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The first thing Norma Bates noticed when she woke up was that she was alone, completely alone in a bed that was not her own. Fear flooded her and she shuffled her legs, her stomach rolling when she realised her legs were bare and she was in a different outfit to the one she fell asleep in. She kept her eyes squeezed shut, not wanting to open them and find out what had happened to her. What had happened to her? The last thing she remembered was curling into bed, trying to sleep off her heartache and the strange lightness of her ring finger, and Norman laying down behind her.
Norman.
Where the hell was Norman?
That made her panic increase. She forced her eyes open, ignoring the dizziness that suddenly hit her, and looked around. She was in the hospital, that much she knew. She wasn’t in her chemise anymore but a scratching hospital gown, an IV in her arm and many heart monitor leads attached to her chest. Where was Norman? What the hell happened? The question swirled around and around in her mind. She tried to push herself up but her muscles ached, like someone was weighing them down with lead. Behind her, she could hear the beeping of her heart monitoring increasing, beeping rapidly and making her head start to pound. Her monitor was being for less than thirty seconds before the door burst open.
She looked up, seeing a doctor run inside, and behind them, she caught sight of a panicked looking Alex. She tried to force a smile onto her face, hoping to reassure him, but then again he wasn’t in here. If he was really worried about her, he would be in here with her, surely? Or had he found her note? The one where she gave back his mother’s wedding ring. Why would he want to come in to visit her after the things she’d shouted at him in his office? He must just be here on official police business. He was the Sheriff after all. Tears welled in her eyes and she averted her gaze, missing the way his face crumpled and a tear fell down his cheek.
“Mrs Bates.” A doctor said, a kind looking blonde woman. “Hi, I’m Dr Grey.”
Norma nodded, still looking around nervously. “What happened? Why am I here? Where’s Norman?” She fired off question after question, not asking the one question she desperately wanted to ask which was why won’t Alex come in here?
“Mrs Bates, I’m going to need you to take a deep breath.” Dr Grey said, putting her hand on Norma’s shoulder and coaching her through a couple of breathing exercises.
Once she was calm, Norma slumped back against the pillows. The adrenaline seemed to have rushed out of her and she was suddenly well aware of just how much pain she was in. Previously, it was a low thrum through her bones and blood, now it was a sharp throbbing. “Ow.” She whined, pressing her hand to her head.
Dr Grey nodded with a sigh, noting something down in her chart. “Mrs Bates-“
“Norma. Please.”
“Okay then, Norma. You’ve been treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. You’d inhaled deadly amounts and it’s lucky that the Sheriff found you when he did.”
Norma’s jaw dropped open. “Alex found me?” She whispered, tears welling in her eyes again. Why had he come to the house? Why wasn’t he in here with her? If he saved her, did that mean he still loved her, even after the horrid words she’d shouted at him?
Grey nodded. “He gave you CPR until the ambulance arrived. You woke up before the ambulance arrived but fell unconscious on the way to the hospital. You’ve been unconscious for the past eighteen hours, receiving one hundred percent oxygen through a mask for half of that, before your stats improved and we switched you to a nasal cannula.”
“I don’t- carbon monoxide poisoning?” How on Earth had that happened? She remembered the guy that fixed the furnace telling her about it, that the old furnace would cause a deadly gas leak if used, but no one else knew that. So how the hell did she end up with carbon monoxide poisoning?
“Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to tell you how you ended up in this situation, only that your stats have been improving steadily. We’re going to keep you under observation for the next week, depending on your progress, you may do a couple of visits to our hyperbaric chamber.”
Norma nodded, trying to make sense of everything that she was being told even as her head swam. “Can you send the Sheriff in?” She asked, feeling slightly nauseous at calling him Sheriff and not husband. Even though they were legally wed, it still felt wrong, especially since he wasn’t in here when she woke up, holding her hand.
A shadow passed over Grey’s face and she nodded. “Of course, let me grab him.” She said, leaving the room.
Norma muttered her thanks and strained her ears to listen to the conversation going on outside. Maybe she would get some answers that way.
“She asked for you, Sheriff Romero, so you can go in now.”
“You should have let me be in there when she woke up. Not forcing her to ask for her husband.”
