HANNAH'S POV
A second honk startles me and I know Jada is getting impatient. She's picking me up for dinner, we're meeting up with Renee for some girl time before our shift at the hospital. With Jada's wedding followed by the honeymoon, Renee prepping to go back to work and me fretting over my man who hasn't communicated in a month we haven't had much time to sit down and talk.
Jada honks again and I realize that if she does it a fourth time she will come in and drag me out by my braids. I'm always on time but I've been distracted a lot lately worrying over Santiago and it's messing up with my concentration.
I finally manage to lace up my shoes, pick up my coffee mug, phone, bag and keys leaving the house before Jada can honk again. I lock the door behind me and rush to her car, getting into the passenger seat next to her.
"I'm sorry." I apologize before she can bash me.
"Are you okay? You're never one to run late." Jada asks reversing out of my driveway.
"I'm okay, just a bit out of sorts with worry." I explain.
"He'll be okay Hannah. If you haven't heard from him by the end of the week, I'll ask Tom to make a few calls, privacy be damned."Jada asserts.
I know that all my friends are worried about me and I am too so I nod in agreement.
"Okay."
Renee is already at the restaurant when we get there and waves us over when we walk in.
"Sorry we're late. It was my fault. I kept Jada waiting." I apologize.
"It's okay. I haven't been here long anyway." Renee assures me.
Jada and I sit down just as a waitress approaches us with menus. Jada and I are going straight to work after so we order mocktails while Renee gets her favorite glass of red wine. For food Jada orders a chicken salad, Renee asks for stake and a mashed potatoes while I order grilled chicken and a side salad.
"So when are you going back to work?" Jada asks Renee.
"I don't want to go back to the same firm I was working for even if they did say I could back at anytime. I sent my resume to a couple of potential firms and I have interviews next week. I want to start afresh where nobody will try to give me special treatment now that I'm a mom. " Renee explains.
"That's good. So you're finally ready to leave Taylor huh?" I ask.
"Absolutely not but she is ready and I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have Ben's support. We will find our balance and no matter how hard it will be we will get it done." Renee answers.
"I know you will. Tom and I talked about it and have decided to give it a year before we start trying for kids. I want him all to myself for a little while longer." Jada informs us.
"That's wise, rushing into getting kids after getting married is never a good choice. You've yet to know what works for you as a couple who live together." Renee advises.
"I know, I still need to teach that man how to put the toilet seat down." Jada scowls.
"It's a battle I'm still fighting to this day. Welcome to married life." Renee sympathizes.
"Thank you." Jada laughs as they clink their glasses together in cheer.
"You've been too quiet Hannah is everything okay?" Renee asks.
"She's worried about the non communication from Santiago." Jada answers.
"Can't you call him instead of torturing yourself like this?" Renee asks.
"I don't know, I've never had to. He's always the one calling me." I reply.
I've considered it a couple of times but I don't even know how to go about it. Do I just call the number he usually contacts me with or is there another number?
"You should consider it. Or you can risk it and go visit him, demand some answers." Renee says.
"I can't." I sigh sadly.
"Why not?" Renee challenges.
"I promised Santiago that I would never go back to FCI ever again. He's too worried for my safety after what happened last time." I explain.
"Makes sense. Then you have to wait darling, I'm sure he'll contact you soon." Renee encourages.
It's been a month. The last time we talked was at the beach with Diego while I was in Providence. The more time passes the more worried I get.
"It'll be okay Hannah." Jada consoles.
"Thanks guys but let's not dwell on that for too long, I'm tired ot of feeling sad and tired. Let's discuss something more upbeat."
"Like your goddaughters second birthday." Renee inputs.
"Yes now that more like it. Are we talking princess themed or witches and wizards?" I ask.
The three of us get into it over the course of dinner and by the end of it we've decided to go with the basic princess themed dinner at the bar. We still have a month till the birthday but it doesn't hurt to start planning early.
"See you guys for movie night this weekend." Renee says as we hug goodbye at the parking lot.
"Definitely but why is it my turn to host again?" I challenge.
"Because you're the one with the big TV and without a child proofed house." Renee adds.
"Or your husbands moving boxes littered all over the house." Jada adds.
"Noted, I will see you all this weekend then." I relent.
We share one last hug before getting into the car. Jada drives us to work and I feel much better now that I've spent time with my best friends. I'm still worried about Santiago but I've realized that even though I love him my life doesn't revolve around him. I have friends and family to live for as well so I'll remain positive and hope he gets out soon but till then I'll keep living my life and doing my job to the best of my ability.
"See you at the cafeteria later?" Jada asks as we alight her car.
Time to sign in for my twenty four hour shift that's beginning with a graveyard shift.
"Yes, I'll be there." I nod.
