Mila's POV:
The whole way home, all I wanted to do is curl up into a ball and cry till I finally fell asleep due to exhaustion. I kept thinking about my mom, and I had this gut-wrenching feeling that I needed to call her soon and see her. Shit! I forgot to call Chloe today. I was so distracted today I completely forgot. I outwardly sighed; Hopefully, I remember to do it tomorrow. It might be a good idea. That way, I would have distractions from my deteriorating mental health.
I don't know exactly what had happened down there in the lab when she saw her mom, but what I do know is that it caused Asha to be in extreme anguish. I glanced in the rearview mirror at Asha to find her staring into the distance. I can feel a glimpse of what she's feeling, and she should never have to suffer like this so young.
"Alright, kids, we're here. As soon as you get inside, start on your homework and then go get washed up for dinner." They started getting out of the car, and I saw Alyx help Asha out. I could see how concerned Alyx was for her. I'm so glad I raised such caring kids.
We made our way in, and I immediately went to the kitchen to start dinner. I saw all the kids working together on their homework. Asha was nice enough to catch them up to speed with everything she's learned so far. Aleksey seemed to be very interested in what she was talking about. This gave me hope that he would enjoy school more. Have I mentioned how unique my kids are yet? They always wake up early full of energy, always cleaning up after themselves, and somehow absolutely love school. They are definitely grade A philomaths.
As the pasta was boiling, I finished the cheesecake and stuck it in the fridge, so it was cool enough for dessert time. The kids had agreed on wanting spaghetti tonight. Apparently, it was Asha's family meal that her mom cooked. After she mentioned this, she seemed to become depressed again and kept more to herself.
As I was adding the sauce and mushrooms to the meat, the kids made their way upstairs. Emma still wasn't home, and she left the parking lot a little bit before me. I'm kind of worried as to where she may be. And just like that, my worries were eliminated as I heard the front door open. I could tell just by the footsteps it was her. When she walked into the kitchen, she immediately came to me and hugged me. I embraced her wholeheartedly.
"We have a lot to discuss tonight. We will talk about everything tonight in the Dissension room. I don't anticipate us getting into a fight of any sorts; I just don't want the kids to hear anything." I nodded.
"That's a good idea. I'm glad you're going to talk to me, even if it's only a little bit." I gave her a loving kiss, then leaned my head against hers. I took a deep calming breath in. I needed to be close to her, especially now more than ever. We needed to stay close to each other. I pulled back. "Go on and get cleaned up really quick. Dinner is ready." We exchanged smiles before she made her way upstairs.
I had just finished putting everyone's plates, already full of spaghetti, down at the table when everyone walked in. I made sure not to put too much on Asha's or my plate. I think she realized this as she looked at me with a thankful expression.
"Okay, how was everyone's day?" I looked towards Aleksey, signaling for him to start us off.
"It was good, momma. I'm excited for tomorrow to start second grade. It was also enjoyable to see the new fish at mommy's work today." I smiled at this. Usually, his answers to how his day was were short. I then looked at Alyx.
"Same as what Aleksey said. I'm also glad I got a new friend today." She turned to Asha with a big smile. Asha smiled back at her, and it seemed to be pretty genuine.
"Asha, do you want to share how your day was?" She kind of shrunk back in her seat. "You don't have to, sweetie. Don't feel pressured at all." I saw Alyx reach and grab Asha's hand, giving her a heartbeat squeeze as reassurance. Aleksey even gave her a nod.
"It was okay. Not the best of days, but there are still a lot of positives I can take away from today." She looked towards Emma briefly. "I'm glad I got to see my mom." She just looked down after that at her plate. Alyx still hadn't let go of her hand through all of this, and I could tell she gave another heartbeat squeeze before letting Asha's hand go. Asha gave her a weak smile in return.
"Love, what about you?" I turned my attention towards Emma now. I giggled because I found that she had a mouth full of spaghetti and was completely caught by surprise. She swallowed her bite and took a quick drink of her blood before answering.
"It was okay. Same as Asha, not the best of days, but it can also take away some positives today. Lance and I interviewed a doctor and a couple of scientists today. They have a lot of experience with pathology and virology. One scientist helped find the cure for ebola last year. The other scientist says he is very close to a breakthrough in curing cancer; he is just waiting on the approval for human trials. Then the doctor is the most renowned medical geneticist. He's found ways to target specific genes to help prevent blindness, cancer, and other variety of health issues. I think this team will do a great job on figuring out more on how the virus works and how to cure it." She had a look of relief evident on her face, and that made me happy. That gave me some hope that we will figure this out before it gets too out of hand. I reached across the table and gave her hand a heartbeat squeeze, and smiled back at her.
"What about you, amore mio? How was your day?" I smiled and looked at everyone around the table.
"I'm very grateful to be sitting here and having dinner with all of you. I'm happy to have met Asha." I looked at her with a genuine smile. "No matter what, you'll always have a place here with us. I'm sure everyone agrees with me that you're already a part of this family." Aleksey gave his signature nod as he took another bite of his spaghetti. Emma smiled at her as well, confirming what I had said.
