âââ
Ridge is gone. And I have no idea where he is.
He left as soon as we reached home, saying that he needed some air and time to think. I wanted accompany him but I refrained because I understood that he might need some time alone to gather his thoughts.
But it's nearly ten now and he isn't back yet. It's been more than three hours and I've been going out of my mind, thinking about all the worst possibilities that can happen. And on top of that, his phone is off. I wanted to just rush out and find him but dad stopped me, saying that he had to do this alone.
But I'm just scared. I don't want to think about anything negative but he's not in the correct state of mind, alone at night, what if something bad happens? My mind is constantly pushing me to the worst of the scenarios and it's terrifying.
"Lee, why are you so sad?" Dave's soft, innocent observation clutches at my heart. I turn around to see him standing near the living room door, with his penguin stuff toy in his arms. Whiskey rubs his nose against my leg, putting his paw on my legs again and again which means he can guess that I'm a little out of sorts.
"I'm not sad baby. I'm just a little worried." I reply, hoping that my smile doesn't show otherwise. "But what are you doing here? Where's your mom? And dad?"
He walks towards me and takes a seat beside me. "Mommy and daddy are in Uncle David's room. I was with them but they were all talking about boring adult things so I came here. Why are you worried?"
"You remember Ridge?" He nods. "He isn't home yet and it's past his bed time so I'm worried that your mom will scold him if he isn't back soon. And I don't want your mommy to scold him."
"We are here." Em's as usual cheerful voice announces. I see her entering the living room, Tanner trailing behind. I see bags in her hand, filled with all kinds of junk food. Right from candies to ice creams. So that's why they had gone out.
"He isn't back yet?" Tanner asks, once he notices my dejected expression. I sigh, shaking my head.
"I just hope he's alright." Em mutters, a frown curling on her lips.
"Emmie, can I have a candy?" Dave asks in the cutest voice he can muster, running towards Em, who's loading the things on the kitchen counter. She glances my way, then looks back at Dave, who's currently giving her puppy dog eyes.
"Your momma will kill me if she finds out that I've given you sugary foods at night. But who can resist this cute face." She pinches his cheeks and hands her a rainbow lollipop which he accepts happily, skipping over too me, sucking on his candy.
Tanner makes himself comfortable on one of the couches, switching on the television, while Em heads to the kitchen. Dave walks over to Tanner, snuggling close to him, taking the remote from his hands.
I hear the front door opening, followed by heavy footsteps. Immediately, I get up and bolt towards the sound, my eyes falling on Ridge, who's walking inside, shrugging of his shoes at the corner. I run and launch myself into his arms, not caring about the fact that I've probably startled him. All I care about right now is that he's safe, and in my arms. Now I can finally breathe. He staggers back, his steps faltering but recovers quickly, wrapping his arms around me, burying his face in my hair. I inhale his scent, his touch and warmth easing my skyrocketed nerves.
"Thank god you're fine. I was so worried sick." I mumble against his neck, drawing in deep breaths. "My mind was making these crazy scenarios that something bad happened to you."
His arms tighten around, pulling me extremely close to him. "I'm so sorry I made you worry about me. I'm an idiot. It was not fair to leave just like that but I just needed some time. And I'm completely fine. Nothing's wrong with me."
I pull away from him, framing his face in my hands. "It's okay, you don't have to worry about it. I understand. And I'm relieved that you're back in one piece."
"Mommy will scold you Ridge." Dave's voice from behind captures our attention. I turn around to see him standing with his hands on his waist, his eyes narrowed in a cute way.
He steps towards him, crouching in front of him. "Why will your mommy scold me, Dave?"
"Because it's past your bed time and you came home very late. And you made Lee sad and worried." He says, wiping his face with the back of his hand. I walk towards him and bend down to his level.
"It's fine honey. I'm not sad or worried anymore." I tell him, smiling slightly to convince him. I can feel Ridge's intense gaze boring into the side of my head, but I focus on the little boy in front of me. "Now go to your room and sleep, or mommy will scold you that you didn't go to bed on time. And she gets very scary when she's angry."
"Oops." He gasps, covering his mouth with his hand. "I don't want mommy to scold me. Bye Lee. Bye Ridge. Bye Tan. Bye Emmie." And he runs upstairs, probably to his room. I stand up, along with Ridge and take him with me to the living room. Tanner and Em both perk up on seeing him, with Tanner switching off the television.
