“Come on, sweet girl. Take you there.” Frank said to me, as he moved to his wife, and pressed a kiss to her temple, whispering something.
She smiled up at him and winked.
Then she looked at me, “Knew the moment he came into this world he was going to give me gray hairs, and look,” she said as she pointed to her gray strands mixed in with her blonde hair, “knew I would love him unlike anything I’ve ever loved before. And I knew that once he had fallen in love with someone, it would be the forever kind of love. Deep. Rooted in, and I was right. Because everyone came to me when they realized who we were and shared that you were all he had talked about. For years.”
I felt tears prick my eyes. Jesus, how many tears could one being shed in a short time frame?
“No one else I’d ever think was good enough for my boy, but you. We all love you, Harlee. Now I love Melanie with all my heart, but she’s older. So, get on getting me another grandbaby, alright, daughter-in-law?” she winked.
I was smiling and shaking my head as Frank wrapped an arm around my shoulders and led me out of the room.
***
As the hot water cascaded over my body, loosening my shoulders, unable to help it, I dropped to my knees and let my tears fall unheeded down my cheeks
Then I got myself together because Carter needed me.
I got dressed in the clean clothes I had packed, and then I headed back to the hospital. With Frank at my side.
I was going to remain at his bedside.
I knew what I was going to say to him the moment he opened his eyes.
The only thing I didn’t know... was how to tell him the other news I had.
***
Five days had passed, and we were still staying vigilant. Since he was past the forty-eight-hour mark, he was moved to another room to free up that bed.
And thankfully, the entire family was able to come in and sit, to be with him.
Garrick had been trolling the channels, the family saying yay or nay to what he stopped on.
And when he stopped on Top Gun, the entire room said yay.
While the movie played and we watched, saying lines that we knew by heart, nurses came in, his doctor came in, and all the while, my hand was wrapped in Carter’s.
And wouldn’t you know it, as soon as Iceman spoke... the most glorious sound in the entire world sounded.
“You can be my wingman any time,” I heard rasped out.
My eyes shot to his to see his gorgeous oceanlike-colored eyes already looking at me.
His hand tightened on mine, I squeezed
“How long have you loved me?” I asked.
“Love you forever if you bring me your lips,” he said.
And tears, once again, crawled down my cheeks.
But I did it.
I rose up, leaned over him, careful of his bandages, and pressed a kiss to his lips just as his undamaged arm came up, and his hand fisted in my hair, holding me in place.
To say we forgot about the rest of his family in the room would be an understatement.
Until the sound of a throat clearing, I lifted my head and then smiled down at him.
