by Hope Ford
The whole room starts cheering and I burst out crying. I can’t help it. I thought I had lost him. Through my tears, the doctor puts his hand on my shoulder. “Ali, he’s asking for you. If you want to go see him, I can take you now.”
I look over at his mom questioningly. But she almost pushes me to the door. “Go on, honey, it’s okay. I think he needs you as much as you need him right now.”
I follow the doctor down the long corridor. The light is blinding. Once we stop, he puts his hand on the door but before he opens it, he cautions me. “He’s pretty out of it. But if you talk to him, he may be able to hear you.”
I nod my head and I’m scared to death to walk through it. Finally, I walk in and tread lightly to the side of the bed. He’s so pale. I lift up his hand and wrap mine around it.
I hear the doctor shut the door behind him, but I don’t take my eyes off the steady rise and fall of Ford’s chest.
“I, uh…” Ford starts to speak and clears his throat.
I tighten my hand on his and he tries again. “I heard you.”
I have to lean down in order to hear him. “Heard what?”
His eyes flutter open, and his dark brown eyes are fixed on me. “I heard you say you loved me.”
Tears start rolling down my face. I lean over and kiss his forehead and then touch his lips briefly. “I do, Ford. I love you so much. I’m so sorry. If I hadn’t asked you to leave…”
“No. It’s not your fault. It doesn’t matter. All that matters now is you love me. We will fix everything else.”
Epilogue
Six Months Later
Ford
I pull into the front of Gran’s house, well I guess I should say our house. I barely get parked before Ali is jumping off the porch and running toward my truck. It’s been like this every day since she moved home after college.
I was laid up in the hospital for a few days and Ali never left my side. Once they had arrested Peter’s dad and I knew it was safe, I had to force her to go back to school before she flunked out of college. On days she didn’t have classes, she made sure to come home and help take care of me.
I ended up subleasing my apartment and moving into Gran’s. I used up some of my savings to update the house. Ali had tried to talk me out of spending the money, and I finally asked her, “Do you want to get rid of the house?”
She gasped and exclaimed, “No.”
“Well, then I’m making it livable for us and our future kids. Just go with it,” I told her before pecking her on the lips.
Her mouth opened and closed like a fish gasping for breath before she eventually just nodded her head and walked away.
I finally went back to work a week ago and I have to get used to being away from Ali all day. I’ve grown accustomed to spending my days with her. She graduated from college with an accounting degree and she was able to find a job working from home. She absolutely loves it, and I have to admit, I love having her here.
When I get out of the truck, I hold my arms open and she flies into them. She’s so excited, her giddiness is contagious.
“What’s going on?” I ask her.
“Well, we’re going to have to move up the wedding,” she tells me, all serious now.
“Fine. I’ve tried talking you into it for months now. What changed your mind?” I tug her hand to stop her from walking up the steps. She gets to the second step and turns around. She’s my height now and I smile at her when she turns around.
Her hands stroke the beard that I’ve started growing before she puts her arms around my neck. “Because you’re going to be a daddy.”
I feel a jolt through my whole system. Overcome with emotion, I don’t know whether to cry or to laugh. I think I do a little bit of both. “Really?” I ask her.
“Yes,” she cries excitedly.
Stunned, I just stare back at her. Her smile disappears. “Are you not happy?”
I grip her shoulders. “Baby, you’ve made me the happiest man alive.”
Ali
I walk toward the grave site and lay the flowers down next to my gran’s grave. I talk to her a little bit. Filling her in on everything that’s happened since the last time I was here.
I still miss my gran. But Ford and his family have taken me in and made me one of their own. I rub my belly, thinking about bringing my son or daughter into this loving family.
I would have given anything to spend one more day with my grandmother. But I know she’s looking down on us.
“I’m having a baby, Gran. I just told Ford, but I had to come here and tell you too. I know that you would give anything to meet your great granddaughter or son. I’ll make sure that they know who you are. But the reason I came is because I need to tell you that you were right. All those times you told me that there’s someone out there that will make me feel like I’m the most beautiful woman in the world. A man that will put all my needs before his and love me like I’ve never been loved before. Well, you were right. I found him, Gran. You don’t have to worry about me anymore. I’m happy. I miss you. I’ll always miss you. But I need you to know that I’m happy.”
I turn around and look at where Ford is leaning against the truck. When he sees me turn toward him, I smile and he walks over to me. “C’mon, honey, let’s get you home.” And we walk hand in hand toward our future.
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