“She asked for the Sheriff. Not her husband.”
Norma rearranged the blanket as she listened to Alex snap an aggressive thanks at the doctor, wanting to make herself presentable as possible. She looked up when the door opened and didn’t need to force the smile onto her face at the sight of her husband. She’d missed him. God, had she missed him. “Alex.” She whispered, reaching a hand out to him, as she tried her hardest to swallow back her tears.
He shifted uncomfortably in the doorway, his hands in his pockets, and looked around. “I’m glad you’re okay, Norma.” He said with the same formal tone he used before they were married, when he’d threatened to burn her down to the ground. But he did take her outstretched hand, holding it gently.
“Is Norman okay?” She asked, hating herself as soon as the words left her mouth. A whimper left her mouth when he jerked his hand back from hers. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Why had she asked that question? Norman was the reason they’d fought, the reason she’d spat words at him, words she didn’t mean. All she wanted was to go back to normal, go back to yesterday or the day before when everything was good, when they were happy, when they were together. Would they ever be together again? Or was he going to serve divorce papers? What a Christmas present that would be.
“He’s down at the station.”
“What? Why?” Norma baulked, her mouth dropping open. “Why is he there?”
“We found his prints on the furnace and you already know you’ve been treated for carbon monoxide poisoning. My deputies also told me he has just now confessed to what he did.” Alex said and there was a genuine sadness to his tone.
Norma blinked, not understanding what he was saying. “What did Norman do? What about the furnace?” She asked, sitting up even more against the pillows and narrowing her eyes at him.
Alex scrubbed a hand over his face, looking anywhere but her. “He tried to kill you, Norma.” His voice caught and tears filled his eyes. “I went back to the house.”
She blinked, not missing the way he didn’t call it home. That seemed more final than any argument they’d had. Over the past two weeks, her home had become his home and now it was back to being called a house. She swallowed hard, willing away the tears that were filling her eyes.
“And all of the vents were closed, apart from the one in your room. You were- you were laying there.” He choked on his words and a tear slipped down his face. “He was behind you. You were pale, you were dying, Norma. I dragged you out of there and did CPR. It took forever but you finally woke up.” He turned away from her and she saw him furiously swiping at his face, like he was weak for crying over the woman he loved almost dying in his arms. He did still love her, right?
She stared at him, not quite understanding what Norman had to do with it. “Why do you think it was Norman who tried to kill me?”
He glared at her. “We found his prints on the furnace and he admitted it. He wanted to take you away, somewhere the two of you could be happy together.” He snapped. “He wanted to take you away from me. Not that he needed to do that, we were already over.”
She gasped, heart breaking in two as he confirmed what she’d feared. “Alex.” She whimpered, reaching for him as his phone buzzed.
He glanced at it before deflating. “I have to go. My deputies will be in soon to take your statement and better explain what happened.” He made his way over to the door and she thought he was going to leave without another word until he turned, a sad smile on his face. “Goodbye Norma.” He said and his tone was so final, like he wasn’t going to come back.
“Alex!” She shouted after him, tears slipping down her face. “Alex!” She screamed before descending into a coughing fit. Her breath came in quick, short, sharp gasps and she clutched at her chest, nails digging into her skin. She pulled her legs up to her chest and buried her face in her knees, sobbing loudly. What the hell had just happened? She didn’t want to believe that what he’d said was true — that Norman had tried to kill her. Not her sweet boy, her beloved Norman. Well, deep down, she knew it was possible. Ever since that phone call she’d made to Alex when Norman was threatening her with the gun, a part of her had been scared of her son. The only person that made her feel safe was Alex, and then she’d ruined it, ruined them, by shouting at him. She’d said such horrible things.
No one who loves me could ever do this to me.
I will never trust you again.
The words rang around and around in her head as she sobbed, gasping for air. In the span of twenty four hours, she’d lost the two men who loved her more than anything — her husband and her son. Why hadn’t she listened to Alex? Deep down, she knew that Norman was dangerous, ever since he’d threatened her with a gun, she knew what he was capable of. But it was one thing knowing it and a completely different thing hearing it said by someone else. And she’d just flipped, gone on the defensive because it was so strange, so unusual, someone putting her first, someone caring for her. It was a flimsy excuse, this she knew, and there was no way Alex would accept it.
