Emily was finally awake.
It had taken a day for her to open her eyes, and now, on the third day, she was resting more easily. The soft beep of the monitors was no longer a source of panic, it had become a comfort. A reminder she was still here. Alive and well.
I was sitting at her bedside, slowly spooning broth into her mouth while she mumbled things between sips.
"You're so good to me," she said faintly, her lips curving in a tired smile.
I chuckled. "I'm just making sure you don't choke."
"No," she whispered, eyes glossy with tears. "I'm lucky to have you."
I paused. My chest tightened a little, the way it always did when she said things like that.
"I'm the lucky one, Em."
Across the room, Zia and Zeal were curled up together on the couch, tangled in a mess of blankets. The plush toys they brought earlier were scattered all over the floor, along with half a coloring book and an uncapped marker I made a mental note to hide before it found its way to the walls.
"So… has he called yet?" Em asked.
I shook my head, picking up the cup of broth again. "Not yet." I helped her with another spoonful, making sure to blow on it so she wouldn't burn herself. "He's probably busy."
"Probably," she murmured, swallowing. "Still… I can't believe how fast all of this happened."
I sat back down beside her, exhaling through my nose. "I know. It doesn't feel real."
Emily tilted her head on the pillow. "You found mystery man Z, the kids' father, and managed to pay for my surgery in less than a week. That's not real, that's a season finale."
I rolled my eyes. "I bet even the Kardashians don't have this much drama."
She laughed, wincing a little. "No, but they have money."
We both burst out laughing. A tired, slightly unhinged laughter that came from pure exhaustion.
She shifted again. "Speaking of money, what exactly does Zayne do? I've never met a doctor willing to drop a million dollars just to get a contracted wife for one year. Like... why does he even need a wife? Are you sure he's not dabbling in illegal work?" she gasped in horror. "He's a doctor, maybe he sells organs as a side job!"
"Let's not get over our heads with all this illegal talk." I stopped her before she could spiral into full detective mode. "As for the wife part, I guess he'll tell me the reason when he calls. But the money..."
I pulled out my phone and started typing something. "I googled him."
Emily's brows shot up with interest.
I handed her the phone. "He's not just rich, Em. He's rich rich."
Her eyes widened as she scrolled through the article, lips moving as she read the headlines.
"This is insane," she whispered. "Zayne Aster, 29, renowned doctor, son to Diana and Fred Aster... His grandfather is Paul Aster, founder of Ash Corporation? They dabble in business, medicine, law... literally every industry imaginable?"
She gasped, nearly dropping the phone. "Family net worth approximately eighty billion dollars!—Lia! Are you sure you met him at a bar in downtown New York?"
I snatched the phone back with a laugh. "I know. I don't even know how to process this."
"Mmm-mm." Emily shook her head in disbelief. "Are you sure you have the right person? Because I never imagined someone that rich would want anything to do with us... like attracts like, you know."
"We are rich... in spirit." I chuckled, trying to keep a positive mindset.
"Sure, we are." She rolled her eyes dramatically. "We just choose not to pay rent for cosplay purposes."
"When you put it like that..."
Shrugging, she added, "With this kind of family and influence... this could either go so well for us."
"Or incredibly wrong," I finished for her.
We looked at each other for a moment, and then I whispered, "I'm hoping it's the former."
Emily slowly drifted back to sleep not long after, her fingers still lightly curled around mine. I waited a bit to make sure her breathing had evened out, then carefully peeled myself away.
I stood, stretching quietly. My back ached from the hospital chair, and my legs felt stiff. I busied myself with tidying up the room, picking up the mess the twins had left behind, folding the blankets they'd kicked off, and gently placing their stuffed animals beside them.
I'd just finished straightening the cushions when my phone vibrated on the nightstand.
Zayne.
I hesitated for a second before picking up.
"Hey."
"Hi," he said. There was a pause, like he hadn't expected me to answer that quickly. "Sorry I haven't reached out the past few days. Things have been... hectic."
"It's okay," I said, brushing a hand over my ponytail. "I figured you were busy."
"Still," he said, voice low, "I should have checked in. Especially after everything."
I leaned against the windowsill, staring at the faint light pouring in through the curtains. "You don't need to apologize. Or thank me. You already did more than enough."
Another pause.
"How's Emily?"
"She's okay. Tired. But she's healing."
"That's good," he said. "I'm glad."
Silence hovered between us for a moment. It wasn't awkward, just... fragile.
I heard him shift on the other end of the line, like he was gearing up for something.
"And the kids?" he asked, quietly. "How are they?"
I blinked, surprised by the way he asked it, like he wasn't sure if he had the right. Like he didn't know if he was allowed to care.
"They're fine," I said gently. "They've been asking about Dr. Hot Chocolate all day."
That made him laugh. It was soft but genuine, and I smiled despite myself.
"I bet they have," he said. "They're... something else."
"They really are."
"Can we meet up?" he asked.
I stood straighter. "Now?"
"Yeah. If you're free."
I glanced at the twins, still asleep, and then at Emily, dozing peacefully.
"I'm at the hospital," I said. "Where are you?"
"Outside," he replied.
I blinked. "Outside?"
"Across the street," he said, a bit sheepishly. "In my car. I didn't want to barge in, in case... I don't know. You needed space. Privacy."
I stared at the phone, then out the window as if I could spot him. "You paid for the room, Zayne. I'm pretty sure that makes you allowed to come in."
He gave a quiet laugh again.
"But," I added, not wanting to push him if he wasn't ready, "there's a coffee shop opposite the hospital. I'll meet you there in ten?"
"Yeah," he said. "Okay. See you then."
I ended the call, looking back toward the kids one last time. Zia had her mouth open as she snored softly, one sock missing. Zeal was clinging to her arm like a life raft.
I tucked the blanket around them, brushed Emily's hair back gently from her forehead, and stepped out of the room.