"Lexi Pierce!" Monica shouted from the counter as I walked through the doors of the bistro. "How dare you?" She threw the rag she had in her hand on the counter and walked around it.
Standing behind me and holding my hand, Finn pulled me close protectively and stood in front of me. Like Monica would ever hurt me.
"Move or I'll move you myself." She glared at him.
"It's okay." I laughed and patted Finn's arm. I walked past him to Monica, who threw her arms around my neck and hugged me tightly.
"How dare you not tell me you're okay? I was worried about you when you didn't show up to work. I tried to call you but it always went straight to voicemail. I heard about Jeremy, I'm so sorry Lexi." She squeezed me tighter.
"I missed you too." I smiled and we pulled away from each other. "I hope you didn't have a harder time here because I wasn't here." Guilt hit me.
"It was fine." She waved her hand over it. "I feel like when our regular customers noticed you weren't coming to work, they stopped coming too." She winked at me and I heard Finn snort behind me. "Sit down, I'll be with you right away." She turned around and left.
"I'll just quickly go see the boss, I'll be right back." I smiled at Finn and went into the back rooms where our boss had his office.
I explained to him why I didn't go to work, but to my surprise, he already knew about it. Apparently, Finn stopped here and informed him about my situation, so I didn't have any problems. I was relieved to hear that.
When I returned to the main part of the bistro, I found Finn sitting by one of the windows, but he wasn't alone.
"Adrian, hi, what are you doing here?" I sat next to Finn while Adrian sat opposite.
"Hi Lexi, nice to see you." He gave me a quick smile before turning back to Finn. "So? Can you help me?"
"Um," he looked at me and I just shrugged, not knowing what all this was about, "I guess so."
"Anyone want to fill me in on what's going on?" I raised an eyebrow.
"I met a woman."
"Oh." I laughed. "I get it."
"No, you don't." He shook his head. "She took my breath away."
"I'm sure she was beautiful, but what has Fi..."
"No, she literally took my breath away. She bumped into me while she was running somewhere and knocked me to the ground."
"Oh my god are you okay?" Maybe he looks like he drank three liters of coffee because he hit his head on the pavement.
"Yeah, yeah." He waved his hand over it. "But she was also beautiful. And rude. She said it was my fault, that I wasn't paying attention to where I was walking."
"Okay?" Confused, I quickly looked at Finn, who kept raising one eyebrow. If it continues like this, it will stay there.
"I think I fell in love."
Finn's shoulders started to heave as he tried to hold back his laughter, but I didn't have the strength. I started laughing at almost the entire bistro.
"This is serious, Lexi." He threw a napkin from the table in my face. "Can you find her, Finn? I'm sure you have some contacts."
"You want me to find a woman you met for ten seconds during which she scolded you for not knowing how to walk. You know nothing about her, her name, where she's from, nothing. Not even if she has a boyfriend? Stop me if I'm wrong. "
"She had this look in her eyes..."
"And she had a look in her eyes." Finn's hand hit the table and he started laughing. "This is unbelievable."
"You two are awful. And you call yourselves my friends?"
"Finn, Finn." I grabbed his hand to make him stop laughing. I also tried to look serious in this non-serious situation. "Adrian's right. What if she's his soulmate?"
Finn bit his lip, obviously holding back a laugh.
"Can you help him?"
He cleared his throat. "I can put you in touch with Theo, he's a family friend. Just tell him where you met her and he'll try to find her from the cameras in the area. I'll text you his number."
"Thank you!" He raised his hands in the air. "I owe you." He rose to his feet, placed a quick kiss on my hair, and flew out of the bistro at the speed of light.
"What just happened?" Finn asked next to me.
"Does it matter? Look how happy he is." I smiled when I saw him running away through the window.
"That's how stalkers are made."
"Oh stop it." I punched him in the shoulder.
"Ready to order?" Monica came up to us.
Finn waited for me to speak first. "Um, today's special, why not?"
"Got it and you?" Monica wrote down my order.
"Hamburger, no tomatoes, fries, and Coca-Cola."
"I'll be right back." She winked at us and left our table.
"Do you enjoy eating the same thing all the time?" I laughed. What he ordered is his first, and also the second order that he made when I served him.
"I guess there are just some things that I won't get tired of having for the rest of my life." He said looking at me.
