Chapter
74
Jenna tore into the waiting room to grab her purse, ready
to drive to Nick’s house. But as she
burst through the doorway, she smacked right into a broad chest. Pulling back and looking up apologetically,
she gasped. It was Nick.
“Nick!” she cried happily, throwing her arms around him.
Nick staggered back in surprise. Jenna had ignored him all week, and now she
was hugging him?
“Uh, hey, Jenna,” he said, still confused. “What-“
“I love you, Nick,” Jenna cried. “I love you so much! You know that, right?”
Nick stared down at her.
“What about AJ?” he asked, not quite sure if he was ready to forgive her
yet.
“AJ!? Nick, I don’t
love AJ, okay? That kiss, it was
nothing! AJ was upset, and I was trying
to comfort him, and I don’t know what happened, but the next thing I know,
we’re kissing, and I didn’t mean to, and he didn’t either, but-“
“Shh, Jen, slow down,” Nick said, snickering. “It’s okay.”
She looked up at him.
“It is?”
Nick nodded, wrapping his arms around her. “I believe you, Jen, and I’m sorry.”
Jenna sagged with relief.
“Thank you, Nick,” she whispered.
“I love you so much. I’m so
sorry.”
“It’s okay. I love
you too,” Nick replied, hugging her tightly.
“I’m so sorry… about what I said.”
Jenna shook her head.
“It’s okay, baby, I know you didn’t mean it.”
Nick smiled, tilting her face up towards his, and kissed
her.
***
That night, after everyone else had gone home, AJ was still
at the hospital with Alexis. He wasn’t
sure why exactly, but he knew he couldn’t go home yet. Instead, he sat in Elyssa’s room. She kept nodding off to sleep, despite her
great efforts to stay awake for him. He
didn’t care.
While she slept, he just sat beside her, holding her
hand. He wished he could run his fingers
through her hair as he used to do, but she didn’t have any hair now, just a
bald scalp which was covered with a bright turquoise scarf. Elyssa had always like bright colors.
Elyssa’s eyes fluttered open. “AJ?” she asked.
“Yeah, honey?”
“I love you,” Elyssa said softly, squeezing his hand.
“I love you too, honey,” AJ said with a smile.
“Where’s Alexis?” Elyssa asked.
“She’s sleeping in her infant seat, on that chair over
there.” He pointed to the chair in the
corner of the room, where he had put Alexis so that she could sleep.
“Will you bring her over?” Elyssa asked.
“Sure,” AJ replied, getting up and carefully carrying the
infant seat over to Elyssa’s bed. Alexis
was still sleeping soundly.
“Thank you,” Elyssa murmured, reaching out to touch her
daughter. “I love you, Ali,” she
whispered. “Be a good girl for Daddy
now.”
AJ was confused, wondering why she had said that just
now. But he did not ask.
Elyssa looked back to AJ.
“AJ, don’t let her forget me,” she said.
“What? Oh, Lyss,
come on,” AJ started, but she held up a hand.
“Baby, this is it. I
know it. I… I’m going to go to sleep,
and I’m not going to wake up. Please be
strong for me.” There were tears shining
in her eyes, but she was strangely calm acting.
AJ nodded. “God,
Lyss, I’m gonna miss you so much.”
“I know, honey. I’ll
miss you too. But I’ll always be there
for you, and someday, we’ll be together again.
Remember that, okay?”
AJ nodded. He
cleared his throat. “Elyssa, there’s
something I need to tell you.”
“What is it?”
“A few weeks ago, I bought a ring. I was going to give it to you next week, for
our two year anniversary. It… it was an
engagement ring.”
Elyssa gasped, and her eyes lit up. “Oh, AJ…”
AJ took Elyssa’s hand in his. “Elyssa, I don’t know what’s going to happen
in the next few days. We might not get a
chance to get married. But… I have to
ask… Elyssa, would you be my wife?”
“Yes,” she whispered.
“AJ, even if we never get to make it legal, I will be your wife.”
AJ smiled and kissed her lightly. “I don’t have the ring with me, but I’ll
bring it to you tomorrow, okay?”
“Okay,” she said. “I
love you.”
“I love you too,” he replied, kissing her one last time.
“I’m tired. I think
I’m going to fall asleep now,” Elyssa said softly, yawning. “Will you stay with me?”
AJ nodded. “Of
course,” he replied, rubbing her hand with his.
“Goodnight, sweetheart.”
“Goodbye, love,” Elyssa replied, closing her eyes and
sinking back against her pillows.
AJ watched her as she slept, taking in every aspect of her,
unconsciously knowing that this would be the last time he would be with her
while she was alive. He bent over and
gently kissed her lips.
“I love you, Elyssa Adams,” he whispered. “Always and forever.”
As he pulled away from her, the line on her heart monitor
suddenly went flat, and a loud, long beep permeated the air. AJ sunk back into his chair numbly, ignoring
the nurses and doctors that flooded the room.
They tried to revive Elyssa, but AJ knew they would not succeed. His fiancée was gone.
