Our Forever Promise

by Mary Wasowski

  I was going out of my mind with worry and was not sure if I could take much more of this waiting. It had been hours and no word yet. Not even a nurse had updated us. I had to get back to Reese and Riley. Riley broke down upon hearing what happened to Jackson. For a time, she was inconsolable. She looked broken and was rocking in Reese’s arms. When she glanced over to me, I wasn’t sure if I was reading her eyes right. They were filled with tears, but hardened at the same time. Did she blame me for what took place here? Her expression almost mimicked my own when I initially found out about Jackson and the secrets they both kept from me.

  I was angry then, kind of the same way Riley was looking at me now. I couldn’t blame her. As much as I tried to justify my actions here today, I didn’t have to go off on Henry. I could have had him simply removed from the hospital, but his vile words enraged a fire within me and all I wanted was my pound of flesh. He deserved it and so much more. He was filled with hate and no remorse. Gail had to witness firsthand who her husband really was. He, like my father, always protected the women in their lives by not revealing his duplicitous side. He kept them at bay and protected the women from the ugly side of business. It’s how they increased their wealth and became the men they were. They were feared by many, but loved unconditionally by the women who held their hearts.

  That is probably the hardest to come to terms with. I’m still struggling with how my father could lead two very different lives. Henry was no different in the end. He was disheveled as my men dragged him out. Gail didn’t appear to be fragile like Henry said, and, if anything, she wore an expression of strength. He was begging her to come with him, but she gave him her answer in the way of a stinging slap across his shocked face. She made her choice, and it wasn’t him. Gail turned away from her husband and took me in my arms. She whispered “I’m sorry” for only me to hear. She joined my mother, and they both prayed for their grandson’s survival.

  “You know my story by now. You know their story. I’ve spent months holding onto my deep rooted anger toward my father and the ones who hurt me. I understand that sometimes to move forward, we have to go back. I did that today by forgiving the one man that hurt me the most. Please give me more moments with my son. Please give him back the life and future he deserves.”

  I said all I could say. Now, I wait for His answer. Tick tock…tick tock

  “Walker! Can you hear me? Please, baby. Open your eyes.”

  I could hear her soft voice as I slowly opened my eyes. It was a few hours later. I was still here in the chapel, but I was on the floor and before the man on the cross.

  “Reese?” I answered her. Once my eyes were fully awake, Stephen was also by my side, helping me up.

  “Are you okay?” she asked me. “You must have blacked out again from exhaustion. I had a hard time waking you. I thought something was terribly wrong when you didn’t come back to the waiting room.”

  “Can you stand sir?” Stephen questioned me as he got me to my feet.

  “Yes. I’m fine. I don’t remember too much. Is there any news yet about Jackson?” All my senses became vividly clear, and I remembered exactly why I was here.

  “A nurse just came out to tell us that the surgery is over. Samuel would be out shortly.”

  “And Jackson? Did he make it, Reese? Please tell me he’s okay.” My voice was shaky as my eyes focused in on Reese.

  “He made it, Walker. He’s in recovery. That’s all I know.”

  He made it Walker, and is in recovery kept playing over and over in my head. My son was alive, and that’s all that mattered. I took Reese in my arms and held her as tightly as I could. I whispered my love for her and looked up to whisper “Thank you” to Him. My prayers had been answered for my son. I would spend the rest of my days being thankful for this blessing we’d been given here today. I ushered Reese out of the chapel, and we made our way back to meet with Samuel.

  Riley joined us, nearly knocking me over with her hug. We all huddled together, cried with one another, and waited for Samuel and Liam. At that moment, the doors swung opened and in walked through the two men that saved my son’s life…a debt I would never be able to repay.

  We waited in silence as the two men approached us, assessing their facial expressions down to their walk.

  Reserved and to the point, Samuel simply said, “We got it. Both of them. We have no doubt that Jackson will make a full recovery.”

  “What? I thought you said he only had the one AVM? There were two?” I questioned.

