The secret within

33. Who are you?

January 3, 2017.
3:04pm.

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Sitting in the wheelchair provided by the hospital, Alani waited for the woman to fix her makeup and hair. "Who are you again?" She'd asked and saw the tears gloss Alondra's eyes. Finishing up, Alondra smiled down at her beautiful sister.

"I'm your sister." Alani sat there blankly looking at the woman who'd been claiming to be her sister for the past two weeks. This 'woman' and man who remained a 'secret' to her. She'd figured it was her 'sisters' boyfriend from the baby, and the fact they'd always snap at each other like a couple. "Can you eat something so you could go home and start therapy sooner?" Alondra sighed and tried to feed her.

"Why does he stare at me like that?" Alani moved her head to the side to avoid the soup. "Who is he to me? I know him? Maybe he could feed me," She said and Alondra damn near dropped the bowl.

"Why does he have to feed you?" Alondra asked. "I'm your sister."

Alani looked at Cedrick and his eyes held something she couldn't figure out but it made her heart skip a beat. "Okay sister, I just want to know more about him. Y'all a couple?" She asked making Cedrick clear his throat and stand to his feet.

"I'll feed her." He smiled at Alani sending a smile to her face. "You need to get Aniyla home and pick josh up right? He's coming to see her?" Cedrick asked and Alondra grabbed Aniyla.

"See you later Alani. Please eat okay?" She ignored Cedrick because she knew she'd go off on him.

She went to walk out the room and Alani watched how Cedrick followed her and sighed feeling her head start to hurt trying to remember the two. She didn't know what was pulling her to Cedrick but she knew she shouldn't be intrigued to know him because it was obvious that her 'sister' had something going on with him.

"Don't walk away from me when you hear me calling you." Cedrick grabbed Alondra's arm respectfully. "What's going on? You been acting real fucking funny these last few weeks." He folded his arms and stared down at her searching her face.

"I'm not stupid Cedrick- I just want you to be a fucking man and let me know that you don't want me now that she's awake. It was expected but damn don't string me along." She sniffled and sighed rubbing Aniyla's back. "I see how you look at her, I mean she's your wife so just be real." She looked up at him and he gently caressed her face.

"I want to be with you, I just want her to get better. I'm not good at lying- and it's hard for me to sit there and not tell her the truth." He sighed.

"Yeah, you're right on one thing." She chuckled. "You don't know how to lie. Bitch fuck you" She let a tear fall and walked off.

"I love you more." He whispered and blew out a breath.

Walking back into the room he saw Alani staring straight ahead at nothing in particular. He smiled at her, it was a surreal moment for him seeing her awake and talking. It had been a whole year and he had lost hope but seeing her there sent so many emotions through his body-- her skin was beautiful. The way Alondra had did her hair and makeup reminded him of how well Alani had always kept herself.

"There you go again, why do you look at me like that?" She asked and sighed trying to move her arms or something.

"You ready to eat?" He ignored her question again and re heated the soup. "This is your favorite soup- I know you don't eat soup but you'll always eat this one. It's probably why you hadn't ate anything, but I promise you love this." He opened a new spoon and pulled the chair in front of her.

Alani furrowed her eyebrows and closed her eyes trying to remember him or anything for that matter.

"I don't eat soup- I'm sure I'm not going to like this," She frowned as an unknown man placed a bowl in front of her.

"You'll like this one- trust me." The man said and bent down to kiss her lips.

Opening her eyes she sighed when right before she could see his face it'd went blank, she couldn't make out the voice but somehow hearing that she once liked soup made that memory she couldn't quite make out flash in her mind. Something that had been happening these last few days-- she'll remember certain smells, foods, and words triggered her. However, she could never match voices or see faces because it was as if she'd been cut off from a dream.

"Remember the doctors said it's only short term- and if you push yourself too hard you could go into shock and possibly fall into another coma." Cedrick noticed her trying to remember. "Just go with it, it'll come back." He told her holding the spoon to her mouth and she took a bite and closed her eyes.

"You faking it, you know you love it baby." The man told her. "Give a nigga his props."

"Alright alright, it's good. Feed me more daddy." Alani batted her lashes and giggled along with the man, opening her eyes she looked down and admired her ring.

"Was I married before?" She blurted out and Cedrick dropped the bowl making Alani freeze in place at the loud 'boom' and glass shatter to where she started to scream and panic. Her mind instantly went back to the last day she was awake.

"ALEXIS! Alexis!" She cried out frantically looking for her daughter. He chest heaved up and down as she looked around. "Baby come back?"

"Jones!" Sergeant called out and rushed to her, and stepped on a landmine. He heard the click and stopped in his tracks, knowing if he moved his foot it would blow. "Shit! They've took all our men! Jones can you hear me?" He yelled out to her seeing Alani had started to throw up and shake as if she was having a attack.

"I just want my family." She cried out. Seeing the Sergeants body drop, the last thing she saw was two explosions before she was blew back with the trap still clamped onto her ankle.

"Alexis-- alexis? I want Alexis!!" She'd yelled and the doctors quickly ushered Cedrick out seeing her go into immediate shock.

She'd only remember calling out for Alexis-- not knowing she'd also called out for Cedrick as well. "I had a daughter? Where- where is she?" She cried and yelled before they had to give her some medicine to calm down and instantly make her go to sleep in order to keep her from doing too much and sending herself back into a coma.