8. Anna
ANNA
Anna walked through the quiet, sterile corridors of the hospital, the soft soles of her shoes squeaking faintly against the polished linoleum floors.
Held securely in her hands was a small, brightly wrapped box of homemade saltwater taffy, freshly made back at the hotel kitchen.
She knew perfectly well that George could not actually eat it yet, considering his delicate medical state, but she had brought it anyway, determined that he should have a little piece of comfort waiting for him.
He was still in the Intensive Care Unit, surrounded by the constant, rhythmic ticking and humming of medical machinery, but the doctor on duty had given her an encouraging nod and let her in.
This time, to her immense relief, George was wide awake.
She was deeply hesitant at first, her fingers tightening around the sweet box as she neared the intensive care bay.
A heavy wave of nerves washed over her, making her pause just outside the glass partition.
She truly was not sure if seeing her was going to upset him or cause his blood pressure to spike, given the complicated, painful history they shared.
But to her complete surprise, when George happened to look up and spot her through the clear window, the tense lines on his pale face instantly softened, and his features broke into a genuinely warm, welcoming smile.
Her heart gave a violent flutter, and her stomach clenched in a tight knot of nerves and sudden affection.
Taking a slow, deep breath to steady herself, she finished slipping into the required hospital gear, adjusting the oversized paper scrubs, the crinkly blue hair cap, and the protective booties over her shoes.
Once she was fully covered, she slowly pushed open the heavy door and let herself into the silent room.
"Hi," Anna greeted him softly, stepping up beside the high hospital bed and looking down at him with a mixture of tenderness and lingering worry.
"Anna," George breathed, his voice rough and incredibly weak, yet filled with a profound sense of awe. He stared up at her, his eyes tracking her every movement as if he feared she might vanish into thin air. "So it wasn't just a medication-induced dream, then. You are really here."
"Yes," Anna said, offering him a small, slightly guilty smile along with a nod of her covered head.
She reached down, carefully setting the candy box on the bedside table before looking back at him.
"I'm really here, George. Though I think I'm ultimately the one responsible for landing you in this hospital bed in the first place, after our argument. "
"No," George said immediately, shaking his head slightly against the stiff white pillow. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Anna. I did this to myself, plain and simple. I let my health go, and I ignored the warning signs for far too long."
"Oh, George," Anna sighed, a soft, wistful sound as she looked down at the man she had once known so intimately. "You crazy, stubborn old fool."
Unable to resist the pull any longer, she leaned down over the safety rails, gently kissing his lined forehead. The familiar scent of him, underneath the harsh smell of hospital antiseptic, made her eyes sting with unshed tears.
"I waited for you," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly with the weight of the passing decades. "I waited for you for all these years, George. But you stubbornly refused to reach out to me, even when you were in dire need of help, even when everything was falling apart around you."
George closed his eyes for a brief moment, a look of profound defeat and regret settling over his features. When he opened them again, the old stubbornness was entirely gone, replaced by a raw, heavy sadness.
"I know I did wrong back then, Anna," he admitted softly, his voice trembling. "I know I made a mess of things, and I have regretted it every single day since."
Slowly, weakly, he reached his hand across the crisp bedsheets, his fingers trembling as he waited.
Anna didn't hesitate, immediately meeting him halfway and closing her hand around his. His grip was frail, but the warmth of his skin sent a familiar jolt right through her. As they sat there, tightly holding hands, George’s gaze suddenly drifted past her shoulder, his eyes widening slightly as he spied the colorful box sitting on the tray.
"What's in there?" he asked, his gray eyebrows rising in sudden curiosity.
"Oh, just a little something from the chef back at the Hearts Hotel," Anna said with a playful, teasing smile, trying to lift the heavy mood in the room. "But you absolutely cannot have it right now, so don't even think about asking. The doctors would have my head."
"It's saltwater taffy, isn't it?" George guessed immediately, his eyes lighting up with a sudden, boyish hunger.
