Bex

Chapter 36:

  "Bex!" Riley squealed, racing toward me.

  "Riley!" I copied her excitement.

  She hopped into my bed, and I grunted when her elbow jabbed my stomach. But I recovered with a laugh as I held her in my arms.

  "Riley, be careful." Her mother chided.

  "Oh, she's okay."

  "Did I hurt you? I'm sorry."

  Riley looked up at me with those big brown eyes, and they were filled with sadness.

  "No, you didn't hurt me." I gave her a small smile, and she smiled back.

  "What's up, Princess." Axel asked her.

  "Today was the last day of school, so Mommy said we could come see Bex."

  She shifted in my lap to hug my neck. I hugged her back. When she pulled back, there were tears in her eyes.

  "Mommy said you are sick. You are going to get better, right?" Her tiny lip was quivering.

  "Yeah, I'm going to get better." I rubbed her back, trying to reassure her.

  I gave Axel a sideways glance, and he came and plucked Riley up out of my lap. She squealed in delight when he blowed on her stomach.

  "Axel, put me down!" She was kicking her arms and legs out wildly, but he had a firm grip on her.

  "I will after you give me a hug."

  She scrambled in his arms, so she could wrap her little arms around his neck. He put her down, and now she was back to her bubbly self. Axel was squatting down and talking with Riley. I smiled at the two of them; I knew they both have missed each other, and it was good to see them together.

Axel's mom walked over to my side and took a seat in the chair next to my bed.

"How are you feeling?"

  His mom had the same wide, chocolate brown eyes as Riley, and just like Riley's eyes before, hers were filled with worry and sadness.

  "As well as I can be right now." I gave her a small smile.

  "A- and... and how is Axel?" She darted her eyes to both of her children and then back to me.

  "He's being strong for the both of us. I know he misses you and Riley; I told him he doesn't have to stay here with me, but Axel's-"

  "Irrevocable in love with you." She smiled warmly at me.

"... I was going to say infuriating, but yeah, that too." We both laughed.

"And you love him, too?"

I looked over at him and Riley, and I couldn't help but smile- it was just a natural reaction when I saw him- and I bit my lip.

  "With all of my heart."

She grabbed my hand, bringing my attention back to her. There were tears pooling in her chocolatey eyes.

"Then please try to live. You're too young, and if anything ever happened to you... I don't know what Axel would do."

  "I'll try." I whispered, tears were streaming down my face as well as hers.

"What are two of my favorite girls talking about?" Axel walked up to us with Riley on his back.

Me and Mrs. Sutton quickly wiped our tears away.

"Nothing." I smiled at him.

He raised his eyebrow, knowing I was lying, but he dropped it. There was a knock on the door and most of the Thompson family entered my room- when did I start thinking of this as my room and not my hospital room?