Not that he needed to do that, we were already over.
Goodbye Norma.
His words from moments ago joined hers from earlier today, her heart breaking completely in two. A part of her wished that Norman had succeeded, that Alex had never come to find her because she didn’t know how to live in a world with this heartbreak.
How was she meant to live in a world where her son tried to kill her and her husband, the love of her life, no longer wanted to be with her?
****
The next time she woke, she wasn’t alone. They weren’t holding her hand, they weren’t even anywhere near her, but there was still someone in the room with her. She blinked, trying to clear the sleep from her vision and try and figure out who it was. She hoped it was Alex, she wanted to talk through everything with him. Her face fell when she saw Dylan curled up in the corner chair. The last time she’d spoken to Dylan, they’d said horrible things to each other and he’d said he never wanted to see her again. Why was he here? Was he just here to rub it in her face that he was right, that Norman was dangerous? Maybe he wasn’t. Maybe he realised that they’d both been in the wrong but that he wanted to try. She wanted to try and have a relationship with her son, no matter what happened he was still her son. “Dylan?” She whispered his name before she could stop herself.
He sat up, his eyes going wide. “Norma?” He got up and moved to the chair next to her bed. “Are you okay?”
“What are you doing here?” She asked, warmth spreading through her when he took her hand. “Dylan.”
“Romero called me, told me what happened. And Emma practically forced me to come here. She would’ve come herself but you know, lung transplant recovery is not fun.” He added with a chuckle, squeezing her hand tightly.
Norma nodded and pulled her hand from his. Of course, he was only here because Emma wanted him to see her. So much for her hope of wanting something to go well for her. “Okay. Well, you’ve seen me, so you can go now.” She said, crossing her arms over her chest, and turned her head away, not wanting to watch someone else leaving her.
“I don’t want to go. I know what I said when we fought, but you are my mom.” He said, taking her hand and lacing their fingers together. “If Romero hadn’t found you, if you had died I would’ve been heartbroken that you died.”
Her mouth dropped open and she turned to face him. “You would?” She asked, squeezing his hand tightly. Maybe she hadn’t lost everything.
“I would. I know we’ve had a rough time, and repairing whatever’s wrong between us is going to take a lot of work. But I want to try.” He smiled at her.
Her face crumpled as she tried not to cry. “I’m sorry I wasn’t a good mother to you. I’m so sorry for the way I treated you once Norman was born. I should’ve never done that. You are my son, and I love you. I know I didn’t show it in the best of ways but I do.” She said, smiling at him through teary eyes. Her smile grew wider when Dylan nodded with a smile. “I’d like to work on our relationship too, if that’s still something you want.”
“I do.” He stood up and pulled her into a hug. “I’m not calling you Mom just yet though.” He said into her hair.
She laughed and shoved his chest. “I expect nothing less from you.” She grinned as they broke apart.
“You know Alex is outside, pacing a hole in the floor.” Dylan said, sitting back on the chair and resting his feet up on her bed. “I’m surprised he’s not here right now, doting on you.”
Norma felt tears slip down her face before she could stop them and she buried her head in her hands. If she hadn’t been so blinded in her need to protect Norman, Alex would be here, he would be doting on her. All because she’d been an idiot and messed up. She could hear Dylan checking on her, begging her to tell him what’s wrong, but she couldn’t get her mouth to form words. All she wanted was to have Alex here with her, to hold her and try and get rid of the pain that was still a dull ache all over her body.
“Norma, please breathe.” Dylan begged, sounding the exact same as the little three year old him that would want to crawl into bed with her when he had a nightmare. “Please, Norma, you gotta breathe.”
She tried to suck a deep breath, but every time she did, all she could think about was Alex. He was out there, he was outside in the waiting room but not here. Why wasn’t he here? Why hadn’t he come in here? “I can’t.” She whimpered, wanting nothing more than to be wrapped up in Alex’s arms. He was out there, so close yet so far.
“Okay, breathe, I’m going to get Alex. Stay there.” Dylan said before sprinting out of the room.
