Unfailing Love

by Kelsey MacBride

  “You’re the one?” The nurse came around to the side and looked at Paul with admiration. “You’re the guy who climbed the cliff, aren’t you?” She acted as if she were in the presence of someone famous.

  Paul blushed, not wanting any attention for something anyone else would have done. “Yeah, but really, anybody would have done the same thing.” He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the praise.

  “Oh no, honey. Not just anyone. You are truly special. From what I heard,” she said as she turned to the next bank of elevators, “you risked your life to save that girl.”

  She punched the button and waited for the doors to open and then pushed Paul in. He sat still, enjoying having the weight off his weary body but nervous about what he would find when he saw Tracy. He had no way to be sure she remembered their conversation in the cave. And he had told God that all he wanted was for Tracy to be okay. Even if that meant he would not be with her. Now, in the elevator, he was having second thoughts about the bargain he had made.

  “Here we are,” the nurse said cheerfully. She pushed Paul out of the elevator and down the hall. They passed through two sliding doors that opened automatically and closed with a hush behind them. The floor was quiet. The only noise was the muted sounds of nurses and doctors speaking softly. Paul listened to the squeak of the nurses’ shoes on the linoleum floor and was immediately reminded of all the nights he had spent checking patients into the emergency room.

  “Okay, hero. Here she is.” The words made Paul cringe. But the discomfort he felt was instantly replaced with an overwhelming sense of relief when he saw Tracy lying peacefully on the bed.

  “I’ll leave you two alone,” the nurse said with a wink. She smiled mischievously at Paul and then exited the room, closing the door behind her as she went.

  She had positioned Paul right next to Tracy’s bed. Paul watched as Tracy slept, her chest rising and falling steadily under the hospital bedding. He was grateful to see that they had repaired the damage to her lung and that her breathing was no longer labored. He scanned her body but could only make out a large lump where the cast on her leg was. Tubes and wires came out of her chest and wrist, and Paul jumped slightly when the automatic blood pressure cuff kicked on.

  He watched the sheets shift slightly as the cuff tightened and then loosened on her arm. Tracy stirred slightly, and Paul noticed the blips on the EKG machine as they got closer together. He didn’t want to wake her. After such a grueling surgery, she needed to rest. All he wanted was to see her and to make sure that she was okay. He wanted to reach out and touch her hand, touch her cheek, make some contact with her. But instead, he placed his hands on the wheels of his chair and began to turn away to leave.

  “Oh, leaving me again?” Tracy’s soft voice called out from the bed.

  Paul’s heart skipped a beat, and he fought back tears. He wanted to spin around and look at her but was afraid for her to see him so emotional. One look at him and she would know that he still loved her. He hesitated, trying to figure out what to do or say.

  “That’s my trick,” Tracy said. Paul laughed in spite of himself and let the tears spill out onto his cheeks. Within seconds, he was by her side again, reaching under the sheet to touch her hand. His eyes were full of fear. But when they locked with hers, all the worry he felt melted away. He knew, just by looking at her, that she remembered everything.

  “Oh Cee,” he said stroking her hand under the sheet. “I was so worried. I thought I was going to lose you, again.” The sobs came harder as Tracy watched, shedding her own tears.

  “I know,” she said calmly, trying to reassure Paul. “But I’m okay. I’m gonna be fine.” She tried to move her other arm to reach out to Paul but found it was wrapped in the wires of her IV.

  “No, don’t move,” Paul said as he scooted closer. “Don’t move anything. Just lay still.”

  They held each other’s hands in silence, crying softly as they looked at each other. After several minutes, Tracy spoke again.

  “Thank you,” she said, squeezing his hand in hers. “Thank you for taking such good care of me. Thank you for risking your life.”

  Paul listened with his head down as the tears soaked his lap.

  “Thank you for saving my life, Paul.”

  Paul looked up with his tear-stained face. “I don’t know what I’d do without you. I don’t know how I’d live another day. I’ve spent the last four years just spinning my wheels, waiting for the pain to go away, the anger to go away. And all this time, it was up to me. I had to be the one to let go of it and trust again.”

