Her Home, His Heart | ✓

☆*✿FIFTY-THREE (53)❀*★

The warmth from the hug tugged Esmé's heart as she sobbed into the hug. The whole-hearted feeling she had missed so much, the one only her father could provide no matter with the longing she felt when the other parents hugged her. That right there was what she was missing.

Vinko pulled out of the hug, grabbing a hold of Esmé's face to inspect it all over again. "Ivana?"

"Ja sam." (It's me.)

He pulled her into a hug again, questions still very clear in his eyes, but he didn't voice, as at that moment all that mattered was that she was in his arms.

A groan stole their attention from each other to the bed where Vera lay.

"Vinko?" she called out as Kian moved towards her instantly.

"Karkor see osjerćater, gospođjo?" Kian asked, picking his words one after the other. He was sure he would have heard a snicker from someone if they were in the right atmosphere. (How do you feel, madam?)

"Eh?" she groaned further as she tried to sit up. Esmé and Vinko hurried to her side. Vinko moved to the side where Kina stood.

"Vinko? Zašto imaš naglasak?" she asked, finally opening her squinted eyes, forming an extra crease on her forehead. (Why do you have an accent?)

Vinko snorted and nodded to Kian, mouthing a thank you before taking his place by Vera's side. He settled on the bed and helped her as she tried to sit up.

"How are you feeling, Vee?" Vinko asked, switching to English for Kian.

If she found his switch strange, she didn't say. Instead, Vera grabbed onto Vinko's arms, her eyes widened in alert. "Posjetila je kuću u mom snu, Vinko. Sad ne znam zašto, ali vidio sam je. Bila je na vratima." (She visited home in my dreams, Vinko. I don't know why now but I saw her. She was at the door.)

Vinko shut his eyes for a second and then looked to Ivana on the other side of Vera. "To nije bio san, ljubavi moja." (It wasn't a dream, my love.)

Vera turned in the direction he was looking and gasped.

Esmé sank onto the bed by her mother. "Mama."

With wide unbelieving eyes, Vera turned back to Vinko who nodded at her then to Esmé. "Ivana? Kako?" (How?)

"I em..."

But she didn't finish her statement as Vera placed her hand on Esmé's cheeks. She turned to Vinko once more. "Ona je stvarna." (She's real.)

Vinko nodded his head, his eyes locked onto Esmé as if trying to confirm the statement himself. "She is real," he muttered.

Vera pulled out of the hug and shook her head. "Želim ti vjerovati, dušo. Jesam, ali rekli su da jesi... bilo je u vijestima." (I want to believe you, honey. I do, but they said you were... it was on the news.)

Esmé sighed and looked to Kian, which drew her parents' attention away from her to him.

Vinko swore underneath his breath and instantly stood up from the bed. "My goodness, I sincerely apologize for our negligence. I totally forgot about..."

Kian smiled in response. "That's all right, sir. I understand how you must feel, sir."

"Yes, Dr..."

"Dr Kian Lincoln."

"Dr Lincoln," Vera drawled, nudging her head sideways, trying to place the name.

"From Woodthorpe Hospital in Nottingham, United Kingdom, ma."