The next few minutes passed in a blur, she could barely hear or breathe or see, but then there were arms wrapped around her. Arms she knew all too well in. Arms that always made her feel safe and comforted. “Alex?” She whimpered, tucking her face into its usual spot between his neck and shoulders.
“It’s me, Norma.” He said softly and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “I’m here, it’s okay. Everything’s okay.”
She clung to him, her fingers holding him as tightly as she could, trying to listen to his breathing. Slowly she started to calm down but her grip on him never loosened. If this was the last time she was going to hold him, she never wanted it to end. She couldn’t let it end, not until she’d explained everything and begged him to take her back. She’d grovel for the rest of her life if it meant they could stay together. A cry escaped her when she felt his grip on her loosen. “No. Please, don’t leave me.”
“I’m not leaving.” He said, rubbing her back gently. “I’m just getting comfortable.” He shifted fully onto the bed and pulled her into his lap, holding her tightly.
“I’m so sorry.” She sobbed, clinging to him once again. “I’m so sorry.”
He squeezed her tightly and shook his head. “Norma, I-” He began but she cut him off.
“I know what I said. I know. I’m so sorry. I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean it, I do trust you. I trust you more than I’ve ever trusted anyone. I was nervous and scared. It’s always been me and Norman, for years. I just wanted to protect him. I got scared you were going to take him away from me. But you were right. He’s dangerous. He tried to kill me. I should’ve listened to you. I’m so sorry.” She sobbed into his neck, her breathing coming in short, sharp gasps. She knew she should take a breath and let him speak, but she couldn’t risk it. She needed to get all of these words out and explain to him before he walked away from her forever. The only way she could even imagine beginning to get closure over their relationship would be if she got everything off her chest. “I know you said we’re over. But I love you. I love you so much. I’ve already lost my son, I can’t lose you too, I won’t. Please. I’ll spend the rest of my life begging for your forgiveness if that’s what it takes, but please don’t leave me.” All her life, she’d begged men to leave, begged men to let her go, but she’d never begged someone to stay. She’d never done a lot of things until she met Alex Romero.
“Norma, I can’t-“
She silenced him with a finger over his lips, a sad smile on her face. She knew that tone. It was the tone of a man that was going to leave. “Okay. Okay, I get it. I deserve it. You’re going to leave, I deserve it, it’s okay. Can you- can you just wait till I’m asleep? You can leave then and I’ll get the divorce papers drawn up. I just- I- I- I can’t watch you leave.”
“Norma, I’m not-”
“Please, Alex. If you have even the smallest bit of love for me left, please just let me have this.” She begged, looking at him with pleading blue eyes. “Please, Alex.”
He sighed and nodded, finally relenting. “Okay. Okay, Norma, I’ll wait till you’re asleep.”
A brief thought crossed her mind that maybe she should just never fall asleep again. But that would be cruel. She loved him and she wanted him to be happy. And he wanted to leave. If him being happy meant him leaving her, she would have to come to terms with being okay with that. No matter how much that thought made it feel like her heart was getting ripped out of her chest. She forced a smile onto her face and pressed a kiss to his cheek. “Thank you.”
He kissed her forehead. “You’re welcome.”
“I was so looking forward to our first Christmas together.”
“Me too, Norma. Me too.”
****
When she woke up again, she was alone. She didn’t want to open her eyes, didn’t want to face a world where she didn’t have Alex in her life. How silly was that? They’d only been married two weeks but at the time she’d thought they would have forever. If she’d known… if she’d known she would have savored it more. She heard the door to her hospital room open but she kept her eyes squeezed tightly shut, not wanting anyone to bother her. Her ears perked up when she heard hushed voices and shuffling feet.
“Put it over there.”
“No, that’s stupid it should go there.”
“Ssh, you’re gonna wake her up.”
That sounded like Alex and Emma and Dylan. What the hell was going on? Was this just a delayed reaction to the carbon monoxide? Was she so desperate not to be alone that she was hallucinating her son and her husband and the woman she saw as her daughter? God what was wrong with her? A clattering to her left made her jump and she hoped whoever was in her room didn’t notice.
