“But you look beautiful, like a precious, sleeping child.”
That was how he saw her. The machines were gone, the tubes and IVs were invisible in his eyes. He imagined her lying next to him, asleep in his arms, after they had made love. It was the last memory he had of her before the accident.
“Please give me a sign that you can hear me, my love. Anything.”
Her body needed time to heal and he’d vowed to remain calm, but he was Cuban with the fire of emotion coursing through his veins. Passion came naturally.
When Jacqui twitched a finger, Rafael blinked, unsure if he had actually seen her move or only wished for it to be true.
“Do it again. Move your finger,” he pleaded.
He shifted his gaze to her beautiful face. Her eyelids fluttered and for the first time he noticed she fought for a breath, on her own. With the tube down her throat, she struggled and winced.
Rafael hit the call button, clipped to her bed. His eyes grew wide as he watched for any sign of movement, but he couldn’t wait and ran into the hall.
“She’s coming out of it. Help her.”
He called and a nurse came running. A monitor started to beep, first one, then another.
“Come on, Jacqui. Open your eyes.”
A nurse shoved him from the room as Athena and Grey came toward him.
“What’s happening? Is she—?” His sister didn’t finish.
“She moved her finger when I asked her to.” He forced a smile, unable to stop watching Jacqui. “I think she heard me.”
“She’s a fighter, Rafe.” Athena hugged him and didn’t let go.
Two doctors and four nurses flooded Jacqui’s room, blocking his view of her. He craned his neck for even a glimpse. They removed the tracheal tube that threatened to choke her when she tried to breathe on her own, but after they closed the blinds to her room and shut the door, Rafael pulled from his sister and paced the hall. Doctors came and went from her room, but no one stopped to say anything more than, “We’re running tests.”
“What’s taking so long?” He ran a hand through his long dark hair. “They took her off the breathing tube. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
When the door opened again, Rafe searched the eyes of every nurse and doctor who left Jacqui’s room. The last nurse out—Beverly—touched his arm and smiled.
“She’s asking for you.”
Rafael didn’t know if it was possible that his heart could explode from joy, but if it did, he was in the right place. He headed for the threshold of her ICU room before he stopped and pulled back hard.
What if—? He couldn’t finish his thought.
After all his bluster about wanting to see her, Rafe felt a weight pressing against his chest and he couldn’t move. His heart hammered his insides and his mind tortured him with crazy notions.
It took Athena to see his peculiar behavior and do what sisters do. She gave him a hard time.
***
“What’s wrong with you?” Athena punched him in the arm and scrunched her face. “Get in there. She’s waiting.”
“I need a minute.”
“For what?”
Rafael stared at her far too long. He stood rooted into the floor with one hand stuffed into his pocket, his fingers grappling something he had stashed there. Athena cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.
“You want me to play twenty questions? Sure, why not?” She smirked. “Have you decided to become a monk and give up speaking? No wait. Hollywood is doing a remake of the movie ‘ Clerks ’ and you have the part of Silent Bob. Am I close?”
Rafe heaved a sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. His body grew still, even the fidgety hand in his pocket. When he looked up, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door—away from Jacqui.
Down the hall, he stopped and reached into his pocket. Without fanfare, he pulled out a small black velvet box—the shape that every woman recognized.
Athena gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?” She grabbed it and opened the lid. “Oh my, God.”
She stared down at a
That was how he saw her. The machines were gone, the tubes and IVs were invisible in his eyes. He imagined her lying next to him, asleep in his arms, after they had made love. It was the last memory he had of her before the accident.
“Please give me a sign that you can hear me, my love. Anything.”
Her body needed time to heal and he’d vowed to remain calm, but he was Cuban with the fire of emotion coursing through his veins. Passion came naturally.
When Jacqui twitched a finger, Rafael blinked, unsure if he had actually seen her move or only wished for it to be true.
“Do it again. Move your finger,” he pleaded.
He shifted his gaze to her beautiful face. Her eyelids fluttered and for the first time he noticed she fought for a breath, on her own. With the tube down her throat, she struggled and winced.
Rafael hit the call button, clipped to her bed. His eyes grew wide as he watched for any sign of movement, but he couldn’t wait and ran into the hall.
“She’s coming out of it. Help her.”
He called and a nurse came running. A monitor started to beep, first one, then another.
“Come on, Jacqui. Open your eyes.”
A nurse shoved him from the room as Athena and Grey came toward him.
“What’s happening? Is she—?” His sister didn’t finish.
“She moved her finger when I asked her to.” He forced a smile, unable to stop watching Jacqui. “I think she heard me.”
“She’s a fighter, Rafe.” Athena hugged him and didn’t let go.
Two doctors and four nurses flooded Jacqui’s room, blocking his view of her. He craned his neck for even a glimpse. They removed the tracheal tube that threatened to choke her when she tried to breathe on her own, but after they closed the blinds to her room and shut the door, Rafael pulled from his sister and paced the hall. Doctors came and went from her room, but no one stopped to say anything more than, “We’re running tests.”
“What’s taking so long?” He ran a hand through his long dark hair. “They took her off the breathing tube. That’s a good sign, isn’t it?”
When the door opened again, Rafe searched the eyes of every nurse and doctor who left Jacqui’s room. The last nurse out—Beverly—touched his arm and smiled.
“She’s asking for you.”
Rafael didn’t know if it was possible that his heart could explode from joy, but if it did, he was in the right place. He headed for the threshold of her ICU room before he stopped and pulled back hard.
What if—? He couldn’t finish his thought.
After all his bluster about wanting to see her, Rafe felt a weight pressing against his chest and he couldn’t move. His heart hammered his insides and his mind tortured him with crazy notions.
It took Athena to see his peculiar behavior and do what sisters do. She gave him a hard time.
***
“What’s wrong with you?” Athena punched him in the arm and scrunched her face. “Get in there. She’s waiting.”
“I need a minute.”
“For what?”
Rafael stared at her far too long. He stood rooted into the floor with one hand stuffed into his pocket, his fingers grappling something he had stashed there. Athena cocked her head and narrowed her eyes.
“You want me to play twenty questions? Sure, why not?” She smirked. “Have you decided to become a monk and give up speaking? No wait. Hollywood is doing a remake of the movie ‘ Clerks ’ and you have the part of Silent Bob. Am I close?”
Rafe heaved a sigh and dropped his chin to his chest. His body grew still, even the fidgety hand in his pocket. When he looked up, he grabbed her arm and pulled her away from the door—away from Jacqui.
Down the hall, he stopped and reached into his pocket. Without fanfare, he pulled out a small black velvet box—the shape that every woman recognized.
Athena gasped.
“Is that what I think it is?” She grabbed it and opened the lid. “Oh my, God.”
She stared down at a
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