Chapter 12 - The Reunion
Three days after her admission to the private medical suite, Grace Bennett was strong enough to sit up in bed and take her first solid meals. But the medicine she needed most was waiting in the lobby downstairs. Ethan had arranged for Ava to be brought to the hospital under the careful supervision of Mrs. Gable, wanting to orchestrate the reunion in the peaceful sanctuary of Grace’s recovery room. When the door slowly swung open, Ava stepped hesitantly into the room, wearing her pink knit hat and holding her small backpack tight against her chest. Her big blue eyes widened as she spotted the woman sitting up in the hospital bed. “Mommy...?” Ava whispered, her voice trembling. Grace let out a choked, beautiful cry, throwing off her hospital blankets and holding her arms wide open. “Ava! My baby!” Ava raced across the room, launching herself onto the bed and burying her face against her mother’s chest, sobbing tears of pure relief. Grace wrapped her arms around her daughter, kissing her hair, her face, and her hands over and over again, completely overwhelmed by the miracle of their reunion. Ethan stood near the window, watching the two most important people in his life embrace in the golden afternoon sunlight, feeling a profound sense of completeness he had never known existed. Grace looked up, catching his eye across the room. She held out her free hand toward him, a radiant smile gracing her pale face. Ethan walked over, kneeling beside the bed, wrapping his arms around both of them and sealing their broken family back together.