“Emma!” That definitely sounded like Alex. “You’ll wake her up!”
“Hey! Don’t blame the girl recovering from a lung transplant.” That was Dylan.
“I’m not an invalid, Dylan.” Emma huffed out.
Norma frowned and peeked one eye open.
Dylan and Emma were standing beside the box of Christmas decorations that had been in the attic. That must have been what the clattering sound was. Alex looked like an idiot, her idiot, but an idiot nonetheless holding a giant plastic Christmas tree. What were they doing?
Alex sat the Christmas tree down on the cabinet, putting his hands on his hips. “Do we try to decorate?”
Emma nodded, grinning eagerly. “That way when she wakes up it’ll be perfect for her!”
“But not the tree.” Dylan said softly, glancing up at the tree. “That’s her favourite part of Christmas — decorating the tree. She’ll be miffed if we do it for her.”
Norma’s heart melted and she fought hard to keep the smile off her face. She didn’t think Dylan noticed. As soon as he’d hit his teenage years, he’d stopped wanting to be involved in Christmas things with her, Norman and Sam. At the time, she hadn’t understood but had just let it happen. At the time, all she’d been worried about was making sure Norman had a good Christmas and nothing angered Sam so he wouldn’t hurt her. Dylan had been the furthest thing from her mind.
When she thought about it like that, she understood exactly why Dylan treated her the way he did. If she was being honest with herself, she didn’t think she really deserved his forgiveness, not after the way she’d treated him when he was younger. But here he was, decorating her hospital room for Christmas. She felt a sob threatening to break free when she thought about just how different this Christmas was going to be from the one she’d imagined. All she’d wanted was to have her family there; Alex, Dylan, Norman and Emma, the five of them sat around the table exchanging presents and singing carols. But the reality was so different. Norman was locked up after attempting to murder her, and who knows if Alex and Dylan were even going to stay once they’d set up. Maybe they just wanted to do one last thing before they left her. How in the hell had this become her life? A whimper escaped her lips and she froze, hoping the occupants of the room hadn’t heard her.
“Norma?” Alex said and then his gentle hand was on her shoulder. “Hey, it’s okay. You’re okay, you’re safe.”
She reached up and grabbed his hand, turning around to face him. “You’re still here.” She whispered, looking up at him with bright eyes.
“Yeah.” He nodded with a smile. “I’m still here.” He said as he sat on the edge of her bed, wrapping an arm around her.
“But I thought-”
“We had a fight, Norma. A nasty one, but it was just a fight. I’m sorry if I ever made you feel like I was going to leave you.” He spoke like they were the only two in the room, like Dylan and Emma weren’t standing watching them. “We’re married, we’re not getting rid of each other that easily.”
She gave him a watery smile before hiding her face in his neck, not wanting anyone else to see her cry again. “I love you.” She said, trying to get as close to him as possible.
“I love you too, baby.” He gave her a tight squeeze and kissed the top of her head before pulling back. “You want to help us decorate your room, since you’re going to be here for a while?” He asked, running his fingers through her hair.
“You have to say yes.” Emma piped up from where she was sitting on one of the spare chairs. “Othewise Alex and Dylan made me carry heavy boxes through the hospital, and I’m recovering from a lung transplant.” She grinned, looking up at her boyfriend with a teasing glint in her eyes.
Norma gasped and slapped Alex’s chest. “You didn’t!” She exclaimed, staring at him in disbelief. “Alex!”
Dylan gently shoved Emma. “You liar. She made us carry the boxes, Norma.”
“All she carried was the tree.”
Emma laughed. “That’s true.”
“That’s good. But you didn’t have to. I treated you all so horribly before… it happened. I really don’t deserve your kindness. I appreciate it, I do. But this.” She gestured to the decorations in the box and the tree on the counter, and shook her head. “Is much more than I deserve.”
Alex shook his head and tilted her head up, giving her a gentle kiss. “The three of us decided that you did deserve it. And I can’t speak for these two, but I forgive you, for what you said in my office. We need to work through it and I think counselling of some kind is in order-”
“Abso-fucking-lutely.” Dylan interrupted, earning a slap to the stomach from Emma.