  “Yes. Where the AVM was intricately located made the other be concealed. We never saw it on the scans until we were inside.”

  “The stress of the seizure and blood pressure spike nearly caused the second to rupture. Upon thorough examination and quick thinking on Dr. O’Larien’s part, I was able to excise it before it ever reached that point. During the surgery, Jackson flat lined, but only for a mere second or two. We stabilized him and shortly after, his blood pressure and pulse returned to normal range.”

  His heart stopped? I could have lost him today. The man that I hated just on sight for loving the same woman I loved was responsible for saving my son’s life today. I was at a loss for words and the only two words I can manage to say were “Thank you.” He nodded and said nothing else. I was just numb and reeling from all that had happened here today.

  I watched Riley hug her father, cry onto his shoulder, and lovingly thank him. Reese was next to embrace him. She was also crying happy tears and thanking him for all that he had done. I gauged Samuel’s expression as he took her in his arms. He looked exhausted, but at peace. The malice he once wore in his eyes were gone and replaced with closure.

  “When can we see him?” Riley was first to ask.

  Liam answered her question and addressed anything else we wanted to know. “He’s being monitored and will continue to be watched closely for the next twenty-four hours. He’s going through some post-op checks right now. Let’s give him some time to sleep. You all will all be able to visit with him soon.”

  I shook Liam’s hand and then pulled him into a brother hug. He was as close as they come to the real thing. I was eternally grateful for not only his friendship, but for what he did today for Jackson.

  “Thank you, my friend…thank you.”

  “No thanks needed. I’m a doctor. This is what I do.” He turned to Samuel, and then back to me. “Correction, this is what we do. It’s going to be a long night here, Walker. You look like shit. Take a breath before you collapse. He made it. Go grab a shower and then see your son. He’ll be waiting for you…I promise.”

  I hugged my friend again and then walked over to Samuel. I don’t believe I could give him the same thank you I gave to Liam, but I wanted to let him know how grateful I was. He stood tall, taller than I had ever seen him, and he did the one thing that surprised me. He extended his hand. No hesitation, I shook his hand and once again gave him thanks. His response didn’t surprise me, nor Reese for that matter.

  “I’m a doctor first. It’s the only way I know how to be.”

  And with that, Dr. Samuel Briggs walked away and didn’t look back.

  DID I DREAM it? Or was it a hallucination I experienced while under sedation? No, it was real. I met my mother for the first time. She told me she loved me and held me in her arms. I heard her voice, felt her skin on mine, and she was incredibly beautiful. Photographs could never capture who my mother was. You could only truly know by seeing her in person and hearing her voice. My out-of-body experience, or whatever they call it, achieved that long awaited dream. My mother, my guardian angel, never stopped protecting and watching over me when I needed her most.

  “Wake up, baby, it’s time to wake up.”

  I heard whispered voices all around me, but I was still deeply under that I couldn’t make out who was talking to me.

  I could feel my hands wrapped up in another. Was it my father? Riley? They had to be with me. Then I heard her voice again, and it was as clear as the first time I heard it. My mother
was with me, willing me to wake up.

  “Don’t be afraid, son. Your father is waiting for you to come back to him, and so is your beautiful girl. I love you, son, but it’s time to wake up.”

  I blinked my eyes open to find Riley staring back at me. She was smiling through her falling tears. She nearly broke me every time she cried. Before I could even say hi, her lips found mine. She gently held my face in her hands and whispered “I love you” over and over again. My voice was dry to the point of hurting. I knew a tube had been inserted in my throat while I was in surgery, I could feel the remnants of that now. She kissed me again and began pressing the call button next to my bed. Not a minute later, my father rushed in with relief showing all over his face. With red rimmed eyes, more tears fell as he leaned over to kiss my forehead, and thanked God for saving me.

