Loving Him

Chapter 34

A few days later, Alex was finally declared fit enough to go home on the condition that he take it easy for now. He had a feeling they had gotten tired of the fuss he'd been making but he couldn't have been more thrilled by the news all the same. Dr Peter had visited once more since his first visit and it was an unvoiced pact between the both of them that Alex had resumed his therapy sessions.

Sophie couldn't make it in time for his discharge. Apparently, she had a few errands to run for her mum so they had concluded she'd join them later in the house. Angel had gone to school as well as no one had told her about his pending discharge and one could only imagine how surprised she'd be when she saw her father at home later.

Alex spent the better part of the morning listening to his doctors drone on and on about what he should and shouldn't do, what his diet was supposed to consist of and what he was supposed to abstain from in the mean while. They also kept hammering on how important it was for him to stay in touch with his nutritionist and how he was to come around for checkup every week. Never mind that they'd been repeating the same things over and over since his discharge date had been set. He felt they were being extreme with the whole thing, but he didn't bother arguing with them.

Sometime around noon, his brother arrived ready to sign him out and take him home. It irritated Alex further when they insisted he'd be wheeled to the car but most of all, he was just so grateful to be out of the claustrophobic hospital space.

Home, sweet home. Stepping into his house, Alex exaggeratedly inhaled, savoring the fresh air that filled his nostrils. It was a far cry from the tainted air at the hospital. He felt a smile tugging at his mouth. Never would he have thought he'd be so happy at the sight of his plain and boring living room.

"Welcome home, brother," Raymond clapped him lightly on the back. "It's good to have you back."

"It's good to be back," Alex agreed with a grin. Stretching his hand towards the duffel bag Raymond was carrying for him, he said, "Hey, let me have that."

Raymond handed him the bag and Alex smiled gratefully. "I'll just be in my room."

He didn't wait for a reply before walking up the stairs, taking them two steps at once. He hesitated slightly before pulling the door open, a pit of discomfort forming at the thought of what he was about to do. It had been playing on his mind since that first time Dr Peter visited.

His room was the same as he'd left it although there was no surprise there. He hadn't been expecting anything out of place and except for a few things that had probably been shifted around during the course of cleaning, everything else looked the same.

His eyes strayed to the white painted wall and his throat clogged the way it usually did at the sight of their family picture and the ones of Becca. He'd hung them there as some sort of reminder of why he was angry with himself and the world. If the heartache he felt each time his gaze caught any of them counted, then they'd served their purpose quite well.

Looking at them now, he still felt the dull pang of loss. It was probably never going to go away. Maybe with time, it would thin out but he knew he was never going to forget Becca. She had been a important part of his life and the memories of her were always going to be with him. She had been the first woman to make him genuinely smile after his mum and both women were always going to hold special places in his heart.

It was gradual, but he was slowly coming to terms with their loss and he knew a large part of it was because of Sophie. He only had to make sure that this time, he didn't use her to block out his problems like he had done previously. For himself and her, it was going to be done right this time. And he knew just where to start.