Chapter 354: Home! And just like that, the next few days passed quietly in the hospital. I stayed with Aeri the whole time, never leaving the room except for quick trips to get food or fresh clothes from home. I helped her change into clean clothes, fed her meals, helped her wash up, and we spent long hours just sitting together and talking about small, everyday things. Jonathan didn’t call even once. I had already told him I would be staying with Aeri until she was ready to go home, and he agreed without any argument.
One afternoon, I came back from a short walk outside carrying a small flower pot with bright yellow flowers. I placed it gently on the table beside Aeri’s bed.
"Is this good enough?" I asked, adjusting the pot so it faced her.
"Awww, it looks so cute," Aeri said, her eyes sparkling with happiness as she looked at the flowers.
"Hehe, I saw them in a small shop while I was bringing your clothes from home," I replied, smiling back at her.
"Thank you so much," she said, joining her hands together in front of her chest like she was really touched.
Thankfully, she didn’t cough up blood again. She was recovering well, just like the doctor had hoped. Still, I couldn’t forget how scared I had been — almost fainting from anxiety the day she passed out and the next day when she started coughing blood.
Later that evening, I sat beside her bed with two plates of simple hospital food. I scooped up a spoonful, blew on it gently to cool it down, and held it in front of her mouth.
"Fooo... fooo... here, eat!" I said.
"Aaumm..." Aeri opened her mouth and ate the bite without complaining this time. There was a slight blush on her cheeks. It seemed she had started liking being fed by me.
I blew on my own spoonful too. "Fooo... fooo..." I ate it and smiled at her.
While we were eating, Aeri started telling me about her friend. "And then Sara called after a while. Her husband and she had a little argument, and she said she beat him... you know, Ezra!"
"Ohh..." I replied calmly, nodding my head. Inside, I sighed. I knew there was never any peace with that woman Sara. Before she got married, she had blackmailed me and done many things I could never tell Aeri about. I kept my face normal and continued eating, but the memory left a bitter taste in my mouth.
Aeri kept talking happily between bites, completely unaware of my thoughts. "She was so angry, she said she threw a phone at him and told him to sleep on the couch. Can you believe it?"
I forced a small laugh. "Sounds like Sara."
After we finished eating, I wiped her mouth gently with a napkin and smiled at her. "Feeling full?"
She nodded with a small, happy smile. "Yeah... thank you, Ezra."
I leaned back in the chair, feeling tired but content. These quiet days in the hospital, taking care of her, somehow made everything feel a little lighter.
"So, everything is good at work?" Aeri asked, keeping her hands folded neatly on her lap. She was sitting up in the hospital bed, looking much better than before.
"Yep, all good, Miss," I said with a small sigh. "The new client was a little hectic, but I managed it. Good pay too." I raised my eyebrow slightly, remembering Lara. Of course, Aeri had no idea about any of that, and I wasn’t planning to tell her.
"Yeah, these businesses always want so many changes in their websites, right?" she said, assuming I was talking about a normal website designing client. I didn’t correct her.
"Yep. They can be a real pain in the ass," I replied casually and looked down at my phone, scrolling through the news feed.
Our time together passed peacefully. We had the entire day to talk and spend time with each other. We chatted about small things — her favorite food, funny stories from the past, and what we would do once she got home. The whole time, I never mentioned Sonny even once. I had decided I would look into that matter on my own. That motherfucker definitely had something to do with Aeri’s sudden health problems and the memories she had lost. But for now, Aeri’s peace and recovery were more important, so I kept my mouth shut.
Three days later, Aeri was finally discharged from the hospital. I paid the bill at the counter while she said goodbye and thanked all the nurses who had taken care of her.
"Thank you so much for everything," Aeri said with a warm smile, waving at the nurses. "You all were really kind."
We took a cab back home. When we reached the front door, I took out the keys, unlocked it, and pushed the door open. We stepped inside together.
"We are homeee!!!" Aeri said happily, dragging out the words and stretching her arms wide. "Ahh, feels so comforting."
She walked slowly into the living room, looking around with a big smile on her face. The familiar smell of home seemed to relax her instantly. She touched the back of the sofa with her fingers, then turned to me with sparkling eyes.
"It feels so good to be back," she said softly. "The hospital bed was okay, but nothing beats our own home."
I closed the door behind us and smiled at her. "Yeah, it does feel nice. You should sit down and rest. I’ll bring you some water."
Aeri nodded and sat on the sofa, still looking around the room like she was seeing it for the first time in a long while. Even though she was smiling, I could see she was still a little weak from the hospital stay.
I went to the kitchen, poured a glass of water, and brought it to her. As I handed her the glass, I couldn’t stop the quiet worry in the back of my mind. The questions about Sonny and what really happened that night were still there, but I pushed them aside for now.
For today, I just wanted Aeri to feel safe and comfortable in her own home.