VIVIENNE“This is the location Vince described. It’s a secluded area, just outside the city,” an expert said as he suddenly pinpointed a location on the map. Right after Vince called us, we immediately took note of the description he said to us to be able to tell where they really were.My heart raced as I saw the spot. I leaned in closer, my eyes fixed on it. “That’s it,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.Ezekiel and I exchanged a quick glance.“We need to go now,” he said firmly.I nodded, feeling the urgency in his words. “Let’s not waste any time.”And without wasting any time, we rushed out of the building, heading straight for the car.The car was waiting outside, and as soon as we got in, Ezekiel started the engine, and we sped off toward the location, our minds racing just as fast. Police cars followed us. As I got into the passenger seat of Ezekiel’s car, I couldn’t help but overthink. Alex’s refusal to let us hear the kids’ voices was bugging me. What if something ha
EZEKIEL“Hold on, baby!” Vivienne kept uttering as we both held each of Vera’s hands. As soon as we arrived at the hospital, we immediately rushed her to the emergency room. Her tiny body was so still, so lifeless, and the sight of her covered in blood made my chest tighten painfully. I could barely breathe as we raced down the corridor, my mind were filled with panic and desperation. This couldn’t be happening. Not to her. Not to our little girl.When we reached the doors of the emergency room, the nurses took over, guiding Vera's stretcher through the doors. But as Vivienne and I tried to follow, one of the nurses stepped in front of us, raising her hand to stop us.“I’m sorry, Ma’am and Sir, but you can’t go any further,” she said gently but firmly.“No, please,” Vivienne begged as her voice broke. “I need to be with her. Please, let me go in with her.”The nurse shook her head sympathetically. “The doctors need space to work. We’ll keep you updated, I promise.”Before they cou
VIVIENNE"I'm sorry to inform you," The doctor began slowly as he looked at us with a serious expression. His eyes were filled with a kind of sympathy that made my stomach drop. "But your daughter Vera is in a coma. We don't know when she will wake up."What?Did I hear the doctor right?I felt the world around me blur. My knees gave out, and I sank into the nearest chair. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Comatose. Vera was comatose. Oh God!"No, this can't be happening," I whispered, my voice barely audible.Ezekiel placed a hand on my shoulder, trying to console me from the devastating news. "Doctor, is there anything else we can do?" he asked, trying to keep his voice steady even though I knew even he was devastated by the news.The doctor shook his head gently. "At this point, we need to wait and monitor her condition. We're doing everything we can."Ezekiel nodded, his jaw clenched. "Thank you," he managed to say."I'll give you some time," the doctor said before w
VIVIENNE"Vivienne," my mother called out as soon as I opened the hospital doors for them. I could see the worry in her eyes. She quickly approached me, and the anxiety was obviously etched on her face. "We were so worried about you, darling. Why didn’t you call us sooner?""I—" I began, but before I could finish, my father came forward, his eyes shifting to the beds where Vera and Vince were."How are the children?" Dad asked in his usual stern but concerned tone. He looked over at Vera, still lying there in a coma, her little body so still it broke my heart all over again. Vince, thankfully, was just sleeping, his injuries much less severe."They’re... managing," I replied softly, my voice cracking. "Vera hasn’t woken up yet."Someone tapped my shoulder which made me look back. It was Jeremy which I didn’t notice right away. I didn’t expect he’d come here with my parents, but I couldn’t deny I was glad to see him.“Hey,” Jeremy uttered. “I’m sorry for what happened.” Since I did
EZEKIELAfter walking my parents outside the kids’ hospital room, I tried to get my thoughts together. My mom was still fuming. I could see it in the way her lips were tight, and the way she crossed her arms. She probably hadn’t encountered someone who would answer her like that the way Mrs. Alice Lancaster did. “Ezekiel, you can’t expect me to just let this go,” she said, her voice sharp. “That woman and her family—”“Mom,” I cut her off before she could say anything worse. “This isn’t the right time. Please, respect Vivienne and her family.”She huffed, clearly not happy with what I was saying. “But they act like we’re the enemy. You can’t just push your own family aside!”I kept my voice calm, even though I was starting to get frustrated.“I’m not pushing anyone aside. But we’re here for the kids, not for a fight. I’ll call you when things settle down, and I’ll explain everything at home. But right now, I need space.”She gave me a look that made it clear she didn’t like my answer
VIVIENNEJeremy walked beside me, holding his iced coffee as I sipped mine absentmindedly. My mind was still foggy from everything that had happened. I could barely focus on the conversation.Fortunately, Ezekiel was able to convince his parents to go home for now because I don’t think it would be a great idea to have both of his parents and mine in one room.“So, I ran into your parents earlier,” Jeremy told me. “Right as I was trying to find the room where Vince and Vera were admitted. That’s why I arrived with them.”I nodded, trying to absorb his words, but my thoughts were elsewhere. I could hear him speaking, but my mind kept drifting back to the hospital room, to my kids. Jeremy had been explaining how he came across my parents, but I couldn’t focus. “Vivienne?” Jeremy’s voice snapped me out of my daze. “You alright?”“Yeah, sorry,” I said, shaking my head slightly. “I’m just… my mind is all over the place.”“I get it,” he said softly. “When I heard about the kids, I was so wo
VIVIENNEVera was awake! What a piece of news!Ezekiel and I rushed into the hospital room as soon as Dad told us the good news. My heart hammered so fast and my eyes went straight to Vera’s bed as soon as we stepped in. My breath caught in my throat.Her small eyes were open, blinking slowly, and for a moment, I felt like my entire world had stopped. Thank God! Vince was sitting beside Vera, his eyes teary as he gently held her hand, checking if she was okay. The sight of him being so protective made my heart swell.I couldn’t hold back my tears anymore. I rushed to Vera’s side, my legs almost giving out beneath me. “Oh baby! Thank goodness you’re awake!” I sank down into the chair next to her bed, my hands trembling as I reached out to touch her face.“Thank God,” I kept whispering while the tears rolled down my cheeks. “Thank God you’re okay.”Ezekiel stood next to me, his eyes glued to Vera. He seemed just as shocked, but I could see the relief wash over him too. After a momen
EZEKIEL“Can we go home now?” Vera requested after only a day of staying in the hospital.Vivienne and I exchanged glances, both unsure if it was too soon. Just then, the doctor walked in with a warm smile, carrying a clipboard.“Well,” the doctor began, looking over Vera’s chart, “it looks like Vera’s recovering well, and there’s no reason for her to stay any longer. You’re good to go.”Thankfully, the doctor gave us a go signal to finally take the kids home. Finally, we could take the kids home where they belonged.So, we didn’t waste a moment after that. We took them home right away. Vera, still a bit pale but much stronger than before, clung to Vivienne’s hand as they walked toward the front door. Vince was quiet, his face hard to read, but I could tell from the way he glanced at his sister that he was still on edge.I followed closely behind them, not wanting to leave their side. After what had happened, I didn’t know if I could ever leave them again. The thought of them being