All Chapters of After Three Years: She Wakes Up: Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

The door hung open, hitting the wall with a gentle thud that matched my own startled heart. The sunlit room that has been my mother’s home for the last three years, smelled of fresh pine and lemons, with every surface shining and every blanket folded. It looked like my mother was just visiting a friend, or out on a walk. Except for one important detail–my mother hasn’t moved an inch since her stroke three years ago at my father’s funeral. “Where is she?” I demanded again, as I turned towards the nurse. “Shouldn’t I have been informed before she was moved?”What if something terrible happened to my mother and nobody bothered to tell me? “I'm sorry, Mrs. Carter,” the nurse replied with the practiced, professional air of someone used to dealing with upset family members. ”I was only tasked with taking you to see your mother. If you’d follow me, I can show you to her room.”The nurse stood there waiting, her face a mask of patience and calm. She was right, if I had to complain to som

As I marched towards the train station, my mind wouldn’t let the situation slide. Someone was interfering with my life. But who?Angry and frustrated, I called Allison. “Please tell me this wasn’t you?” I demanded with a touch of self-righteous anger. “I can’t believe you’d do something like this without telling me or even checking with me first.” “That’s because I didn’t,” she answered hotly, her tone crisp with hurt as she reminded me that she would never betray my trust that way. “I respect you too much to do something like this behind your back, Ari. You should know that.” Feeling foolish I apologized, my face flushed, hanging up before she could promise to help me find out who really was behind it. The easiest, most obvious answer was Misha. But considering he hadn’t bothered to pay the bill in almost three months, could he really suddenly not only pay it off but pay it going forward with all those added benefits? That room alone, without all the therapists and nurses, cost thou

“No,” I answered bluntly, not wanting to give him the wrong impression. “I don’t think it is a good idea, Misha.” The room fell silent. Misha blinked once. Twice. It was as if his mind were glitching, unable to process the one simple word spoken in defiance. “No.” Misha croaked, his voice cracking as his face twisted into a frown. “Why?”“Why?” I laughed, making him flinch. “Are you kidding? I’m sorry, Misha, but I will not bring a child into a broken home.”“Our relationship could use some work?” He admitted as he down the wine glasses. “But I wouldn’t call it broken. We're in love, and where there’s love, there’s a way.” “Can you hear yourself now?” I shook my head. This man was so delusional he believes his own narcissistic bullshit. “This isn’t some TV drama–this is real life. Our lives. We aren’t in love, Misha. And a new baby won’t fix what’s broken with us. Nothing will.” Growing up in a broken family, I knew this truth better than most. I watched my parent’s marriage fall

The first package I had been expecting–an oversized envelope from Manhattan Rest Facility. I had requested all the payment information regarding my mother’s treatment–I wanted every pay stub, every receipt, and whatever information they had on the person paying the bills. It is impossible to pay off someone’s debt without leaving a paper trail, and for my sanity, I was determined to find it.Setting that aside, I made a mental note to see if Kat, Allison’s private investigator, might know someone else who could help me look into this as I reached for the next package.It was a jewelry box of a familiar shade of signature teal-blue. Eying it suspiciously, I saw that it was sitting on top of a card, elegantly written in what I’ve come to recognize as Mavis’ handwriting. Misha. He had sent me a present, or I should say, had Mavis send me a present. Untying the elegant satin bow of the same tealish-blue, I found a simple, tasteful tennis bracelet, diamonds set in what appeared to be plati

The last time I stood at the main entrance to Manhattan General Hospital, it had been for my internship four years ago. That year, working by Dr. Winchester's side, was pivotal in shaping my future--without it, I wouldn't have been able to finish my degree or start my life over once my marriage fell apart. “It feels good to be back, doesn’t it,” Ryland brushed his shoulder against mine, accurately reading my mood as we stood there, watching our students gather. "Like coming home." “It feels like it’s been forever,” I sighed, my shoulders relaxed as I looked at the sprawling hospital grounds. “But it also feels like no time has passed. Strange, huh?”“Not at all,” my mentor grinned. “Don’t worry, after this semester, we’ll have plenty more time for future research projects, either here, or out west. I’d love to get you acquainted with the Mercy General staff in San Francisco. I think you’d really appreciate their facilities.” “I look forward to it,” I smiled, lying to both him and my