The Heart That Beats For Her

Chapter Three

"No, daddy," and she finally peeks out from her pillow, showing off her swollen, red-rimmed eyes that steals her father's breath away, because she never cries in front of people. "I will never love again and nobody will ever love me the way Naveen did," she declares with conviction before she hides away her battered face once again and wails like an infant in search of comfort.

"You have too much love in your heart, sweetheart, not to love again. And so did Naveen. So much, that he wanted to gift his organs to someone in need."

This immediately stops all the tears and forces Regina to lift her pounding head back up again. Of course, she and Naveen had discussed becoming organ donors a very long time ago and what they would want if something should ever happen to them, but she has been so deep in mourning that she completely forgot about all of those details.

"D-did someone...did someone get his organs?" She stammers, inspiring her father to wipe away the tears clinging to her cheeks with a pout upon his face.

"His heart."

"What?" She breathlessly gasps, and for some peculiar reason, she feels her own organ fluttering in response.

"His parents came by to see you and they told us a young woman in need received his heart."

And for a split second, she feels the sense of relief wash over her like an old familiar blanket. Her mind immediately runs wild, and she knows she has to meet this woman. She wasn't granted the opportunity to say goodbye to her husband, but a part of him lives on inside of someone else and this is her chance.

This is her one chance to properly say goodbye to her husband.

"I need to find her."

~~~~~

She's observing from the couch, truthfully, she's kind of scared of her mother right now. Her mom is obsessively wiping down every surface in the living room, even though Emma knows she has already scrubbed everything clean yesterday before she came home from the hospital. But here Mary Margret is, in sweatpants and a baggie t-shirt with a bandana wrapped around her head, neurotically soaking the tables with disinfectant and wiping them clean.

"Mom, didn't you clean before I came home?" She questions through a wince as she tries to readjust her position on the couch.

Mary Margret instantly snaps her head up from the pain in her daughter's voice. "Honey, if you're in pain, just tell me. Don't try and be the hero and wait too long."

"I'm fine, mom. Really. Now answer my question."

"It's very important to make sure there isn't any dust in this house, it's not good for you. You know this."

"I also know you're gonna be the one in need of a new heart if you don't take some time to relax. You're running around like a crazy lady."

"I'm just being cautious. You just got home last night, honey. That's only two weeks post-operation and-"

"Breathe. You're making me stress."

"Am I?" Her mother squawks like a damn parrot. "Where is your journal? You need to record your emotions-"

"Oh my god!" She yells and flinches from the expansion in her chest that creates a sharp ache to explode through her body. She immediately coughs from the pressure and she briefly wonders if this can count as one of her daily coughing exercises?