  Paul kept stroking her hand as he watched her face fill with emotion. He went on. “And now, God gave me the chance. He put us together. He saved us so we could be together again.”

  “He gave us a second chance,” Tracy said as her voice cracked.

  “I’m sorry I was mad at you. I’m sorry I held onto such bitter feelings. I’m sorry I didn’t answer your calls.” Paul rambled on, trying to cover all of the things they talked about in the cave, just in case Tracy didn’t remember.

  “Shhh,” Tracy said, holding a finger toward Paul’s face. “It’s okay. I forgive you. And I know you forgive me because you told me, in the cave.”

  Paul blinked away fresh tears. She remembered? She remembered everything! The smile spread across his face, and he bent his head down on her shoulder as he reached across her chest with his other arm.

  “I love you Tracy. I’ve always loved you and will always love you,” Paul said into her freshly washed hair. “You mean everything to me. I would die for you. I want to spend the rest of my life with you, no matter what. I’ll never let you leave me again.”

  “No,” Tracy said, laughing as she held Paul. “You better not.”

  As they laid in each other’s arms, they heard voices outside the room.

  “I’m not going to wait! I need to go in there right now!” Tracy could hear Courtney yelling on the other side of the door.

  The nurse’s voice came through the door after Courtney’s. “I’m sorry, miss. But she can only have one visitor at a time. She just had major surgery and cannot be disturbed!”

  “Well, I need to see my sister right now and nobody’s going to stop me!” Courtney said as she pushed the door open and stormed into the room.

  Paul and Tracy sat up and stared at Courtney. “I can leave,” Paul said, looking back and forth to Tracy and Courtney.

  “Oh Tra, thank God you’re okay!” Courtney ignored Paul and ran straight over to the other side of the bed. “I was so worried. They told me that the surgery went well. But that’s all they told me. They wouldn’t give me any more information. They insisted I wait and speak to the doctor. But he’s gone for the night.”

  “Okay, okay,” Tracy said, smiling at the concern her sister was showing. “It’s okay. You’re here now, and you can see, I’m gonna be just fine.”

  Courtney leaned on the edge of the bed and looked at all of the equipment attached to her sister. Her eyes filled with tears, and she pursed her lips together, afraid to speak.

  “Hey, no sad faces,” said Tracy. “You think I look bad? You should see this guy!” She nodded her head toward Paul, who looked at Courtney and just shrugged his shoulders.

  “Yeah, she’s right. She might have some scratches and dings on her body,” he said looking at Tracy. “But they said my brain will never be the same.” Paul tried to make a joke, but Courtney was having none of it.

  “I’m sorry, I’m sorry ...” Courtney looked at Paul. “I’m really glad you’re okay, really. If it weren’t for you, Tracy wouldn’t be here at all.” Courtney stopped, gulped back her tears and then continued.

  “But if it weren’t for me and this stupid wedding, none of this would have happened at all!”

  Tracy felt for Courtney. Even though she always had been one to have the attention on her, Tracy understood why she felt guilty. It must have been awful to know that her plans to get Tracy and Paul together had led to this.

&
nbsp; “Well, if it is any consolation,” Tracy said, looking at Courtney as she lifted hers and Paul’s clasped hands from under the blanket. “Your plan to get us back together worked.”

  Courtney laughed nervously, grateful to see that someone was happy. “Well, then I guess it was all worth it!” she said, trying to be a good sport about it.

  “Listen,” Paul said, holding Tracy’s hand close. “You didn’t do any of this. You didn’t cause the accident. You didn’t get us injured. You didn’t get us back together. It was all part of God’s plan. He put us right where he wanted us for his purpose.” Paul looked to Tracy and smiled. “And despite the pain, I’m very glad he did.”

  “And we’re still going to be in that wedding, so don’t you get any ideas of canceling it,” Tracy said, looking sternly at Courtney.

  Courtney averted Tracy’s eyes and smiled at the floor. “Yeah, sure.”

  “Really,” Tracy said, making sure her sister knew she was serious. “Court, we wouldn’t miss it for the world. We’re coming and walking down that aisle, casts and all.”

