Mr. Cocker knocks on the doorframe, looking around to find I’m alone now. “Can I have a minute of your time, Paige?”

Bracing myself I nod, terrified. Nobody will tell me where Gabriel is, and I think he’s why.

Mr. Cocker closes the door.

Oh God, here comes the gavel.

“Do you love my son?” he asks, meeting my scared eyes.

“Yes.”

“Why?”

“Because he’s a jerk,” I whisper, before I realize that would be my answer.

Mr. Cocker’s lips twitch. “Come again?”

“I mean, he’s stubborn. Irritating. Um…”

Frowning and side-eyeballing me, Mr. Cocker says, “No, go on.”

“He’s petulant.”

“Petulant?”

“He has a child’s temper.”

“I know what the word means, I just…never mind. Continue.”

“He’s extremely full of himself and sometimes doesn’t think about how his actions impact other people.”

“I see.”

“And if I lost him, life would be so awful and so boring.” Tears slide down my cheeks. “Gabriel makes me laugh. He surprises me. Pretty much everything he does is not what I would do. Sometimes when he’s really mad he doesn’t open the door for me and that keeps me on my toes, you know? It’s not because he’s being rude but because he’s so passionate, and his moods take over his whole body so he can’t control himself. He just explodes and runs off because his emotions are too much for him and he doesn’t know how to handle them. But I’ve learned to see him being rude as a barometer for him needing to be heard. So I just listen and ask questions and try to get him back from the cliff he walked out on. He never knows I’m doing that. But he needs it. Like the day we were in Verona and he’d just called Ben for the millionth time, Gabriel ran around like he might punch someone so I flashed him, lifted up my shirt, when there were three old ladies behind me. It took him so much by surprise that his anger vanished just like that! And he just started laughing. Do you know how good that felt? I know how to help him. And he makes me feel safe. I’ve never felt safe before.”

His father walks to the window and looks out, hands still stuffed away.

I think Elijah is right, they are alike.

Both are extremely guarded.

Or maybe discerning is the right word.

His voice is thoughtful as he says, “When Gabriel was a child he followed his brother everywhere, not the other way around. It was Elijah who led the way and I know that when he left for college, Gabriel was lost. He looked to my daughter, Hannah, for guidance but she was so used to ditching her younger brothers that she couldn’t see he needed a friend.” Mr. Cocker glances over and holds my eyes as he walks to the foot of my hospital bed. “Kids think their parents don’t see things, but we do. It’s the hardest part, that you have to let your kids stand on their own and choose their own paths. We have to let them fall on their faces, feel pain, so that they’re able to handle it when life serves it to them. And also, so that when achievement comes they know the joy of having earned it. I’m not talking just about careers, although that’s what I used to think mattered most. It doesn’t.” He pulls his hands from his pockets, one slides through his hair and the other dials his cell phone. “Excuse me while I send this text telling the hospital they can bring Gabriel here now.”

Blinking at him I wait for the phone to be put away again. “You were keeping us apart.”

“Yes.”

“Why did you change your mind?”

He smiles for the first time, and it makes him seem far less scary. “Your reasons for loving my son…I wish my wife had been here to witness them.” He chuckles to himself, “She would have described me in pretty much the same way when we met. But if the worst parts about him are what you consider the best, my doubts that you really do care for him are gone.”

Gabriel’s voice echoes from a distance, “Paige!” It gets louder as he keeps calling my name. “Paige! Paige!”

Mr. Cocker and I are watching the door. He doesn’t move to answer it, just waits for Gabriel to explode through, dragging a rolling IV unit with him, wires dangling from his arm.

Seeing him, tears spring up. He glances to his father and rushes to me. He stops from cupping my face as he sees the bandages. Bending to inspect them he has such protective concern in his eyes. “You okay, Beautiful?” He traces my cheeks with gentle fingers.

“Now I am. Are you okay?”

“That fucking truck hit us! Why wasn’t it on my side of the car?” he moans. “Not yours!”

“You should wear hospital gowns more often, Gabriel.”

He stares at me, confused. Then starts laughing. “Stop it, it hurts to laugh! You like this? I had them give me two so my ass wasn’t hanging out. Fucking humiliating.” He kisses me and then presses our foreheads together. “I love you.”

“I’m so crazy about you,” I whisper.

Licking his lips he sits beside me and looks at his father, the shift in his expression powerful and quick. “Dad, I won’t let you—”

“Stop. I only came in here to tell Paige I’m glad to see she’s okay.” Mr. Cocker meets my eyes and winks. “But if I knew I’d have to see all this sentimental bullshit I’d have waited outside.” Rolling his eyes he strolls to the door. “Almost lost my lunch.”

“Dad!” Gabriel calls out.

His father stops, head dropping as he sees Gabriel’s face. “Not escaping that easily, am I.”

“I know you kept me in that fucking hospital room just now. You can’t do that shit anymore. Are you with me or against me? Because I’m going to marry Paige, Dad.”

I gasp, “Gabriel!” because this is the first time I’ve heard him say that. He ignores me, waiting for his dad’s answer.

Mr. Cocker’s amusement vanishes. “I’m sorry I did that. It seems I have some demons from my past I have to face. Your mother brought that to my attention. But I’ve spoken with Paige and for what it’s worth, not that you need it, I approve.”

As my heart twists with relief and happiness, Gabriel stands up. “I do need it, Dad.”

Mr. Cocker blinks away unexpected emotion, and his voice is gravelly as he says, “But you would’ve gone against my wishes anyway, had I not given you my approval.”

“Yes.”

A small smile flashes. “Then you’re a man now.” And with that he leaves.

Gabriel lets those words sink in before he walks around to the left side where I’m not bandaged up. Rolling his IV close he climbs in the bed with me and pulls the blanket over us. “Someday I want you to tell me what happened. Right now I just want to be with you.”

“I want that, too.” We adjust our bruised bodies to be able to snuggle. He kisses my forehead and we close our eyes.

Voices pass by in the hall. Nurses come check on us. But we don’t move. Nothing matters now that we have each other again.