Too Late To Love Me I Already Left With His Twins (Lydia and Dave) novel Chapter 281

Third person pov

Ava’s fingers immediately found the edge of her blanket.

She rubbed it between her thumb and forefinger.

“Scary.”

Dr. Sana nodded.

“Very scary?”

Ava nodded.

“We thought Mom might never remember us again.”

Eli looked down.

“I thought she was going to forget us forever.”

“What did that make you feel?”

Eli thought about it.

“Like…”

He frowned.

“Like she woke up, but she wasn’t really our Mom anymore.”

Ava glanced at him.

Dr. Sana didn’t rush to correct him.

Instead, she asked, “What made you think that?”

“Because she looked at us like strangers.”

Ava nodded.

“She asked who we were.”

“And she asked if you were adopted?”

Eli’s face tightened.

“Yeah.”

“That must have hurt.”

Eli nodded.

Ava was quieter.

“She said she didn’t think she was the mother we were looking for.”

Dr. Sana’s expression softened.

“What did you think when she said that?”

Ava stared down at her hands.

“I thought maybe she didn’t want us.”

Dr. Sana leaned slightly forward.

“Did she say she didn’t want you?”

Ava hesitated.

“No.”

“Did she tell you to leave?”

“No.”

“Did she say she hated you?”

“No.”

“Did she tell you that she didn’t love you?”

Ava shook her head.

“No.”

Dr. Sana nodded.

“So what we know is that your mother is confused.”

Ava looked at her.

“She’s confused because she can’t remember.”

“Exactly.”

“But she still doesn’t remember.”

“I know.”

Dr. Sana’s voice remained gentle.

“And that can be very painful.”

Eli swallowed.

“So she isn’t forgetting us because she doesn’t love us?”

“No.”

The answer came immediately.

“Absolutely not.”

Both children looked at her.

“Your mother’s brain has been injured. Right now, some of the memories stored in her brain aren’t accessible to her. That doesn’t mean she decided to erase you.”

Ava’s eyes began to fill.

“So it’s not her choice?”

“No.”

Eli leaned forward.

“So she’s not abandoning us?”

“No.”

“Even though she doesn’t know us?”

“No.”

“Even though she doesn’t remember Daddy?”

“No.”

“Even though she doesn’t remember Auntie Anna?”

“No.”

Dr. Sana smiled softly.

“She isn’t choosing a life without you. Her brain simply isn’t giving her access to those memories right now.”

Eli looked at Ava.

Ava looked back at him.

Something in both their faces seemed to loosen.

Dr. Sana continued.

“And I want you both to remember something very important.”

They looked at her.

“You don’t have to make your mother remember.”

Ava frowned.

“But we want her to.”

“I know.”

“We want our old Mom back.”

“I know.”

“But you don’t have to fix this.”

Eli’s eyebrows pulled together.

“Then who does?”

“The doctors will help her medically. Her brain needs time. Your job is much simpler.”

“What is it?”

“Be her children.”

Eli blinked.

“That’s it?”

“That is enough.”

Ava’s lips trembled into a small smile.

“But what if she doesn’t remember tomorrow?”

“Then you remind her that you’re Ava and Eli.”

“What if she doesn’t remember next week?”

“You remind her again.”

“And if it takes longer?”

Dr. Sana reached out and gently squeezed Ava’s hand.

“Then you keep being yourselves.”

Dr. Sana nodded.

“How?”

“Even when I don’t say anything.”

Ava’s voice became softer.

“She just knows.”

Dr. Sana smiled.

“And maybe one day, when she’s ready, you can tell her that.”

Ava nodded.

“I will.”

Eli looked at Dr. Sana.

“Are you coming back?”

She smiled.

“Yes.”

“When?”

“Soon.”

“Tomorrow?”

“Maybe not tomorrow.”

Eli frowned.

“Then when?”

Dr. Sana laughed.

“I’ll come back and see both of you again.”

Ava smiled.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

Eli looked pleased.

“Okay.”

Dr. Sana stood and gathered her things.

“And next time, I expect breakfast to still be this impressive.”

Eli pointed toward Anna.

“That’s her job.”

Ava laughed.

Dr. Sana shook her head.

“I see. So now I know who to put in charge.”

As Dr. Sana walked toward the door, Eli looked at Ava.

“I like her.”

Ava nodded.

“Me too.”

For the first time since their mother had opened her eyes and looked at them like strangers, neither of them felt quite as helpless.

Nothing had changed yet.

Their mother still couldn’t remember them.

They still didn’t know how long it would take.

But now they understood one thing.

It wasn’t because she didn’t love them.

And somehow, that was enough to make tomorrow feel a little less frightening.

“Dr. Sana?”

The woman turned.

Eli smiled.

“Don’t forget to come back.”

She smiled back.

“I won’t.”

And Ava found herself smiling too, already looking forward to the next time she would see her.