Pretend

Chapter 12 - In love?

"Yup," he replied.

"So, about that message that you sent me," I said in a more serious tone.

"What, the one that made you fall off of the chair?" He asked as he tried to stop himself from laughing.

"No, the other one," I said.

"What about it?" He asked.

"Well, what exactly did you mean?" I replied.

"What do you think I meant?" He asked as a smile crept onto his face again.

"I don't know," I whispered as the butterflies in my stomach began to go crazy.

"I think you do," he said as he looked me in the eyes.

Suddenly the kitchen door swung open.

"Kyle?" I asked in complete confusion as I watched him and Crystal burst into the kitchen.

"I'm sorry to come like this but I went to yours and your mom said that you were here and gave me the address".

"Is everything ok?" I asked, feeling rather anxious.

"Mimi's awake!" He screamed.

"What!" I shouted back as I ran over to him and jumped into his arms.

"Serious?" I asked as the tears began to roll down my cheek.

"Yes, serious!" He screamed back as he wiped the tears off of my cheeks with his thumbs.

"Can we go and see her?" I asked.

"Of course, that's why I'm here," he said as a smile spread across his face again.

I threw my arms around him and squeezed as tight as I could.

"Thank you," I whispered into his ear.

"Sorry guys, I've got to go," I said as I looked at Aiden. He was smiling but I knew that there was something beneath the smile. I just hoped that he would understand.

"Of course," Crystal screamed in excitement.

"Remember to keep us posted," she said as we ran towards Kyle's car.

As I leapt into the passenger's seat, a feeling of joy came over me. I was going to see Mimi! This was really happening. Words couldn't begin to describe how I was feeling right now.

"You, ok?" Kyle asked as I sat in silence.

"Yeah, you?"

"I don't know. It's crazy, I kind of feel like I'm in a daze," he replied.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," I said.

"I suppose, I was so scared, that I just got used to thinking that she would never wake up again. I didn't want to get excited, only to get let down again. Now that she's really awake, I don't know what to do or how to feel," he said.

"I understand," I finally whispered.

"Thanks".

"For what?" I asked.

"Being there for me, it means a lot," he said as he squeezed my hand.

I smiled at him and then we spent the rest of the journey in silence.

****

"Ready?" He asked as we pulled up in the hospital parking lot.

"Yeah," I replied as I stepped out of the car.

The walk through the hospital was like walking the green mile. My heart had ached so much for my Mimi and now it was racing faster as we got closer to her as though it knew that she was there. As I walked down the different corridors the smell of the hospital filled my nose. I hated that smell, I hated hospitals. I could see sick children all wired up with tubes. It broke my heart, Mimi should have never been here. Suddenly my thoughts were interrupted by the sound of Kyle's voice.