hope, and all I wanted
to do was scream at the top of my lungs for him to wake up.
Instead, I leaned over the hospital bed and placed my mouth next to
his ear.
“You’re so close. Keep it coming,” I
whispered, swiping a kiss along his cheek. I saw his chest rise
more severely with each honk of the ventilator, and I prayed for
the doctor to arrive soon.
“By the way, you know that secret you’ve
been keeping from your parents all these years?” I asked. “Your dad
has known since the beginning, and he is so proud of you.”
Another clench of jaw made my stomach
flutter with hope.
“We’re all proud of you: Mason, me, Brandy,
TBD Rhodes.”
The muscles in his neck tensed.
I reached underneath the blanket and found
his cold fingers, intertwining them with mine.
“I’ve got a surprise for you in Bermuda.
It’s all planned down to the tiniest detail. You know how you
wanted to know the gender, and I thought we should keep it a
surprise until the end? A few weeks back, I realized you were
right. It would be way easier to plan. So I had our doctor forward
the results to our event coordinator. If you’d just wake up…” His
eyelids twitched and I stopped talking as I swallowed down a huge
lump of joy. We were getting close. I knew it in my heart.
“You’ve promised me a lot of things, Ayden,
and I intend on holding you to every single one.”
His hand squeezed mine, and my heart raced
as my eyes stayed on his. Another chorus of honks blared from his
ventilator.
“That’s right,” I said, squeezing his hand
back. “Keep it coming. Open your eyes before the doctor gets
here.”
I waited for a flutter of lids, but none
came, and the tension in his hand released.
“Your brother wanted to start a bet on who
you’d wake up for first. None of us were really in the mood, but I
have to confess that it would make me extra happy if I were the one
who pulled it out of you.”
His chin moved slightly.
And then nothing.
No honking.
No twitches.
I let out a sigh and glanced out the window.
The sun had completely risen, and the sunlight was overtaking the
room. I removed my hand from his and walked over to the curtains,
scooting them closed to block out some of the light. I walked back
over to Ayden and slid my hand back in his.
“We love you, Ayden, and we’re here for you
whenever you decide to join us.”
His head turned slowly to the side, and his
eyes opened as if he’d just awoken from a good night’s sleep. No
words came as I looked into Ayden’s beautiful blue eyes.
It wasn’t until his eyes connected with mine
that I realized he had no idea who I was.
With the exception of Mason, everyone had
returned to the hospital.
Ayden was awake!
And he was off the respirator.
Things were good.
Really good.
Except that he didn’t remember me.
Doesn’t remember me.
I saw a flicker of recognition when his
mother, father, and sister came into the room. The same flicker I
so desperately wanted to receive. I shoved the undeniable pain into
a faraway place and tried not to be as selfish as I felt for
wanting to be remembered.
I was important.
But I was so grateful he remembered his
parents and sister. I really was, with all my heart, grateful. I
let out a sigh and watched his mom and dad talk to Ayden as if he’d
only suffered the flu, and I stayed back sitting on the recliner I
had shoved back in the corner.
The doctor advised that I let him come to
things naturally.
But there was nothing natural about this
situation. Ayden and I were supposed to get married and have our
baby.
His mom flashed me an understanding glance
as she held Ayden’s hand, which caught the look of Ayden so he
looked over my way. He hadn’t looked at me since his eyes first
opened. He didn’t smile. In fact, the complete opposite happened.
The grin he was wearing fell from his lips when our eyes
connected.
So here I sat, but it wasn’t about me. It
was about getting Ayden healthy.
Brandy walked over
to do was scream at the top of my lungs for him to wake up.
Instead, I leaned over the hospital bed and placed my mouth next to
his ear.
“You’re so close. Keep it coming,” I
whispered, swiping a kiss along his cheek. I saw his chest rise
more severely with each honk of the ventilator, and I prayed for
the doctor to arrive soon.
“By the way, you know that secret you’ve
been keeping from your parents all these years?” I asked. “Your dad
has known since the beginning, and he is so proud of you.”
Another clench of jaw made my stomach
flutter with hope.
“We’re all proud of you: Mason, me, Brandy,
TBD Rhodes.”
The muscles in his neck tensed.
I reached underneath the blanket and found
his cold fingers, intertwining them with mine.
“I’ve got a surprise for you in Bermuda.
It’s all planned down to the tiniest detail. You know how you
wanted to know the gender, and I thought we should keep it a
surprise until the end? A few weeks back, I realized you were
right. It would be way easier to plan. So I had our doctor forward
the results to our event coordinator. If you’d just wake up…” His
eyelids twitched and I stopped talking as I swallowed down a huge
lump of joy. We were getting close. I knew it in my heart.
“You’ve promised me a lot of things, Ayden,
and I intend on holding you to every single one.”
His hand squeezed mine, and my heart raced
as my eyes stayed on his. Another chorus of honks blared from his
ventilator.
“That’s right,” I said, squeezing his hand
back. “Keep it coming. Open your eyes before the doctor gets
here.”
I waited for a flutter of lids, but none
came, and the tension in his hand released.
“Your brother wanted to start a bet on who
you’d wake up for first. None of us were really in the mood, but I
have to confess that it would make me extra happy if I were the one
who pulled it out of you.”
His chin moved slightly.
And then nothing.
No honking.
No twitches.
I let out a sigh and glanced out the window.
The sun had completely risen, and the sunlight was overtaking the
room. I removed my hand from his and walked over to the curtains,
scooting them closed to block out some of the light. I walked back
over to Ayden and slid my hand back in his.
“We love you, Ayden, and we’re here for you
whenever you decide to join us.”
His head turned slowly to the side, and his
eyes opened as if he’d just awoken from a good night’s sleep. No
words came as I looked into Ayden’s beautiful blue eyes.
It wasn’t until his eyes connected with mine
that I realized he had no idea who I was.
With the exception of Mason, everyone had
returned to the hospital.
Ayden was awake!
And he was off the respirator.
Things were good.
Really good.
Except that he didn’t remember me.
Doesn’t remember me.
I saw a flicker of recognition when his
mother, father, and sister came into the room. The same flicker I
so desperately wanted to receive. I shoved the undeniable pain into
a faraway place and tried not to be as selfish as I felt for
wanting to be remembered.
I was important.
But I was so grateful he remembered his
parents and sister. I really was, with all my heart, grateful. I
let out a sigh and watched his mom and dad talk to Ayden as if he’d
only suffered the flu, and I stayed back sitting on the recliner I
had shoved back in the corner.
The doctor advised that I let him come to
things naturally.
But there was nothing natural about this
situation. Ayden and I were supposed to get married and have our
baby.
His mom flashed me an understanding glance
as she held Ayden’s hand, which caught the look of Ayden so he
looked over my way. He hadn’t looked at me since his eyes first
opened. He didn’t smile. In fact, the complete opposite happened.
The grin he was wearing fell from his lips when our eyes
connected.
So here I sat, but it wasn’t about me. It
was about getting Ayden healthy.
Brandy walked over
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