It has been over 3 weeks since Alexa's last symptoms showed up and her condition worsened.
People keep coming and going, visiting her very frequently in the hospital.
She's been at the hospital for 2 weeks much to her dismay and then she got discharged and now, it has been a week she's been at home.
Brian and Noah's parents have signed them up for online classes. It is because of Alexa's condition that made the kids want to be near her in any possible way. So, Anna discussed the topic with Brian's parents regarding the topic and they agreed.
So, Brian and Noah went to NY and stayed with Chris and Scarlett with the twins.
Anna will come on the weekends with Kimmy to check on the boys and to come visit Alexa also not to forget to give support to the twins parents.
Which lead to their current situation now,
Anna and Scarlett on the backyard porch with a cup of tea in their hands. No coffee, because Anna could see the eyebags and how exhausted Scarlett looks like.
"I don't think it'll get easier from this onwards" Scarlett said with a quiet whisper as her gazes keep up front without looking at Anna
Anna turned to look at Scarlett for a while before she turned to look at the front as well. It was nothing out of the ordinary. Just a pool and backyard kitchen living area porch that the family have there but Anna knows Scarlett couldn't look each other in the eyes. Her eyes held thousands of heartbreak and pains.
"No it doesn't" Anna replied in understanding. There's no point of sugarcoating what she's gonna say and Scarlett is relieved to be hearing such replies because, not that she's being ungrateful but everyone has been so positive that it doesn't make sense anymore based on the situation and Alexa's state.
"I cried in Chris's arms every single night. Breaking down in his arms, him breaking down along with me. We're too scared. We can't sleep, because if we do, what if she calls out for me and him but we couldn't hear her and something happens and we'll regret it? Because we couldn't reach her on time" Scarlett added with a broken whisper, her eyes finally giving in to the tears that has been building up for a while now
"The what ifs cycle won't end, honey. It'll keep repeating every single day. But the way you go through it will change your what ifs perspective" Anna said as she put down her tea cup and lean her back on the chair they were sitting on
"I have my doubts every single night too. Like what if I went to sleep tonight and my phone was on silent and you were calling me to tell me about any news regarding her and the next morning I only realized that it was too late... What if I go to sleep tonight without calling her and who knows my last time hearing her voice was long ago" Anna added as she sighs sadly.
She's a mother, she's also a mother figure to Alexa and Axel before Scarlett came back to their life. So Alexa is as much like her daughter as she is to Scarlett.
"One special girl" Scarlett whispers with a soft sad smile "Everyone loves her so much and I am grateful that her surroundings are so loving towards her"
"Special girl you got indeed" Anna said, mirroring the smile towards Scarlett
-/-
"Our camping" Alexa stated
The teens are currently in Alexa's room, hanging out. Alexa sat up against her headboard, Axel next to his twin sister, Brian and Noah laying in her bed in a starfish position
"I doubt we can go camping just us though" Axel exclaimed, thinking widely on the prospect. With Alexa's condition and the parents' paranoia.
Alexa's face dawned on the realization and nodded her head defeatedly. There's so much restriction now on her life much to her dismay.
"Mama and Daddy are scared" Alexa said in a quiet whisper and understandingly "And I know you guys are too" She said, referring to Axel, Brian and Noah themselves in the room
"I really want to do what we have planned though" Alexa said
Axel looked at both Brian and Noah and they both nodded their head after some times of talking with their eyes
"We'll figure out something. We'll make sure of it" Axel said with a soft sad smile as he took his twin sister's hand and squeezed it gently
"So back to Nathan, did he really put slime in Mrs Banks chair?" Alexa said with a chuckle as she changes the subject to what they were discussing just now
And that is how for the rest of the day going for the teens. They give Alexa updates of things that happened at school.
-/-
As night reached them, they had their dinner together.
It was rather chaotic a little, bringing a little bit of normalcy for the twins and for everyone after everything they had gone through lately.
