She would persevere

Chapter 36

I've been dreaming of friendly faces
I've got so much time to kill
Just imagine people laughing
I know some day we will
And even if it's far away
Get me through another day

Adelaide woke up to soft noise in the room. This time it was no longer the beeping of the echocardiogram that woke her up, but the soft angelic murmur of someone's voice combined with the text of one of her favourite books.
Teddy was reading to her. Even when he stumbled over the words, it still made her smile as she slowly opened her eyes. She tried to not make a sound or a move as she did not want him to stop.

"And then he started on my wings. Relief and ecstasy, as muscles eased and the sensitive spot that had my stomach clenching, his hands slid to my calves. He began a slow progression, higher and higher, up my thighs, teasing strokes between them that left me panting through my nose. Rising up until he got to my backside, where his massaging was equally professional and sinful. And then up, up my lower back, to my wings. His touched turned—"

Adelaide tried to slam her hand on the book, Teddy was too young to read that part, even if he didn't understand half of what was going on, but could barely lift her hand. Luckily he noticed the small movement immediately and stopped to look at her. Adelaide looked at her little brother with a soft smile filled with love for him that had him undone as he started to wail and cry out loud. Putting his hands around his big sister, he held on for dear life, as if she would disappear if he let go.

Adelaide simply caressed the top of his head and kept her smile on her face. Finally letting go of his big sister he kept looking at her. He saw all the bandages and casts around her body and still knew that he had to be careful.

"I missed you Lainy!"
"I missed you too, buddy. Thank you for bringing my book and for reading to me. I loved listening to it."
Teddy wiped away his tears and smiled back at her. He immediately jumped off the bed towards his bag. "I got you some other things too."
Adelaide pushed the button that lifted her bed to a more upright position so she wasn't lying down anymore.
Teddy pulled out the different drawings that he made for her and gave them to her.

His drawings were still shit, but what could be expected from an almost five year old, a Picasso? Still, his drawing made her smile even bigger than it already had been.
"These are amazing Teddy, I love them. Can you find a good spot in this room to put them up in, I don't know how long I have to stay here." Teddy fervently nodded his head, sprinting all over the room where Adelaide could still see the pictures.

After getting her some water in a glass, Teddy put a chair next to Adelaide's bed and sat down to tell her everything that happened in his life and school since she had been gone.
Theodore's animated talk made Adelaide laugh, oh how she missed this little boy.
Everything that had happened to her did not come to mind until the door opened.

Looking at his face every detail came to her mind way too fast. Her eyes did not leave his, as she broke down. Tears started to leak and whimpers came out of her mouth as she raised her arms toward him, hinting at him to hold her and not let go. Before she knew it, Lemuel had her in his arms, surrounding her from all sides, her head on his chest while her cries became louder and louder and not calming down.
Lemuel held her tight to him with unshed tears, placing soft kisses on her brow and caressing the back of her head. She needed her older brother now, she would need him forever. She would never let go, not even if he pushed her away. Not that he ever would.

Adelaide had been crying in Lemuel's arms for over an hour before her cries started to slow down and tire her out. Sniffing softly, she looked out of her warm cage to see several other people around them. Letting softly go of her brother that kept holding her in one way or another, she acknowledged the other people in the room.