  “Well,” Paul interrupted. “We might be rolling down the aisle. But either way, we’re there.”

  Courtney smiled weakly and fidgeted with the edge of the blanket. “Yeah, I know.”

  Tracy watched and knew there was more Courtney had to say. But it didn’t look like she was comfortable saying it in front of Paul. Tracy looked to Paul, and he took the cue.

  “Okay,” he said as he kissed Tracy’s hand. “I think I need to get back to my room before they send out another search party.” He looked at Tracy and smiled. “I’ll talk to you later.”

  Tracy watched as Paul wheeled himself out of the room and the door shut behind him. She looked at Courtney and patted the edge of the bed. Tracy remembered all the times they would sit and talk late into the night when Courtney had a problem. Courtney would come into Tracy’s room and act nervous, just like she was now. And Tracy would pat the edge of her bed and Courtney would sit down and spill her guts.

  “Hey,” Tracy said, reaching over to touch her sister’s hand. “What is it?”

  “Oh, it’s just that I feel so bad about everything,” Courtney said, keeping her eyes fixed on the floor.

  Tracy didn’t want to push but knew there was more to it than that. Courtney always beat around the bush when she had something important to say. And this was no exception. Tracy waited and just held her sister’s hand in hers. When the time was right, Courtney would open up.

  “It’s just that my wedding day is supposed to be the most special, most wonderful day of my life, right?” Courtney said, still fidgeting with the blanket.

  Tracy remembered back to her wedding day. And even though it ended the way it did, she saw it so much differently. The memory brought feelings of peace. “Yeah, it is the most wonderful day of your life.”

  “Then how come it doesn’t feel so wonderful?” Courtney said. “I mean, I know there’s all of this,” she waved her hand around the hospital room.

  “Well, that can take the wonder out of any moment,” Tracy said, agreeing that the circumstances of the past few days definitely could have put a damper on Courtney’s emotions.

  “But it’s not that,” Courtney went on. “I’ve been feeling this way for a while. Even since before we left California. There’s something, something, just not right.”

  “What do you mean?” Tracy asked, still unable to see her sister’s eyes.

  Courtney let out a long sigh and reached in her purse. She took out her phone and held it in her lap. “Kenneth’s been acting strange.”

  Tracy didn’t know why Courtney had her phone out but tried to reassure her sister. “Well, he’s getting married. Everyone acts strange when they get married. It’s a big step, sis.”

  Courtney finally turned and looked at her sister. Tracy saw the hurt and pain in Courtney’s eyes as she handed her the envelope. “And then I got this yesterday.” Courtney opened her phone and showed Tracy.

  Chapter 13

  “My friend saw them the day before we left Cali,” said Courtney. “She took the picture and debated whether or not to send it to me. She finally decided to do it when we were already on the plane. But because of the terrible service here, I just got it yesterday.”

  Tracy stared at the image of Kenneth and another woman having an intimate lunch at an outdoor café in Newport Beach. She didn’t know what to say. The scene could have been completely innocent. But the looks on their faces told a different story.

  Tracy scanned the room for her own cell phone. She hadn’t checked it in days. With everything that had happened, she hadn’t even thought to see if anyone had tried to contact her.

  “Well? Am I crazy?” Courtney lifted her wet eyes up to meet Tracy’s.

  Tracy furrowed her brow, unsure what to tell her big sister. The picture certainly was incriminating and suggestive. But it wasn’t proof. “Who sent that to you?” Tracy asked, not remembering what Courtney had said.

  “Sheila. She’s not the type to jump to conclusions or stir up drama,” Courtney said matter-of-factly.

  Tracy agreed. Of all of Courtney’s friends, Sheila was one of the most level-headed. She wasn’t one of Courtney’s best friends, but she was a good friend who had stood by Courtney through many relationships. She didn’t make rash decisions and was a pretty good judge of character.

  “Well?” Courtney asked her little sister again, searching for any direction in the storm of emotions she was feeling.

