Big Top Billionaire

Decision

EMMELINE

I opened my eyes, only to find myself in a bed, but it wasn't my own. As I looked around, I realized I was in a hospital room and when I looked out the window, I noticed the light of day sneaking through the curtains. 

Was it morning already?

The white walls and the smell of rubbing alcohol made me scrunch my nose in disgust. What was I doing here? 

My white leotard was changed into a hospital gown and I had a small cast on my ankle. I was stuck on that aerial silk and that was probably the reason why I had that annoying thing on.

A minute later, a young nurse walked into my room to check on me. 

“You're awake! My name is Lucy and I'm your nurse for the day. Dr. Hill will come to check on you later, but for now, I need to take your vitals,” she rambled and I would have been annoyed had it not been for how kind she was. 

“Where's my husband?” I asked, trying to keep myself from the fact he won't be with me anymore. She smiled faintly, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

“I'm not sure, Mrs. Morales. You were brought here because you had fainted at your workplace and your ankle needed attention as well. We don't have information about your husband.”

I laid my head back on the pillow, tears already streaming down my cheeks as memories of what happened last night flooded my mind.

The gut feeling, the crowd cheering… the hoop cracking. 

I put my hands against my head and closed my eyes tightly, wanting to forget everything. 

“No, no, no. How dare you leave me?” I muttered to myself as I heard a knock on the open door. I looked up and Freddie stood there, his blue eyes bloodshot red and swollen and his red hair disheveled as if he had pulled on it in frustration. Lucy excused herself and walked out, giving us some privacy.

“Hello, pretty girl,” he whispered, walking closer before sitting on a chair next to my bed. He had been like a big brother to me since I joined the circus as a clown when I was eighteen, just so I could pay for my college. 

Almost ten years later, and I was still by his side. I loved performing and the entire crew was my family. 

“How are you?” He asked, holding my hand. I chuckled bitterly as I looked at the ceiling, taking deep shaky breaths to keep myself calm.

“As if I just lost my husband. When I woke up, I hoped it was all a dream. It really happened, didn't it?”

I almost choked on my own sobs while he stood up and sat next to me in bed, taking me in his arms and hugging me tightly. 

"I'm so sorry, little dove. This was all my fault. As the owner of the circus, I should have made sure everything was safe. Now, not only did I lose a great aerialist and a friend, I'm afraid I'll lose everything," he mentioned, not looking at me straight into my eyes. 

I could see how guilty he felt, but I couldn't be mad at him. At least not directly. Wiping my tears away, I grasped at the last thing he said.

"What do you mean you'll lose everything?" I frowned. He rubbed my arm and gave me another faint smile.

"John's family is filing a lawsuit for negligence and wrongful death. I'm on the verge of losing everything unless we come up with a settlement. And even if we did, I might not be able to pay everyone their wages for a few weeks."

It didn't surprise me they would do that. John's family were always greedy and evil. They never approved of me being with him and they always blamed me for influencing him to join the circus as an aerialist. 

In all truth, he loved what he did and never complained or made me feel like it was all my fault. 

But for his family to come after Freddie, was the cruelest thing to do to someone.

"They can't do that. If anything, I should be the one suing you and you know I would never do that to you." I held his hands and smiled at him reassuringly. 

"I know you wouldn't, but you already know your in-laws and how they deal with people or situations."

I couldn't argue that statement. My heart ached and those flashbacks from last night came to me once again.

"It was horrible, Freddie. Seeing him fall to the ground from that height, out of the net's range and I was stuck up there, not being able to do anything," I sobbed once again, "It broke me to see him bleed to death while he made me promise him I would move forward...without him."

He held me in his warm embrace again, trying to console me.

"Take all the time you need, princess. If you want to leave everything behind, I will understand."

I considered his offer and thought it would be best to start fresh, away from this traumatic experience. The whole crew would be missed, but I needed this. Being an aerialist was not my future anymore, no matter how much I promised my husband that.

"I will need it, thank you. I was hoping the crew could help me pack my things so I can sell the house after John's funeral," I mentioned as he looked at me in surprise.

"Don't you think that's a little too soon? They might think you wanted your husband dead so you could sell everything," he joked and surprisingly, I chuckled.

"I know it is, but I can't live with the pain. The faster I move on, the better for my mental and emotional health."

He nodded. "We'll do anything for you."

Freddie's phone buzzed and when he grabbed it from his suit pocket, there was a confused frown on his face.

"I have to take this call. Excuse me." He walked out of my room and I just laid there, looking out the window at the clear sky and the sunny day while I waited for the doctor to come in and check on me.

"Oh, John. What am I going to do without you? I should have been more insistent and not let you get on that hoop. Please, give me a sign everything will be okay. I love you," I whispered.

I was not a very religious person, despite coming from a catholic family, but the breeze that snuck into my room was a clear indication that he had listened to me, bringing a smile on my face and comforting me in the best way he could.

He was my angel. 

"Thank you. I'll miss you, my love."

A few minutes later, Freddie walked back in, putting his phone in his pocket.

"A friend of mine just called me and asked me to meet with him. He came all the way from Boston," he mentioned, "I can come pick you up when you get discharged."

"That sounds good. I'll let you know when," I replied as he gave me a kiss on my forehead before walking out.

I took a deep breath and looked out the window once again. The peace I felt on the inside was nothing like I have ever felt before. And now knowing he was at peace himself would help me move on, keeping my promise.

And for him, that's what I would do.