Chapter Seventeen – Elise

“I didn’t want to burden you with this. Not on top of Lauren.” He stared into the mug of hot, strong coffee in his hands.

“This is what I’m here for.” Elise sat by his side on a bench on the hospital grounds. The area had been made into a sensory garden for patients to enjoy. With its small fishpond and colorful flowers, along with tall grasses that rustled in the breeze, it had quickly become one of her favorite places.

“What am I supposed to do?” Hank asked, his voice ragged.

Torn down and fitted back together in a haphazard way, like crazy paving, the pieces of his life didn’t fit together right. What he thought he knew, what he believed was true, turned out to be lies.

“What do you want to do?” Elise asked gently. “This is your choice. If you prefer not to see any of them again, then you have the right to tell them to stay out of your life.”

“Is that what you would do?” Hank asked.

“Oh, love, I’m coming at this from a totally different direction.” She sighed heavily. “What I wouldn’t give for one last day with Delia. A few hours to tell her all the things I should have said when she was alive. To hold her, touch her, and know that she’s there.”

“I have that chance with my dad.” Hank stood up and walked away from her, his hand trailing through the feathery heads of an ornamental grass. “What if all I want to say to him is bad?”

“Are you sure that’s true? If his new wife made up what happened, is he to blame?” Elise watched her mate as he stood, deep in thought.

“I can’t just flip a switch,” Hank finally said. “I can’t let go of all the hurt I’ve carried around with me for so long.”

She got up and joined him by the heavenly-scented rose bushes. “Can’t you?”

He swung his head around, looking down at her. “Could you?”

Elise shrugged. “I don’t know. But I think I’d try.”

“What about his wife?” Hank asked.

“Pamela. Her name is Pamela. I saw it when you Googled him.” Elise cupped his face in her hands. “We all make mistakes. She was young. Look at Lauren and Thor. Should he forgive her for the lie she told him?”

Hank looked at the hospital building. “How is she?”

“They’re expecting the toxicology report back soon. That might flag up what’s caused her symptoms.” Elise took his hand. “Come on, let’s go see them.”

They entered the hospital building and climbed the stairs to the first floor. Thor was in the corridor, getting coffee from the machine. He looked up as they approached, his face breaking into a smile.

“You’ve had good news?” Hank asked hopefully.

“Some. Lauren has a virus. They should be able to treat it. And the doctor said the liver can heal itself. Or grow back.” He ran his hand through his hair. “I kind of stopped listening I was so relieved.”

“That’s incredible news, Thor.” Elise hugged him tightly. “You get your happy ending.”

“I hope so.” He looked down at his feet and then rocked backward and forward as he announced, “I’ve asked Lauren to marry me.”

“Wow, you don’t mess around do you?” Hank slapped him on the back. “Good for you.”

“Yeah, well, believing we were going to lose each other… We sat up all night and talked about what we want to do with our lives. I’ve even persuaded Lauren to play at your Midsummer Music Festival.” Thor looked pleased with himself. “She’s got an amazing voice,” he gushed.

“Well, as an engagement gift, I have a song for you. I can tweak it and you could sing a duet with Lauren. The crowd will love it!” Hank’s face shone with enthusiasm, and Elise’s heart swelled with happiness. If he could heal the rift with his father, their lives would be complete.

“Maybe you could swing by later with your guitar and we could practice. Lauren’s got to stay in for a couple of days until they get her treatment right.” Thor smiled widely, but his eyes kept sliding back toward the door, behind which his mate waited for him.

“You should go.” Elise nodded. “And congratulations again.”

“Thanks. We owe you both, big time.” Thor ran back to Lauren’s room.

“When do you think he’ll realize he never got his coffee?” Hank asked, his head cocked to one side.

Elise laughed. “Young love, it makes you do the craziest things.” She looped her arm through his. “Walk me back to my office?”

“Sure.” Hank strolled along beside her. “You’re right, love does make you do crazy things. Especially young love.”

“You mean Pamela?” Elise asked as they entered the stairwell and walked to the next floor.

“I do.” He frowned as he sought out the words he needed to explain his feelings.

Elise let him continue, hoping he would find it in his heart to forgive, if not forget.

“If I don’t forgive them, then who suffers? Their son. Me. Them. Everyone.” He opened the door and then walked along the corridor to the transplant coordination department. “I just don’t know where to start. What do I say to him?”

Elise turned and faced him, placing her hands on his chest. “You got on stage and sang to a crowd of thousands. You can talk to one man.”

“You don’t know him. He was always so overbearing and pushy.” Hank took hold of her hands and kissed them. “But that was when I was a kid, and now I’m a man.”

“Exactly. You’re overbearing and pushy.” She smiled as his eyes widened. “Okay, that’s probably about as far away from the truth as it gets.” She stood on tiptoe and kissed him. “But you are not that boy anymore. Look what you’ve achieved with your life.”

“I’m not a famous record producer.” Hank smiled wryly.

“Want to help me scan some stuff? It’ll give you a new sense of accomplishment.” Elise gave him her best winning smile.

“Sure, I’d do anything to spend more time with you.” He let her go and they spent a couple of hours going through her notes and organizing the paperwork.

“One good thing that’s come out of all this drama,” she said. “I’ve stopped worrying about the department.”

“That’s because you have it under control. This is what you do.” He handed her the notes he’d scanned. “I believe in you. Believe in yourself.”

“Is that a line from a song?” Elise placed the notes back in her briefcase and looked around the empty department. Come Monday, people would start to fill the desks, she would build a team, and make this the best transplant coordination department it could be.

“No. But it could be.” Hank took hold of her hands and drew her close. “Thank you.”

“For what?” she asked, looking into the face she’d known for so long.

“Everything. For walking down that trail. For hearing my guitar. For being the woman of my dreams.” He kissed her mouth softly. “I’m going to accept that this is the path I’m supposed to be on. Instead of being angry with my father and Pamela, I’m going to think of all the great things I’ve accomplished in my life.”

“And the people you’ve helped.” Her fingers curled around the hair at the nape of his neck. “We can both find a way to gratitude. The things we’ve lost will always be with us, but that doesn’t mean we can’t celebrate what we have. And no matter how difficult it might be to start a conversation, be thankful you still can. He is your dad.”

Hank nodded and leaned forward, his head resting on hers as he held her close. They stood still, unmoving, each lost in their own thoughts. “After work, will you come with me to meet them?”

“Do you need me to hold your hand?” she teased affectionately.

“No.” He chuckled self-consciously. “You are my greatest achievement, and I want him to see you and be proud of me.”

“Hank.” She prodded him in the chest. “Are you making fun of me?”

“No.” He caught hold of her hand. “I mean it. Out of everything I’ve done, having you as my mate is my proudest moment.”

“I’m going to cry again.” She wiped her eyes.

“I’m going to work. Then, after I’ve buried the hatchet with my dad, you and I are going to put on the best music festival Bear Creek has ever seen.”

“It’s the only music festival Bear Creek has ever seen,” she reminded him as he walked to the door in his faded jeans and tight-fitting T-shirt that hugged his body in just the right places.

He waggled his eyebrows. “It’ll be a night the town never forgets.”

Elise leaned against the doorframe and watched him until he disappeared from view. Her head filled with the sound of his voice.

Only you can make me feel, the pain inside is much too real. Tell me, baby, promise me, you’ll meet me beneath the Wishing Tree.

“I’ll meet you wherever and whenever, Hank Rivera.” With a sigh, she went back to work.