Grant

 

 

 

“Poppy Lewis!” I breathe, heart pounding against my ribs so hard I can barely concentrate on the seated nurse at the station, “I’m here to see her!”

“And you are?” The woman asks calmly, soft pink nails clicking against the keyboard - the same shade as the dress Poppy had worn on the day that was supposed to Miki’s graduation. Before things went crazy and we were so happy.

 “Her fiancé! Please, is she okay?”

The woman’s lips go taut as she clears her throat, eyes wandering quickly behind her down the hospital hallway, “You’ll have to speak to her doctor. She’s in room 108.”

I run past her as Eli and Reagan follow more slowly, Eli’s arm wrapped tight around Reagan. She leans into him, letting him support her.

“It was awful.” She whispers quietly enough that she thinks I won’t hear. The aisle is long and it feels like we’ll never find the room, “I kept thinking of Talia, like it was happening all over again…”

Eli stops her and wraps her tight in his arms, resting his chin on top of her head.

“I forgot about phones, I forgot about the police, I just knew I had to get to Grant.” Her words trail off with a soft cry as Eli hugs her, rocking her back and forth.

“You did good, Reags. You did real good.” He whispers in her ear as she clings to the front of his shirt, “Let’s sit down and give them a few minutes to talk alone, huh?” Eli gently gestures to a pair of waiting chairs outside room 108 when we finally find it, though when he goes to sit down Reagan slides into his lap and twines her arms around his neck.

His eyes drift shut, holding her close against him, their hearts beating in time.

“Sir, you can’t go in yet.” The nurse standing at the front of the door barks, glaring me down.

“I’m Poppy’s fiancé.” My voice is so loud it echoes all the way down the hall back to the curious receptionist, “Please,” I add in a whisper, completely unable to control the loudness of my voice.

My whole body pulses with electricity, like everything I touch is going to shock me back. I can’t control anything, not my breathing, the shaking of my hands, or the fact that I want to collapse into a pile on the ground and just cry. But I won’t do that. I have to be strong for Poppy.

The nurse frowns, then sighs and shrugs, “Okay. But be quiet until Doctor Murray is done with the examination. Ms. Lewis isn’t awake yet.”

I nod hastily, somehow managing to resist shoving past the nurse and bursting into the room with a flurry of desperation. I step inside, taking in the small figure laying limp on the hospital bed before me.

My entire world lay there, pale faced and breathing shallow, an ugly red slash between her ribs and her belly button. Her little sister instantly launches towards me, arms wrapping around my waist as she buries her face into my ribs with a wretched sob.

Fingers absently stroking the top of the girl’s head, I watch the doctor carefully inspect the wound before the woman straightens and slides her stethoscope off her ears to rest around her neck.

“Doctor Murray.” She announces, sticking out a gloved hand as I shake it quickly, “You’re Grant Price?”

“How is she?” I ask, too frantic to answer any questions, “Is she okay?”

“She’s going to recover fine,” The doctor smiles, “They both are. She had quite a scare but she should wake any minute.”

“…Both?” I frown, quickly stepping back from Miki to look her up and down, “Did you get hurt too? …God, look at you.” The girl is covered in bruises, a scab forming on her swollen lower lip.

Miki’s face grows slowly red as she shakes her head, glancing towards Poppy one more time, “Doctor Murray wasn’t talking about me.” Miki mumbles.

I follow the girl’s gaze, then look in bewilderment to the doctor.

“Oh… I just assumed you knew. Ah…” Murray clears her throat, “I meant mother and baby are doing wonderfully.”

“…Baby…Baby?!”

“You’re going to be a dad.” Miki smiles uncertainly, glancing towards Poppy again and no doubt wishing she was conscious.

“Oh my god!” I whisper, too shocked to yell, too happy to cry.

I was going to be a father - for real this time, with Poppy. It was a dream come true. I couldn’t have ever predicted the happiness that surges through my whole soul.

I pull gently from Miki and slide into the chair beside Poppy and take her small hand in my own. The flesh feels so soft and cold under my fingers. Delicately, I lay a kiss on each one of her fingertips as the long lashes casting a shadow on her sallow cheek flutter.

“…Grant?” She cries hoarsely, her gaze locking on mine as tears burst in the corners of her pretty eyes, “Grant is that really you?”

“It is.” I whisper back, pressing warm lips to her palm one more time, “I’m here. Miki’s here. Reagan’s here. We’re all here.”

“All?” She asks, glancing frantically towards the doctor who just winks and nods.

“Grant I have to tell you-” She begins hastily, tripping over her words as she tries so hard to sit up but a lightning bolt of pain flashes through her eyes and Miki clutches fervently at her shoulder.

“Relax.” The teenager says gently, touching Poppy’s cheek, “We’re all safe, we’re all fine, relax.”

Poppy gives a slow nod, reclining back on the hospital bed though she clings tight to my hand.

“Grant, I have to tell you…” She begins again slowly, tears streaking down her face, “But I don’t know… I don’t know how you’ll feel-”

“I already know what you want to tell me.” I reply simply, pressing her hand against my cheek. It feels so wonderful to have her eyes on me once more, the last week without her had been more torturous than I cared to admit, “But I have some things I want to say to you first.”

