“There’s someone here to see you.”

Panic heats my face as much as the rest of my body from the nurse's words, and my hand shakes so bad I drop the puzzle piece onto the table. They can’t force me to see him. They promised. “Please no…I…”

“It’s not Michael.”

My taut body relaxes but I still hug myself. Uncertainty seeping through my veins from the hesitation drawing down her round face. “Another doctor?”

Kim shakes her head. The hopefulness in my tone sounds so pitiful to both of us.

“He says he’s your husband. He brought paperwork, your ID, and pictures of the two of you.” I latch onto the optimism in her voice. My only friend. She wouldn’t lie to me. I don’t think. “He seems genuinely worried about you. Asking a whole bunch of questions and getting pretty upset when they wouldn’t let him in to see you right away.”

“That sounds good.” I meet her cocoa eyes. So rich and deep and beautiful I'm sure I can see right to her angelic soul. “Doesn’t it?”

“Yeah, it does.”

My head and heart argue. Both of them too damaged to make good decisions. But the need to see him is so strong. To know if he's the one that I've been missing is more than I can ignore. “Will you go with me?”

“Of course.”

I run my fingers through my short hair. An old habit I guess because there’s nothing really left to style.

Kim slowly slides open the door to the visitors lounge. A place I’ve never been. Never thought I ever would be invited to. No one but Michael wants to see me. I can’t stop shaking.

A lone man stands in the middle of the room. He’s enormous. Tall and broad. Handsome too in his red polo and low slung jeans. Yet, tired. Dark circles rim his eyes harsher than my bruises. Thick black hair that looks ruffled from his fingers running through the strands. That I want to stroke too.

He holds a child's pink backpack in his large hand. So tiny the contrast would be almost comical if I wasn’t so terrified.

He doesn’t say a word. He doesn’t have to. I can see the worry in his green eyes. Scanning me. My haphazard pixie cut. Baggy sweat pants and shirt that could fit someone twice my size. Once white socks now gray from the carpet they can’t seem to keep clean with all the other problems dirtying our existence.

I don’t know if I look like what he remembers.

“Friend, this is…”

But she doesn’t have to finish. I know. It’s him. I don’t know his name. Or his relation to me. Or his reasons for being here. But I know him. That he loves me, and I am safe.

I run to him. Coiling around him as he sweeps me up. My legs and arms and hands and mouth on his hot skin while he caresses my head. Whispering in my ear. Just like he used to. I remember that. I swear to God I remember his voice. His touch.

“I’ve missed you sunshine.”

Yes. Yes, I’ve missed you too. I can’t see. Or speak. Or move. I can only cling to him. And I’m never letting him go no matter what anyone says or does. Michael will have to kill me first before I’ll give him up.

“Shhh, don’t cry. It’s over. I’ve got you.”

His deep voice breaks on the last words. This gigantic man cries for me too. Loves me enough to let emotion overcome his solemnity.

* * *

They say she doesn’t remember. But I saw the spark. The recognition in her eyes. That somehow I’ve pierced the amnesia while standing here in front of her. Almost crying myself like a motherfucking pussy.

But to finally have her back, in my arms, is almost more than I can bear. More than I can fucking believe.

“I’m yours.”

“What?”

I hear exactly what she says. But I need to hear the words again. To see her face when she confirms what she means to me. To know she really is. That she’s going to be okay.

I lean her back from me. All the color drains from her face as her small hand grips the side of her head. Pulling frantically at the short pieces. “It hurts so much. I can’t…”

Her body spasms, flailing against me as I grip her tighter. “Trinity!”

“I want to remember. Please help me remember.”

Son of a fucking bitch. She falls limp. Unconscious from the pain. I’ve got to get this fucking thing out of her. I’d fucking do it myself but I’m not sure I can bring myself to slice her arm open. The administrator I argued with earlier races up to me. “I’ve got the O.R. standing by. Hurry!”

* * *

She looks so fucking peaceful. The hint of a smile touches her pink lips. Maybe she knows I’m here. That I’ve been waiting for two days for her to wake up. That I’m scared out of my god damn fucking mind that she never will. That I’m fucking losing what little sanity I have left thinking she just moved.

Only her soft breaths fill the bleach scented air. I entwine her dainty hand with mine again and lay my head back down on my forearm resting next to her hip. I’d love to fucking climb in bed with her. But I’d fucking hurt her from squeezing so damn hard. Because once I get to hold her I’m never fucking letting her go.

There it is again. I swear to god I feel her fingers twitch against my hair. I search her face. For something. Anything. My heart races when her eyelashes flutter. Thank fucking god. “Trinity? Please sunshine. Open your eyes.”

