He Wants Her Back: The Billionaire’s Leading Lady Novel by Jasmine

déjà vu

Smell of bleach and other cleaning chemicals clung to the walls of the hospital. The ward was not as crowded as I thought it would be, seeing as today was visiting day.

Cigarette wafted from one of the room we passed. A man in a biker gear, sat opposite a younger woman, speaking to her in a hushed tone.

“Are you sure it’s today?” Lily whispered.

I opened the small brochure again. It’s today.”

“Maybe we’re late? Or early?”

I ignored her as we approached the reception desk.

“Hi, I’m here to see a Mrs. Thompson?”

She nodded and typed a message out on her phone. “Her nurse will see you shortly.”

“Thank you.”

A bright woman with a small mole on her forehead approached, smiling warmly. “Gooday, I am Genevieve, your mother’s nurse. Come, come. I show you to her room.”

An orderly passed by us, pushing a woman in a wheelchair. Her head was hanging by the side and moved when he hit a small bump

I turned to my mother’s new nurse.

“How is mum? Off the record what’s been going on?”

“Ahhh…nothing! We increased medication Dassul No problem. She sleep walk sometimes. First night we find her outside but no problem again”

“She hasn’t she hasn’t had any violent episode?”

“No, no. You worry too much. She has been waiting for you.” I let out a visible sigh of relief. Lily was smiling too.

“thank you ”

“You’re welcome,” The door was open and mum was staring out the window like she was wal someone. The nurse knocked on the door.

“Mrs Thompson, your children are here.”

Mum’s face softened when she saw us. “T’ve missed you both, I was wondering when you would get here.” She frowned at my arm. “More bandanges?”

“Yeah. I had a work accident, nothing serious.”

“Sit.” She commanded us. Lily perched beside her on the bed while I settled on the visitor’s seat and watched as she drilled Lily about school.

“Lily, I feel thirsty, can you tell the nurse to show you where to get water?”

“sure.” She answered and left the room, I replaced Lily on the bed but then I spotted a half full glass cup on the floor. She must’ve forgotten it was there.

“Here’s your water mama. I’ll call Lily back.”

Mum‘ spindly hand grabbed my arms. “No, I wanted her to leave. I have to tell you something” She whispered and I tried not to whine at the pain she was causing me. “My memory is horrible. Yesterday I attacked the nurses. I didn’t know them, I thought I was kidnapped and…” she looked away and I tried to soothe her.

That’s not true. The nurse said you were fine.”

“Yes, I know all about that. It was another resident that told me how I acted, I didn’t believe it at first but they do that a lot, the lying. I know that I am sick. There’s not much I can do about it. Just deal with my rapid decent into madness…”

“Don’t say that..” she shook her head. “What did you want to tell me?” She looked at me blankly. “You said you had something to tell me?”

She let go of my shoulders and looked at her fingers like they were foreign. They were shaking. That wasn’t a good sign. “You know what, it’s not important, I don’t need to hear anything.” I said quickly.

I didn’t want her getting another episode while rooting in her memory.

“I wanted…to tell you…about–about your father. Yes him.” She nodded, like it was coming to her memory.”

like it was coming to her Your father… he wasn’t always like that. He was a good man…”

“Mama, that’s enough.” No, no, I recognized that speech. I was loosing her again. She shook her head.

“whatever he told you is a lie, I want you to stay away from him. Everything he says is a lie. She was holding unto my shoulder again.” I winced as I reached for the call button in the room. “He hates you.”

My finger froze above it. This was new, she had never, said anything like that in her episodes.

“He hated you so much, I stopped him.” She looked around sporadically.

He hated me? this was the first time I had heard it. “Why did he hate me.” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“Because I had you, Then I had Lily- he was furious, he hates children- Remember…table on my tummy.” She laughed. “how did Lily survive….He hates you, he hates you, he hates you…” she chanted over like a broken record as she rocked feebly. A tear slid down my face.

“Glitter princess presents…” Lily’s word tapered of as she looked between me and mum.

As she handed the glass to her, mum looked at her strangely, before she took it.

“Is mum okay?” Lily whispered as we watched her drink.

“I don’t know.”

When she was done she placed the cup on the table and stared out the window quietly, like we were not in the room with her.

“Mum?” Lily called out tentatively. She looked at me and tried again. “Mum.”

She jumped like she was startled and turned her head to look at us, then her face lit up with joy. “Tiny, Oh and my sparkly baby, you both came!”

She extended her hand for both of us and Lily went into her embrace with a fake smile on “Is there something wrong Tiny?” she asked, her smile falling.

Fearing my voice would break, I shook my head and smiled before going to hug her.

We talked till an orderly brought her food and Lily fed her as she listed the things she Once in.

rets to do a while she would look at me and her face will fall. But other than that our visit went well.

Genevieve came to help her in bed when it was time. “Alright Mrs. Thompson, it’s time to say “bye bye”

We both kissed her before we left her room with Genevieve guiding our party. I listened to her chatter on about schedule and whatever till we were far from mum’s room.

“Why didn’t you tell us she had a violent episode?” I asked.

Lily looked at me with confusion but remained silent.

“She remembered?” the nurse asked instead. I didn’t want to narc on mum’s buddy so I shrugged.

“You should’ve called for me”

“Why did you lie?”

“Because our job is to help patient and patient family. What good does knowing she had one do for you?”

“So I know that she’s doing well-

“And she is, One accident means nothing. The meds are good, the attack was just her way of liking new

environment.”

I sighed, “You’ll tell us if she has another one though right?”

“Of course”

We decided to stroll till we got on the main road I was worried about mum, I didn’t like the secrecy. The way she chanted those words plagued my mind

Dad has never seriously hurt us. We had gotten slaps a few times but mum got ninety percent of the abuse, with me being second since I was the oldest sibling and interfered a lot. It looked more like his beef was with mum and we were unlucky spectators

“When I went to get the water, a woman ran past me topless. “Lily declared loudly.