Fix My Heart

Chapter 43

Jacob's POV
Veronica sat down at the edge of the bed. River started shaking. She kept crying.

"I don't wanna leave you here!"

"It's okay. I'll be home soon. Wait. I have an idea. Ronnie? Can she stay here tonight?"

River turned around.

"Ooo can I?! Please mommy?!"

"You have school tomorrow."

"But mommy-"

"Ronnie just let her stay."

"Ugh. Alright. Alright. You're still going to school."

"Nooo. I wanna stay with daddy!"

"Rivey you can't miss school."

"But daddy-"

"I'll make a deal with you. If you go to school, you can spend the nights here until, I go home. Okay?"

"Okay daddy."

Veronica left then came back with clothes. They got ready for bed. Veronica put River on the bed. She laid down next to me. I was given my pain meds for the last time of the night.

"Daddy?"

"Hm?"

"Can you come pick me up from school tomorrow?"

"No sweetie. Not tomorrow."

She sat up.

"Why?"

I moved hair out of her face.

"I'm still going to be here. I need to rest."

Her eyes started to get watery.

"Oh no. Don't cry."

She rubbed her eyes.

"I can pick you up, some other day."

"B-but...I-I want you to pick me up tomorrow."

"I know. I want to pick you up too but, I need to rest. The more I rest, the faster I can go home. Come here. Lay back down."

She laid back down and I started holding her. I started rubbing her back.

"Did you hear me, talking to you earlier?"

"Yes. I did. Why do you think, I told you, I'd talk to your music class?"

"Oh. Well...we watched a lot of your videos."

"Do you have a favorite song?"

"Hmm. I like all of them."

"Is there one that, you can't get enough of? Like one that you'll never get tired of hearing."

"I think "Memories" is one. "So Good" is another one."

River yawned.

"Let's go to sleep."

"But I wanna keep talking to you."

"We can talk in the morning, before you go to school. Sound good?"

"O-okay."

I pulled the blanket up to her chin. I looked over at Veronica. She was already sleeping. I was starting to get tired. I stayed awake for a bit to make sure, River was sleeping. I shut my eyes. I woke up when, I felt someone shaking me.

"Daddy wake up!"

I opened my eyes.

"River let him sleep."

"He told me, we could talk before school!"

I sat up.

"I'm up. I'm awake."

She sat in front of me.

"Yay!"

"Jake you should be laying down."

"I'm fine Ronnie."

I figured out, how to put the bed into a sitting position.

"What do you wanna talk about?"

"Do you and mommy, hate each other?"

My eyes widened.

"That's a strong word Riv."

"We don't hate each other."

"Let's have this conversation....when you're older."

"That's a good idea. Listen to your father."

"Daddy? Can you do my hair?"

"Uh sure?"

She jumped off the bed and grabbed her brush. She ran back down over to the bed and climbed up. She handed it to me.

"Uh can I have a hair tie?"

"It's on the brush."

"Huh?"

I looked at the handle and saw hair ties wrapped around it. I took one off and put it on my wrist. I started brushing her hair.

"What am I doing? Am I braiding it?"

"I don't care."

"Alright. Remember that you said that."

I started brushing her hair. Then I started putting it in a high ponytail. I put the hair tie in her hair.

"Alright. You're good."

She turned around and hugged me.

"Thank you!"

"You're welcome."

"Alright. If we don't leave now, we'll be late."

"5 more minutes? Please?"

That happened everyday while I was in the hospital. When I got discharged, I wanted to surprise her. Veronica got me before she had to pick River up from school.

"You're sure, you didn't say anything?"

"No. I didn't."

When we got to her school, Veronica parked. We got out and went to the area where, the parents go to pick up their kids.