C6 Awkward apology

Visiting hours were officially over but no one thought to stop the evidently wealthy man who seemed to know where he was going. It was a trait he'd often used to get away with rule-breaking. One of the few traits he shared with his unique wife.

Jeffrey Matthew nestled closer to his mother. Every time someone said something bad about his father his mother's heart would begin to beat erratically/faster.

He was beginning to get scared that it would beat faster and faster and burst like Michael had said it could. He hugged her tighter and raised his head to kiss her neck. A sound of disapproval came from the throat of one of the church ladies.

"Nhai, iwe (Tell me). Zvi-i zva akuita (what on earth is that child doing)? Murikuva jaidza vana ava (You are spoiling these kids). Baba wavo- (their father-)"

"Not in front of my children. Kana muneproblem ne (If you have a problem with) the way we are raising them you talk to us when the kids are not there," Eve interrupted without apology, her eyes flashed in anger.

Hiding his face in her breast Jeffrey Matthew smiled. He wanted to stick his tongue out at Gogo Masvi but he knew he'd only make his mother more upset. He caught his older brother's eye and saw he wasn't alone.

Michael quickly opened the little cupboard next to her bed. His shoulders shook as he rifled, loudly, hidden from view, through the cupboard's contents. He pulled out a bottle of sparkling water and handed it to their mother.

"Thank you, sweetheart. How did you know I was thirsty?"

Michael shrugged and accepted the light kiss on his forehead. Gogo Masvi suggested that they pray as she needed to go home and prepare dinner.

Soon after the prayer, everyone shuffled out of the room leaving the boys alone with their mother.

Troy walked into his wife's hospital room and felt a foolish relief at seeing her face brighten as he walked through the door. Silently chastising himself for doubting his wife's affections for him he walked to her bedside confidently and kissed her forehead.

"You alright?" he asked.

She nodded, her face still in his hand. Jeffrey Matthew was lying on her with his head over her heart.

Michael sat on the bench on her right side, animatedly telling her about his day. One of her hands stroked Michael's face as he spoke and the other played with Jeffrey Matthew's hair.

"Mom, I think Dad would prefer it if you touched his face, no offence," Michael caught her hand in both of his blushing faintly as he looked at his father.

Evelyn chuckled and told her husband to sit on her right-hand side. As he sat down, he realized he'd been tricked by his son, the second her hand touched his face he recalled their earlier kiss.

Quickly realizing he'd be restraining himself from becoming intimate with his wife Troy asked the boys to show her what they'd gotten her.

As the boys presented each item Eve clapped her hands and smiled like a child. The flowers were placed in a vase and the boys seemed equally pleased to have made her so happy.

"Dad got you something too," Michael said pulling the black and yellow gift bag from the cupboard.

He gave the bag to his father who gave it to his wife. To his dismay, both boys groaned as she pulled out the box. Eve laughed and pulled him in for a kiss.

"Thank you, sweetheart. Mine fell this morning after we spoke. How did you know? I asked the nurse not to say anything."

She opened the top drawer of the nightstand on her left and pulled out the exact same phone as the one he'd bought her only, instead of black he'd bought her a midnight blue one.

Troy desperately wanted to be alone with his wife and ask for her forgiveness for not knowing she'd bought a new phone.

He could feel the disappointment from his sons decrease as they saw how ingenious he'd been in making the mistake of buying her the same phone she already had.

"I tried calling you back after I cut you off earlier and your number was unreachable," Troy answered with a shrug.

He'd meant to buy the phone sooner after she'd told him about every feature it had and how wonderful it would be to have one, but things had gotten hectic at the office, and he'd postponed it.

Eve looked down at her hands, the guilt she felt showing as her eyebrows met briefly as she registered that he'd tried calling her back soon after.

Michael's phone rang, cutting into the silence. It was his paternal grandmother asking if the boys would like to come over for the weekend.

When Troy heard his mother's request, he felt relieved and sad. Relieved that his mother would pick up the boys and he could spend more time alone with his wife and sad that he'd be home alone this weekend.

The boys were delighted to be spending time with their grandparents if they could visit their mother at least once a day, Jeffrey Matthew pointed out.

Within minutes the boys were picked up by their grandmother and Troy was alone with his wife. Eve looked at her man and smiled sadly, he looked so uncomfortable. She patted the mattress next to her and he sat looking at the floor as he selected his words carefully.

"Baby, I'm sorry. I meant to read your text messages, but I was leaving work early. I just wanted to get home to you so badly that I thought I could get you to forgive me if I came to pick the boys up with you. Then I ran late and..." his voice trailed off as his eyes begged her to forgive him.

He held his breath as she smiled and kissed him. She whispered that she forgave him before deepening the kiss. Aroused but confused Troy broke the kiss and lifted her chin so he could read her eyes for himself.

"Why aren't you mad?"

Eve sighed, "Because I know you're not lying and because I know how hard it was for you to even apologise. I also know that you kept begging me not to die yesterday after you called for the ambulance.

“Just before I passed out you threatened the medic that I better be alive when you and the boys get to the hospital, or you'll kill him. Plus, you look like you haven't slept since the night before last, and I don't see why I should make you feel any worse.

“I know I've been angry for a long time Troy, at us, but mostly at myself but I do know you don't do it on purpose. I've been seeing improvements in all the things I have been nagging you about."

A naughty smile crept across her face, "Besides, I want to come home this weekend, with the boys away, you and I can celebrate finally making a baby." Her hands massaged his neck lightly before one rose to the back of his head.

Troy found himself breathless; her hands were doing things to him that they hadn't done in ages, but his heart was flying because she honestly wasn't mad, and his mind was grateful to the supreme being that he hadn't lost her yet.

As she took his lower lip into her mouth, he made a silent prayer that he would be able to right all the wrongs he knew he would find in his wife's diary. Pulling away from the kiss but holding her against his chest he kissed her head. "Thank you."