I hug her goodbye and enter the emergency room while she takes the elevator to the third floor where the pediatric floor is.
After putting my things in my locker, I clock in and begin my shift in a much better mood.
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"I can't believe that he asked you that?" I laugh as Doris tells me about a terrible date she went on yesterday.
We're hanging out at the nurses station because it's kind of quiet in the emergency room. I love working night shifts, there's less drama.
"I know. When I got home I was about to give up on love but then I remembered how good it feels to be loved and back to Tinder I went swiping left and right." Doris replies.
"It does feel good to be loved." I mumble recalling how much Santiago and I love each other.
"Spoken like a woman in love. Who's the mystery man? Apart from the birthday surprise you don't talk about him." Doris asks.
Doris is a bit of a gossip so if I tell her that I am dating an inmate, it will spread like wildfire around the hospital and I don't want to be the topic of discussion here at Westview.
"I'm not ready to share him with the world yet." I reply coyly.
The people in my life who matter already know about him and that's all that I care about. The rest of the world can find out when I walk in here with a wedding ring on my finger.
Yes I plan on marrying Santiago. He is the love of my life and even though we joked about it before I know for a fact that he is the man I want to marry and be the future father to my kids. I only want three though but I'm willing to compromise to four if he wants more. I want a whole future with this man so he better get out of prison fast.
"Whoever he is, he's a lucky man." Doris adds.
"I know, I'm a catch but so is he." I grin.
Doris laughs and is about to say something else when EMS rush in with a patient on a gurney.
"Male patient, unresponsive, found unconscious on bedroom floor. Probable cardiac arrest." One of the EMS announces.
Doris and I immediately jump into action but the minute I see the patient, my steps falter.
"Aldo ..." I whisper once I see the old man's sweet face.
He's so pale, he could as well be a ghost and there's no reading on the EKG. In my heart I already know he's gone but only a doctor has the power to declare him dead and till then we have to make sure that he is indeed gone.
"Thank you, we'll take it from here. Page Dr. Matthew." I say remembering that I'm a nurse and my job is to save lives.
When Dr. Matthew joins us a minute later we do our best for Aldo but he only confirms what I already knew.
"Call it." Dr. Matthew demands.
"Time of death, 3.06 am." I say checking the time.
"Need help? I know you were close?" Doris offers as I begin to unplug Aldo.
"No, it's okay. I've got it." I reply.
Doris gives me a sympathetic look before leaving me alone.
When she leaves I remove the IV from his arm, the pulse oximeter and the AED pads from his chest.
"Goodbye my sweet Aldo, may you rest with the angels." I whisper as I kiss his cold hand before tucking it to his side and covering him up.
I need to call his kids and tell them that their dad is gone but first I take a moment to myself to mourn. Aldo was one of my first ever patients here at Westview and through all his regular visits over the years we became close. I even went to his birthday last year at his mansion where he taught me how to smoke Cuban cigars. He was the sweetest old man in the universe and I will miss him.
Once I'm feeling much better I leave his room and call the morgue first so they can come get his body before I get to calling his children. I know it's the middle of the night but they need to know that their dad is no more.
"Are you okay? I heard about Aldo?" Jada asks as we have breakfast together at the cafeteria the following morning.
I dont have much of an appetite so I forego a full breakfast and decide on cereal instead.
"Yeah I'm okay. It was a heart attack." I reply.
"The man was seventy eight Hannah, he lived a full life." Jada encourages.
"I know, I'm celebrating his life not morning him. I'll miss him though." I sigh sadly pushing my cereal bowl away after two bites.
"You'd be inhuman not to. You were really close." Jada says.
"Tell me about the cases you're dealing with. Help me get my mind off this." I request her.
Jada nods and tells me all about her current cases. Her most interesting one is about conjoined twins who are getting separated in two days. It's a complicated surgery but the doctors are positive it will be successful.
Jada walks me back to the emergency room before she goes back to work. I'm still sad about Aldo but I force my mind to focus because he's gone and I have patients who are still alive depending on me.
His first born son is the first one to arrive but Aldo is not my patient anymore so after I receive him I let someone else deal with showing him to the morgue.
By the end of my shift, I'm a ready to go home, soak in the tub for an hour and forget the terrible day I've had.
"You ready to go?" Jada asks walking up to the nurses station.
She's my ride home.
"Yeah give me ten minutes, I'll be out soon." I reply.
"Okay, meet me in my car." She says before walking out.
I clock out and retrieve my things from the locker room. When I walk out of the hospital, I scan the parking lot for Jada's car because I can't remember where she parked but I can't see it. I'm about to retrieve my phone to call her when my eyes land on the last person I expected to see.
"Cesar?" I call out in surprise to make sure I'm not imagining things.