"Momma is right. Aleksey and I will always have your back and be here for you." Asha gave Alyx a huge smile after saying that.
"Thank you, all of you." She said this very shyly. She then looked up at me. "Thank you especially for what you did for me today. It made everything I was feeling more bearable." This made me feel extremely better. That was my favorite part of being a healer, helping people. Knowing I could make a huge impact on their life in a positive way.
"Anytime. If you ever need me to do it again, just let me know." After that, the conversations died down a bit while we all finished our food.
The kids rinsed off all the dishes and loaded them into the dishwasher. Emma helped pack up the little bit of food we had leftover and cleaned the counter. When I tell you they had everything done within 5 minutes, I'm not joking. I looked at all of them, shocked as they were using their abilities to zip around the kitchen. They didn't even let me help at all. When they were done, they all rushed back to the table with plates and forks in tow.
"What?" They were all staring at me with expectant looks. Alyx was squirming in her chair.
"The cheesecake, mom," Aleksey said in a monotone voice.
"Oh, right. How could I forget?" I turned around and smirked as I made my way slowly over to the fridge. I could hear a groan from Alyx. They were all so impatient. They loved my cheesecake a lot.
"Baby... Please hurry up; you're killing us here." I turned around with the cheesecake, completely amused with their behavior. Once at the table, I slowly cut slices of the cheesecake and put one on everyone's plate. Everyone looked at me and was staring again.
"Well, stop staring at me and eat your dessert." With that, they dug in. I don't know if they even tasted the cheesecake at all because they all basically inhaled their slice.
"Can we have more, momma?" I shook my head no.
"Nope, but everyone will have a piece pack in their lunch for tomorrow at school." There were some cheers, and I heard Emma clear her voice.
"Umm, does that include me?" She asked, almost childlike. I laughed out loud, and I mean loud.
"Yes, Em. That includes you." At this point, she was cheering too.
Everyone cleaned up a bit slower this time. As everyone was about to leave, I said what I say every night.
"Kids-" They all stopped, and I saw Aleksey roll his eyes.
"We know, momma. Brush and floss our teeth." He's becoming too smart for his own good. I raised my eyebrow at him, and he immediately straightened up and flashed me a smile with an expression of regret flashing across his face.
"Asha, I left you a new toothbrush out on the counter in the kids' bathroom; it's orange. I left a cap out also so you can put it on once you're done and keep it here for when you come over next." She smiled at this. The kids started walking away, but Emma stopped them this time.
"Oh, Asha. I stopped by your grandma's before I came back home. She packed you an overnight bag with pajamas and an outfit for school tomorrow." Alyx grabbed her hand and started leading her away, following behind Aleksey.
"Thank you." We heard Asha holler over her shoulder.
Emma and I both looked at each other, only communicating with our eyes. Finally, we made our way upstairs to get ready to "go to bed." We all exchanged goodnights before going to our rooms. Emma and I laid on top of the blankets of our bed. Both of us looked up at the ceiling, not saying anything; not one word was exchanged.
We laid there for what felt like multiple hours, but I know it was closer to only one. I looked over at her to see her still staring off into the distance. I reached out and interlocked our hands.
"They should be asleep now. Should we head downstairs now?" Emma just squeezed my hand and nodded.
With every step we took, becoming closer and closer to the room, I could feel my anxiety rise. I don't know entirely why I was feeling so anxious and nervous to talk to Emma. I wasn't concerned about us fighting or even having a heated discussion; I could tell neither of us wanted nor would it help the situation. I guess the fear of what she may say. I've been kept in the dark for a while now.
I didn't realize we had made it into the room till I heard the door shut behind me. This made me flinch a little, and when I heard the door being locked, I could feel my throat and mouth going dry. I turned around and looked at Emma, and we both made our way over to the couches that were set up across from one another.
"Amore... Please sit down." I blinked, realizing that she had already sat down. I dropped myself down onto the couch and waited patiently for her to talk. I wasn't going to rush her or pry. She needed to do it when she felt it was right and she was comfortable.
She took a deep breath and looked at me apologetically. I looked at her confused, but then I realized why she gave me that look. It didn't slowly creep its way in; no, it hit me like a ton of breaks. My breath caught in my throat as Emma's emotions flooded my body. They were so overwhelming I felt my head start to spin and my vision become spotty. I felt like I could pass out, but I fought through it. I locked my eyes with hers and saw how broken she was. I got up and sat on her lap and pulled her into a hug. I put my head to hers, and Emma tried to push me away, but I wouldn't let go.
"Mila, no. I don't want you to feel any more than what you do right now. I don't want you to take this on." I know she didn't want me to, but I did it anyway. I took as much of her pain away as I could. I couldn't stand having her feel that way. I couldn't let her carry all of this on her own.
Even though the mental and emotional pain were so severe that I was in physical pain, I didn't stop taking it on myself. I could feel the pain become more debilitating, and my grip grew weaker. Emma took this as an advantage and finally was able to pull her head away from mine.