  Reese was next. Then my grandmother Olivia, Stephen, and Richard. The one that stayed back was my grandma Gail. My vision was blurred a bit, but I could still make out how tired she looked. My limbs were heavy and not easy to lift. I was praying my eyes showed her what she needed to see. She wiped away more tears and came over to me. She almost touched my head, but recoiled back because of my bandage. I always had shaggy hair. My grandmothers were constantly brushing it away from my face.

  “Hi,” I croaked out. My throat hurt.

  Grandma Gail leaned in and kissed my cheek.

  “Oh my precious boy! Thank God you are alright. How do you feel?”

  “Like I just had brain surgery.”

  She smiled, but my father gave me an admonishing look. Yeah this wasn’t the time for jokes, but come on! I’m alive and I’ve seen enough tears to last me a lifetime.

  I asked for a few minutes alone with grandma Gail, only requesting my father to stay. Riley promised to be right outside. I knew she would be, but I encouraged her to sit and relax. “Not a chance,” she said.

  They each held my hand with my grandmother speaking first. “Jackson darling, I am so very sorry for what happened here with your grandfather.”

  My father interrupted her immediately with the mention of Henry.

  “Gail, this is not the time,” he said, giving her a cautionary look, a look I knew well. This was my father in protection mode once again, but he didn’t have to be when it came to her.

  “Walker, this may not be the time, but it wasn’t right earlier with Henry, but did you stop? As far as I am concerned, you both played a part in why my only grandson is lying here in this bed. And before you say anything else, I know what led up to you attacking him. I know, because I heard it all with my own ears, down the hall from the both of you. I was sickened by the one man who I vowed to love forever. He was my entire world up until that moment I heard his enraged hatred for you and Ms. Mitchell. I am deeply sorry that you ever had to suffer one day at his hand. My Elizabeth would be so disappointed in him, as I am.”

  She continued, “Jackson, you are truly the only thing I have left of my daughter. I love you with all of my heart and can only hope your grandfather’s sins don’t separate us. I so very much want to be part of your life today, and your future tomorrow. Your fiancé is simply wonderful. It took my breath away when I saw your mother’s ring on her hand. She would be so proud of you.”

  “I love you, grandma. No one could ever come between us. Please believe that,” I struggled to say.

  “I do now, my boy. I love you. Get some rest, and I’ll see you soon. Walker, can I have a word before I head back over to my hotel?”

  He nodded and led her out of my room.

  “GAIL, WHATEVER IT is should wait. I need to return to my son.”

  “What I have to say won’t take long. Please hear me out?” Her eyes pleaded with me to say yes.

  It was night with a warm summer breeze that touched our skin as we walked outside. The fresh air would do me some good. I didn’t want anyone else to be privy to our conversation, no matter what would be said here.

  “Please say what you have to say, so I can get back to Jackson.”

  “After all we’ve been through, are you really going to stand there with this cold manner? We could have lost him today, and here you stand as if that reality didn’t almost happen.”

  “You’re wrong, Gail. I do know how close I came to losing my son. You do not need to remind me of that fact. What I will not do is stand here and listen to you defend him to me. I never wish to speak of that man again.”

  “That’s too damn bad, because you are. Why, Walker? Why couldn’t you have told me when you discovered what Henry did? I had a right to know. Elizabeth was my daughter too, and Jackson is my grandson. After your visit to Arizona all those months ago, you completely shut me out. You refused my calls. You didn’t allow me to sit with you at the graduation. Why, I’ll ask you again? You should have told me what was going on instead of punishing me for being married to the man that hurt you. It wasn’t fair, Walker, and that is why we are having this conversation now, because I am damn mad at you! And him for causing all of this pain.”

  For some strange reason, I was preparing to be slapped. After witnessing Gail hit Henry, I thought she would deliver the same to me, but she didn’t. She threw her hands in the air and shouted a few obscenities, surprising us both. I never saw Gail behave this way, let alone raise her voice and curse. I barely was able to contain my smile, and it didn’t go unnoticed by her, because she laughed as well, breaking the obvious tension between us.

