***
My knuckles had turned white from how hard I was squeezing David’s hand. I couldn’t take my eyes off his sleeping face.
“Just wanted to check everything was alright, Miss,” the nurse said from the door.
“Yes, thank you. Everything is fine.”
And it was. Everything was finally quiet.
David had been sleeping all through the morning and long after noon. He had woken up a few times, but didn’t seem able to talk or be aware of his surroundings. The doctors told me it was because of the drugs in his system.
I understood perfectly. I, myself, was still feeling weak from last night. But everything was OK, David was alive and safe.
“Hey,” I heard his voice. It was quiet, but it sounded like the loudest thing for me.
“Hey, baby. You’re awake.”
He squeezed my hand back and smiled. “Are you OK, babe?”
I nodded, tears choking my words.
“Come here, don’t cry,” he said and raised his hands for a hug. I leaned in and pressed my head against his cheek.
“What about...?”
“He’s been arrested. Everything is fine, baby. You saved me.”
He hugged me tighter and I let my weight next to him.
“I’ll never let you go,” I said to him.
“I’ll never leave you,” he replied.
We spent minutes in silence. I couldn’t stop crying.
“Hey, why are you crying now? Everything is fine, baby,” he whispered, caressing my hair.
I nodded.
“Come on, baby. What do you say — stop being so dramatic?”
I lifted my head and softly punched him in the stomach.
“Ouch!”
“I’m sorry, baby. I didn’t mean to hurt you.”
“Gotcha!”
“You dick!”
“Come here and kiss me.”
I pouted, but couldn’t keep it up for long. I wanted badly to kiss him, so I did.
“I promise you, I will never leave you,” he reiterated.
I smiled bitterly. “That seems almost impossible.”
He looked me in the eyes; he understood. How could we possibly be together? Our parents were together, which meant we had to be apart.
I started crying again. I didn’t want him to see, so I looked out the window.
“You know what? I don’t care,” he said, with finality in his voice.
“You don’t?”
“It makes you cry. I hate that. And it means we can’t be together. So, yeah, I don’t care. I want to be with you.”
“I want that too, but...”
“No, you know what? I’m going to talk to my father. I’ll tell him everything. I want to be with you, I need to be with you. And I’ll make that happen.”
His conviction made me smile. “Speaking of your father, he’s going to be here any minute. He called.”
“I’ll tell him then.”
I rose from his side and walked to the window.
“You think long distance would work for us?” I asked.
“Who said anything about long distance, baby?”
“Well, I study here, and you work...”
“I can transfer here.”
I opened my mouth to argue that his career couldn’t possibly benefit from such a thing, but then a thought sprung to my mind.
“It would be easier for me to relocate. I can transfer credits easily.”
He grinned. It made me happy to make him happy. If he was willing to make such a change in his life, it was only right I was as well.
“I’d do anything for you,” I said. I wanted him to know how I felt.
“I love you, baby.”
“I love you too.”
Me standing next to the window and him in bed was too great of a distance for me, so I sat next to him again, holding his hand.
“Wouldn’t everything be perfect?” he asked. “We’d live together, and I can take care of you.”
“Hold on for a second, cowboy. First, I have to nurse you back to health, then we can talk about who’s taking care of whom.”
Laughing must’ve hurt him, as he pressed a hand on his midriff and looked like he was in pain.
“Are you OK, baby?”
“Yeah, I’m fine.”
I reached a hand and caressed the spot where Alex hit him. He stopped my hand and interlaced his fingers with mine. We shared a smile that spoke louder than any words.
Our moment was interrupted by the buzzing of my phone. I glanced over to the nightstand and my smile disappeared.
“What is it, baby?”
“Nothing.”
“Come on, baby. Tell me,” he encouraged me, kissing my hand.
I shook my head. “It’s just... I’m so sad I’ll be doing this to my mother. She’s only starting to go out again and here I am, hurting her.”
“You’re not hurting me, baby.”
I jumped up when I heard my mum’s voice. She was standing in the door, next to George. I was so ashamed, I started crying.
“It’s alright, Eva. Really.”
“Mum...”
She came and hugged me, her perfume enveloping me like a protective shield.
“We wouldn’t have worked out anyway,” George said. “We didn’t quite click.”
“What?”
“Oh, no, don’t worry. Your mother is a very nice person,” he said, raising his hands defensively.
“Isn’t that what they usually say?” Mum joked.
They exchanged glances, grinning like they had made a secret understanding.
“So, we’re good?” David broke the silence.
“Yes, we are,” Mum replied, squeezing my shoulders.
“You’re going to be fine?” I asked her quietly.
“Yes, baby. Don’t worry about me, I’m a big girl. Are you alright?”
“Yes, Mum. I am now.”
I looked at David, overflowing with happiness. He smiled back and everything really seemed alright.
“And, if it bothers you, your mum and I never slept together,” George added, grinning.
“Dad! Too much information!”
My mum started laughing, followed by George’s low chuckle. Even I couldn’t help but smile.
“Needless to say, we’re moving in together,” David stated and grabbed my hand.