Chapter 33 – Maggie
August... Three weeks later
Physically, I feel great.
The birds are chirping, and the oppressive, Texas summer heat is finally showing signs of letting up.
My body is no longer as sore as it was just two weeks ago after the surgery.
The doctor had mentioned I’d be back to feeling one hundred percent in four to six weeks post op, but here I am, only two weeks in, and already I feel incredible. The difference is truly astounding.
I had no idea how poorly my kidneys had been functioning for so long.
The gradual decline had led me to believe it was just a normal part of my condition and the symptoms I’d been living with, though horrible, had gone mostly unnoticed largely thanks to the distraction of spending my summer wrapped up in Clay.
The doctor informed me that my donor was a perfect match, and I should be able to live the rest of my life without needing another transplant.
This was the best possible news I could have hoped for, even better than learning they’d found a match for me so quickly.
Frankly, I’d heard stories of patients waiting for years on the recipient list before being matched and I’d prepared for that the day I'd been admitted.
My dad said it was like my mom was watching over me, guiding the donor directly to me at the right moment.
I liked imagining that. Considering that she’d helped orchestrate an opportunity for me to live a full life.
While there’s still the lingering risk of my condition affecting other parts of my body in the future, today, I feel healthy and happy.
That is, physically.
Mentally and emotionally, I’m a total mess.
Ever since my surgery, Clay has been by my side through every step of my recovery.
The transplant had happened fast—just two days from finding a match to the actual operation.
When I woke up on that Sunday, still groggy from the anesthesia and weak, Clay was there, smiling, holding my hand, and reassuring me with a kiss.
“Shouldn’t you be at your tournament?” I’d asked, confused.
He’d shaken his head, a soft smile playing on his lips. “Disqualified on a technicality.”
Even in my drugged-up haze, I remembered feeling heartbroken for him. Tears filled my eyes as I clung to him, my emotions raw and overwhelming.
“But you worked so hard for this. How could they disqualify you? That’s not fair! You were in first place!”
Clay hadn’t looked at me with frustration or disappointment. His eyes were steady, filled with nothing but love and understanding. And then he said words that would stay with me for the rest of my life.
“It was never about winning for me. It was about proving to myself that I could do it, no matter what the obstacles. That I could push through the challenges and come out stronger. Work through pain and disappointment and be a better version of myself after. And I did. That’s enough for me.”
I held tightly to those words as I went home to my dad’s house to recover, inching closer each day to my return to Houston and the completion of my own dream that I’d nurtured for years. Finishing my X-ray tech program.
The thought of leaving felt daunting, especially with the uncertainty hanging over Clay and me.
My dad was understandably anxious about my recent surgery, while Clay seemed to handle me with kid gloves, tiptoeing around me and avoiding the touch and affection I still craved.
This was exactly why I had hesitated to share my condition with him.
I didn’t want to feel set apart, but I now saw how much I had unintentionally hurt him by keeping it a secret, so I allowed him to treat me like glass the way he wanted.
Fortunately, my school had granted me a one-week deferral for the start of classes, allowing me to avoid missing the entire semester. So today, with Clay having packed my car for me, I was ready to head back to Houston and finish the fall semester.
He stands by my car door, leaning casually with a hip pressed against the frame, his broad arms crossed over his chest where he's wearing only a simple, black t-shirt. He looks so irresistibly handsome it almost breaks my heart. I want to shout out that I don’t want to leave and just want to stay here with him.
But I know, and he knows, that I need to do this. I have to finish what I’ve started.
I need to do this for me.
“So... I won’t be home again until right before Christmas.”
He nods.
“Maybe we can… I don’t know… meet up? It’s only a three-hour drive from here to Houston.”
He nods again. “I think I’ll give you some space to finish what you started without a distraction, Maggie.”
Space...Yeah, sure, that makes sense.
This was always supposed to be just a summer thing anyways…
But the way he’s taken care of me these past few weeks feel like so much more. Hell, the way he’s taken care of me this entire summer feels like more.
“Okay…”
“Your dad said he’s planning on throwing you a graduation party the week before Christmas. I’ll be there waiting for you.”
I nod, and we stand there in silence, the weight of unspoken words hanging between us.
Waiting for you...what does that mean?
“Clay—” I begin, but he steps forward, wrapping me gently in his embrace. He pulls me close, pressing his lips to my forehead with a firm, lingering kiss that silents me. I can feel his breath as he takes in my scent, holding me tightly.
“You don’t have to say anything. It was a great summer. The best summer I’ve ever had. All because of the time that I spent with you. It’s time for you to leave now. Finish your degree. Live your life to the fullest. I'll be here. Waiting.”
I nod against his chest though that’s the furthest thing from what I want to do. “Yeah, okay,” I mumble.
He opens the driver’s side door after taking my bags and tossing them into the back. I slide in, start the engine, and begin to drive away, with a heavy heart, only checking my rearview mirror once to watch the man I swore I’d never fall for again.
It was a summer I’d never forget, and one that I’d dream of for years to come because I didn’t just fall for Clay, I fell in love with him.