“But you’re my wife and I love you, Norma. I’m not going anywhere.” He promised, pulling back and smiling at her.
She remembered the first time he’d smiled at her, when she’d been patching him up at her kitchen table. Back then she hadn’t realised what she was feeling, but she knew now that was the beginning of her feelings for him. “I’m not going anywhere either.” She said, looking into his eyes and smiling at the love she saw shining there.
“Can you two be sappy later? I want to decorate!” Emma said, bursting the bubble that had formed between the two of them. “Besides, now that you two are talking again, Alex you won’t have to sneak in when the nurses aren’t looking.”
“Emma!” Alex hissed, looking between the girl and Norma with worried eyes.
Norma shuffled off his lap and stared at him. “What? Sneak in?”
Alex bushed slightly and ran a hand over his face. “The police found your note and the ring, and they told the hospital you were leaving me. The staff wouldn’t let me in unless you asked for me. Trust me, I wanted to be here as soon as you woke up.”
“I’m so sorry!” She gasped, lower lip wobbling as she fought back the tears that were threatening to fall.
“Hey, hey, no, it’s okay. Everything’s okay. Next time the nurse comes in we’ll explain everything to them and I’ll be able to stay overnight. Assuming that’s what you want?”
She nodded vigorously, ignoring the way it made her brain feel like it was bashing against her skull. “Yes. I want, please.” She said, giggling as he pulled her into a kiss.
Emma clapped her hands together happily. “Alright, c’mon, let’s decorate!” She said, bending down and opening the plastic box full of decorations.
Norma grinned and slowly climbed out of the bed, staggering slightly on her feet. She turned back to Alex, who was watching her with a dazed smile on his face. “Help me?” She asked timidly, not entirely sure how she expected him to help, but just wanting to feel his arms around her some more.
“Of course.” He climbed over the bed and stood behind her, placing his hands on her hips. He helped her the short distance to where Dylan and Emma were sorting through the decorations. “Why don’t you and Emma do the tree? Dylan and I can do the heavy lifting.” He suggested, kissing the side of her head and squeezing her hips gently.
“That sounds good.” She said, noticing how Emma had sunk down into the large sofa and looked a little pale. “Are you okay, honey?”
Emma nodded and smiled through gritted teeth. “Yeah. Turns out lung transplant recovery is a little harder than advertised.” She chuckled before coughing slightly.
“Oh, Emma.” Norma said softly, sinking down onto the sofa next to her and hugging her. “You didn’t have to come. You’re recovering too.”
“I know I didn’t have to, I wanted to.” Emma said, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly. “You’ve always been there for me, I wanted to be there for you too. Besides, I know how much you love Christmas, I hated the idea of you in a drab hospital room on your own.”
Norma smiled and wrapped an arm around Emma’s shoulders, kissing the top of her head. “Thank you, sweetie.” She said, her smile widening as Emma leaned into her.
“I think we need some Christmas music.” Dylan said with a grin, pulling out his phone. “Any requests?”
“Anything but Mariah Carey.” Norma and Alex said simultaneously and at the same time Emma requested The Muppet Christmas Carol soundtrack, making everyone laugh.
Dylan, never one to deny his girlfriend anything, acquisced to her request and put on the film soundtrack.
Norma smiled happily, it had been years since her Christmases had ever felt as jolly as this one (if you ignored the fact she was in the hospital because her son tried to murder her — which she was), and motioned to Emma to help her start decorating the tree. Neither of them were facing their partners, too engrossed in making sure the tree looked perfect and trying to out do each other with Muppet impressions, so when they turned around and caught sight of Alex and Dylan, neither could stop hte laughter that bubbled out. “Oh my God!” Norma exclaimed, cupping her hand over her mouth to stave off the coughs she could feel building.
Alex stood there, bright pink tinsel wrapped around his neck and silver tinsel tied around his head with tinsel hanging off his arms and over his shoulders, whilst Dylan wore Deely Boppers with Santa Hats and a string of lights up and down his arms. They both looked ridiculous. But despite how ridiculous they looked, the room was decorated beautifully.
