Tell Me You Love Me [COMPLETED]

Chapter 23: Remembering and Waiting

Flashback

Wednesday December 25, 2019 - Tampa, Florida

Galina POV

11:00 AM

Pulling up to this new art store that Joelle has been raving about, I put my car in park and she and I step out of the car and walk to the front.

"Mommy, what're we doing here?" She asks me as I hold the door open for her.
"You'll see, don't you worry."

We walk in and Joelle immediately begins to walk around and admire all the paintings that adorn the walls and some of the smaller replicas for sale displayed in decorative racks and shelves. You can tell that the store is new, having just been opened recently, but the owner seems to be settling in pretty well already. Joelle picks up a print and begins to inspect it but because the store isn't actually open for customers, I don't want her touching the products too much.

"Jojo, sweetie, put that down, don't mess." I lightly scold.
"Oh, no, don't worry, feel free to look."

I look up and see Aesha, the owner, approaching us and I greet her with a handshake.

"Hi Aesha, I really appreciate you coming in today; I know you'd rather be home."
"It's fine, it's only an hour and any time spent painting is time worth spending. Besides, I'm honored you came to me."
"Oh, thank Joelle; she found you and hasn't stopped talking about you."
"Is that so? Well, I'm so glad that you chose me, Joelle." She says smiling and shaking my daughter's hand.
"I've looked up some other art stores and teachers around here but I liked you and your stuff the best."
"Awwh, thank you so much! C'mon, let me show you guys around the store then you and I will go get our paint on. Galina, would you like to join us for the session?"
"Oh, no no, this time is for you and Jojo. Take your time, have fun, I'll see you guys in an hour."

I wave to them and leave the store and go out to run some errands and call my babysitter to check in on the twins. Joelle loves art; she loves to draw and paint and color things, so I hope that these art lessons will help her come out of her shell a little bit. Recently, she's been struggling with her father being out on the road; it's nothing new to her but with these two titles, he's home a lot less than usual which is saying a lot considering the wrestlers aren't home a lot to begin with. It's gotten to the point that sometimes after she's finished talking to him, she'll just stay in her room for the rest of the night or, if they talk before she has to go to school, she'll barely talk to anyone all day. He promised that he'd try harder to visit more in the new year but, until then, she needs some other form of therapy because that damn therapist didn't do shit for her.

I hope this works.

*~*~*~*
Present

Sunday May 24, 2020 - Tampa General Hospital

Galina POV

10:00 AM

"Mom, do I really have to stay here with the twins and the babysitter?" Joelle whines to me.
"Yes, sweetie, you do." I respond packing my purse on my bed.
"But Mom, I wanna see Aesha."
"Honey, I really don't want you seeing her like this."
"But what if she doesn't come out of it? What if she—"
"Joelle, please don't think like that."
"But what if I never get to see her again?"

I look up at my daughter and see that her eyes are big and glossy, exhaustion covering her face and I know it's because she's been up worrying and crying about Aesha and the accident.

"Baby, please..." I say and walk around my bed to engulf her in a tight hug.
"Aesha will be fine, you just have to keep your faith, okay? Don't stop believing. You love that song, don't you?"
"Yes Mom, I do. Aesha and I would sing it in our lessons all the time." She says with a light chuckle and my heart breaks for her.