Hanson's heart melted into a puddle.
He glanced down at his hand, which was hooked to an IV drip, and said, "I can't use my hand. You have to feed me."
However, Vania did not help him with the glass of water. Instead, she dove in for a kiss.
Out of the blue, she felt the urge to kiss him, so she did just that.
This was the first time where Vania took the initiative to kiss Hanson. After a momentary daze, Hanson put his arms around her and pulled her in to deepen the kiss, and he could feel her heart beating against his.
"Darling," Hanson breathed hoarsely. He released her from his grip, but Vania did not move away. She chose to nestle into his arms.
Being in Hanson's arms right now and holding him this way made her feel as if she was home at last. He was her safe harbor.
"I'm so glad I have you." Vania closed her eyes, basking in the slight heaving of his chest and the warmness of his breath.
Hanson's lips curved into a smile as he gently patted her on the back, almost as if he was comforting a child. "I feel the same way."
Vania held him for quite some time before getting up. By now, all her emotions had returned to normal.
Hanson was her cure.
"Here, have a sip of water." She brought the glass back up to his lips again.
Hanson complied and took a sip before calling out to her adoringly, "Darling."
He loved calling her that.
Vania smiled. "You should take a nap. It's always important to rest after donating blood."
Hanson settled back down onto the hospital bed, but he said, "I'll stay awake and wait with you until Jude wakes up."
Vania knew that Hanson wanted the child to see them both once he woke up, so she nodded. "Still, go ahead and sleep if it gets too tiring, okay?"
Hanson only responded with a smile.
Why would it be too tiring for him? All he did was let the doctor draw some blood from him. His complexion might be a little paler than usual, but his body was fine.
Vania and Hanson continued to watch over Jude. Somehow, both of them saw the other in Jude's face.
Just then, Jude's body twitched slightly and his eyelids shook a little, as if he was about to wake up.
All at once, Vania went forward to hold his hand as she called out softly, "Jude? Jude… can you hear me?"
Jude's eyelids were still quivering. While his eyes did not open yet, he seemed to react to her words.
Vania continued, "Jude, it's Mommy. I'm right here with you. Could you open your eyes and look at me?"
All of a sudden, Jude's body trembled violently, as if he was in the middle of a nightmare.
Vania quickly tried to soothe him. "It's alright, Jude. You're safe now. Mommy's right here with you."
Hearing a familiar voice, Jude's eyes flashed open and he sat up at once.
It was all a blur to him, and he blinked in fright until his eyes focused and he saw that he was with Vania and Hanson.
All of his fear vanished, only to be replaced by guilt and self-blame.
His expression was complicated as he said in a small voice, "I made a mistake."
Vania's eyes were on the verge of crying tears of joy as she hugged Jude and said, "Darling, I'm so glad you're awake. I was so worried."
She saw the look in his eyes and assured him, "I will never blame you for anything. All I want is for you to be safe."
Jude stared at Vania. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but nothing came out.
Vania waited patiently and did not try to rush him.
After a long bout of silence, Jude finally spoke. He seemed to struggle very hard to get it out, and his voice was full of emotion as he cried out loudly, "Mommy!"
Comments
The readers' comments on the novel: Hope It's Not Too Late to Love
Please update...