  “Let me see that again,” Tracy said, grabbing the cell phone from Courtney. She looked at the picture and zoomed in on the image. Kenneth sat with his hands resting on the table, just inches away from the arm of the thin, tan, brunette woman across from him. Tracy couldn’t tell which café they were at but recognized the downtown area in the background. It was the trendy art district area and was a popular spot for romantic lunches or dinners. But, it could just as easily have been a casual, strictly friendly lunch.

  Tracy tilted her head and looked at the picture again. Then she saw it. “Here,” she said, pointing to something in the picture. She knew what she was about to say might be way off base, but she didn’t know what else to do. “Do you see that?”

  Tracy pointed to a small blue box on the table. It looked like a jewelry box of sorts. “What is that?”

  “I don’t know,” Courtney said, grabbing the phone back for a closer look. “It looks like ...” her hand flew up to her mouth. “Oh my gosh! It’s a jewelry box! Did he give this woman a ring?”

  Tracy saw the thoughts spinning in her sister’s pretty blonde head. She knew instantly what she was thinking before Courtney spewed the words out.

  “He’s got another fiancée? Is he cheating on me with another woman? Is he going to marry her? Is he even going to follow through on the wedding with me?” She stood up and paced the room as she spoke, one hand stabbing the air while the other squeezed the phone.

  “How dare he! How could he do something like this?” She kept ranting as Tracy tried to calm her.

  “Now hold on,” Tracy said, not realizing spotting the little box would take the conversation in this direction. She tried to reel her sister back to reality.

  “First of all,” Tracy said over Courtney’s babbling. “Has he ever mentioned a brunette friend or that he was going to be having lunch with someone that day?”

  Courtney stopped and looked at her sister as if her hair were on fire. “What? What did you say? How would I know? Don’t you think I was too busy taking care of all the details for this trip? For our wedding!” Courtney practically shouted the words.

  “I know Court,” Tracy said in a quiet tone. “But think. Did he mention a lunch date, uh, a lunch appointment with a colleague, with a client, with anyone?”

  Courtney stood still and grabbed her head with her free hand. “No, no, I don’t remember anything like that. He never tells me about his cases anyhow. He just ...” She stopped and pointed a finger at Tracy.

&nbs
p; “Wait! There was something ...” Courtney’s eyes darted around as she searched her memory for the details of their conversation. “I called him that morning to ask him about the limo, what time he had booked the limo for to take us to the plane. And when I called, he said he had to go. He was on his way out to take care of a few last minute details before we left for Mauritius.”

  Tracy looked at her sister with a modest amount of relief in her eyes. “Okay, so maybe he was taking care of some things for the wedding.”

  Courtney’s expression changed from confused and hurt to happy and childlike. “Oh my gosh Tra,” she said, running to her sister’s bedside again. She swiped open the phone and zoomed in on the box one more time.

  “I know what it is. This is my wedding present!” Courtney was so sure she could hardly contain her excitement. “It’s the necklace, the pendant I was eyeing the last time we went to Bijoux.”

  Tracy smiled lightly at her sister, unsure whether she should play along or try to bring Courtney back to reality. Tracy didn’t know whether Kenneth’s picture was business or pleasure, but she knew there was something off about Kenneth lately. And she certainly didn’t like the way she had seen him treat her sister since they got to the island. But with all the stress of the wedding and then the accident, she couldn’t be sure what was causing his behavior.

  “What?” Courtney asked, able to read her sister’s transparency. “What is it Tra? Do you know what he got me?”

  “Listen,” Tracy said, holding her sister’s hand. “I don’t know what this is. And I hope it is exactly what you think. But with this, and the behavior, if you have doubts, you should confront Kenneth about it.”

  Courtney looked down at her phone again and then back up at Tracy. She squeezed her hand lightly and smiled. “I know. You’re right. I’m sure it’s nothing, too. But,” she spoke slowly, “it’s just that, well, I have to be sure. And if he loves me, he’s got nothing to hide. I’m just not sure how to bring this type of thing up.”

  Tracy squeezed her sister’s hand back. “Pray about it. God will give you the words.”