nice Mommy! He takes me running everyday in the park!" Emily smiles at her daughter enthusiasm and tries to pull her onto the bed, but she's not strong enough to do so. Nolan sees Emily struggle and boosts Arrayah next to her mother.
"Thanks, Nolan." Emily wraps her arm around Arrayah and listens to her talk and soaks in all the changed since she's seen her. She's gotten maybe half an inch or so taller; her hair is longer, and more controlled. She still has her baby face, and even notices a little bit of a weight gain, probably thanks to Nolan; he is a caregiver and will make sure everyone eats.
"Mommy, when you get out, Nolan has promised to take you to the bestest Chinese restaurant ever! It's got everything! Even if you don't like Chinese, they have other things too!" Arrayah informs her.
"That sounds great! What's your favorite thing to eat there?"
"I like the Egg Rolls, Wonton soup, and… Uncle Nolan, what was that chicken called?" Arrayah looks over at Nolan for an answer.
"Kung Pao Chicken." He tells her, "With white rice and Mein on the side."
"Yah, that! Mommy, you'll love it! Uncle Nolan says you used to love Chinese food!"
"I said she loves any food, Ray- Bear."
"Yah, but you said she used to eat Chinese food like it was a… life thing." Emily looks at Nolan in mock incredulousness.
"You know you're a foodie, Em. A food has yet to scare you into trying it." Nolan shrugs and looks at the ground like a school boy confronting his crush, "Just like any challenge."
Emily blushes and looks down. Even Arrayah can sense the awkwardness between the two adults. She looks between them trying to figure out if she missed something.
"Mommy, what's wrong? Your cheeks are pink like that one fairy Uncle Nolan let me watch a movie about. Are you mad?"
"No, I couldn't be mad with you around."
"Then why did you stop talking? Did he say something bad?" Arrayah looks at Nolan with a look that could kill, and Nolan had to do a double take, since Emily had given him that look many, a many times when they were revenging together.
"He didn't say anything bad, sweetie, it was something very nice, actually." Emily smiles in his direction and pulls Arrayah closer to her. Arrayah's face softens as she looks up at her Mommy. It hits her again that her Mommy is finally home. She throws her arms around her again to hug her. Emily happily returns the hug. One wrong move quickly ruins it and Emily feels pain shoot through her broken leg and bruised ribs. She bites her lip to the point of bleeding and Nolan notices her pained expression.
"Hey Ray, remember when said we have to be careful with Mommy, because of her Boo-Boos?" Nolan hints lightly. Arrayah stiffens and loosens up her grip on Emily.
"I'm sorry, Mommy. I didn't mean to!" Emily can hear the sadness and see the tears in Arrayah's bottom lashes.
"It's okay, Raya. Mommy's okay, I just have to remember I'm not one hundred percent yet." Emily pats Arrayah's curls and kisses her forehead.
"Promise?" Arrayah hold out her small pinky and Emily grasps it with hers.
"I promise. If it was really bad, I would've told you." Emily hates lying to Arrayah, but her daughter would wallow in guilt if she wasn't careful.
After a little more talking, a nurse came in and gives Emily painkillers and antibiotics. Soon, both mother and daughter start to doze off and Nolan doesn't have the heart to wake either of them up. He's about to get up to get some coffee, albeit bad coffee, from the waiting room when he hears Emily stir.
"Nolan? Hold my hand. I need to know you're real." She says. He doesn't know if it's the medicine, or if it's really Emily saying it, but he doesn't argue. He drags a chair closer to the bed and holds Emily's hand. She lightly squeezes it before finally going asleep. With Arrayah under her arm, Nolan's hand clasping hers, she finally is able to rest peacefully after seven years
A/N- I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter as much as I have. As much as I would love to, it's not ending here; I think we may have one or two (maybe three ;)) little speed bumps along till the end. I hope I didn't offend anyone of Chinese decent, and I hope I spelled the dishes right! Till next time :)!