But he's real, standing a couple of feet from me in blue jeans, a black t-shirt that's hugging his torso tightly exposing his eight pack and and a black jacket. He has a bouquet of sunflowers in his hand.
"Hi mami." He waves giving me a shy smile.
Oh my God! He's here! I am not imagining this. He is actually here.
"Cesar!!" I scream excitedly.
In a flash I'm in his embrace my arms wrapped around his shoulders. He catches me and hugs me back tighter.
He's here. He's actually here. That thought won't stop swimming in my mind as I clutch onto him for dear life. He laughs, his voice travelling to my core making me smile. I forget all my sadness and fatigue as I hug my man.
"How are you here?" I cry unable to pull away.
"I wanted to surprise you." He replies kissing my neck.
Only then do I realize that my feet are not on the ground and he's holding me up. Gosh, the man must be ready to pass out. I am not light.
"Put me down, I must be heavy." I say pulling back.
"Heavy? Mami, I bench twice you're weight." He laughs and twirls me around for good measure.
"Okay you've proven your point." I laugh holding on tighter before he drops me.
"I missed you and that laugh." He confesses looking into my eyes.
"I missed you too, so much. I still can't believe you're here. I feel like I'm dreaming." I reply.
"Then let me prove to you that this is real." Santiago whispers setting me down.
I blink up at him confused wondering how he's going to do that when he pushes me against a car, cups my face gently and bridges the gap between us. He smiles a moment before his lips brush against mine ever so gently I might have imagined it. But then he does it again and this time I capture his lower lip with my teeth before he can move away and deepen the kiss. He smiles into the kiss and pulls me flush against him so that my body moulds with his perfectly.
"Do you believe me now?" He rasps out pulling back.
I nod in a daze unable to find the words. Just because I can, I pull his head back down and kiss him again.
Yes, he's really here!
I want to kiss him forever but I remind myself that we are in a public parking lot so I force myself to step back.
"These are for you." He says holding out the bouquet of sunflowers that have somehow managed to survive our mini make out session.
"Thank you. If I'd known you were coming I'd have gotten you a welcome home present but someone ghosted me." I accuse playfully glaring at him.
"I wanted to surprise you." He smiles sheepishly.
"And you have. Thank you for my surprise." I smile bringing the flowers up to my nose.
They smell like sunshine and freedom. My man's freedom.
"No, thank you mami, for waiting and being patient with me. Would you like to go out to dinner with me?" He asks.
"Are you asking me out on a date?" I tease biting in a smile.
"Yes, will you go on a date with me?" Santiago asks again.
"I would love to but I need to go home and change first." I reply.
Of course I want to go on a date with this man. Being out in public together and doing couply things is all I've been looking forward to since I met him.
"I'll drive you even though I think you look beautiful as you are." He compliments making me blush.
"You're so sweet but I can look even more beautiful." I smile at him.
"Let's get you home then." He nods retrieving car keys from his pocket.
He unlocks the car I've been leaning on and I turn recognizing the familiar machine.
"Is this Diego's car?" I ask.
"Yes. I didn't want to risk driving my truck and having it break down on me." He answers.
"Wise choice." I nod as I slide into the passenger seat when Santiago gets the door for me.
Looks like prison didn't kill his chivalry. He's such a gentleman.
He gets behind the wheel and effortlessly drives out of the parking lot.
"So I met Jada." He comments.
Oh my God Jada?!
I completely forgot about her.
"When?" I ask realizing she must have left knowing Santiago would give me a ride home.
"A couple of minutes before you came out." He answers.
"She threatend you didn't she?" I ask knowing my best friend well enough.
"Yes, that I should treat you like a queen or else she'll kill me and have Tom bury my body in the desert." He replies unfazed.
"I'm so sorry." I apologize.
"Why? You shouldn't be. It shows that she loves you and besides treating you like a queen is the only plan I have in mind. I plan to spoil the hell out if you so don't worry, she did not scare me off." He assures me.
"I'm so glad you're here." I whisper unable to say anything else.
"And I'm never leaving." He promises bringing the back of my hand to his lips and kissing it.
I melt into a puddle right there in the seat as I stare at Santiago. I am deeply in love with this man and I can't wait to tell him but first we go to dinner.
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If you're enjoying MAMI and would like to support me and my work, I opened a "Buy me a coffee" account a couple of months ago. The link is in my bio if you want to show some love. All you have to do is buy me a 'coffee'. I'll appreciate the support but then again it's only for those who can.
Check my bio. ❤❤❤
Ps: Now that they are together do we do a steamy chapter or keep things sweet and pg?
Also due to the tripple update, I might not be updating for the next 2-3 days but then again, I'm a weird writer so you never know but just incase I've warned you guys.