Another Hospital Stay
Chapter 32
"Ana, where are you?" I yell out, poking my head out my door.
"Right here, dummy," she replies, popping up out of nowhere. "What do you want?"
"I don't know what I should wear," I say frantically.
"Jeans and a cute top. And there, you have a nice outfit," she replies, opening a bottle of water and taking a drink.
"Okay. Has Gerard called you?" I ask, going back into my room.
"Yeah. Said he'll be here in a few minutes. Ray's with him, just so you know," she replies, following me inside my room. "So, in all of this chaos, have you forgotten the real reason you came here?"
"What? My mom? Of course not," I say, pulling on a pair of black jeans and a light blue top that had a faerie printed on it. "I'm going to see her tomorrow. Whoa, it just hit me. I'm finally going to see my mom. What if she doesn't remember me?"
"Alexia? Your mom's a schizo not an amnesiac. Did you forget about that tiny detail?" Ana asks, sitting down on my bed.
"I know that. But I mean we haven't seen each other in years. Since I was five and I'm pretty sure she won't recognize me," I say, pulling on my shoes and putting my hair up into a ponytail with my bangs framing my face.
"I guess. Was that the doorbell?" she asks suddenly, jumping off the bed.
"I think so. Hilda will get it, don't worry. And I already told my grandma where I'm going," I say, putting on some lipgloss.
"Well, then, let's go downstairs. Come on, you're so slow," she says, tapping her foot.
"I'm going. Hold on a minute. It's not like they're just going to leave if you're not down there like now," I reply, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. Just as we were walking downstairs, Hilda starts coming up and runs into us halfway down.
"Senorita, there are two young men downstairs in the living room waiting for you and your friend," she says
"Thank you Hilda. We were going down anyway," I reply, smiling. She nods and heads back down, disappearing into the kitchen.
"I wonder if she'll let me steal the kitchen for tonight so I can cook something," Ana wondered as we headed into the living room.
"Probably. I don’t think she'll mind. Maybe she'll even be happy to get some rest," I reply, smiling when I saw Ray standing near the window. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some catching up to do," I add, walking away from her and sneaking up behind Ray.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lay my head on his back. "Hey, I was wondering what was taking you so long," he says, turning and pulling me towards him. He leans down and brushes a kiss onto my lip. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," I reply, putting my head against his shoulder. "So, where are we going?"
"Change of plans. And this time, it's a surprise. But don't worry, I'll bring you back before dark," he says, his arms tightening around me.
"Okay. Let's go then. I'll see you later, Ana. And hey, Gerard, I forgot about you. What's up?" I ask. "And where's Mikey at?"
"He's with his girlfriend, Karen," Gerard replies from where he was sitting down.
"He has a girlfriend?" I ask, sounding surprised.
"Yeah, he does. He just never mentioned it. Well, then, we're off. We'll see you guys later then," he says, getting up and heading towards the door.
"You better take good care of my friend. If you make her sad in any way, just know that I will not hesitate to painfully kick you in your boy parts," I warn.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of her and won't make her sad," he says, grinning.
"Yeah, and Ray, same goes for you. You better take good care of my friend or I'll do the same to you," Ana warns Ray, causing him to stiffen.
"I will. Don't worry. And we should get going, Alexia, before it gets any later," he says, directing me towards the door.
"Just a minute, let me go say bye to my grandmother. I'll be right out. Here, start the car," I say, handing him my car keys.
I give him a quick kiss and head towards my grandmother's bedroom, where I find her lying down. "Abuela? I'm leaving now. I'll be back later today. Don't worry about me," I say, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.
"All right. Be careful, mija," she says, giving me a kiss as well.
"I will. I love you," I say before walking out the door. I head outside and find Ray waiting in my car, the heater turned up.
"You ready?" he asks, getting out.
"Yeah. So, where are we going?" I ask, walking up to him and pulling him into a hug.
"I can't tell you. And since I can't tell you, do you mind if I drive," he asks, kissing the top of my head.
"Sure, go ahead. Just don't do anything to the car," I warn, pulling away from him.