Christmas lights adorned the wall, the incandescent ones that she much preferred over the LED ones that most used. The tinsel that Alex wasn’t wearing was hung around the window frame. There was a small glass bowl filled with tiny candy canes and various other Christmas sweets and chocolates. A deep blue fluffy blanket covered in reindeers was thrown over her hospital bed. And Alex had dimmed the lights so it looked so much more homely.
“Oh, Alex, Dylan.” She said, standing up (with Emma’s help) and stumbling over to them. “This is amazing, thank you so much.” She blinked back the tears threatening to fall. She pulled Dylan into a hug first, squeezing him tightly. “I love you so much.” She said and it was the truth. He was her son and despite their rocky relationship, she loved him so very much.
“I love you too, Mom.” The last word was so quiet she had to strain to hear it but when she did she let out a choked cry.
“Jesus, Massett. Stop making my wife cry will you?” Alex said teasingly, making Emma giggled from where she was putting up the final bauble, and started to shed the tinsel covering him.
Dylan chuckled and kissed Norma’s cheek before pulling away. “She cries a lot, you should know that by now.” He teased, going to sit next to Emma and giving her a gentle sidehug.
Norma stuck her tongue out at her son. A week ago, she would’ve thought he was being rude, finding another way to make a jab at her. But she knew now that he was teasing. “Oh hush.” She muttered, waving her hand in his direction.
“You like this?” Alex asked, wrapping his arms around her from behind and resting his chin on her shoulder.
She turned her head and captured his lips, too chastely for her liking but her son and Emma were in the room. “I love it. I love you. All three of you.”
“We love you too, baby.” Alex said, stepping back and moving to sit on the sofa next to Emma. He took Norma’s hand and gently pulled her down onto his lap. “I brought my laptop, do you want to watch Miracle on 34th Street?” He asked as she curled up against his chest.
“I love that film!” Emma said, leaning more into Dylan as he covered her with his jacket.
“You know, she used to make us watch that every weekend in the run up to Christmas?” Dylan said, rubbing his hand up and down Emma’s arm. “By the time I was ten I could pretty much quote the entire thing.”
Norma giggled and leaned over to slap his elbow. “You made us watch Muppet Christmas Carol everyday for the entirety of December when you were six because your English teacher showed it to you in class, and you were obsessed. By day five I could quote that film.” A wistful smile appeared on her face when she thought about Christmas when her boys were young. “I used to sing you It Feels Like Christmas everynight before you fell asleep.” She admitted, wondering if he remembered.
Dylan’s jaw dropped and he reached over to take her hand. “You remember that?” He asked, his eyes going shiny from tears.
“Of course I do.” She smiled and reached over to stroke his cheek. “That’s one of my favourite memories with you.” She said, swiping away a tear from his cheek as he leaned inot her touch, the both of them smiling happily.
“So…” Emma interrupted, drawing the word out awkwardly. “Muppets or 34th Street?”
Alex shrugged and kissed Norman’s shoulder. “How about both?” He suggested, setting his laptop up on the small table he’d dragged over.
Norma smiled and snuggled closer to him. “Both sounds good.”
****
“Okay, I have one more decoration.” Alex said as they lay wrapped up in her hospital bed together. It had taken some convincing and an unfortunately well timed code blue from down the hall, but the doctors had finally allowed him to stay the night.
Norma hummed sleepily and turned over, pressing her face into his chest. “Tomorrow.” She mumbled, tangling their legs together. “Sleep now.”
He chuckled, the sound low and rumbling. “I promise you don’t even have to get out of bed for it.” He said, rubbing her back as his other hand trailed down to rest on her ass. “Please, Norma?”
She huffed but removed her face from his chest nonetheless. “This better be good, Romero.” She said, pushing herself back from him so they both had a little breathing room. She was loath to do it, but the seriousness in his tone made her take a step back.
“It is.” He smiled and reached over to flick on the bedside lamp.
“Ouch.” She winced, not prepared for the brightness to attack her retinas.
“Sorry, baby.” He said, covering her eyes with his hand until they’d adjusted. “Better?”
“Better.”
