Souls Remember What Matters — Corey Gibson 25

Chapter 25 – What It Takes 

SERA 

The hospital room was filled with flowers and get–well cards when we arrived. Vivienne looked pale against the white sheets, but she managed a weak smile when she saw us in the doorway. 

“Luna!” she said softly, her voice hoarse but warm. “You came to see me. 

“Miss Vivienne!” Luna broke away from my hand and ran to the bedside, her yellow dress bright against the sterile hospital room. “I was so worried about you! Are you feeling better?” 

“Much better now that you’re here, sweetheart.” Vivienne’s eyes filled with tears as Luna carefully climbed onto the chair beside her bed. “You look so pretty in that dress.” 

I stayed by the door, watching the interaction with a hollow yet aching feeling in my chest. Darius moved to the other side of the room, his hands shoved deep in his pockets, looking uncomfortable. 

“Daddy brought you flowers,” Luna announced, pointing to the bouquet in Darius’s hands. “And I drew you a picture!” 

“Did you? I can’t wait to see it.” Vivienne accepted the drawing from Luna’s small hands, studying it with exaggerated interest. “Is this you and me playing piano?” 

“Yes! And see, I drew hearts because you’re sick and hearts make people feel better.” 

Something got caught in my throat, almost suffocating as watched them together. Luna was so innocent, so genuinely caring. She had no idea she was being used as a weapon in a war between adults. 

“Sera,” Vivienne said suddenly, looking at me across the room. “Thank you for bringing Luna to see me. I know this must be difficult for you.” 

“It’s no trouble,” I replied evenly. “Luna wanted to come.” 

“Still.” Vivienne’s smile was sweet, but there was something sharp underneath it. “I hope I can return the favor someday. Maybe when you’re the one who needs help.” 

The words sounded innocent enough, but I heard the threat. Darius either didn’t catch it or chose to ignore it. 

“I need to use the restroom,” Vivienne said after a few more minutes of Luna chattering about her week. “Sera, would you mind helping me? The nurses are so busy, and Darius shouldn’t…” She trailed off with a delicate blush. 

I wanted to refuse. Every instinct told me not to be alone with this woman. But with Luna watching and Darius there, I couldn’t think of a polite way to say no. 

“Of course,” I said. 

The bathroom was small and cramped. I helped Vivienne with her IV stand, keeping my distance while she took care of what she needed. When she was washing her hands, she looked at me in the mirror. 

“How was your evening last night?” she asked casually. 

My blood went cold. “Fine.” 

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“Really? Because Darius looked pretty disheveled when he got here.” She dried her hands slowly, taking her time. “His shirt was buttoned wrong, his hair was a mess. Almost like he’d gotten dressed in a hurry.” 

I didn’t respond, but my silence was apparently answer enough. 

“Oh,” she said with fake sympathy. “He left you for me again, didn’t he?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.” 

“Of course you do.” Vivienne turned to face me directly, and the sweet, fragile mask slipped completely. “You were probably in bed together, finally having that moment you’ve been desperately trying to recreate, and then I needed him. And he chose me.” 

My hands clenched into fists at my sides. “You’re sick.” 

“Yes, I am. Dying, actually.” She stepped closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “But even dying, I’m still more important to him than you are. Even dying, I can pull him away from your bed and bring him running to mine.” 

“Stop.” 

“He still loves me, Sera. He always has, always will. You were just… convenient. A placeholder until I came back. “Her smile was vicious now. “You must have known that deep down. Haven’t you always wondered why he was so quick to marry you? Why he never really fought for us when I left?” 

Each word was like a knife twisting in my chest, but I kept my face blank. I wouldn’t give her the satisfaction of seeing how much she was hurting me. 

“He married you because his grandfather wanted him to settle down. Because I wasn’t available and you were there, sweet and eager and willing to accept whatever scraps of attention he threw your way.” 

“Are you finished?” My voice came out steady, which surprised us both. 

“Almost.” Vivienne moved even closer, close enough that I could smell her perfume. “He’ll never love you the way he loves me. You’ll always be second choice, second best. And now that I’m back, now that my time is limited, you don’t even matter at all.” 2 

I looked at this woman who had haunted my marriage from the beginning, who had used her illness and her history with Darius to systematically destroy my self–worth, and I felt something cold settle in my chest. 

“You’re right,” I said quietly. 

She blinked, clearly not expecting that response. 

“You’re absolutely right about everything,” I continued. “I was convenient. I was a placeholder. I do come second.” I smiled, and it felt sharp on my lips. “But you know what’s funny about that?” 

“What?” 

“You’re dying, and I’m not. You can have him for whatever time you have left, but I’ll still be here when you’re gone. I’ll still be Luna’s mother. I’ll still be the one who picks up the pieces when your grand love story ends.” 

Vivienne’s face went white. 

“But I won’t be,” I added thoughtfully. “Because I’m done being second choice. I’m done being anyone’s 

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placeholder. When you’re gone, he’ll be alone with his guilt and his memories, wondering why his wife finally got tired of fighting for scraps.” 

I moved toward the door, then paused and looked back at her. 

“Enjoy your victory, Vivienne. I hope it’s everything you dreamed it would be.” 

The ride home was quiet except for Luna’s chatter about how brave Miss Vivienne was being and how she hoped the flowers would help her feel better. I made appropriate responses, but my mind was elsewhere, planning my exit strategy. 

After dinner, I gave Luna her bath and read her three bedtime stories instead of the usual one. She was extra clingy tonight, maybe sensing something was different, and I held her longer than usual after tucking her in. 

“Mommy, are you going away again?” she asked as I kissed her goodnight. 

“Just for a little while, baby. But I’ll always come back to you, okay? You’re the most important thing in the world to me.” 

“More important than Daddy?” 

The question broke my heart. “You and Daddy are both very important to me in different ways. But you, Luna, you’re my everything.” 

She seemed satisfied with that answer and drifted off to sleep with a small smile on her face. 

I knew what to do next. I was going to find Darius and I was going to tell him I wanted a divorce, I was going to end this once and for all. 

Before I lost too much of myself to this pain, before I lost sight of who I truly was. 

I found Darius in the living room, nursing a glass of whiskey and staring at nothing. He looked up when I walked in, his green eyes hopeful. 

“How did it go putting Luna to bed?” 

“Fine.” I sat down across from him, putting the coffee table between us like a barrier. “She asked if I was going away again.” 

“What did you tell her?” 

“The truth. That I was leaving but I’d always come back to her.” 

Darius set down his glass and leaned forward. “Sera, about today, about everything. I want to-” 

“I’m leaving tomorrow morning.” I announced calmly. Darius‘ eyes went wide, he shook his head, reaching for 

“Sera, no. No, we can fix this. We were making progress last night before-” 

“Before you left me for her. Again.” I stood up, wrapping my arms around myself. “I’m done, Darius. I’m flying back to New York tomorrow morning, I have a job to get back to,” I added, willing myself not to waver and just 

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come out with it. 

Just tell him, Sera. 

“You can’t.” He stood up too, moving toward me. “Luna needs both her parents. We can work this out, go to counseling, whatever you want-” 

“Luna needs parents who respect each other. Who can co–parent without destroying each other.” I stepped back when he got too close. “I don’t think me being here is good for either of us,” I said with a surprisingly firm voice. 

“I want to move to New York,” he said suddenly. 

I stopped moving, sure I’d heard him wrong. “What?” 

“I want to move to New York. With Luna. With you.” His words were coming fast now, desperate. “I can run the East Coast operations from there, if that’s what it takes, Sera.” 

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