In which a handsome angel finds a distraught and frustrated but beautiful woman during a difficult moment in her life.. it is his job to give people peace who are going through a chaotic time in their lives but he must always abide by two important...
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Beep..beep..beep.
The heart rate monitor's screen glowed with a green light, displaying a pattern of jagged lines that jumped with each beep. The chemical scent of the hospital mingled through the air as Iris sat by the hospital bed, holding her mother's hand tightly. As she looked at her mother's face, she saw the lines etched with years of laughter and worry.
She had always been her rock, her protector, and now seeing her so frail tore at her heart. A sudden coughing fit shook her weakened frame, and Iris jumped up to help her sit up. Her deep brown eyes fluttered open, glazed with pain and confusion. "Iris," she whispered hoarsely, her voice barely audible above the beeping of the monitor.
Tears welling up in Iris' eyes as she squeezed her hand tighter, trying to convey all her love and fear in that simple gesture. "I'm here, Mama," she said, her voice breaking. "I'm right here."
For the past two weeks, Iris had been making daily visits to the hospital to visit her mother ever since they found out that she was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer.
Each visit was gradually broke Iris, seeing her mother deteriorate before her eyes. She tried to keep a brave face for her mother, but inside, she was crumbling. The doctors had given them the prognosis, and Iris knew that time was running out.
The words of Doctor Mendoza repeated over and over in her head; "I'm sorry to say this Iris, but your mother condition is too severe at this point. She has about one month left to live,"
As her mother's hand grew weaker in hers, Iris could feel the heaviness weighing on her chest. She thought about all the moments they had shared together - the late-night talks, the laughter-filled dinners, the quiet understanding between them.
How would I able to live without you?
But amidst the despair, a flicker of determination ignited within Iris. She would not let this disease steal her mother from her without a fight. Adjusting herself, she leaned in closer to her mother and whispered fiercely, "We're going to beat this, Mama. Together."
Two weeks had already passed, which meant Iris only had up to two weeks left before her mother was no longer here.
Her mother's eyes met hers, and a weak smile tugged at the corners of her lips. In that moment, Iris knew she had to be strong for both of them. She spent every moment by her mother's side, reading her favorite books, playing her favorite songs, and sharing stories of their happiest memories together. Despite the pain and exhaustion, Iris refused to let herself believe that this was the end.
This isn't the end.
Shifting her gaze from her mother, Iris glanced over at the clock on the wall. She noticed it was almost 7 o'clock, which meant that visiting hours were about to be over for the day. Soon, Iris stood up from her chair that sat next to the hospital bed, pressing a light kiss on her forehead.
"I have to go for now, Mama," she said softly. "But I'll be back first thing in the morning, okay?" Her mother nodded faintly, eyebags setting in on her tired eyes.
Iris turned to leave, a sudden wave of dread washing over her. She couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping through her fingers like fine sand. As she walked down the hospital corridor, the harsh fluorescent lights flickered overhead, casting shadows on the walls. The hushed whispers of nurses and the occasional sound of footsteps echoing around her as she headed through the exit doors of the building.
Once she made it outside, the night air was cool and crisp from the wind, a stark contrast to the antiseptic smell that clung to her clothes. Iris shivered involuntarily, wrapping her nude cardigan around her arms for warmth.
The parking lot was nearly empty with only about a dozen cars parked around the area. As Iris walked towards her car, a pair of eyes was watching her.
Sitting in the parking lot inside of his black SUV, Azaire closely watched Iris as she walked out of the hospital. He made sure to park as close as he could to the doors so he could see her face but still made sure that everything stayed discreet.
Spotting her across the lot, he gazed and studied her body language and could tell she was in pain. He could feel all of the pain that she was holding just feet away from her. Azaire felt sorry for her because he knew that whatever she was dealing with it had to be something very very difficult for her to handle.
As Iris fumbled for her keys in the dimly lit parking lot, a sense of unease washed over her. It felt as though invisible eyes were watching her every move, sending a shiver down her spine. Ignoring the feeling, she finally located her car keys and unlocked the door, the familiar beep echoing through the quiet night.
Azaire remained in his car, his piercing gaze still following Iris as she climbed into her vehicle. His thoughts racing as he watched her drive away, wondering about the inner turmoil she carried with her. A part of him wanted to reach out, to offer solace in this moment of darkness.
Unfortunately, Azaire knew that tonight was not the right time for him to make his alias known but he knew that Mr. Briggs was definitely right about this mission. This was going to take him all the power he had.
Azaire soon left the hospital parking lot as Iris made her way home across town. Once her vehicle entered the parking lot of her apartment building, she stopped the car engine and unbuckled her seatbelt. Her mind racing with dozen of thoughts, the main image that continued to pop into her mind was her mother in a hospital bed.
For a moment, Iris let the pain succumb her and tears began to flow from her eyes as she sobbed with her arms resting against the steering wheel. The wetness of her tears dripping onto her trembling hands, cold against her skin. Her chest aching and heaving as she kept a tight grip on the steering wheel.
She didn't want to leave her mother's side for not even a few seconds but she knew she needed to take a moment for herself to gather strength for the battle that laid ahead.
Was this heaven, no. It definitely seemed like hell on earth.