He smiled and pecked her lips. “It’s less of a decoration and more of a… Actually, I don’t know what I’d call it. But it’s erm- it’s for you. Not for you because it was already yours. But I have- I wanted to give… If we’re not there yet again, you- you can say. I just-”
Norma giggled at his anxious ramblings, so out of character for the Big Daddy of White Pine Bay. She cupped his face and kissed him. It wasn’t the first kiss they’d shared since the afternoon where they’d finally been able to speak, but it was the first kiss they’d shared where there was no audience. Which meant Alex’s hands could roam where they previously couldn’t and she could make all the soft little noises she knew he loved to hear. She pulled back when her lungs started burning, a shy smile on her face. “You’re cute when you ramble.”
“I wasn’t rambling!” He laughed, panting slightly.
“No… You were.”
“Was not!”
“Was too!”
He rolled his eyes. “This is like that unicorn thing, I still don’t know where you got that.”
She giggled and pulled him into a tight hug. “You’re an idiot.” She said, kissing his neck. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” He said, sitting up and reaching over to grab something from the pocket of his jacket.
Norma hummed and snuggled closer to him. She wanted to burrow into his skin, that was how close she wanted to be with him at all times. Part of her hated how needy and clingy she was when it came to him, but it didn’t seem like he minded. “What do you have?” She asked, fluttering her fingers over his cheeks, giving him a wide eyed look.
“I know you took this off, and you don’t have to put it back on if you don’t want to, but I thought I’d give it to you.” He said and she could feel his heart pounding from where he heard it resting on his chest. “Whether you choose to wear it or not, whether you want to take some time before you put it back on, I want you to have it. As soon as I put it on your finger at the court house, it was yours.” He held out the ring to her and she could see his hand shaking slightly.
“Alex.” She whispered, looking up at him with eyes full of tears. Truthfully, she didn’t think he’d want her to have his mother’s ring. “You still want me to have it?” She asked, her gaze flicking between his eyes and the ring he was still holding out to her.
He smiled at her, the smile that was reserved only for her, and nodded. “Of course I do.” He said, placing the ring in her palm and closing her fist around it. “When my mother gave this to me, she told me to give it to someone that I love more than anything, someone that made me feel like the lead in the old romance films she loved.”
Norma blinked, trying to process everything he was saying. “You gave this to me at the court house.” She whispered, opening her palm and staring down at the ring. Tears welled in eyes as she realised the implications of what he was saying.
“You make me feel like that, you made me feel like that long before we got married. I know our marriage started as a way for you to get insurance, but I still wanted you to have this ring, because I loved you then and I love you now, Norma Bates.”
She sniffled as she started to cry before handing him back the ring. She watched as his face crumpled and she pulled him into a quick kiss before he could start thinking the worst. “Can you put it on me?” She asked, giggling through her tears when his entire face lit up and he nodded eagerly.
“Of course.” He slid the ring onto her finger, his hand shaking as much as they did that first time, and kissed her knuckles once it was back in its rightful place. “You look beautiful. You always look beautiful and you have never looked more beautiful than when you’ve got my wedding ring on your finger.”
Her cheeks burned and for some reason she felt incredibly shy. He’d never been stingy with his compliments, and over the past two weeks she’d grown accustomed to them, but this one just seemed to knock her sideways. Neither of her previous husbands had ever given her a compliment like that. “I love you so much, Alex. You- No one has ever loved me like you do and I’m so thankful for you. Thank you for trusting me with this ring. Thank you for loving me enough to give me this ring. Thank you for putting up with me, I know I’m a handful. Thank you for choosing me. Thank you for being you, wonderful, amazing, unicorn you.” She said, giggling when he rolled his eyes at her last words.
“I still don’t know where this unicorn thing came from!” He said quietly, winking at her. He shuffled down on the bed, so they were both laying down, and kissed her forehead. “You don’t have to thank me for doing those things.” He whispered, wrapping her up in his arms.
She hummed contentedly and pressed herself closer to him, hiding her face in his chest. “Why?”
“Because, for me, they’re as easy as breathing. I love you and I trust you and I am always, always going to choose you.”
“You’re such a sap sometimes.”
He rolled his eyes but kissed the top of her head and she could feel the faint smile on his lips as his mouth lingered against her skull. “Only for you, I promise.”