"Oh really?" I snorted. "And what are these other things?"
"Waking up next to you." He kissed the tip of my nose. "Spending time with you." Now the lips. "Looking at you." Another kiss. "Basically anything that involves you, if you haven't figured it out yet." We both smiled into the kiss.
Oh my god, this guy is going to ruin me.
In the best possible way.
*****
"Oh sweetie, it's so nice to see you." Rachel hugged me the moment she was close enough. "How are u?" We pulled away but she was still holding my hands.
"Better. How is my mom?"
I am a terrible daughter. I haven't visited her since Jeremy had the accident, which was several weeks ago. I never once called to ask how she was doing, but since no one from the hospital called me either, I took that as a good sign that her condition had not worsened.
"Go look at her yourself, we'll talk later, okay?"
"Sure." I smiled and said goodbye to her for now.
"Do you want me to go in with you?" Finn asked walking beside me.
"If you want, sure, I'll be happy." Finn put his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close. "Maybe it's good that she doesn't remember that I haven't been here for the last few..."
"Stop." He cut me off. "Even if she remembered, she wouldn't blame you for anything."
"Just..." I breathed heavily. "Maybe everything would be easier if she was here."
"Lexi." We stopped in front of the closed door of her room. "She's right there." He pointed to her room. "And she'll be okay, she'll remember. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but one day."
"You don't know that." I shook my head, my gaze drifting to the floor.
"I believe." He cupped my chin between his fingers and lifted my gaze back up to him. "Just as I believed that the two of us would find our way back together, you will find your way back with your mother."
"I love you." I just felt like saying it.
"And I love you, sunshine." He smiled and leaned down to kiss me. "Let's go see your mother, I'm sure she has a lot to tell us." He winked at me and knocked on the door, from behind which a loud "come in" was heard.
Finn opened the door, and a room filled with sunlight spread before our eyes.
We walked in and noticed my mother on the bed, sitting with her legs crossed and a book in her hands.
"Hi." I tried to smile. "You probably don't know who I am, but..." I took a few steps towards her bed.
"Oh honey, of course, I know who you are." She took off her reading glasses and placed them on the table next to the hospital bed along with the book.
"Right, the cookie girl." I closed my eyes tightly, trying not to be affected by the fact that she didn't know who I was. "Unfortunately, I didn't have time to bake anything, so I didn't bring anything, but I'll make sure to bring something next time."
"Cookies?" She frowned. "Well I'd love to have some, I never say no to that, but what are you talking about honey?"
"It's me..." I looked at Finn, but he just looked sad. "The girl with the...cookies. Who did you think I was, Mrs. Pierce?"
"Well, for one thing, I don't like you calling me Mrs. Pierce, young lady." She pointed her finger at me. "And secondly, you're my daughter, who else would you be, Lexi?"
"What?" I got one word out before I felt like my heart stopped.
Tears welled up in my eyes, and even though I kept opening and closing my mouth, nothing came out.
No, I just didn't hear correctly. She still doesn't remember me.
"Honey, is everything alright?" She stood up from the bed, concern on her face. "Why are you crying?" She grabbed my face and wiped the tears running down my cheeks.
What is going on? Why is this happening? Is this some joke? Is the universe laughing at me?
Is this real?
"Mom?" My lips trembled as did my voice.
"Has something happened?" Her gaze skipped between my eyes.
"You know..." I sobbed. "You know who I am?"
"Of course I do." She smiled. "Now will you tell me why you are crying? Shall I scold someone? You young man?" She shifted her gaze to Finn behind me and took one step towards him.
"No, Mom." I caught her before she reached him and turned back to me. "These are happy tears."
"Oh, that's good." She ran her hand over my face again. "Because like I always say, boys are meant to destroy you..."
"Lipstick and not mascara, I know." I finished for her. "I missed you, Mom." I wrapped my arms around her, ready to never let her go.
"But I'm right here, honey." She ran her hand over my back in a circular motion and suddenly everything seemed to be fine.
"I know. I know you are." I let more tears roll down my cheeks as I held her tightly. When I opened my eyes I saw Finn smiling at us both. "I love you." I mouthed.
This would not have happened without the treatment, which I would never have paid for myself. I owe everything to Finn.
This is a slightly shorter chapter, but one of the last ones. I would appreciate it if you could tell me what else you would like to see before I finish this book. <33