No one else but you (Book 3. of „Only you")

Cheeseburgers

Lizzie POV

„Why can't we go and see mom?" I heard Chase ask me as she walked up on me while I exited the intensive care unite feeling drained.

„Y'know... mom can't really talk to you guys and I think it might hurt when you guys see her this way. But you guys will see her I promise. Just give her some time okay?" I answered while I kneeled down to their hight.

„But... I wanna have mom back. I wanna see her. My mom." Chase told me in tears and it was almost impossible to hold mine back. She tried to run past me but I was able to pull her and Quinn into a hug to give them a shoulder to cry on.
I know they want to have Nora back just as much as I do but we can't. Not yet. I don't know how long it will take but I know it won't be easy regardless of the time.

They are way to young to experience something like this. I know this will haunt them forever and it will be the same with me. I know I will dream about this because it wasn't easy to watch her slip out of my hands. I will always remember the feeling of how her body became limp in my arms and how she had her eyes closed upon me.

„I wanna have her back Lizzie. Please.." Chase cried out as I rubbed her head while hugging them tighter and so did they.

„I know. Me too. I wanna have her back too and you will.."

„Promise?" Quinn asked quietly and I know I can't promise something like this. I can't promise that she will wake up and be back to normal again.
I can't promise them that they will have their mom back but I also can't tell them that I can't promise such thing. They need hope and I don't want to lie about it because I can't look into the future. But how am I supposed to say to them I can't promise this? Saying that will absolutely destroy them and they will realize quick that they might not see their mom alive again. So... I have to lie. Even if I don't want to.

„I promise..." I whispered almost so quiet that they weren't able to hear it but they did and I noticed it as they snuggled their heads into my shoulder and chest.

„Come on. Why don't we go and look for the others Hmm? Do you guys want to eat anything?"
I asked as we all pulled back from the hug. I tugged the hair behind their ears and they whipped the tears out of their faces. They shared a glance and then they looked back at me smiling a bit.

„Can we get cheeseburgers?" they asked synchronized and I don't know if this is a twin thing or not but I feel like they share the same mind sometimes.

„Of course we can. We can get as many as you want. Do you guys like them?" I asked as I got up grabbing their hands.

„We love them. Sometimes when mom had a bad day we would go out and get cheeseburgers."
Chase answered and I smiled down on them only finding out now that Nora has a habit when she feels bad. She probably has a lot but I never really got to know them all.

„Oh and mom always got fries with a milkshake even though she is lactose intolerant. And she used to dip the fries into the milkshake." Quinn added and I could only imagine how the kids looked at her disgusted when she ate it this way.

„Hey the kids are hungry and they want cheeseburgers. Are you guys coming with us?" I asked scar and Beth as we walked into the waiting section. They looked slightly surprised that we where planing on going to eat something. I don't even want to eat anything but I am doing this for Nora and for the kids just so I can distract them for a while.

„Yeah.. I'll go with you guys." Beth told us and got up just as scar did.

...

„I don't know if she told you that or not. But she was always talking about you y'know." Beth told me as she held me back for a sec. Scar was already sitting at the table with the kids.

„She did?" I questioned and Beth chuckled.

„Half a decade has passed and there wasn't a day where she wasn't talking about you. I know that you are happily married and I don't want to put you into an uncomfortable situation by saying what I just said but you where on her mind all the time."

„No it's fine I'm not uncomfortable Beth. I just hate the way things have evolved and she doesn't deserve this." I told her and she hummed.

„The past was haunting her day and night. Victor has done some unspeakable things and I don't want to get into that. This is Nora's story to tell if she feels ready to share it with you." I thought back to the time where Nora stopped visiting my classes and skipped college to stay hidden in her apartment. Little did I know that this was all because of Victor.

„What are we supposed to do about Chase and Quinn? Did you plan on keeping them at your place?" I asked trying to pull the topic into something else. We started to walk back and sat down.

„I don't know. I'm sure I'll get a visit from the youth welfare office. We will discuss things and they will tell me the best options and what has to be dealt with. I don't want them to be at an orphan." she told me quietly and I nod.

„I could take them. I would love to."

„Are you sure? What about Robbie? I don't want you to fall into any conflicts." she replied and I shook my head.

„I won't. It's fine I can handle him and if things will get heated or if he isn't agreeing on it I can still live at Nora's place. It's better for the kids anyways and someone needs to take care of the house and garden."

„What about work? It'll be stressful to combine them." she asked as she sipped on her water.

„I can't take a couple of months off. I can say it's a private issue that I have to deal with and I never really took any time off from work so he won't have a problem."

„Yeah the dean has changed ever since she „died".
We've still had the colleagues gathering every year and they have all changed a lot." I told Beth and she looked pretty surprised.

„I honestly didn't stay in contact with them. Y'know I've planned the accident and all with her so we kinda both had to pull away from our surroundings. I didn't know her parents have changed that much."

„It's crazy that they did. I always though they would be even more miserable."

„Our food is here!!!" Chase and Quinn cheered as they saw how the food was getting brought to the table. Chase had a brighter smile on her face and only now I started to realize how much of a resemblance she has to Nora. Except for her eye color everything is Nora just in form of a kid.

...