Anna laughed softly as she watched his entire expression change, his tongue darting out to quickly lick his dry lips as he stared longingly at the contraband box.
"Don't you even think about it, George," Anna teased, gentle but firm.
She crossed her arms over her paper-covered chest. "You know you can't have any of this right now.
The doctors would have my head, and I'm pretty sure those machines you're hooked up to would start blaring alarms the second a piece of sugar touched your lips. "
George let out a weak, raspy chuckle, though his gaze remained fixed on the colorful packaging. "Can't blame a guy for trying, Anna. You know how much I love the peppermint ones. And the banana ones, too."
"Oh, I know exactly how much you love the banana ones," Anna said, her smile broadening as a warm, golden wave of nostalgia washed over her, pushing back the sterile chill of the intensive care unit.
"In fact, seeing this box reminds me entirely of our very second date.
Do you remember that afternoon in the town park? "
George smiled, the skin around his tired eyes crinkling with genuine warmth.
"Of course I do. We had a picnic under the big oak tree by the pond.
I brought a blanket that was absolutely covered in dog hair from my mother's golden retriever, and I was so nervous I think I spilled half the lemonade before we even sat down. "
"You did," Anna agreed, laughing softly as she pulled a chair closer to the bedside, making sure to keep her movements gentle so she didn't disturb any of his IV lines.
"But the real highlight of the afternoon was when you proudly pulled out a giant, decorative box of saltwater taffy.
You had spent your last few dollars on it at the boardwalk shop, and you looked so incredibly pleased with yourself when you handed it over to me. "
George licked his dry lips again, his expression softening as the memory came alive between them. "I thought I was being the ultimate romantic. I spent twenty minutes picking out the perfect assortment."
"And you ended up eating every single piece yourself," Anna countered playfully, leaning forward slightly as she captured his gaze.
"What you didn't know back then, because I was far too polite to say anything, was that saltwater taffy wasn't actually my favorite candy.
I didn't want to hurt your feelings or make you feel bad after you spent all that money, so I just smiled, took one small piece, and told you it was lovely.
Then I watched you happily systematically devour the rest of the box over the course of the afternoon. "
George let out a true, booming laugh that cut right through the rhythmic hum of the heart monitor, though he quickly winced slightly as the motion tugged at his chest. "You let me eat the whole thing?
All these years, and I truly thought I was sharing your absolute favorite treat with you.
You're telling me you kept that secret for decades? "
"I did," Anna murmured, her amusement fading into something much deeper, warmer, and infinitely more fragile as she looked down at his pale face.
"It was sweet, and it was utterly real. Watching you get so excited about those terrible banana candies made me realize just how much of a big, softhearted fool you really were.
I didn't care about the taffy, George. I just cared about the fact that you wanted to make me smile. "
The lighthearted laughter slowly drifted out of the room, leaving behind a profound, heavy silence that felt entirely too large for the small hospital cubicle.
The rhythmic, steady beep of the heart monitor seemed to grow louder, ticking away the seconds and ruthlessly dragging them both right back to the painful reality of the present day.
George’s smile gradually faded, the lines of exhaustion and regret returning to his face as he looked up at her through the clear lenses of his hospital-issued glasses.
Anna looked down at their joined hands, her fingers tightening around his frail, warm grip.
The paper scrubs crinkled softly with her movements, the sound harsh and artificial against the still atmosphere.
She took a deep, steadying breath, knowing she couldn't keep hiding behind pleasant memories forever.
The medical crisis had stripped away his stubborn pride, leaving him vulnerable in a way she hadn't seen in a lifetime, and she knew she had to finally address the giant elephant in the room.
"Why didn't you ever call me, George?" Anna asked softly, her voice trembling slightly as she finally forced the words out into the open air.
"When I left all those years ago, I walked away with my heart sitting in my throat.
I stood by the door, I sat by the phone, and I spent weeks absolutely certain that you'd come after me.
I thought for sure you'd realize we were worth fighting for, but you never did. You just let me go."