They goof around the table, they throw jokes with each other, they tease both Scarlett and Chris until it got them red in their face and they teens got a good laugh at seeing that.
"They immediately pull away from the kiss when Axie and I get in the kitchen to get water" Alexa said, wheezing in her laughter as they remembered the first time they saw their parents kiss each other months ago.
"Their faces got so red!" Axel said with his loud laughter "Like a deer getting caught in the headlights!"
"Oh my, we should've recorded it at that time!" Alexa added, enjoying to see how red their parents faces were currently
"Ha ha ha, very funny. Enjoying this huhhh?" Chris said mockingly as he tickle the girl side slightly to which got the girl squirming away with her giggles
And at that time, they were all enjoying it. Like everything is so normal and she isn't sick at all. How carefree and how healthy she looks, ignoring the physical appearance of how thin and pale she was but her laughter is so contagious and like a music for everyone to hear.
After dinner, Alexa's bedtime has gotten early, so her mama brings her upstairs, accompany her to do her night time routine and tuck her in for bed, even stayed for 30 minutes to make sure she's deeply asleep and also Scarlett needs a moment to see how her daughter look so peaceful in her sleep. She just stays there and mesmerizes her daughter.
Anna, Chris, Brian, Noah and Axel were in the living room when Scarlett finally came down. She went to sit next to Axel and wrapped the boy in a tight hug. Despite everything, Scarlett knows how to balance her time with all of her kids now.
Axel, despite being a 15 year old teenage boy, cuddled up to his mama's side comfortably. It's just their family so no need for him to avoid his mother's cuddles anyways.
"Ma" Axel said quietly as he looked up to Scarlett as Scarlett were just comfortably caressing her son's back and hummed in question, looking back at him
"Lexie wants to go camping" Axel whispered in quiet manners
"Buddy, you know the answer to it" Chris said as Scarlett halted in her movement, clearly caught off guard but also she realize that it was one of the things Alexa wants to do the most before her sickness take a turn of a worse
"I know dad but can we think of something to make sure it happens? Bear really wants to do her bucket list. She's understanding enough that it actually hurts to see that she couldn't reach her dreams. I'm sure there's something we can figure out right?" Axel exclaimed pleadingly "Before we're too late" Axel added quietly and sadly
"Axie.." Scarlett look at him disapprovingly on his last statement
"Ma, I don't wanna lose her, I swear to god I don't want to. It hurts but realistically speaking, we're on thin ice and I don't want us to live in regrets. I don't want to live in regrets if we're too late. We gotta think widely in every perspective here. And with everything Alexa and I have gone through growing up, I will give her everything she wants until my last breath. Either it makes sense or not, my loyalty lies with her for forever" Axel exclaimed that makes every adult in the room think of it. These twins will do anything and everything for each other.
"We can make them in the backyard. Daddy will buy a camping set up to get in the mood. That way you guys can still camp but if anything happens we'll still be close so you shout for us if anything were to ever happen which I really pray that nothing will happen. How's that sound?" Scarlett asked after a long thought on how to make things work with Alexa's bucket list.
"We got a bonfire in the backyard too, so that'll do it, yeah?" Chris said in agreement on Scarlett's suggestion
The three teenage boys nodded their head with a relief and wide smile
"We'll take whatever we can" Noah exclaimed
"We gotta call Harrison too" Brian added as they got up from the couch to start planning for their camping and went upstairs to Axel's room
They can't wait to be telling this to Alexa tomorrow
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I've been wracking my brain for more of Anna and Scarlett interactions. So you got that even short. And chapter 49 gonna be them ticking off what's on Alexa's bucket list! And chapter 50 gonna be the end of this story.
It's bittersweet to say goodbye to this story but we gotta let it go. But in the meantime, it's not finished yet sooo enjoy while it lasted! Hopefully this story will finish before Eid. With that being said, Ramadhan Mubarak to my muslims friend <3
And as always, stay safe and hope you guys are having an amazing day wherever/ whoever you are. See you in the next chapter.
Love you lovelies <3