FIVE

SLYVIA'S POV

I was jolted awake by the gentle tapping on my shoulder. "Hey, hey, wake up," Gray's voice whispered.

"Yeah?" I mumbled, my eyes barely open, still heavy with sleep.

"I brought food. You have to eat," he said softly.

"That was nice of him," I thought as I glanced over at Zendaya, who was sprawled across the hospital chair, sound asleep. I leaned over and gently tapped her. "Hey honey, wake up and have some dinner."

"Uh, mummy?" Zendaya mumbled, stirring slowly.

I couldn’t help but smile at her cuteness. "Come on, Gray brought McDonald's. You like them, right?" I said, watching her face light up at the mention of McDonald's.

She sat up, rubbing her eyes, and nodded eagerly. "Yes, mummy, I like McDonald's."

Gray handed over the food and a soft smile formed on his face as he watched Zendaya dig into her meal. I looked at him, feeling grateful by his mere presence, 

"Thank you, Gray. For everything." I said inwardly as my pride would not let me voice allow me voice it out. 

The door suddenly creaked open, and two people in hospital scrubs entered the room. 

"We're here to check his vitals," one of them said to Gray, acknowledging him as if he were Zenith's father. Well, he is, but I wasn't ready to tell him that yet.

I watched them work, checking Zenith's respiratory rate, blood pressure, and heart rate, scribbling notes on their clipboards before leaving. 

"Why did they check his vitals so suddenly? Is something wrong? And why would they leave without telling us anything?" I anxiously blurted out.

"He's going to be okay, Sylvia. This is just a routine check," Gray reassured me in an unusually calm and steady tone. 

"But they didn't say anything to me before leaving," I replied in a concerned tone.

"Exactly. It means everything is fine. If something were wrong, they would have said something," Gray said. 

I took a deep breath, finally starting to calm down. I had to admit, having Gray here was comforting. When he first offered to stay overnight, I objected, but now I appreciated how he took charge, his presence alone to some extent eased my worry. 

Gray came over and sat beside me, his arm draping over my shoulder. I instinctively leaned into his embrace, feeling the warmth and strength of his body against mine.

Gray turned his attention to Zendaya, who was still seated nearby. "Did you enjoy your food, Zendaya?" he asked with a gentle smile.

But Zendaya just scowled at him, her small face scrunching up in defiance. She disposed of her finished takeaway in the trash bin and folded her arms across her chest, her demeanor cold and distant.

I sighed inwardly, noticing the continued tension between Zendaya and Gray. Unlike her twin brother Zenith, who had quickly warmed up to Gray, Zendaya remained wary and aloof. Gray had been trying so hard, not just to get back into my good graces but also to win over his daughter. I could see the hurt in his eyes every time Zendaya rebuffed his efforts.

"Hey, sweetie," I said gently to Zendaya, trying to ease the tension. "Why don't you come sit with us for a bit?"

She hesitated, glancing at Gray before finally making her way over to us. She plopped down on the chair next to me, still pouting.

Zenith shifted in his bed, and I rushed to sit by his side. Gray was right behind me, standing beside the bed with a concerned look on his face. Zendaya joined us, climbing onto the bed and sitting close to me. "Mommy, he's gonna be okay, right?" she asked, her innocent face filled with worry.

"Of course, sweetie. Your brother is going to be alright. He's a fighter, just like you," I said, flicking her nose playfully. She giggled. 

"If he wakes up, I'll let him play with my toys," Zendaya said, looking at her sleeping brother. "You hear me? If you wake up, you get to play with my toys for a little while."

"That's so sweet, Zendaya," Gray said, as his deep eyes shone in admiration. 

Zendaya, however, just glanced at him without saying anything and shifted closer to me, still giving him the cold shoulder.

I held her close, and we lay together on the hospital bed. Gray watched us for a moment before returning to the other side of the room, where the Sofa was.. The silence in the room thickened and only the beeping of the monitors and the soft hum of the hospital's air conditioning could be heard.

Zenith stirred again, and I felt a surge of hope. "Mommy, his gonna be okay, right?" Zendaya repeated, her voice trembling slightly.

"Yes, sweetie," I reassured her, holding her close. "Your brother is a fighter. He'll be up and playing with you in no time."

Zendaya nodded, her little face resolute. "You hear me, Zenith? Wake up soon, okay?"

Gray watched us with a mixture of sadness and determination. He wanted so badly to be a part of our lives, to make up for lost time. I could see it in his eyes, the regret and the hope.

I held Zendaya tighter, feeling her warmth against me. Gray returned to his seat, but his presence was a comfort. Despite everything, having him here made a difference. We were in this together, facing whatever came next as a family.

And for now, that was enough.