"Oh, Mila, what have you done?" She looked at me with fear and concern etched into her face. Then, I saw tears running down her cheeks steadily.
"I did exactly what you would have done if this situation were reversed," I answered breathily because, at that moment, I was having a tough time catching my breath.
"You shouldn't have done that. Mila, this is exactly why I've been shutting you out. I didn't want you to do something stupid like this." I felt my eyes close on their own, and I just let my head fall onto her shoulder. I was too weak to hold myself up.
"But to me, this wasn't stupid; it was necessary. I can't idly sit by and let you take on all of this by yourself. I had to take some of your pain away." I quietly spoke into her neck.
"Mila, we both know you took more than just some. Look at how much this has affected you! You can't even hold yourself up, your heartbeat is so slow right now, and your body temperature is dropping rapidly." I took in a shaky breath. It felt like I was breathing through a straw. I then put my hand to her heart.
"But yours is beating stronger now." I took in another breath, this one a little more steady. "And that's all that matters." I felt her grab something from beside us and soon felt a blanket go over us. She then tightened her grip on me.
"You still shouldn't have done it. It's not your pain to bear." I sighed outwardly.
"I'm your soulmate, Emma. Your other half. We complete each other... You were never meant to face any of this alone, feel any of us this all by yourself. We are supposed to hold each other up." I heard her sniffling and felt one of her tears drop onto my cheek.
"But you're in pain. You're literally shaking." I kissed her neck.
"It's worth it. I'd do it again in a heartbeat. You know you would have done the same." She kissed my temple and brought me as close to her as she possibly could. She didn't say anything in response because she knew I was right.
Even though I had stopped shaking, my heartbeat returned to normal, and I could feel my body temperature rise to where it was before; she still held me close. I could tell she was terrified of letting me be even an inch away from her. She knew everything I just took on and didn't want me not to feel comforted and safe.
"Emma?" She hummed in response. "What happened today with Asha and her mom?" She sharply inhaled, and her body tensed. She still hadn't shut me out, so I could feel her emotions wrenching her heart.
"Her mom is that doctor who made the emergency announcement with me. She was the lead doctor on finding the cure." I heard her gulp. "When I came into work on Tuesday, I found her on the other side of the bubble." The bubble?
"What is the bubble, Em?" She sighed and loosened her grip on me just enough to where I could finally make eye contact with her.
"It's basically this clear dome-shaped wall that separates us from the people in quarantine...." Her eyes trailed away from mine and closed. "She's sick with the virus. She's dying." I audibly gasped.
"Oh my god, Emma." I looked towards the door. "Asha was saying goodbye to her mother, wasn't she?" I only saw Emma nod. "The other patients you've had that have been sick longer than her are still alive, though, right? So she has a little more time, doesn't she?" When Emma looked up, I saw the tears start to well up in her eyes again.
"No, Mila, she doesn't. She's come to the theory that depending on the supernatural creature; it determines how fast the virus spreads. She found from researching all the cases that for most werewolves and vampires, they usually were alive close or up to a week, with most witches closer to two, so and so forth with the rest of the supernatural species." She sighed before continuing. "I'd rather not list them all off right now. To the point, though, when she finally looked at the statistics for the fae. She found that most only made it up to a few days. Ten percent of them died within the first 24 hours. After that, their chances of death continued to grow exponentially." I felt my shoulders slump. Damn it.
"I was there, you know when they were saying their goodbyes. I felt like I was breaking a million times over. It was so hard watching Asha break down and plead with me to help save her mom. It was heart-shattering that Melissa couldn't even hold her daughter." Emma had tears ferociously running down her cheeks. It was like someone had opened up floodgates. "Could you imagine-" She was cut off from talking as she hiccuped. "Could you imagine watching our kids collapse to the ground, crying, gasping for air in between sobs, and you couldn't even hold them? You couldn't comfort them? I did at that moment, and I would rather die a million painful deaths than ever experience that." I cupped her cheeks and wiped her tears one by one as they fell.
"You know what the worst part is?" I hummed in response. "Her father has already passed away. He died when she was younger. The only family she has left is her grandma." The ache in my heart had amplified at hearing this.
"She doesn't just have her grandma. She has us as a family now too." She put her head on my chest and felt her body racking with sobs. I just held her close to me, providing as much comfort as I could. I didn't have the right words to say to make her feel better, and honestly, I don't think any existed at this point.
"She put us in her will." I heard her muffle out into my chest.
"Why?" She brought herself up to look me in the eyes. Her eyes were completely bloodshot and puffy.
"If anything happens to her mom and she can no longer take care of Asha, Melissa appointed us as her guardians." She took a brief pause studying my reaction. "I told her we'd do it." She waited for me to respond, her eyes searching mine.
"I agree with you wholeheartedly. We will take care of her no matter what happens. I already told her that she is already a part of this family, and I meant it." Emma sighed in relief and brought me into a hug, snuggling further into my chest. I rubbed her back and kissed the top of her.
"We'll get through this, all of us, together," I assured her confidently.
"Together." She confirmed. I know she meant it too. She was done shutting me out, done shutting everyone out.