Run, Girl (If You Can) Chapter 396 - Applying Himself

Keeley still hadn't woken up by the time a secretary brought Aaron his phone. He texted Alice to let her know he wouldn't be back until she was conscious. She replied that Jennica had taken the kids because they didn't handle the news that their mother was in the hospital well.
He sighed heavily. Of course they hadn't. Keeley was the best mother in the whole world and the twins idolized her.
Aaron really should go check on the kids but he couldn't bear to leave his wife when she looked so defenseless. Or the new baby, who was even more defenseless. Both of them nearly died today. He wasn't willing to let either one of them out of his sight.
He ended up sending a text to Jennica, asking her if she wanted to bring the kids over.
'Is she awake?' she asked back.
'Not yet. I can't leave until she does. I don't want her to be alone'
'I'll bring them by. If she still hasn't woken up by bedtime the twins are welcome to sleep over at my house'
'Thanks Jennica'
He put his phone back in his pocket and went back to holding Keeley's hand. Right now it was his lifeline. He needed to see the rise and fall of her chest, hear the heart monitor beeping, and feel the slight twitch of her fingers every now and then. It was all proof she was still with him.
Oliver began to fuss. He was hungry but Aaron had nothing to feed him with because the source of milk was out cold. He ended up ringing for a nurse and explaining the situation.
The nurse ended up finding him a bottle and some newborn formula used as a supplement for mothers with babies in the NICU who couldn't breastfeed them all the time. Once he was fed and burped he went back to sleep fairly quickly.
She scrutinized him. "Sir, have you put the baby down at all since coming in here?"
"No."
"…hasn't your arm gone numb?"
"Yes."
"Do you want to put him down in his bed? He'll be fine," the nurse suggested kindly.
"No, I would prefer to keep holding him."
She looked at him like he was nuts before shaking her head and leaving. She couldn't understand it but Aaron needed to be holding the baby to keep him sane. The second he put Oliver down, he would feel like the baby was going to disappear.
This whole incident was going to make his separation anxiety from his wife so much worse, he just knew it. But these things did happen. Car accidents that weren't intentional murder happened every day and life went on.
Today Keeley got hurt and the driver died—he found that out from a different nurse—in place of someone else. The original accident had involved nine cars as well. The universe compensated for the gap somehow.
People lived. People died. It was all so random and yet he and Keeley had been chosen to get a second chance. Where there other people out there like them, living out their lives over again without anyone else being the wiser?
Aaron still couldn't believe Aiden actually figured it out on his own. The kid was a genius though so he shouldn't have been too shocked. He merely chose not to apply himself in most situations.
In his first life, he found Anomaly as a twenty-six year old living with his mom who hadn't even bothered going to community college. He did nothing but play video games and worked at the same shop David the computer repairman did.
Their first encounter was because Anomaly hacked through Hale Investments' firewalls just for fun to see if he could. When Aaron caught him and asked him why, he claimed it was because he was bored and one of the other hackers in the dark web dared him to. He couldn't resist a dare.
At that point Aaron offered him a one-time job as a consultant strengthening the firewalls he hacked for a flat fee of $10,000 if he did him a little favor first. Also paid. Anomaly hadn't been able to resist.
Aiden had put his brains to the test much more in this life since he started working for Aaron so young. Instead of simply messing around with other hackers online and seeing what they could get away with, he actually applied himself.
Come to think of it, it was actually quite likely he still knew Nova in his first life from all that online gaming but they never got to meet in person because neither of them could afford it. Aaron knew he had changed the kid's life but usually didn't put much thought into it beyond that.
But today had showed how much Aiden truly valued him. He felt his friend's care rather strongly in everything he did after they bumped into each other during his frantic rush out the door. As annoying as he could be, Aaron was grateful to have him in his corner.
Despite all the burning questions about rebirth he had to have, Aiden hardly asked any. That nosy guy hadn't pried too deeply into Aaron's business, which was more than a little surprising. He had read the mood and acted accordingly like a good friend.
The people surrounding him in this life were so different than before. Cameron and Aiden were the first male friends he ever had. The love of his lives married him again and gave him three beautiful children. Almost all of the unpleasant people he ever had to deal with were now completely out of his life to boot.
Aaron leaned over to give Keeley a brief kiss on the lips because of how overwhelmed with gratitude he felt to have her with him. She scrunched her nose briefly before opening her eyes.
"Aaron?" she asked groggily.
His heart leapt to his throat at the sound of her voice. She was awake. She was finally awake! He was about to tell her that yes, he was right here, when a gleeful little voice rang from the doorway.
"I knew it! Daddy is a prince! Mommy woke up!"