Welcome to my favorite month!

I was worried about your thoughts on the last chapter but I'm glad you were good sports about it. Thank you!

Song: Stay - Zedd, Alessia Cara

"Lucas: "So I'm confused. You want to be anonymous and you let the world watch you on a web cam."

Peyton: "The world isn't watching me... but I guess you are."

Lucas: "Okay, the point is.... you want to express yourself but you don't want people to know it's you."

Peyton: "I guess I'm just a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside a bitch."

Lucas: "Or maybe just a tortured artist."

Peyton: "Look, I don't need you defending me and my work. I don't need you analyzing it or interpreting me either. And in fact, I'm pretty sure I don't need you at all."

Lucas: "Pretty sure?" - One Tree Hill

***

"Let...let go," Hera says her throat getting choked up.

Jamie lets out a heavy sigh.

"I'll send the money for the ticket," He says not arguing with her decision.

"No...wait," Hera says stopping him from ending the call.

"I... not now," Hera says.

"Hera..." Jamie starts.

"I'll let go Jamie, I truly will, I just...I just need 3 more weeks... I need 3 more weeks to pull through a lifetime without him," Hera says.

"Fine, I'll send the money just incase you decide to leave earlier, remember Hera no matter what I'll always have your back even when I may or may not agree with your decisions,"Jamie says cutting call.

Hera sits down in the room and cries promising herself it would be her last. That the tears were the doors shutting to her past, that the tears were that of joy at the happy life Lexis would now be free to live. After a while she stops and calms down.

 After making sure to hide the signs of her crying, she returns to the living room. She then sits down and finishes learning all she has to from the nurse giving away no sign of her having cried while Shakespeare quietly observes.

"Mummy I'm hungwy," Shakespeare says pouting just as Hera and the nurse get done.

The nurse breaks into a smile.

"Well we're done now and I can leave so I'll leave you two to your meal," The nurse says.

"Why don't you join us?" Hera asks.

"NO!" The nurse quickly rejects the offer afraid if she spent an extra minute she'd never get to leave.

"I mean... no thank you I need to head home now," The nurse says catching herself.

Hera chuckles in understanding.

"I'm sorry for keeping you for so long. Thank you so much for everything," Hera says to the nurse who happily packs up says her goodbyes and leaves.

Once the nurse steps out the doors Hera trans to Shakespeare and lightly ruffles the front of her hair.

"Lets go see what we can have for breakfast," Hera says.

Shakespeare nods and follows her mum to  the kitchen.

She uses her hand that isn't burnt to open the cupboards and finds nothing that'd be easy or fast to make.

She opens the fridge and looks in. 

"Do you want pancakes?" Hera asks deciding with the lack of cereal and bread that was the easiest option considering the state of her hands and her lack of enough funds to spend on buying more groceries. She hadn't bargained on needing to spend more money to buy more as she had other things she could make but with her hand burnt it limited her ability to make them.

"Oooh pancakes," Shakespeare says.

Hera takes out milk,sugar, flour and eggs deciding to put the ingredients in the bowl and try mixing, if she couldn't she'd ask Shakespeare to aid her.

"Shakespeare come here," Hera says.

Shakespeare walks over to her mum. Hera reaches out and takes the scrunchie out of Shakespeare's hair.

Hera then tries to pack up her hair with one hand but doesn't succeed.

"Shakespeare help me tie my hair up into a ponytail will you?" She asks kneeling on the ground.

Shakespeare takes her mum's hair in her little hands and attempts to put it in the ponytail but fails.

"You have too much hair," Shakespeare says frowning.

Hera chuckles, her daughter brightening up her mood.

Shakespeare tries again using her hands to comb through the hair. She places the scrunchie in but it falls off.

"Shakespeare you need to twist it twice or it won't hold the hair," Hera says.

"How?" Shakespeare asks.

Hera gets up to show Shakespeare how.

"Oh! Mr Airport come help mummy," Shakespeare says turning from her mum to face the doorway by which Lexis stood quietly observing.

Hera turns quickly and sees Lexis. She looks down at her daughter.

"Shakespeare, I said to help me not ask others for help," Hera says.

"But I can't help. Mr Airport come help mummy," Shakespeare says leaving her mum's side to run to Lexis.

"Oww!" Shakespeare says in pain stopping.

"Whats wrong?" Hera asks hurrying over to her side.

"My leg," Shakespeare says pointing to the toe she hurt the previous night.

"Sorry," Hera says her face filled with concern.

"Try not to run okay?" Hera says holding Shakespeare in a hug.

Shakespeare nods while reaching out her right hand holding the scrunchie to Lexis. He collects it.

"I can help you,"Lexis says from behind the duo.

"What?" Hera says temporarily confused releasing Shakespeare from her hold.

"Your hair?" Lexis replies.

Shakespeare sneaks to the closest chair and takes a seat.

"I don't need help," Hera says reaching out to collect the scrunchie, her right foot forward and her left raised up due to the distance between them to allow her lean in. The pain from the burn causes her to loose balance pushing her left foot forward while her hands reach out looking for the closest thing to grab for stability and support, the closest thing being... Lexis.

Hera looks up at Lexis as her whole body reacts to the shock of almost falling and coming in contact with his body.

Lexis looks down at her and tilts his head.

"Seems to me you do need help, mine to be specific," He says.

Hera tries to get off his body but his hand snakes around her waist holding onto her.

Hera looks down at his hands then his face.

"What are you doing?" She asks.

"Helping," He replies leaning in.

"I said I don't need your help," Hera says leaning back.

"Stay still, it'll only be a minute," Lexis says ignoring her refusal while raising his hands and pulling her in.

He raises his free hand hesitating for a second before his fingers come in contact with her neck as he lifts a few strands of hair.

Hera bites her lips at the contact as her eyelashes flutter.

Lexis places his face next to the side of her face.

"Calm down," He whispers in her ear upon seeing the goosebumps against her neck and noting the stiffness of her body.

But she couldn't, she wasn't even sure she knew how to breathe. Her fists on his chest curl up.

His hand runs through her hair each run slow and steady while the other stays glued to her waist. His fingers then run through the back of her ear taking every wild hair. His fingers slowly move down, tracing her skin and lingering as he pulls the hair strands back down her neck. 

The hand around her waist finally makes it's way up to her neck as he packs the hair up with the scrunchie. Once done he places his hands on her shoulders and bends to her ear.

"You can breathe now," He whispers before letting her go.

***
Readers...

You can breathe now 😂😂😂😂
Ok I'm done 😂

I just got a MacBook today! It's an early birthday gift to myself prior to my birthday this Sunday. What's the best birthday gift you've ever gifted yourself or gotten?