A Girl in Red

41 | STILL BREATHING

ALANA GREY-SALVATORE
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STILL BREATHING

She's still breathing.

My nerves begin to relax as I see the rise and fall of her chest. When I lay my head close to her heart, I wait for the thumping sound, the sound that means she's alive and well. The sound that so many months ago failed to reach my ears. I sigh when I hear it, the world settles and my heart goes in tune with hers.

The Italian coastline gleams in front of me and I can't help but let the tears fall from my eyes. Two months ago I didn't know if the love of my life would ever see another day. Let alone for us to be here, now — celebrating a honeymoon that I thought was lost to funerals and grief.

My phone vibrates on the table and I slide out of the bed to answer the call. "Alana Grey-Salvatore?"

"Is that how you always answer your phone?" Clary questions and I roll my eyes. "Alana Grey-Salvatore speaking."

"That's not how I sound, Clarissa." I chuckle before walking out of the bedroom into the small living room. "What are you doing up?"

"I can ask the same for you." She says before sighing. "Couldn't sleep, nightmares and such."

"Same..." my mind still won't let go of the image of the knife burying itself in Francesca's back. I'll never forget the horror I felt — there's no real word to describe the feeling that overtook me. It was as if my heart had shattered. "I wake up every two hours to make sure she's still breathing."

"I'm sorry," Clary murmurs, "I know it's hard for you, have you talked to your therapist?"

"I swear she's tired of me calling her." I laugh before plopping on the couch.

"That's what she's there for."

"Oh, really, and have you talked to your therapist?"

"That's so not the point Alana!" She complains before laughing with me. "I miss you, already."

"I miss you too, C." I really, truly, did miss my best friend. There's something about helping your friend walk again that creates a bond that can never be broken. I've seen her in her worse moments as she healed her temporary paralysis. I helped her walk and I was there when she took her first step without my aid.

"Harry Potter and peanut butter popcorn when you get back?"

"With m&ms?"

"Duh, it wouldn't be a movie night without it."

I laugh, "No it really wouldn't."

"Okay! Get off me you baboon! Ugh, Brooklyn wants to know has Chessy checked her oxygen levels." Clary shushes Brooklyn as they try to talk into the phone. "You just heard me ask her!"

I laugh at their argument before going to the stack of papers on the table. "Yes, when we first got to the hotel it was 94%."

"That's low," Brooklyn's voice announces.

"I called Dr. Topaz and he thought so too but we gave her a breathing treatment, waited a couple of hours, and it raised it to 98%."