The Angel,The Devil,The Nerd

Chapter 61 - Leaving

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CHAPTER 61 - LEAVING

NATALIE'S POV

I remained there interdicted only for a moment. As soon as Noah had said that I let aside every thought and every caution and quite simply sprinted to the bed, forgetting about his wounds to wrap up my Eric in a tight hug. I couldn't think of anything that should forbid me that. He was awake and alive.

That was reason enough. Sure, he did yelp slightly when I squeezed his wounds, but he also hugged me back, as weakly as his injured bones permitted him. Though I could feel one arm only around me, which was explained when I heard Noah giggling and coming closer to the bed, so that, looking down, tears already streaking down my cheeks, even if silently, I saw their hands entwined.

I don't know what I felt, my heart just swelled with emotions at the sight. Even without knowing who they really were to each other, Eric and Noah were holding hands, and judging by the way neither of them was pulling back, they both enjoyed that contact.

Especially Noah, he easily climbed the bed and came to sit between us, separating us, yes, but for as much as Eric was still clearly hazy and that was only a temporary moment of reunion, it was still us. The family we were never able to really form. It was still me, my love and our son, who, even without knowing who Eric really was, seemed to have taken a particular liking on him, given how he was giggling and sat on his knees to face him.

When I, unable to retain myself, stretched my hand to caress Eric's cheek, almost disbelieving, no, not at all able to believe that after so long my true love was there, alive and awake, those blue eyes staring at me, kind of watery, which was the clear sign of his being touched, for as much as he never lets himself be that.

Actually, the only one time I had the feeling he was on the verge or downright crying was four years ago, when he left me that message as a farewell. But I was saying, when I caressed his cheek, unable to believe my eyes, the smile twitching my lips unconsciously, Noah let pass only a moment before, giggling, he mimicked me, which made Eric break eye contact with me to gaze at our son, and, I don't know why, but part of me saw the slightest bit of consciousness in his eyes. I mean, the way he looked at Noah, it kind of felt as if he knew who that little boy was.

From afar, we probably were a touching sight, which I guess is why I could faintly hear Jamie's sob. Her pregnancy hormones were enough tangled up to have her cry out of joy in my mother's arms, as I noticed with the corner of my eyes. Always with the corner of my eyes I saw Jake joining the party, but just for a moment: he left a second later, I bet to go call Kyle and Charles and tell them about it. Eric's father has been joining me in watching over his son these nights, we never talked, we just sat at Eric's sides and ... waited. For him to wake up, of course.

Often, when I burst out crying, Charles would come close and hug me, trying to comfort me as he reminded me of how strong and resistant our Eric was, so he was sure he'd make it, though I could see tears in the man's eyes too. After all, it was still his son. As mom pointed out, if there's something a parent could never endure, it's surviving to their child. So no wonder that Charles was that distraught. And Kyle too. They were able to become a real family in those few weeks, remember?

But that's not the point now. Now the point was, my Eric, and how his blue eyes kept travelling alternatively from me to Noah and vice versa, as if he was trying to figure out something. Surely, Noah might have told him his mother's name if they talked, so possibly Eric was trying to figure out the similarities between the little boy and I. Finding almost none, except for the nose, he'll come to the conclusions, won't he?