Epilogue
The next two weeks went by in a blur. Brian, Howie and AJ stayed in
Lexington for several days following my surgery and I'm pretty sure Brian would
have continued to stay if I hadn't pretty much forced him to return to Atlanta
with Leighanne and Baylee. The goodbyes were bittersweet as I spent nearly an
hour with each of the guys expressing how much they meant to me and how much I
cared about them. I had vowed that night in bed with Nick that we would never
again leave anything left unsaid.
Nick never left my side once in those 14 days. He ate in my room, slept
in my room and even showered in my room. We'd spent most of our days sitting in
the hospital room watching movies or listening to music and talking. We hadn't
talked anymore about Nick leaving town and as far as I was concerned it was
something to be left in the past. I was ready to move foward and spend our
lives together enjoying ourselves not worrying about the past.
After a couple of days the doctors had given me the okay to go out in
my wheelchair and we'd spent hours walking on UK's campus in the sunshine
enjoying the beautiful weather. It was in the 70's everyday and the dogwoods
were in bloom. I loved being able to get outside again and was even able to visit
with some of my classmates who I'd seen walking to their classes. Nick was able
to go mostly undetected by wearing a UK ballcap and sunglasses. His beard had
grown scruffy and most people didn't think twice seeing a young guy pushing
around a pale, skinny, sickly woman in a wheelchair.
The beginning of the second week in the hospital was the hardest. The
doctors had been ready to start my chemotherapy treatments again, but instead,
I had suffered a miscarriage. I knew that it would eventually happen, but I
still wasn't prepared. Nick stood by and held my hand as I cried over the loss
of what would be the only pregnancy I would ever experience.
We arrived home on May 10th, exactly two weeks after my surgery. I had
started chemotherapy treatments three days earlier and had thankfully not been
quite as sick this time around. The nausea was definitely there and certain
things would send me running to the bathroom to vomit, but it wasn't nearly as
intense as it had been the time around. I had never been happier than when I
opened the door to my apartment and walked inside. I was home at last. I walked
over to the couch and stretched out, Nick following closely behind to cover me
with a blanket. He went to the kitchen to get us both glasses of water and came
back to sit down beside me.
"You comfortable?" he asked rubbing my feet gently as he
reached over and flipped the tv on with his free hand.
"Ummhmm." I said closing my eyes and leaning back into the
sofa. "I don't think I've ever been so happy to be home."
My apartment was nothing compared to the homes Nick had lived in, but
it was mine and we both loved it. It was comfortable and roomy and very nice
for an apartment in Lexington. It was located downtown and overlooked what I
considered to be the neatest part of the city. Nick stood and looked out the
window.
"You know... I really do love it here Grace. You were right about
Lexington, the buildings are amazing." He said as he pointed down to the
new courthouse.
"I know... I do too."
"I guess it's a good thing then because we're not going anywhere
soon." He said sitting back down on the couch and taking me into his arms.
He was right. I had one hell of a road ahead of me. The doctors had
given me only a 25% chance of survival and there was one thing for certain... I
wasn't about to give up without a fight.
***
Read the sequel, For the Rest of My Life