  “I’m sorry, Gail. I’m sorry for hurting you, but I was reeling from all that I discovered and I was fighting to get back what I lost.”

  “Reese Mitchell?” she raised her eyebrows up at me.

  “Yes, it began with her.”

  “I’m happy you found your way back to each other. I guess true love never fails when it’s meant to be.”

  I couldn’t argue with her statement. It was true, and I believed it with my whole heart.

  “I did love and care about your daughter. It was just a different kind of love.”

  “I know.” She softly said.

  “You will always have a place in your grandson’s life, but it’s over for Henry. There’s no coming back after what happened here today.”

  “I know that too.”

  “What will you do now, Gail?” I asked her.

  “I’m going to stay up here for a few more days and make sure Jackson is okay, and then I’m going back home to Arizona to begin divorce proceedings.” You’re right about one thing, Walker. There is no coming back after today. I can only move forward with the rest of my life, and hope he can too. You may think your mother and I are foolish women who were blinded by the men in their lives, but really Walker? Do you truly believe that? Take it from someone who has been married for a very long time. When you truly love someone, you want to see and believe in them, believe wholeheartedly that they will never cause you one minute of hurt. You believe they will unconditionally love you for the rest of their life. Isn’t that what you believe you have with your Reese? I’m not a fool son, neither is Olivia. We just loved. But sometimes… it was love that was the only thing we could see.”

  I had Richard drive Gail back to her hotel, while Stephen gave me a quick report on Henry. After he was removed from the hospital property, they lost track of his whereabouts. Not that I gave any direct orders to monitor his movement. He was the last thing on my mind at that time, but to discover that he wasn’t where he was supposed to be was alarming. Stephen received confirmation that Henry checked out of their hotel suite, leaving Gail there on her own. I asked Stephen to check the outgoing flights and gather Intel on him immediately. At this point, he was a loose cannon with a thirst for revenge. I couldn’t take any chances with my family.

  While I was with Gail, Reese never left Jackson’s side, nor did Riley. We didn’t even bother asking Riley to return to the hotel with us. She would remain with Jackson tonight, and probably until he would be discharged. I returned to see Reese asleep in the chair and Riley nestled carefully next to Jackson.
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  “Reese, baby,” I said, as I woke her with my feather light kisses to her forehead and temple. She shivered awake and smiled up at me.

  “Hey,” she whispered back.

  “Hey, back at you. I’m going to send you home with Richard. Stephen and I will be back shortly.”

  “No. I’m staying with you.”

  “You know I love you for that, but you’re exhausted and you need your rest. Sleeping in this chair is not going to work for me. So please be compliant and wait for me back at the hotel. This is not a request.”

  “And if I say no? What then?”

  “Do you really want to play with me?”

  “Maybe I do,” she said with a wink.

  “Reese. Please don’t push me. I have zero control left, and who knows what I’m capable of at this point. I want to fuck you so hard into the mattress, you won’t be able to stand for a week, but I know I can’t do that.”

  “Why ever not? You won’t hurt me. After today, I think we both need it rough and hard. We need to feel alive, and fucking each other into the mattress will accomplish that. I need you, Walker, and I know you need me, so don’t send me away.”

  “You stubborn girl. Never will I ever send you away. How about going with Stephen for a snack and some orange juice? Take Riley with you. I’ll be along after I visit with Jackson. Deal?”

  “Deal. And then we’ll play.”

  I kissed her with a bruising kiss and whispered my answer, “Absolutely.” She smiled and waited.

  Riley was reluctant to leave Jackson, but she didn’t put up too much of a fight when asked to get up for a snack. I gave her a quick hug, and she walked hand in hand with Reese.

  Pulling up a chair, I sat next to Jackson and held his hand in my own. “How are you feeling, son?”

  “Not too sure with all the great drugs they’re pumping into me. I’ll get back to you on that one.” We both lightly smiled. “Dr. Briggs saved my life dad.”