Chapter 8
8
“ I ’m glad we were able to get away to your uncle’s place tonight,” Deenie said. “We deserve a proper goodbye without your siblings banging on the door.” She was going to mention her conversation with Quinnie because he should hear her cautionary tale.
“I know the twins are adorable, but they’re a lot, and they’ve totally fallen in love with you. My mother started to think of you as an extra set of hands around the house because you were a natural nanny. I wanted you to myself before you go to Houston,” Dalton said.
They were spending the night at Marcus’ place because she and Greg were taking off the next morning. As with most storms that brushed the coast, folks evacuated even when it wasn’t mandatory. They wanted to leave a day before it got worse so they could avoid the traffic crunch. Dalton had almost stayed in Melbourne Beach until the spring semester at FSU, but he went up to the campus, and they were going to accommodate his special needs. He moved to a dorm room on the first floor, and he met with a fantastic physical therapist. They worked out a way for Dalton to get class credits for the time he spent in PT.
“If you were staying in town, you would have been only twenty-five minutes from my house in Merritt. I’m happy that Tallahassee will work out, but at the same time, I’m sad for us, or at least for me,” Deenie said. She failed to mention the warning told to her by Quinnie.
“It’s going to be just as hard on me. Having you by my side during physical therapy has been a huge help. Every adult I’ve talked to thinks we will crash and burn. My mother told me the story of falling in love before her boyfriend went overseas with the military. She was planning to move to Germany to be with him and was waiting to be summoned. Eventually, he married a woman he met in Germany, and my stepfather had a similar story.”
“Sometimes I think they’re making it up because that can’t happen to everyone. I’m aware of temptation and having realistic goals, but I think if we’re honest, it’ll help. Don’t lie, and I won’t either,” Deenie said.
She put a pillow under his leg and another behind his head on the couch. Deenie had planned on losing her virginity to Dalton, but his injuries forced her to put that idea on hold. Navigating the cage around his leg was not the romantic scene she had in mind.
“Are you still planning to return for Mel and Dale’s wedding?” Dalton asked.
“Yes. My mom is flying me back for that, and then I’ll stay with my friend Cay in Merritt until my mom comes home. Are you still planning to be my plus one?”
“That’s the plan, but first, I’ll have to check my school and train schedules. I’ll let you know.”
Deenie felt a pinch in her heart because she feared it wasn’t the first time their schedules wouldn’t mesh. She breathed deeply before slowly exhaling and wouldn’t let her fears ruin their last night together.
“If you’re not able to make it, I’ll just go stag, and that won’t be a problem,” Deenie said. Compromise was going to come in handy, and she was starting already.
“I see the look on your face. Don’t get discouraged so soon. We’ll get the hang of meshing our schedules, and it won’t be easy initially. I love you, Deenie, and I’m not going to let a few miles get in our way.”
“I love you, too, Dalton. You first said those words to me when you were in the hospital, and I didn’t know if it was the anesthesia speaking or you.”
“I know that. You didn’t say it back until I was out of the hospital. You sure do know how to keep a guy guessing.” He laughed.
Deenie so loved the sound of his laughter that she considered recording it. She knew, however, that it was overkill to even think about it.
Deenie and Dalton spoke for another couple of hours as the rain intensified. Tears were shed by them both as they reminisced about the time spent together. They had fallen in love, but it was intensified by the gruesome accident. Dalton claimed that he wouldn’t change anything because his accident bonded them. Deenie wasn’t so sure about that declaration because he had almost lost his leg.
They woke at dawn, and Deenie immediately began to cry. It was their last day together, and it was time to go to Houston with her father. Hopefully, she could convince him to buy her a car, which would lessen the miles between them.
She made waffles from the box, fried eggs, cantaloupe, and bacon. Coffee had come into her life only recently when she had to stay awake for hours with Dalton. Six months ago, she swore it off, but now she drank it black. It wasn’t the taste she liked but the stimulant effects.
“This feels like The Last Supper or the final meal before being executed,” Dalton said.
“Oh, no. Both of those are so negative. It’s a bountiful feast and the beginning of a new chapter. Don’t get negative on me now,” Deenie said as she flicked him with the napkin.
“I know. I should get back to enjoying the moment. I keep thinking that this or that will happen when my leg gets better, but I can’t waste time. Doctor Santorini said I won’t really be healed for a year, and there will be setbacks.”
“You’re equipped to deal with whatever comes your way. Your uncle agreed to pay for therapy, which he encourages you to get. This big milestone has been dramatically altered, and you might need help accepting that. There will be plateaus, but that just means you’re moving along in your recovery. Things happen so fast at first, and you anticipate that things will keep going that way. It will take patience, and that’s up to you.”
“You’ve been reading up on this,” Dalton said.
“I have been since I find it interesting. Nursing was a direction I thought I might want to go because jobs are easy to come by, and I pictured myself as a traveling nurse. I wanted to see the world and get paid for it. Now, it’s the actual job that I’m interested in. I like the science aspect of things and taking care of people.”
“You sound like you have it all figured out,” he said.
“For now, I reserve the right to change my mind a bunch of times before I commit,” Deenie said with a chuckle.
Her phone rang, and it was her father saying that it was time to get moving. He wanted an early start, and she still had some packing to do. Her hands shook when talking to her dad because the end was really here. Deenie didn’t know how she was going to wake up in the morning without seeing Dalton to look forward to. He had become such a big part of her life in such a short time. She gathered the breakfast dishes and cleaned up while Dalton sat quietly on the couch. Deenie knew he was dealing with his own emotions.
Dalton surprised her at the sink and placed his arms around her. They were both in tears as they stood in silence. Young love was euphoric, but when it was time to say goodbye, it was gut-wrenching.
Deenie didn’t even bring up the conversation she had with Quinnie. She was convinced that she and Dalton would beat the odds.
Dalton stayed at Marcus’ place, and his mother would pick him up later. The house would be chaotic with packing and goodbyes, so they said their goodbyes.
“I know I will see you again soon, but this isn’t easy. You’re my first true love,” Deenie said.
“You’re mine, too, and what we have surprises me. I’ll count the days until we see each other again, and I’ll think of you every day.”
They shared a passionate lingering kiss before Deenie sped off.