Part 71 (2/2)
”We disagreed about Christophe, Ilsa and I,” he shared. ”She thought like a physician, sometimes clinically. Thus, she felt that life was life and, even for children, it was not wise to shelter them from it too much. He was only four. So very young. I did not want him to see his mother that way. To remember her that way. She was energetic. Lively, in her way. Not like elan, the way she had was all Ilsa's. I didn't want him to see her thin, gaunt, in pain. I didn't want him to remember her that way. She wished to see her son, but I denied her. I did this for Christophe. I struggle still if I made the right decision.”
”You did,” she said gently, her arms around him tightening.
His Maddie, so loyal, telling him what he wanted to hear.
”I will never know if you speak true, my Maddie,” he murmured. ”They had a bond, much like what he has with me. And if it were me abed, my power stripped, sickness eating away at me, pain crippling me, I would wish him not to see me like that. I would wish him to remember his father as vital. Jovial. Whole.”
”So you did the right thing,” she replied.
”He did not see her at all the three months before she pa.s.sed. I robbed them both of each other to protect my son.”
Maddie swallowed but said nothing.
”It was torture,” he whispered.
She pulled her arms from around him so she could slide them up his chest, his neck, to frame his face as she murmured an aching, ”Honey.”
”All of it was, Madeleine, watching her waste away, watching the pain consume her, keeping our son from her. Torture. Every moment.”
Her hands on him lightly squeezed.
”Tonight, the black mist took you, and I felt all that torture, months of it, condensed in an instant,” he declared and her eyes grew wide. ”It was the most excruciating moment of my life.”
At that, he watched her eyes fill with tears.
”Baby,” she breathed.
Suddenly, he found his fingers shoving up into her hair, the pads digging into her scalp and he brought his face to a breath from hers. ”Tonight we learned we must hold tight to happiness, my dove. Every day...every moment...is a gift. We must hold tight to that, Madeleine, and never let go.”
”Yes,” she whispered.
He slid his nose along hers until their eyes were so close, if either of them blinked, their lashes would sweep the others'.
”I will not lose you,” he growled.
”I'm right here, sweetheart,” she soothed.
Apollo drew in a deep breath, released it then slanted his head so he could brush his mouth lightly against hers.
Only when he pulled back an inch did he reply, ”You are, indeed.”
She gave him a shaky smile.
”Thank you, my dove, for fighting so hard this night to save a life I cherish.”
Her shaky smile wobbled as her face began to crumble but he saw no more when she lifted her head and shoved it in his neck.
”You-you-you're welcome,” she stammered into his skin.
He gave her his weight for a brief moment in order to wrap his arms around her before he rolled them to their sides.
Putting his lips to her hair, he whispered, ”Now you can sleep.”
She took a shuddering breath that was half sniveling, half chortling and nodded, her face now pressed to his throat.
He held her close and stroked her back as she gained control of her emotions. When she did, she slid a hand from where it was pressed to his chest, rounding him with her arm, and she pressed closer.
Many minutes later, when her body had loosened, her breath had evened and he thought her close to sleep, she called a drowsy, ”Lo?”
And, G.o.ds, but he treasured it when she called him ”Lo.”
”Yes, poppy,” he replied, giving her a squeeze.
He felt her frame tense slightly when she began, ”You know that I, uh...well, I um...pretty much cherish you too, right?”
Again that night, a night he would not think he would find anything amusing, he couldn't stop his body from shaking with laughter.
”Yes, Madeleine, I pretty much know you cherish me too.”
She relaxed and murmured, ”Cool.”
He grinned at her hair and gave her another squeeze.
”Sleep, Maddie.”
”Right away, boss,” she muttered and again he grinned.
She settled in.
Apollo closed his eyes and saw the black mist shrouding her so he opened them again and gathered her even closer.
He took a deep breath as she snuggled into his embrace.
He took another one when, moments later, he felt sleep claim her.
Love like you build with Miss Madeleine is as she is. It is not of this world. Not of her world. It is beyond the worlds. It is beyond anything.
Meeta's words filled his head and he was forced to take another deep breath.
Tonight, he almost lost her.
Tomorrow, he would set about making certain that did not happen.
He had no earthly clue how he would do it.
He just knew he b.l.o.o.d.y would.
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