“Hey, can you hear me?”
My head was pounding, and the voice in my ear was extremely loud, but not as loud as the light that appeared to be shining in my eyes. I couldn’t take the throbbing.
“I think she’s awake.”
Quiet down. I thought I said it from the fog, but somehow, my voice was muffled, weak.
“Did she say something?”
Yes, you idiot, I said quiet down. In reality, I hadn’t said anything. Everything was so murky, like I was lying underneath water. I pulled myself through the water because I was afraid that I was going to drown. I felt stuck in a dark, watery place that was scary.
“Calm down. It’s okay, just breathe,” another voice coached me.
“Pretty, reviens chez nous, bébé.”
I would love to come back. That’s what I’m struggling to do. Can’t you see that, Papa?
“Je t’aime, Bulles.” I loved it when he called me “Bubbles.” Papa had given me that nickname as a kid because of my happy disposition. It had been a while since I’d been that happy.
Oh, je t’aime, aussi, Papa!
But again, the words didn’t come out. I felt a warm, large hand wrapped around mine. The long, cool fingers were familiar, and I knew it was my papa’s touch.
I heard a soft sobbing in the background.
“Maman, she’s going to be fine,” Enzo stated.
My big brother was here too.
“It’s a good thing Drew found her when he did. I couldn’t imagine the damage she would have suffered had she been alone much longer,” Mael declared.
Drew. Where is he? I missed him, and I couldn’t wait to see him again. Drew made me feel secure and comfortable. With that thought, the water that I appeared to be struggling with receded, and I could make out blurry images.
“Jolie Anouk Mercier-Brightwell, you wake up right now, and I mean it!”
My mother believed when she used that voice, it scared her children into obedience, and it did, usually.
I blinked several times against the light that hurt my eyes. My throat felt scratchy, and I coughed to clear it, but it turned into a full choking session.
“She’s awake,” Chloe declared as my mother handed me a cup of water. I sipped it, cleared my throat, and then spoke.
“Maman,” I whispered.
“Pretty!” she exclaimed and placed her hands on either side of my face.
“Call the doctor!” my father demanded, taking charge and moving around my mother so that I could see him clearly.
“Don’t speak, Bulles,” my father commanded.
I nodded and lay there obediently. My loving family circled around my bed, but someone was missing.
Drew.
“You good, baby girl?”
Drew’s voice was soothing, and his hand caressed mine as he stared down into my face. He looked worried.
“Yeah, I’m good, Drew,” I replied.
“Why the tears?”
I smiled as I tried to force them away, but they wouldn’t stop. They were patrolling my face like the police in the streets after a riot.
“It’s just too much. This is crazy. I keep thinking about how you found me and if you hadn’t shown up, I could’ve died, Drew. Like, I really could be out of here right now.”
“But you’re not,” he replied in a soft voice with an endearing smile. “It wasn’t your time, nor God’s will.”
“You’ve gotta stop coming to my rescue, you know? You can’t keep playing my superhero,” I joked.
“That’s exactly who I wanna be for you.”
Drew stood and walked to a corner of the room. When he returned, he held a bouquet of lilacs.
“Oh, Drew, you’re so sweet.” I smiled when he handed them to me.
“No, pretty lady. You’re the sweet one.”
I sniffed the flowers and inhaled their sweet fragrance. “They’re perfect. Thank you.”
“I also got you this.”
He set a basket on the bed with premium chocolate truffles, turtle candies, a bottle of wine, a paperback book by Tracy Gray, Quiet as Kept, scented candles, a teddy bear, and a beautiful hand-painted bracelet.”
“Drewww.” Tears welled in my eyes. “A girl could fall in love with you,” I teased, wiping the tears from my eyes.
“That’s my intention.”
“I’ll have to watch you. You’re a smooth one.”
He sat on the side of my bed and took my hand in his. “I just figured you had enough people around you who were fussing at you about being careful and do this and don’t do that. You needed someone to just make the road a little easier for you, someone to pamper you.”
I reached up and cupped his face. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
I sighed. “How’d you run off the sentries?”
He frowned slightly and then chuckled in that deep, throaty laugh he had. “Oh, you mean your family? Let’s just say that I have an understanding with your dad and brothers.”
“And what would that be?” I couldn’t imagine anything that would have pulled those pit bulls away from my bed, not to mention my mom. They had been by my side the entire time I’d been in the hospital, even when Drew visited.
“I’ve got them season tickets to the Jaguars games.”
“They’re gonna love that!” I laughed.
“I know. Listen, I’ve got to run by the house to shower and change, but I’ll be back.”
“I’m good, Drew.”
“That’s cool. ’Cause your ass scared the shit outta me for a minute there. They’re supposed to be letting you out tomorrow.”
I had been in the hospital for two days. I had sustained a broken arm, a concussion, and I had some minor back pain.
“Yeah, I heard. I can’t wait to get out of here and back home. I’m sorry I scared you, Drew. Moving next to me is a hazard. I know you probably regret the day you asked me for that screwdriver,” I teased.
He laughed. “That was the second-best day of my life besides meeting you. What the hell were you doing out there to make you fall?”
“Trying to measure the windows so I could replace one of the shutters.”
“Why the hell didn’t you ask?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know. Didn’t want to bother you.”
“I’m right next door, baby; you’re never a bother. You’ve got my number. All you gotta do is call me.”
“You make it sound so easy.”
He wore a worried look briefly, kissed my forehead, and then he stood. Before he walked out of the room, he declared, “Loving you would be easy.”
Drew didn’t wait for a response or give me time to question him; he simply blew my mind with that confession. Love? Was that what we were doing?