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DECEMBER 22ND, 2017 — ❝ LEAVING YOU ALONE IS THE WORST PART. ❞
Nikolai didn't get out of the hospital as soon as Eloise had expected, because it turned out he also had a tumor in his brain.
So, they'd stayed in the hospital while he'd recovered from his heart attack, Eloise helping him regain strength in his hands, which he had temporarily lost the ability to use. Then, she started planning the surgery to remove the tumor.
While all of this was happening, Tom had told her about what Taylor had said--how Eloise should expect her sexuality to be public soon, which made her nervous, but she decided she'd deal with that later.
A month after Nikolai had been admitted to the hospital, he'd been there for almost two months--they were going to have to spend Christmas here, something Eloise tried asking the hospital if it was possible if they didn't have to, but they refused to discharge him for even a couple hours. For precautions, they said.
So they were spending Christmas in the hospital. For once, Eloise didn't care about Christmas. She didn't care about the movies, or the music, or the gifts. Because her father was in the hospital, and once every week, Maria and her husband came to the hospital, trying to visit Nikolai.
Eloise managed to shoo them away with some icy, hurtful words, but they always returned. They were like persistent ghosts. And she didn't like it.
At this moment, Eloise's left hand was holding her father's, and her right hand was holding a book that she was managing to read one-handed. Nikolai was watching the news, his eyes getting droopy.
Tom, who kept disappearing every now and then and then coming back with cold hands but some food for Eloise and her father, which she was appreciative of, but he never would say where he went, or who he went with.
And then, it happened. The news Eloise didn't realize she'd been dreading came.
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Tom had led Eloise out into the hallway of the hospital. She could almost see to the waiting room, where she expected her mother to be. "Tom? Is everything okay?" Eloise asked, putting her hands on his arms.
He hesitated. "I've been sneaking away to appear in the Ragnarok tour. But I have to really, truly, leave, soon, because of the Early Man tour."
"You--oh," Eloise said in surprise. "I'd forgotten about the Early Man tour. By the time that's over, dad should be out of the hospital."
"Yes," Tom quietly replied. "When I come back, I'll help you take care of him. But . . . That's if I can sneak past my agent again. He's not very happy with me right now, because I haven't been too dedicated to my job."
Eloise moved her right hand to Tom's cheek, cupping it. "You go do what you love," She said, smiling slightly at him. "But please come back as soon as you can. I don't . . . " She trailed off, and then looked back at her father's hospital door.
"I promise," Tom said, reaching up and bringing her hand down from his cheek. He kissed her palm tenderly, and then brought her in for a hug. "I promise, Eloise, that I will come back as soon as I can, unless my schedule becomes too hectic. I'll try and call as much as I can."
She nodded silently, trying to fight the hot tears that were working into her eyes. "I hate leaving you right now, when everything is way it is," Tom said, kissing the top of her head. When he pulled away, he looked down at his favorite ring--one of the few rings he always wore.
"Do you remember in Thumbelina, when Cornelius is about to leave to go bring his parents to her?" Tom suddenly asked, making Eloise chuckle, but she sniffled and nodded. "Well, he gave her his ring." Pulling off his ring, he whispered, "By me giving you this ring, I'm asking you to be my wife."
Eloise gasped, and she looked up at him, and he said, "I promise we'll do it better when I come back, but this is for now. This is my promise that when I come back, I'm asking you to truly marry me."
She put her hands on his face, and kissed him. When she pulled away, she whispered, "Oh, I love you."
"I love you too, Eloise." Tom slipped the ring on her ring finger, but the ring was just a little bit too big, and slid up and down her finger. They hugged each other one last time, before he walked down the hallway, towards the elevator in the lobby.
Eloise took off one of her necklaces, and put the ring on the chain, so then she couldn't lose it, and then looked up, giving one last smile to Tom, who had now boarded the elevator.
She took a few steps forward, but her pathway to him was interrupted when Maria's husband, Stefan stepped forward. She jumped, and hissed, "Stefan! What are you doing here?"
"I'm sorry," He apologized. "Your mother is getting irritated. Persistent. Doesn't seem to understand why she can't see him."
Eloise knew who he was talking about. "His health will decline even more than it currently is," She said, "that's the last thing I want. And, if anything, I've been thinking of getting a restraining order, because she refuses to leave the hospital right away, and tries to sneak back to the room when she think no one is looking."
"I'm trying to keep her away from here, but--" He stopped suddenly, and then looked behind him, and the two of them heard voices coming from the waiting room. They walked out together, and saw two security guards standing behind one of the nurses from the front desk.
"Ma'am, we need you to leave. After soliciting here for weeks, and constantly trying to sneak back to one of our patient's rooms with no permission, we can no longer allow you to be at, around, or near this hospital any longer." The nurse, Lila, said. Lila was becoming one of Eloise's friends--she was the one who approved of Eloise kicking Maria and Stefan out that first time.
"No! My--my friend, he's in here, I need to see him!" Maria exclaimed, and then saw Stefan and Eloise. "Stefan! Eloise! Eloise, she--she's my daughter, here, and she'll tell you, she'll tell you that I need to see him--"
"Please get her out of here," Eloise said, turning towards the two security guards. "She's going to make my father's health decline if she stays any longer."
One of the guards nodded, and the other one said, "Tell your dad that we're all huge fans of his. We'll make sure she won't come back."
A small smile lit up Eloise's face, and she watched the two security guards restrain Maria, leading her towards the elevator. Stefan quietly followed behind, and Lila and Eloise stood side-by-side, watching.
"I'm disappointed that she's my mom," Eloise muttered.
"She's a bit sleazy, if you ask me." Lila replied, and the two looked at each other, before exchanging small smiles. Lila went back behind the desk, and Eloise went back to her father's room, where he was still sleeping.
Suddenly, she remembered Tom having to leave for the Early Man tour--and sat down on the couch by the window, and cried.
