Justin listened carefully. Then he turned pale and his knees begun shaking. His head started spinning and he felt like throwing up any moment. It felt like a nightmare. He was sure this must be just a very bad dream. It just couldn’t be true. 

„You’re still with her, right?“ Eric asked.

„Yes.“ 

„Find a reason to leave her alone for a moment. Let’s meet in the hallway.“

„Okay.“ 

Justin finished his call with Eric. Eve was completely distracted from Jake, staring adoringly in his pretty little face. She felt nothing else, but pure love and happiness. 

Justin watched her for a moment, trying to figure out what to do next. His eyes were swimming. 

„Is Josh here?“ She asked, her eyes still focusing on her baby. 

„Pull yourself together. You can’t confront he with the truth. Not now…“ He was thinking. 

„Yes…“

Justin wiped away his tears and faked a smile. 

„Hey listen, I need to see the restroom. Can I leave you alone for a minute?“

She glanced at him, smiling back. 

„Of course.“

He hurried outside. The door closed itself. He bent his upper body, holding his thighs. His breath turned out of control and his dizziness gone worse. He grabbed the next wall and realized he needed to sit down urgently. His body slid down the wall slowly. 

„Dear god… why…“ He talked to himself, while tears were running down his cheeks again.

Eric and Kristin saw Justin sitting at the floor from distance. They hurried into his direction and stopped in front of him. He lifted his head, looking into their faces. 

Eric looked horrified. Justin noticed that his hands were shaking. Kristin was wiping her tears away with a tissue. Her make up was completely blurred. 

„Is my daughter in that room?“ Kristin sobbed, pointing at the door next to Justin.

He nodded. 

„Did you tell her what happened?“ 

Justin shook his head. 

„What are we doing now, Justin… I can’t tell her… I just can’t…“ Eric said with breaking voice. 

„I’ll talk to her. I’m her mother.“ Kristin replied. 

Both looked at her for a moment.

„You want us to join you?“ Justin asked carefully. 

„It’s up to you.“ 

Kristin tried to pull herself together somehow. She put away her tissue, closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Then she walked towards the door. Justin stood up and looked at Eric. Both decided joining her. 

In the same moment the doctor and the nurses came outside, to give Eve and her baby some privacy.

„So? Daddy and grandma finally arrived?“ The doctor said happily, looking at Eric and Kristin. They glanced at the doctor, without responding. Then all of them entered the room, with Kristin walking ahead.

Eve smiled all over her face. 

„I can’t believe you came to Los Angeles, mom! It’s so good to see you!“ She cheered. 

Kristin cracked a smile. Justin and Eric tried their best to pull themselves together, as well. 

When Kristin arrived at her bed, she bent towards Eve and kissed her head gently. Then she looked at Jake and caressed his little head. 

„Oh Eve, your little boy adorable.“ Kristin said and started crying again. 

„I know. I’m so in love with him.“ Eve replied. 

Then she looked at Justin and Eric.

„Why you didn’t bring Josh?“

Both men just stared at the floor. Kristin took a deep breath. Eve frowned. 

„What’s going on?“ She asked irritated. „Where is my husband?“ 

„You need to be very brave, kid. Do you hear me?“ Kristin said. 

Eve looked at her, while her heart started racing. 

„Mom? What happened?“ She stammered.

„Joshua…“ Kristin’s voice was breaking. „He…“ 

„MOM! TELL ME!“

„He fell down the stairs in your house. It happened during the earthquake. Your housekeeper found him, lying unconscious on the floor.“

Eve’s world suddenly turned upside down. She felt like being trapped in a wrong reality. Nothing made any sense to her. Her whole body started shaking.

„What did you say…“ She whispered. 

„Joshua got seriously hurt, darling. He stopped breathing. The housekeeper gave him first aid until the ambulance arrived. It took them ages because of the traffic. As they finally arrived they needed to call for a helicopter as the situation was very serious. They almost lost him on their way…“

„Mom… no… please no…“ Eve whined. 

„In the emergency room they found out that his neck got fractured. They brought him immediately into surgery…“ 

„What…? Is this a joke…? His neck…?“ Eve said in pure disbelief. 

Her mind was suddenly drifting away. She was back in 2016 and heard the doctor explaining to her what happened to Tom after their tragical car crash.

„Your husband’s neck got fractured. He died before the ambulance arrived. I’m deeply regretting we didn’t have the chance to save him, Mrs. Miller.“ 

Justin and Eric were watching the scene with tears in their eyes. Kristin embraced her daughter’s head and kissed her hair gently. 

„You need to be very strong now, Eve. You need to be strong for your son.“ She whispered.

Eve stared at Jake, who was still sleeping peacefully in her arms. Then she looked at Justin.

„He will be okay. Please say he will be okay…“ She begged with breaking voice. 

Justin came a few steps closer and sat down at the edge of her bed.

„The best doctors work in that clinic. They’ll fix him.“ He said, trying to sound convincing. 

Eve stared at him and nodded. 

„They’ll fix him… they’ll fix him…“ She repeated. 

Three hours later Eve was sitting in the waiting room, with Jake on her arm. Kristin was sitting next to her, caressing her grandson’s head carefully. Justin and Eric were running up and down the hall. All of them were terribly nervous as Josh was still in surgery. 

„I can’t take it anymore…“ Eve suddenly sobbed. 

„Oh, darling. I know, it’s unbearable. But the nurse said they’re still operating.“ Kristin replied.

Eve started crying badly. This wasn’t her first mental break down since she learned about Josh’s accident. 

„What about making a short walk in the garden to catch some fresh air?“ Her mom suggested.

„No, I need to be here.“

„Just for few minutes to clear your mind, hm?“ 

Justin came closer and knelt down next to Eve. 

„Come on, M. I’ll go with you. The exit is right there. We’ll be back in a second, if necessary.“ He encouraged her. 

Eve finally agreed. Carefully she put Jake into her mother’s arms. Justin helped her standing up. She felt abnormally exhausted. He put his arm around her waist to support her and went with her outside slowly. 

Kristin and Eric watched them disappear. 

„Justin… why is this happening to me again? What did I do to deserve all of that?“ Eve cried. 

Justin stopped and turned into her direction. Then he cupped her face with both hands gently. 

„I can’t explain, M. But you don’t deserve any of this.“ He said calmly. 

„When I lose him…“ Eve said, not being able finishing the sentence. 

„You’re not losing him. He will be good.“ 

„His neck is fractured, Justin. Are you aware of what that means? Even if he survives this surgery…“

„Stop thinking about those stuff, M. You hear me?“ 

Eve suddenly embraced his waist and pushed herself close to his body. He put his arms around her, holding her tight. 

„I’m so scared, Justin…“

He kissed her head softly.

„I know. But things will be fine. He will be okay…“