"Right here, dummy," she replies, popping up out of nowhere. "What do you want?"
"I don't know what I should wear," I say frantically.
"Jeans and a cute top. And there, you have a nice outfit," she replies, opening a bottle of water and taking a drink.
"Okay. Has Gerard called you?" I ask, going back into my room.
"Yeah. Said he'll be here in a few minutes. Ray's with him, just so you know," she replies, following me inside my room. "So, in all of this chaos, have you forgotten the real reason you came here?"
"What? My mom? Of course not," I say, pulling on a pair of black jeans and a light blue top that had a faerie printed on it. "I'm going to see her tomorrow. Whoa, it just hit me. I'm finally going to see my mom. What if she doesn't remember me?"
"Alexia? Your mom's a schizo not an amnesiac. Did you forget about that tiny detail?" Ana asks, sitting down on my bed.
"I know that. But I mean we haven't seen each other in years. Since I was five and I'm pretty sure she won't recognize me," I say, pulling on my shoes and putting my hair up into a ponytail with my bangs framing my face.
"I guess. Was that the doorbell?" she asks suddenly, jumping off the bed.
"I think so. Hilda will get it, don't worry. And I already told my grandma where I'm going," I say, putting on some lipgloss.
"Well, then, let's go downstairs. Come on, you're so slow," she says, tapping her foot.
"I'm going. Hold on a minute. It's not like they're just going to leave if you're not down there like now," I reply, grabbing my bag and heading towards the door. Just as we were walking downstairs, Hilda starts coming up and runs into us halfway down.
"Senorita, there are two young men downstairs in the living room waiting for you and your friend," she says
"Thank you Hilda. We were going down anyway," I reply, smiling. She nods and heads back down, disappearing into the kitchen.
"I wonder if she'll let me steal the kitchen for tonight so I can cook something," Ana wondered as we headed into the living room.
"Probably. I don’t think she'll mind. Maybe she'll even be happy to get some rest," I reply, smiling when I saw Ray standing near the window. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some catching up to do," I add, walking away from her and sneaking up behind Ray.
Wrapping my arms around his waist, I lay my head on his back. "Hey, I was wondering what was taking you so long," he says, turning and pulling me towards him. He leans down and brushes a kiss onto my lip. "I missed you."
"I missed you, too," I reply, putting my head against his shoulder. "So, where are we going?"
"Change of plans. And this time, it's a surprise. But don't worry, I'll bring you back before dark," he says, his arms tightening around me.
"Okay. Let's go then. I'll see you later, Ana. And hey, Gerard, I forgot about you. What's up?" I ask. "And where's Mikey at?"
"He's with his girlfriend, Karen," Gerard replies from where he was sitting down.
"He has a girlfriend?" I ask, sounding surprised.
"Yeah, he does. He just never mentioned it. Well, then, we're off. We'll see you guys later then," he says, getting up and heading towards the door.
"You better take good care of my friend. If you make her sad in any way, just know that I will not hesitate to painfully kick you in your boy parts," I warn.
"Don't worry. I'll take care of her and won't make her sad," he says, grinning.
"Yeah, and Ray, same goes for you. You better take good care of my friend or I'll do the same to you," Ana warns Ray, causing him to stiffen.
"I will. Don't worry. And we should get going, Alexia, before it gets any later," he says, directing me towards the door.
"Just a minute, let me go say bye to my grandmother. I'll be right out. Here, start the car," I say, handing him my car keys.
I give him a quick kiss and head towards my grandmother's bedroom, where I find her lying down. "Abuela? I'm leaving now. I'll be back later today. Don't worry about me," I say, leaning down to give her a quick kiss.
"All right. Be careful, mija," she says, giving me a kiss as well.
"I will. I love you," I say before walking out the door. I head outside and find Ray waiting in my car, the heater turned up.
"You ready?" he asks, getting out.
"Yeah. So, where are we going?" I ask, walking up to him and pulling him into a hug.
"I can't tell you. And since I can't tell you, do you mind if I drive," he asks, kissing the top of my head.
"Sure, go ahead. Just don't do anything to the car," I warn, pulling away from him.