She goes quiet, fear etched into her face that I want to kiss away. I never want her to be scared, I never want her to be sad. I want the rest of her days to be ecstasy.

Eli appears suddenly at the door, stretching out a cup of coffee towards me which I take, “I thought you might want that.” He shrugs, glancing towards Miki, “The cops are here. They got David but now they need statements.”

Miki nods, leaning down to kiss Poppy’s cheek.

“I’m so sorry-” She begins, but Poppy turns and cups the girl’s chin firmly, narrowing her eyes.

“I think there’s been enough apologizing today.” She says quietly, pressing her forehead against her little sister’s tenderly, “There’s no need for that anymore.”

The golden haired girl gives a little nod, wiping away a tear before offering me a tiny, weak smile and vanishing from the room. The doctor follows her, closing the door to give us privacy.

 “I have so many things I want to say.” I begin, running one hand through my hair while the stays gently interlaced with her fingers. My eyes graze over the assortment of tubes running into her arm, the scar on her belly, the tears in her eyes…

“First things first, Kitten is not pregnant with my child.”

“She’s not pregnant?”

“With my child.” I clarify, shaking my head, “She is pregnant though. She admitted she was lying. I think she was scared and desperate.”

Poppy drops her eyes, shoulders sagging, “I should’ve stood by you. Instead I got scared and ran. How awful of me.”

“It wasn’t awful.” I murmur gently, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear, “I didn’t blame you for a second. I still don’t. It was a big shock to all of us.”

I stare down at the cold coffee cup in my hand, then back at the woman lying in the bed. Reagan had filled me in on the gist of the story on our way to the hospital. How David had shown up, how Poppy had tried to protect her sister, the knife glittering scarlet on the floor…

I shudder, clearing my throat.

“You’re so fucking brave, Poppy.” I murmur, stroking her face once more, “I’m so proud of you.”

She clings to my hand, “I was stupid! Lunging at David the way I did, I got so lucky that I didn’t die.”

“This last week, with all that happened with Kitten and with us. I’ve done a lot of thinking. I don’t think we should be engaged for the company anymore.”

Poppy goes quiet, just watching me. The monitor of her heartbeat beeps slightly as the rate elevates. She’s nervous, I can see it reflected in her honey eyes.

“I’ve decided that engagement is over.”

Tears well in her eyes that don’t spill. She gives a nod and a weak smile, unable to look me in the eyes.

“Remember when we first met, Poppy?” I ask, running my thumb along the delicate flesh of her hand.

“In the office?” She murmurs wistfully.

“No, on the sidewalk.”

A grin crosses her lips as she laughs and lays her head back against the pillow, “Of course I do. I was having the worst day!”

“Remember what I said to you?”

“That it was my fault?” She smirks, shaking her head, “What a charmer you were.”

“No, that I owed you coffee.” I lift up the cup, extending it towards her.

“Oh, Grant. That is so sweet. But I can’t, um, have the coffee, you see-”

“One last time.” I shrug, pressing it into her finger, “One last cup.”

Uncertainly, she takes the cup, startled by the lightness of it.

 “Is it empty?” She asks, raising a curious eyebrow.

“Oh. Did they forget to fill it?” I frown, “Check inside maybe.”

Shaking her head, she keeps one eye on me as she lightly pops off the brown plastic lid and peers inside.

“Oh. Wait… What?” She gasps, pulling the small blue velvet box out of the cup, letting it fall empty back onto her lap.

“What… What is it?”

I take it from her, slowly falling to my knee at her bedside as she covers her mouth and stares at me.

From outside the glass window, I catch a glimpse of Miki, Reagan, Eli, the doctor, a handful of nurses and two cops staring with shocked, excited eyes through the pane, practically all jumping up and down.

“I don’t want our engagement to be fake anymore, Poppy.” I begin, nervousness blooming inside of me, only overwhelmed by the love I feel gazing into the woman’s eyes, “I want it to be real. Poppy, I love you, I want to marry you-”

Before I can continue Poppy grabs me by the collar and yanks me half onto her hospital bed. Greedily, she plants kiss after kiss on my lips, holding me tight against her as she gushes ‘yes!’ over and over again.

“You haven’t even seen the ring yet!” I laugh, but she doesn’t seem to care.

“Grant, I love you too!” She cries, tears dripping down her face as Reagan and Miki burst into the room and jump around with excitement, “I love you so much!”

“She said yes!” Doctor Murray yells, running down the hall.

Suddenly, Poppy goes slightly quiet, “But really, there’s something I have to tell you-”

Her fingers press against her stomach and I lay my hand on top of hers.

“I know, Poppy. I know you’re having a baby. Our baby. And I am so happy. I’m so excited for our life together.”

More tears gush down her face as she gives a clumsy nod, watching as I pop open the velvet box to reveal a glittering diamond ring that makes Reagan and Miki gasp, but Poppy cannot seem to pull her eyes off of my own.

“I love you, Grant Price.” She whispers as I glide the ring onto her finger, “I’ll love you forever.”

Our lips meet once more as Poppy tangles a hand in my face, my other hand resting on her belly.

We would spend the rest of our days blissfully together, our love shining the way.