by Cat Mann
****
Ari, Max and I went up to the hospital first thing in the morning to check on Aggie. We were, as usual, the last ones to arrive. For once, the tardiness wasn’t my fault but Max’s – he had finally decided sleeping in was safe and Ari hadn’t had the heart to wake him.
By the time we arrived, Aggie had woken up and she was weary and confused. Margaux had been amazing through the whole experience and had explained to Aggie as best as she could what had happened to her. Margaux was an incredibly strong person and had taken No. 7 on willingly when I was a child. She battled No. 7 for eighteen years and he had become almost as much a prisoner to her as she was to him. Margaux felt horrible that he had escaped; she had planned to be his final host no matter what it meant for her. My relationship with my grandmother changed overnight. I owed her my life. She did for me what no one else was capable of doing. She was just leaving Aggie’s room when we arrived.
She smiled warmly at Ari, Max and me. We stopped and Ari wrapped his free arm around Margaux.
“Thank you for keeping the love of my life safe. I owe you so much. Ava is my whole universe.”
“She’s mine, too, Ari.” My grandmother said quietly.
My eyes were burning with hot tears. I was at a loss for words. Margaux pulled me into her arms and I sobbed.
“I can’t wait to be your grandma, Ava.”
Ari and I walked in to Aggie’s room and I was incredibly apprehensive. When last I had seen Aggie, I had just stabbed her in the heart with a pair of scissors. She flashed us a beautiful smile and opened her arms up for a hug.
“Oh, Ava Baby! I had no idea; please forgive me for everything. I love you so much. I would never hurt you.”
“I know, Aggie. I know you wouldn’t. I love you, too.”
“I’m sorry,” Aggie and I both said at the same time.
“Piase Kokkino!” We both nearly shouted and we each quickly touched the red roses on Aggie’s bedside table with a relieved sigh.
Ari set Max down so he could hug his mom. He had a deep crease set in his forehead.
“I’m okay, Ari. You don’t have to worry about me.”
Max climbed up on a rolling stool and pulled his way over to Aggie’s bed. He popped his head up over the side and waved at her.
“Hi, Aggie.”
“Oh, Max!” She cried.
Aggie was released that very afternoon. No damage had been done to her heart. There was a small hole in her chest that had been stitched up, she had some memory loss from the last few weeks but that was all. No. 7 was gone and we were free to live without fear of the seventh Kakos.