Her sweet head turns a centimeter toward my voice. “Drake?”

I see her lips move more than I hear the word. But I know what she said. She knows me. She remembers me. “Yeah, I’m here.”

Now she really does smile. Fuck me if tears don’t fill my eyes like a fucking pussy. But I don’t give a damn. About me being a fucking baby or anything else in the whole fucking world. Nothing can ruin my joy now.

Until she sobs. Until her trembling hand reaches for me. Grasping my shirt to pull me closer. Weak but determined to touch me.

"You're here. I couldn't find you for so long and now you're finally here."

The words sting worse than a beating. I suffered the same fucking way. But I know her torment was so much fucking worse.

"I must have been dreaming. I kept looking and looking for you, but you were never there. I wanted you so much. I didn't know what to do without you."

My arms tighten around her. Crushing her more than I should. But I can't fucking hold back. Not when she sounds so lost. Has so much terror. "I swear to God you'll never find out sunshine. I will always be here with you."

She nods against my cheek. Believing in my assertion. Accepting the faith in my promise. It takes everything I have to only give her a chaste kiss and pull back. I need her now more than I ever have.

Some of the grogginess clears away as her huge blue eyes blink open wider. Taking in the flowers, balloons, and cards behind me. Overflowing with color in the otherwise bland room.

“Why am I in the hos...?”

Her voice fades, and she licks her lips and swallows hard. I grab the water from the side table and cup the side of her delicate head to give her a drink. She takes three small sips before her cheek slips into my palm. Spent from the exertion of talking so much.

Fearful she may be overwhelmed by telling her too much too fast, I follow the therapist's instructions. For now, just reassure her she's safe and loved. “You’re going to be okay. That’s all that matters.”

She shakes her head in protest. Short hair rustling against the pillow. Not accepting my explanation. Or lack thereof. Damn it. Her new look will be another small shock compared to everything else she'll have to discover. "It's okay. Just rest. We'll talk more later."

"Please tell me what happened."

Worry lines her sweet face. Fucking killing me that she knows I'm hiding something from her. Concealing so fucking much. That her tests came back clear but the rape kit was inconclusive because too much time had passed. Rage burns my gut that there even had to be a fucking rape kit. But we just don't know what that motherfucking bastard did to her besides the obvious.

My heart nearly bursts out of my chest. That she's carrying my child. A little over four weeks. Probably pregnant since the first time I fucked her. Proving what I knew from the moment I saw her. That our relationship, that our little family, is meant to be.

Finally convincing her too, if the gorgeous black and silver infinity symbol between her breasts is any indication. I don't understand how or why or where but somehow we - the two of us - remained connected even when everything was trying to rip us apart.

"Drake?"

Panic sharpens her voice, and she tries to sit up. Struggling against her frailty to lift her torso. Fighting to understand what she's being shielded from. I grasp her shoulders and meet her gaze. "Okay, okay. I'll tell you."

Fuck. I don't even know how to start. Not with the tiny pulse in her throat throbbing like crazy. With her slender arms trembling under my hands. With the guilt fucking eating me up inside. "I fucked up, sunshine. I fucked up so bad and let someone hurt you who should have never touched you at all."

"Who?"

"Butcher." I fucking hate the shudder that rolls under my palms from saying that son of a bitch's name to her. "That motherfucker kidnapped you. But you are so strong. So fucking tough that you escaped from that bastard and I found you here at the hospital."

Her head twists slowly. Confusion drawing her forehead down. "I don't...I don't remember any of that..."

"I know, and I promise I'll explain it all to you. Anything you want to know. Answer any questions you have. But, right now, please just trust me because you're exhausted and need time to recover."

Her lips part to speak, but close again. She scans my face, studies my expression before her gaze falls to her small hands bundled between mine.

"Do you trust me Trinity?"

A lifetime passes in that moment. The ups and downs of the past month. Laughter, tears, joy, fear, sex, love, failure, hope, doubt, blessings, commitment. All of them escalating to the question that we both need to know the answer to.

Finally, she raises her eyes to meet mine. Shiny but resolute. "Yes."

I smile from her whisper and tempt trouble by softly kissing her again. Her arms slide around my neck, and she draws me closer. Fuck it. I love this woman and can't stand waiting any longer. I give in and slide next to her. Gently turning her over to nestle her back against my chest. Tucking her head under my chin. Engulfing her in my embrace.

She entwines her fingers with mine and breathes out a perfectly contented sigh. Both of us finally home.