The Royal Contract

“Hey, are you not dropping by the office before going to the hospital?” Alex looked at her questioningly, noticing her dress which was not her usual business attire.

She tied her hair in a neat ponytail before turning to face Alex, who already had his shirt buttoned. She quickly moved closer to him and took his tie from the bed, wrapping her arms around his shoulders.

“I still have a few files I can work on, so I think I would rather go straight to the hospital and drop by later at the office if they needed me,” Dani informed him, then she encircled her hands around his neck and worked on securing the tie.

Once she had knotted the necktie, she tapped him on his chest, planted a kiss on his cheeks, and walked back to the vanity mirror to finish her makeup.

“Do you want me to drop you off? I also want to see Ethan before going to the office.” Alex offered. “Then, I can pick you up later before going home.”

She smiled at her husband’s thoughtfulness, prioritizing what she needed before his. She knew he had to circle back only to drop her off at the hospital before going to the office. But he did not mind getting late to ensure she was ok.

.....

How did her life suddenly turn almost perfect? Despite her bitter experience in the past, having Alex in her life eventually changed everything about her.

He managed to reunite her with her father, teaching her how to forgive him for his mistakes. He saved her from the lifelong misery Nick had done to her.

Alex gave her a new goal in life. Love and family and not just her career.

“Ok.” Dani would not like it the other way. If they could spend their life together every minute of every second of their entire lifetime, she would do that. But she would settle for the few minutes they had.

She smiled at him through the mirror as he walked behind her, settling his hands on her shoulders. His eyes fixed on her face. His fingers squeezed her shoulders, assuring her he would always be there for her.

“Let me fix us some quick breakfast.” He smiled at her, kissing her on the top of her head, but his eyes never wavered as they continued to hold her stare. “Follow me to the kitchen.” He soon walked out of their room, carrying his jacket with him.

She only looked away when the door closed behind him. Then, her eyes focused again on the mirror before her, looking at her reflection. She immediately dropped her makeup, thinking she did not need it anyway.

“What do you have in there?” Her eyes scanned the kitchen as her husband moved along the kitchen counter with precision.

She could see a hot coffee brewing on the side, so she automatically moved toward that direction, getting two mugs from the shelves on the top cabinet.

Soon, she had two hot brewed coffee in her hands, placing them on the table as she waited for the rest of what he cooked on the pan.

“Some toast, eggs, and bacon. I would have prepared more, but we are in a hurry.” Besides, he knew she loved this meal for breakfast. She could probably eat this every morning for the rest of their lives.

She forked a piece of the egg and held the bacon in her fingers, shoving them in her mouth, laughing at his morning jokes. Some of them were not funny, but seeing his face as he delivered them was enough to make her giggle out of control.

She had to appreciate the effort at least since he could probably sense that she was not at ease. But somehow, it helped, just knowing that she was not alone.

“Finish those.” Dani pointed out the piece of bacon left on the plate. “I will clean up the table.” She offered since he had already cooked.

Then, her phone rang, but she had her hands full.

“I will get it for you.” Alex offered as he rummaged her bag on the kitchen counter, looking for her phone. Then, he answered it.

She picked up the plates and glasses from the table and placed them on the sink. Then, she wiped the table. She was about to drink some water only to realize that her glass was empty.

She quickly moved to the fridge to refill her glass, but something caught her attention. It was Alex, talking in monosyllabic words. As if he was choosing his words, careful not to say anything he did not want her to hear.

That sounded very suspicious.

The last time he did that, he had her mother on the other side of the line, talking about her father’s attack. Suddenly, she could feel her heart thundering inside her chest.

“What is it?” She could not help but ask, even though he was still on the phone. She moved closer to him, studying his expression.

His face remained calm as if nothing was amiss, but his eyes were telling her something else. Should she dare hope this was nothing more than a problem in the office?

But instinct insisted that it was more than that.

Her mind urged her to prepare herself for the worse, but her heart still wished it could be something else rather than her father’s condition.

Finally, Alex brought his hands down, ending the call to whoever he was talking to, but his expression changed. Nothing about those eyes showed that it was anything good.

“It is about your Dad.” Those few words were enough to shatter her heart into tiny pieces as her fingers loosened their grip, losing their strength, letting the glass on her hands slip, smashing on the white tiled floors.

She did not even hear it crash or feel the pain as the tiny shards flew in the air and broke her skin. All her mind could focus on were those words and what they meant.

Her mind was sending different instructions and alarming bells that could mean many things. Her first thought, she discarded on the spot. Her father did not recover because his face did not match that news.

Then, it could mean that he had worsened, but to what extent. Was he now in ventilation, coma, or a vegetative state? In the worse scenario, did he die?

“Then, we have to go.” She finally answered, not wanting to hear what he had to say. “Please.” She had no idea what she was asking him. “I just want to see him.” She added.

Then, she grabbed her bag and walked out of the room, not minding the tiny cuts that made her slightly bleed on the floor. Alex tried to tell her they should tend to her wounds, but she did not stop. Then, he just followed her, understanding her as always.

Those will not kill her, but not seeing her father alive might. Not being able to say her last goodbye would deeply hurt her more than any physical pain inflected in her body.