"Hey bro, are you alright?" Tanner asks, a sympathetic tone in his words. "You were gone for a long time."
"Yeah. We were all pretty worried about you." Em mutters. Ridge sighs, hanging his head down. He doesn't say anything, but we all can feel his agony he's in. It's in the air, suffocating us all.
"Ridge, do you wanna eat something? I know you haven't had anything all day." I lay a hand on his shoulder, making him lift his head up to hold my gaze.
"I'm not hungry." He shakes his head.
"You know Lydia also hasn't eaten anything all day, and she was waiting for you to come back so you guys could have something together." Tanner begins, "We tried to get her to eat something but you know how stubborn she can get when she wants to."
Ridge snaps his head towards me, making me bite my lip in frustration. Why did Tanner have to open his mouth at wrong timings? Now Ridge is going to feel guilty because I was waiting for him. This guilt will only add up to his already blown up stressful mind.
He closes his eyes for a second, before revealing them again. "Lydia, that's not how it goes. Why didn't you eat something?"
"I was not hungry." I shrug. "But I'll eat something if you eat with me."
"Great. There is some Chinese in the fridge, I'll heat it up for you guys." Em announces, clapping her hands on her thighs. She gets up from her place and heads to the kitchen.
"So stubborn." Ridge mutters, giving me a dry look.
âââ
"Are you sure Miles will be fine with Anne?" I ask him, probably for the hundredth time now. "We have enough space here for him, you know?"
Ridge shakes his head. "It's better that he's with Anne right now. And her brother Harry will also be there. He'll feel more at home with them."
I nod, understanding. I dive into the covers, facing Ridge. Ridge eyes are open but he's starting at the open space behind me. Completely clueless to the fact that I'm staring at him, noticing the crease lines forming on his cheeks, or the way his eyes are a little red and swollen.
"I miss them." I hear him whisper. His voice is very low, but I can still make out the words pretty clearly. "I know that they're not gone, but I miss them a lot."
I grab him hand tight, bringing it close to my lips. "It's natural Ridge. When my mum was in the hospital, I used to miss her too. Even though I knew that I'll be going back there the next day. It happens."
"Do you miss your mom?" His eyes are on me now, waiting.
"Everyday. I miss her so much everyday. And it's the little things that I miss the most, like cooking together, baking together, even though I suck in the kitchen department, or reading a book together or making fun of dad. You know my mom had a habit of writing down a positive quote everyday on a sticky note and put it on the refrigerator door. It used to look so lively when she was alive, full of different quotes and colors everyday. Now, even the fucking refrigerator makes me feel sad when I remember her."
I realize that I'm crying only when I feel his fingers softly stroking against my cheek, wiping away the tears tenderly. I close my eyes and take a deep breath. I have to be strong for him now. I cannot show any sign of weakness. I open my eyes, and give him a warm smile. "I still have all of those sticky notes with me, kept safely in a box."
"Sometimes, it's these little things we don't realize that make big differences." I whisper, a nostalgic smile grazing my lips lips at the thought of my mother. How much I wish to see her one last time, hug her one last time, even if it's just for a second. But all I have is her memories.
"Don't be sad, baby. I hate seeing you like this." He murmurs, bringing my face close to his.
"And I hate seeing you like this. I want those dimples of yours back. I miss them." I poke his cheek with my index finger which teases a chuckle out of him. At least he's feeling a little better now.
He scoots closer, wrapping his arms around my body, resting his head against my chest. I wrap my arms around his shoulder, my fingers threading through his hair, playing with the overgrown strands. He really needs a haircut. I place a kiss on his head, sighing loudly. He snuggles closer, nuzzling his face close to me. It's like he's drawing comfort and energy from me.
"We'll go back to the hospital tomorrow morning, okay?" I whisper against his hair.
I feel him nod against me. "But what about school?"
"Do you really think school is more important than you?" I inquire, hitting his head softly. "Silly."
He lifts his head up, kissing me softly. "Thank you."
We snuggle close to each other, both of us relishing in the feel of the warmth our bodies emit. He's holding onto me so tight as if I'm gonna vanish soon. But I understand, he needs reassurance, and emotional support. And that's the only thing I can give him right now. Maybe that's how we will heal each other.
So I tighten my arms around him and plummet into a deep slumber, hoping that tomorrow turns out a lot better that today.
âââ
This is me, sleep deprived author signing out! Hope you enjoyed the chapter!
Next update soon!
Till then,
Stay Safe and Stay Happy! <3