Just Eternity | ✓ |

Four.

"She's asleep, Lex. The fever finally went down after a few more hours of Scooby Doo." I yanked the cork out of the wine bottle with a groan. "I know you have a lot going on, but it would have been nice to know I'd be seeing Maddox."

The other side of the phone was silent until Jacob got on. "Sorry about that, Ellie. We didn't know how to tell you that your ex is our pediatrician and our friend still." Jacob hushed in his broken voice.

"Friend?"

"Yeah.. um. Well him and Sam come over for drinks and we watch the game every week. I'm sorry."

"It's fine. How's Annabelle?" I poured myself a glass.

It was fine. Jacob and Lexi could be friends with whoever they want. I made it clear years ago I didn't want to hear anything about him. I never told them to hate him.

It wouldn't have been fair to Sam.

"Not good." I could hear him sniffling. "The doctor put her in an induced coma. We won't know until tomorrow if she'll pull through or not. We might be gone longer than expected. But we just aren't sure."

"You two take your time. I can handle little Annie. We just hit a minor speed bump."

"I know you could. That's why we asked you."

"Just, call me if things change? She was like a mother to me."

I felt the tears rolling down my cheeks. Fuck. I promised myself I wouldn't cry. Not while I was watching Annie.

"I will."

"Oh and Jacob?" I sniffled, "I may have promised Annie a dog."

"Oh fuc- Alright, Ellie. I'll talk to you later."

I clung to my body. Holding myself in a tight embrace. My quiet sobs releasing through my lips, muffled by my hands.

Annabelle may be dying and I wouldn't be able to say goodbye. The only motherly figure I've ever had may take her last breaths. It had been so long since I'd seen her. But she looked so healthy. So alive.

How could she die?

I cried harder. Only stopping when I heard a gentle knock at the door. I grasped my wine glass and peered through the window, only able to see a moppy brown headed man.

I held the door slightly open, just enough to see who it was.

"I came to check in on Annelia." Maddox spoke softly, holding his hands behind his back.

His dress shirt he had on earlier was unbuttoned a few times, exposing exactly what I pictured under there.

But I didn't ogle. I couldn't. Not when he was someone else's.

"She's doing better." I went to close the door but he stopped me.

"I'm not married, Ellie." He blurted out, holding the side of the door with his now bare hand. "I just needed you to know that."

"I don't care anymore. In fact, I stopped caring when you did."

Maddox closed his eyes tightly before looking at me again. "Can we talk? Please."

"No. You can't come here just because you saw me." The tears I was expelling just moments earlier came pouring from my eyes. "I loved you. You made me love you then broke my heart. Not once or twice. But three times."

"I know."

"Everything everyone ever said about you was the truth." I spat.

"I know."