Freya's POV
All the voices in my ears seemed distant; only the doctor's voice rang clearly in my ears.
Novia's eyes were red, and she held me, saying in a muffled voice, "Freya, you have to be strong. Go inside and take a look."
I clenched my hand and whispered, "I'm fine."
With that, I headed toward the operating room.
Livia lay there quietly, her face covered with an oxygen mask.
The mist from her breath was no longer visible on the mask, and the numbers on the instrument next to her had dropped to a very low value.
She was so thin that she seemed to blend in with the surgical bed beneath her. All this indicated that the person in the hospital bed was nearing the end of her life.
I took her hand. Livia was skilled at painting, and the knuckles of her middle finger were covered with calluses from years of painting.
When Livia was healthy, she wasn't particularly thin, so there was still some meat on her hand.
But now, her hand was as thin as wood, a thin layer of skin pasted on the skeleton, and the back of her hand was full of pinholes and bulging blood vessels, almost unrecognizable compared to how she used to be.
From the time of the car accident until now, six years and eight months had passed, and her once-black hair was now more than half white.
She was so conscious of her appearance; she probably wouldn't want to wake up and see herself like this.
I bent down and fixed Livia's hair. Novia watched the scene and couldn't help but choke up beside me as she whispered, "Freya, it's time to say goodbye to your mother."
My fingers trembled for a moment, and I let out a soft 'hmm,' then removed Livia's oxygen mask with my own hands.
The numbers on the device slowly reached zero, and then there was a sharp mechanical beep.
The nurse said, "I'm so sorry," and slowly placed a white cloth over Livia's head.
She then instructed me to complete the paperwork as soon as possible in the next couple of days to remove the body from the hospital, as space was limited in the morgue, and then she pushed the body out of the hospital.
I didn't cry or become hysterical.
I thanked the medical nurse, settled the caregiver's payment, and headed to Livia's hospital room to begin packing.
I felt calm and composed.
The ward had been occupied for so many years that there wasn't really much to pack.
Livia was either lying naked on the bed or wearing a hospital gown, and there was not even any clothing in the ward, only new towels and washbasins, as well as stacks of tapes and the timeless tape recorder on the table.
I neatly placed the tapes into my handbag and went about my business as if nothing had happened.
"Freya, there's no need to rush the cleanup," Novia said softly as she approached, trying to hold the bag in her hand, "Sit down and rest for a while; I'll help you clean up later."
I gently pushed her hand away and whispered with my gaze downcast, "I'm fine."
The words had barely left my lips when I suddenly felt the world spinning, and then I plummeted toward the ground.
Before losing consciousness, I heard Novia scream, "Freya!"
A slow, rhythmic beeping filled my ears, but the throbbing in my head threatened to dull all my senses.
Gradually, I opened my eyes and took in my surroundings.
I was still in the hospital, the last place I wanted to be at that moment.
Steady beeps emanated from a machine that was delivering fluids into my arm—far from a comforting sight.
I despised being bedridden like this, despised feeling incapable of taking care of myself.
"She's resting now, but she's okay-"
Novia's voice drew my attention to the partially closed door. I wasn't sure who she was talking to.
"I can't believe this happened. I'm so sorry! I should have come right away when she called me this afternoon," I recognized it as Finley's voice.
Novia's voice replied, "No one wants this to happen; you don't need to beat yourself up too much. It's just Freya, she...."
"I'm awake," I called out.
Within seconds, the door opened, and both of their faces appeared in view.
"Freya, you need to rest," Novia replied quickly, coming to my bedside to check on me.
Finley followed her, looking at me with concern, something indescribable in his eyes, what seemed to be sympathy.
I looked at Finley and asked, "What are you doing here?"
Finley responded, "I called you to let you know that I found out something about the property division agreement after your parents separated. Novia answered the phone and she told me you were here, so I came over. Kingsley was on a business trip and is on her way back. How are you feeling right now? Is it okay?"
My heart skipped a beat at the mention of Kingsley's name.
"I'm fine. Just where's my mom?" I quickly adjusted myself and looked up to ask them.
Novia and Finley exchanged glances.
"Freya... Your mom is gone," Novia said slowly, her eyes filled with worry.
I paused for a moment.
Yes, my mom was gone, and I wouldn't have a mom anymore.
The pain spread from my heart to my whole body, and my wolf let out a guttural whimper.
Sadness gripped me, and my eyes filled with tears.
Novia quickly sighed and rubbed her eyes. "There is one more thing..."
Novia looked at me and hesitated for a moment before speaking, causing a wave of unease to well up inside me.
I wasn't sure what had happened, but from the looks of it, the situation was serious.
What could be worse at this point, though?
I looked at Novia, barely managing to squeeze out a smile, and asked, "What is it? It's okay; I can hold it together."
"Freya... You're pregnant," Novia said soothingly.
My eyes widened in shock before I looked over at Finley, silently checking with him to confirm if it was true.
"Yes... Yes, you are," Finley's usual warm voice rang out.
I lowered my head to my stomach in disbelief.
Was this God's way of compensating me, giving me another family member after I had lost the mother who loved me the most?