Find Yourself

Chapter 22

*Disclaimer*

Before you read this chapter, parts of this chapter will not make sense unless you have caught up on Redeeming Dillon to Chapter 3 - Chasing Butterflies. Both stories are intertwined, and crucial parts of both stories intersect!

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Monica
As I walked up to the room that I watched my nephew walk into, I was greeted by a handsome nurse who stopped me and said, "Unfortunately, I can only let a few people in at a time, and with those four, that puts the room at maximum capacity." I gripped my purse and nodded my head. I took a deep breath and asked, "Um do you mind opening the blinds? I haven't seen my nephew in a long time." The nurse smiled and said, "Of course!"
As soon as they were opened, I felt time standstill. Dillon looked the same, just older. He was always a handsome boy, and if Fred had stood up for us, he would have been my son, and he wouldn't be where he is right now. "Um, ma'am, would you like a kleenex?" I shook my head and looked in the direction of the person that spoke, and it was the nurse. I stared at him for a while, and it must have gotten awkward because he said, "Um, you were crying. I just wanted to see if you needed a Kleenex."
I put my hand up to my cheek and noticed the tears that were running down my cheek. I quickly wiped them away and blurted out, "That man in there almost was my son. My ex-fiance and I were going to rescue him from his abusive parents." The nurse looked at me with a half-smile and said, "What happened with that? How come it didn't happen?" I sat down on the bench next to the room, and the nurse joined me as I continued, "He left with a note and no explanation."
He leaned against the bench and asked, "Well, you seem like you have your life together.  Why didn't you fight for him?" Now the tears were streaming down my face while I said, "I wanted to, but I had no chance because his parents are the Vanderbilt's." With this news, the nurse looked shocked. He asked, "The last name on his chart says Baxter-" I laughed, thinking about how I know exactly why it says this, knowing how Charlotte is the mastermind behind everything.
Just then, the silence that grew between us was growing louder until I heard, "Hey, Auntie Monica, we are going to help Carter with his art show. It is only down the block, so we are going to-" I smiled and said, "That's ok Victor, I will see you soon, ok? And Benji, you better treat my nephew right, and remember what we talked about, ok?" Victor looked at Benji as they both said, "Ok!" Carter gave me a quick smile and said, "He is in there if you want to say hi." I nodded my head and said, "I will go in a bit.  I don't know if I am ready yet." Victor smiled as he said, "I will text you the time for the art show tomorrow, ok?" And like it was clockwork, I got up and squeezed my nephew tightly, thinking about the situation that Dillon is in right now.
Once they were down the hall and out of sight, I looked at the nurse that was still sitting next to me, and I said, "I think I am ready to see my nephew right now." He smiled at me with his caramel-colored skin and short black hair and said, "If you need anything, my name is Graham. I am Dillon's nurse." I smiled at him, thinking about how I poured my heart out to him and said, "My name is Monica Torres." Graham smiles at me softly and says, "I hope you see him often because he has a long road of recovery, and he needs all the family that he can get." I gave him one last smile as I took a deep breath and stepped through the door to Dillon's hospital room.
Once I was in, everything was very real, my nephew was right in front of me, and he was hooked up to countless life-saving devices. I knew that his memory is now gone, so I am sure that he can't even remember my name. Luckily he was asleep, and I did not want to wake him, so I sat on the chair next to his bed, and I grabbed his hand. Under my breath, I said, "Peanut, if only your uncle could see you now." I squeezed his hand and watched as he layed there. He looked so much like the little boy that I wanted to save so much.
"Auntie Monica?" I heard a raspy voice say as I stared at the equipment he was hooked up to. I think to myself, "Did I just hear him say my name?" I looked over at him, and to my shock, he was looking right at me. I felt the tears stream down my face now. There was no stopping my crying now. "Hey, Peanut!" I muttered between sobs.
He smiles at me with the same adorable smile, I remember when he was a kid, and I felt my heart melt. I wiped away the tears and asked, "You remember me?" He smiles at me and with the same innocent face and asks, "Where is Uncle Fred?" With that question, I felt my heartbreak. How could I tell him that he left me? I sat there silently, wanting to tell him everything, but I am sure that it would be too much for him to hear.
"Did he just call you by your name?" I heard Graham say from the doorway. I looked towards him and said, "Ya, he called me Auntie Monica and remembered his uncles' name." He looked at me with excitement across his face.  He gestures for me to come out in the hallway with him. I looked at my Peanut and said, "Auntie Monica will be right back soon, okay, peanut?" He coughed one time and said, "Ok, I will wait for you."
As I walked out of the room, Graham and a doctor, I assumed Dillon's doctor was.  Both were waiting for me. The doctor looked at me and said, "You are 100% sure that he remembered you?" I smiled, thinking of how he called me Auntie Monica and asked about Fred. I said, "Yes, he did!" The doctor started to write down on his clipboard and said, "If it is alright with you, for Dillon's recovery, I would like you to be here as an anchor to help reboot his memory if that is okay with you."
I smiled and said, "Of course I will." The doctor smiled back at me and said, "That is wonderful! I will have Graham give you a therapy schedule that works with yours." I shook my head, and as I did, the doctor turned and headed down the hall away from Graham and me. I grabbed his clipboard and wrote down my number, and said, "I am new to town, so I am free all the time." I didn't wait for him to respond as I headed back to see my nephew.
As I walked back into the room, I walked up to my nephew and caressed his face, watching him look at me with the eyes of the innocent boy that I use to know. He gave me a half-smile and said, "Are you going to go now?" I nodded my head and said, "Peanut, I will be back every day to see you, ok?" He had a tear run down his face, and he said, "I love you." I kissed him on the forehead and replied, "I love you too, Peanut. And don't worry, I will have your uncle here with me soon."
Isabel
As I stepped out of Roger's hotel room, I stopped at the door to look at him one more time. As I do, he smiles at me and says, "Isabel, I am glad that you want to give us a chance." I freeze when I hear that. I don't know if I am ready for anything with anyone. My separation from Armando is so new, and if I am honest with myself, the divorce hasn't even started yet. I mutter, "Ya, Roger. It is great that we are doing this, but I need to do it slowly, as I told you. I can't just jump right in."
Roger stood up, walked over to me, grabbed my hand, and looked into my eyes with his ocean blue eyes. I feel myself freeze.  It was his eyes in the first place that made me fall for him. At first, it was just nice to have someone to talk to, someone who would listen and engage with me. Not someone who ignored and neglected me for the longest time.
I sigh as I feel myself give in to him and say, "I am all for giving us a chance, but let's just take it slow. How about a date on Friday?" Roger smiled at me and then said, "I will text you and pick you up at-" I immediately thought of what my sister would do if she saw him, so I blurted out, "I will meet you here at seven!" Roger leaned in and kissed my cheek and said, "Seven it is!"
Victor