Lena's eyes were fixated on the woman on the hospital bed. She wasn't sure if Darian ever told her that he looked like his father, she didn't want to believe that now because he was the exact resemblance to this frail-looking woman who had barely spoken a word to them since they got to her room.
"She's fine but I guess she needs some time." The Doctor told Darian, patting his back. "I will leave you with her. Do not force her to talk, just let her be and let her talk when she wants to."
Darian nodded his head. When the Doctor was out of the room, he crouched beside Lena and heaved a sigh.
"Will she ever talk to us? Did she lose her voice?" Lena asked Darian, letting him take her hands. She could see that he was worried and she wanted to be his comfort.
"She would talk to us. The Doctor said she's suffering from severe depression," he looked at his mother again and shook his head. She was so slim like she never ate, her bones were visible and her black hair was unkempt. She looked almost lifeless as her eyes kept wandering the room.
"Thanks for coming with me, I don't know what I would have done with her if I was the only one here. Maybe I would have left, I'm not sure I can handle this quietness."
"Let's give her time," Lena shushed him. Looking at Darian's mother lying almost lifelessly on that bed reminded her of the last days of her mother before she died. Lena smiled and looked at Darian. "She's staring at us, I think she'd talk now." She got up from the chair and walked up to sit on the bed.
"Who are you?" Isabella's eyes were on Darian the whole time.
She had a confused look on her face, she carefully studied him, trying to figure out where she had seen him before and why he looked so much like her.
Darian rushed to her side when she heard her soft voice. Those were the first words she'd say since he had seen her. The first words he heard his mother say broke his heart, a mother shouldn't ask her son, who he was.
He wanted to tell her he was the son she abandoned thirty years ago but he swallowed his words and shifted away from the bedside.
"And you?" Isabella turned to Lena. "Who are you? Is he your husband?" A small laugh left her mouth.
Her eyes twinkled as her set of very white teeth came into the display, she was effortlessly beautiful. Even in that frayed state, she was still very beautiful.
To avoid looking at her, Darian lowered his head. He wished she had met him sooner. Now, he was grown and he felt it was too late, but he couldn't let go either. He'd yearned to meet the woman who birthed and abandoned him.
"Have you seen Raymond? We used to be like you and him too." Isabella smiled at Lena. "He was handsome, loving and perfect like him." She said, pointing at Darian.
"I am Lena and this is my husband, his name is Darian and we are here to check out on you." Lena took Isabella's hand, gently rubbing it against hers. She understood that Darian didn't want to reveal his identity to her yet.
So, she was careful in choosing her words as she spoke with Isabella, who seemed to be enjoying the conversation they were having.
"Have you seen Raymond? I saw him in my dream and he said he'd come here for me." She pouted her lips, her eyes darting across the room. She looked from Darian to Lena.
"There is no Raymond here." Darian spat frantically.
Upset and unable to face his mother, he hurried towards the door and dashed out of the room.
"Why is he mad?" Isabella asked Lena. "Is he mad at me for asking about Raymond?" She looked so worried.
"No, no," Lena smiled. "He isn't mad at you, he received a call and had to attend to it." She smiled reassuringly.
"Is that it?"
"Yes, it is." Lena nodded her head. It felt so refreshing to be communicating with her mother-in-law, she had always wanted to do that. "You must be hungry, what would you like to eat?"
"The Doctors gave me some food in the morning, I am not hungry. I just want to sleep, can you let me sleep for now?" Isabella smiled, rubbing Lena's hands.
"Yes, sure." Lena got off the bed, creating space for her to sleep. "I will be here with you, let me know if you need something okay?"
"Oh, you don't have to worry about that. I have a maid who does everything for me. She went home to get my things and she'd be back soon, I will introduce you to her if you'd still be here by then."
"Of course, I will be here."
"You know I think I am blessed." Isabella smiled, gawking at the ceilings. "An NGO helped me, they gave me a house and brought me out of the streets into a more comfortable abode. I don't even know what to say, but I want to see them and thank them for changing my life for the good."
Lena smiled, Darian had told her the story of everything he had done for his mother since he discovered that she was alive. Though there was still a grudge going on in his mind, Lena was glad her husband was kind-hearted and considerate.
"What will you do if you see them right now?" She asked Isabella.
"I will be so happy and thank them for giving me a chance to stay alive until I set my eyes on the son they took away from me."
"The son they took away from you?" Lena countered. "Why did you say so?"
"We have to be friends before I tell you that." Isabella pressed her lips together and heaved a sigh.
"We can be friends if you want. I am Lena and you are?"
"Isabella, I am Isabella. So now that we are friends, I will go ahead and tell you what happened to me." Isabella sighed. "I fell in love with a man I shouldn't love and…" There was a loud yawning sound in the room.
Lena looked at Isabella and figured out she was asleep.
"He left me when I was…"
Lena smiled, She loved how free-spirited her mother-in-law was.
"This will be a story for another day."
"Yes," she heard the hurt in her voice as she spoke to her. "I pray to see him again and I hope he forgives me." There was a sobbing sound coming from Isabella.
Lena looked at her to see tears falling down her cheeks down to her pillow and she didn't seem to care about it.
"I will sleep now."
Lena nodded her head and smiled. She just remembered that Darian left the room and he's yet to show up. She watched Isabella for a while, and when she was sure that Isabella was fast asleep, she stood up and took a glance.
"I will see you later," Lena whispered. She headed towards the door and dashed out of the room in search of her husband.