Law And Order: SVU One Shots

Afire Love

Noah stood in the hospital waiting room. He was sitting beside his wife, Annie, and their two children sat and played with the few toys that they bought to occupy their time. They were at the hospital because his mother's life was coming to an end. It was devastating, but it has been coming for a long time.

"Noah?" Elliot asked, as he walked out of Olivia's hospital room and looked at him.

"Yeah, Dad?" Noah replied. He stood and walked over to where his father stood so that the kids didn't hear about what was happening.

"She doesn't remember me anymore. She doesn't know where she is. She just thinks that I'm some cute guy that keeps telling her that I love her."

"She's been calling you cute, or are you assuming it?" Noah asked, trying to joke about it. But it was hard. He didn't want to lose his mother right now. But it sounds like that she's breathing, but just not herself anymore.

"Noah, I hate to say this... but I think it's time that you and the kids say goodbye. She's not going to know who you are, but at least you all will get closure." Elliot breathed, and Noah nodded slowly. He ran his fingers through his thick brown curls before feeling the tears fill his eyes.

"Tell me again." Noah breathed.

"Tell you what?" Elliot asked.

"What she used to say..." Noah trailed off as tears ran down his cheeks.

"She used to be very demanding. She'd tell me to hold her in my arms as I do at night. Or to kiss her just like she wants me too. We are soulmates, but we are going to have so much distance between us soon." Elliot breathed. He closed his faded blue eyes, as tears stung them.

"Call the others. I'm going to go sit with her." Noah breathed.

///

Noah walked into his mother's room and saw where she laid in her hospital bed. Her hair was longer than it had ever been, and it was gray. Noah gave her a gentle smile, but he didn't see any spark of recognition in her eyes. He walked over to her bed before grabbing her wrinkled hand. He brought it to his lips and kissed it.

"Are you my husband?" She asked, and Noah shook his head.

"No, Mom. I'm your son, Noah." Noah replied. Olivia nodded as she closed her eyes and leaned back against her pillows.

"You have pretty eyes." She spoke, and Noah smiled.

"Thanks, Momma. You do too." He complimented. Olivia's cheeks grew rosy before she reached over and patted his hand with her's.

"You are adorable. Who are you?" Olivia asked, and Noah swallowed hard before speaking.

"Momma, I'm Noah. You don't remember me, but I love you with my whole heart. You are the absolute best mother in the world." Noah spoke, before leaning forward and kissing her wrinkled cheek.

"Do I love you too?" She asked, and Noah nodded quickly.

"You love all of us."

"All?" She asked.

"All 6 of us, Momma. Now-"

"Who are you?"

///

Noah sat and talked with his mother, and by the time he left, he was so exhausted. But he got to say goodbye.

"Your father just texted me. They had to put her on oxygen because her chest was hurting." Annie spoke, as she read from her phone.

"Really?" Noah asked as he glanced over at his wife.

"Noah, I'm so sorry, baby. She's such an amazing woman. And she accepted me completely."

"I just don't want her to be gone. I don't want her to not just be here anymore. We lost her a long time ago, but this time she won't be there calling my Dad cute because she can't remember who he is." Noah replied.

"I'll be here for you no matter what happens."

Noah nodded before glancing back at his two daughters as they slept in their booster seats. He can still remember the day that they were born. Olivia's memory was failing her, but she still was there and was the first to congratulate Annie and Noah on their daughters. That was five years ago, and so much has changed since that.

"Thinking about her?" Annie asked, and Noah nodded.

"I'm thinking about the day Livia and Ellie were born. How excited she was when we let her hold them for the first time. I wish I had gotten more time with her."

"But you had so many good years with her. Now, let's just go home and you can sleep. I'll be on Livia and Ellie duty."

///

The next morning, Noah made it to the hospital a few minutes after her mother passed away. He stopped beside his older brother, Eli, before looking at his siblings.

"She's gone, isn't she?" Noah asked, and his siblings nodded as tears streamed down their cheeks. Noah swallowed hard before running his hands over his face. He walked towards the room and saw his father sitting beside Olivia's lifeless body. He was holding her hand in his, and as Noah walked into the room and slowly moved to stand beside his father.

"I missed her." Noah breathed, as tears poured down his cheeks.

"I asked her to keep breathing just for a few more minutes, but she was so weak. She had a stroke last night, Noah. She was barely awake." Elliot breathed. He stood slowly before drawing his son close. He held his grown son as he sobbed like a baby.

But he was always the baby of the family and had such a special bond with his mother. He just wished that he got to say goodbye to her one more time. 

Noah stepped away from his father and turned to where his mother laid. Her face was covered with a sheet, but her hand was still out from under the sheet because Elliot had been holding it. Noah lifted the sheet before leaning down and pressing a soft kiss to his mother's cheek.

"Momma, I will never be able to thank you enough for what you did for me. How you took me in and loved me like I had been born to you. I'm sorry that I wasn't here with you, but I'll promise to pray for you until the day I die."

///

Elliot talked about his wife at the funeral. He talked about how she always was so demanding when it came to wanting kisses when she wanted them or being held in the morning before they got out bed. He talked about how they were the perfect fit for each other, like puzzle pieces. Elliot was very rough around the edges and Olivia was always so kind and loving no matter what the situation.

"Daddy, why did Grandma not know me?" Livia asked, as Noah held her hand and walked her back to the car after Olivia was buried.

"Because Grandma was sick. She still loved you so much, and loves you still even if she's gone." Noah replied. He swung his little girl up and rested her on his hip as he walked over unlevel ground.

"Papa said that he and grandma are soulmates. What's that?" Livia asked.

"It means that they were meant to be together. That God had a plan for them, and part of that plan was for them to be together." Noah replied. He looked over at his daughter and saw as she smiled at the thought of that. Her dimples were in full force as she smiled.

"Daddy?" Livia asked, as they neared the car, where Annie was getting Ellie in her seat.

"Yes, my love?"

"Are you and Mommy meant to be together?" Livia asked, and Noah nodded as he looked at his wife.

"God made us for each other, just like he made Grandma and Papa for each other."

Hey guys, so I'm crying after writing this. I also cry during the song Afire Love by Ed Sheeran, so I'm not surprised that this one-shot had me crying too. So please vote and comment all of your feedback below. Thanks for reading.