Lance looks beautiful, his large body relaxed and at peace. I don’t want to wake him, so I press the call bell for a nurse. It was sitting on my bed next to my hand, ready for me when I needed it.
A bubbly young woman comes through the door. She’s small and neat with perfectly placed blonde hair. She gives me a warm smile and whispers in my ear, “It’s good to see you awake, Katie. You’ve been asleep for a while.”
“Um,” I mumble. “Where am I? And how long have I been here?”
“You’re in New York Community Hospital, Katie.” The way she says my name, with emphasis, is as if she’s worried I’ll forget it.
“What’s the date? Is it Christmas Day?” I ask, confused. That’s the last date I remember, popping back into my head.
“No, Katie. It’s Monday, the 17th of January, 2022. You were brought in three weeks ago, after being hit by a car.” She gives me a kind smile and squeezes my hand. “All your memories will come back. It will just take time for you to heal. Don’t rush. But I have to say, you have a wonderful helper over there.” She signals to Lance with her chin. “He’s gorgeous, too.”
“How long has he been here?” My eyes stay fixed on his sleeping form, watching his chest rise and fall. Screwing my eyes up, then reopening them to ensure I’m not dreaming. “He is here, isn’t he?”
She giggles under her breath. Lance rages a snore.
“Yes, he is. And has been since it happened. He’s your partner? He traveled from Scotland as soon as he heard, I believe. He’s staying in a hotel nearby with his son. Arrives every day at 8 a.m. and doesn’t leave until it’s dark,” she says.
I smile and just nod. Completely confused, with no recollection of being hit by a car or Lance being my current partner, for that matter. But feeling relieved that he’s here.
The thought of Brad returns. Another memory: Christmas Day, another argument. Me, packing my case. Him, swearing. The timeline is muddled. I try to push to pieces into order, but fail. I lie back on my pillows and stare up at the yellowed ceiling.
“It will come back to you,” the nurse assures me. She read my mind.
“I’m hungry, can I have something to eat?” I whisper, trying not to wake Lance, and not wanting to open any further discussion with her.
All I know is I’m in a hospital, after three weeks of knowing nothing. Brad is nowhere to be seen, but Lance is here, having flown in from Scotland. Right now, that’s information I can’t process.
“Let me check with the doctor. He’ll probably want to look you over first, then I’ll organize some food for you.”
The doctor arrives, moving so quietly his feet are no more than a scuff on the floor. Lance wriggles a few times, but doesn’t wake. I repeat my request to let him sleep. In my room, you could hear a pin drop.
After a check-up, I’m allowed some tea and toast. It’s the best-tasting tea ever. The warm, sweet liquid fills my mouth, and I swirl it around in ecstasy. A smile creeps across my face as I enjoy each sip. Heaven.
“You would think that tea was giving you an orgasm,” Lance drawls.
I swallow my hot tea in surprise, and it returns with my cough.
He chuckles under his breath. “It’s good to see you awake, Katie. You had me worried.” He comes to my bedside, takes my face gently between his hands, and kisses my lips softly. His touch is soothing; I relax into him. “I’ve missed you. I thought I’d lost you for good.”
“What are you doing here, Lance? You’re a long way from home.”
“Anywhere you are is my home. Nothing else matters to me. Just you and my children. I can’t lose you again. I’m here for you.”
I don’t argue. His presence calms me; I want him here.
“What happened? Where’s Brad?”
He silences me with a look.
“Gone.” His lips press together tight. “He won’t bother you again.”
My mouth opens to ask another question. He places a single finger over my lips, his own turning upwards. “We have plenty of time to talk. Let’s just enjoy being together.”
A week later, my recovery is progressing well, and I’m due to be released in the next few days. The memories are returning day by day. Each one from recent months digging deeper, making me question my life. Why I stayed with Brad? My ridiculous reasoning: to maintain my career, then letting him ruin it anyway.
As I think back, it all comes clear, the way things do when you finally step off the hamster wheel. When you give yourself time to breathe. I’m proud of myself for walking away, albeit too late.
The accident itself feels like sublime intervention. The universe stepping in to send Lance back to me. He’s been here for weeks. Since waking up, he’s been my sanity, by my side every day. When I asked about Brad again, if he’d come to the hospital, Lance narrowed his eyes, told me no, and that I wouldn’t be seeing him again. That he’d been taken care of.