I shook my head, “Can I please call my family now?” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “They need to know I’m okay.”
The doctor gave me a kind smile, “They were already called. The firefighter helping you made the call… you were apparently insistent on the ride here.”
I sighed in relief, “Thank you. When can I leave?”
She laughed lightly, “Already itching to get away from here?”
I shrugged, “I just spent the last three months locked up in an abandoned lab. You think I want to spend a minute more than I have to here?”
“I understand,” she began sympathetically. “I’ll see if I can get you discharged sooner rather than later. All your tests are coming back within normal ranges, so I’m feeling optimistic.”
“Thank you.”
She nodded, and the detective opened her mouth to speak, but was cut off by the sound of a stampede in the hallway. Countless hurried steps grew louder before the hospital room door flew open. Bella stood on the other side, her chest heaving, tears streaming down her face.
“Rome?” She croaked.
I nodded, unable to voice any words aloud. She threw herself into my arms, holding me with all her strength. Gasps drew my attention back to the door where three more of my sisters stood. Bee, Aria, and Luna were already crying. I reached out one arm, still holding Bella with the other. The three of them joined in on our hug, with everyone sobbing.
“I’m so sorry,” I mumbled to all four of them. “I’m just so sorry.”
Bella wiggled her way out of our hug, wiping at her tears. “Don’t you dare be sorry. I just can’t believe…” Her voice trailed off as she stared at me, “How are you here?”
I chuckled, “It seems my flirting finally caught up to me.” It was easier to joke about Andi and what had happened in this moment. I wasn’t ready to unpack it all yet, and I knew I wouldn’t be ready until I had a trained professional to walk me through it. “Where’s Livia? And Mom and Dad?”
“They’re on their way now,” Bee explained. She was now cuddled up to my side, her head resting on my shoulder. “We were all at the restaurant prepping for Bec’s dinner.”
I swallowed hard, “W-where…” I cleared my throat, trying to keep the tears at bay, “Where is Bec? Did you call her?”
Before anyone could answer, Livia came barreling in. Her pink hair had faded, with her roots growing in. My colorful Livia had dimmed. “Hey,” I greeted with a watery laugh.
She smiled widely, launching herself onto the bed and into my arms. “If you ever fake die again, I’ll kill you myself. Capiche?”
“Aye aye, captain," I muttered with a laugh.
“How is this possible?” Aria asked.
“It’s a really long story, but first I need to see Bec,” I began. “Is she okay? Has she… has she moved on?”
Bella rolled her eyes, “Moved on? She now lives with us and is currently quitting her job because of her grief. She loves you, you idiot.”
I immediately sat upright, disrupting the pile of sisters that had formed.
“Quitting?!”
Luna nodded, “Yeah, she blames the company for… well, you dying.”
“We need to go. Now. Livia, how’s the car engine running? Think it can get me to Bly Enterprises?" I asked, already standing up. I was dressed in scrub pants and a hospital gown, looking around the room frantically for shoes or socks. Anything, really.
Aria stared at me, perplexed. “You came back from the dead like ten minutes ago… I think she’ll understand if it takes a minute to get to her.”
“You don’t understand. I did all of it, worked for her, protected her, dated her, fell in love with her because of that job… because of that company. If she wants to quit, then god damnit, she should quit. But I refuse to have her quit because she thinks I’m dead.” I turned to face my sisters after pulling on my shoes. They all stared at me with various expressions ranging from confused to surprised to even jovial.
“You love her?” Livia asked finally.
I nodded, “It was obvious, wasn’t it?”
“Well, it’s about time youtoldher,” Bella expressed, turning to leave before glancing back over her shoulder at me, “Come on, Cipriani. We gotta break you out of this hospital.”
