Book 1: Chapter 17
Three weeks after being admitted to the hospital, Carter was released. His mother agreed to stay with him until he was well enough to care for
himself. I made daily visits to change his bandages because Diane was too squeamish. It definitely was not a task for the faint of heart.
He seemed to be healing nicely and he continued with his physical therapy and his prognosis was looking up. It was believed that he would regain full range of motion. The scaming was unattractive, but was contained to his arms, chest and hands. His arms and chest could be concealed under his shirt, his hands being the only parts visible. His face healed well and showed very little evidence of the bombing
Carter would be able to return to work within a few months if he felt he was ready. The clinic had been repaired and returned to the condition prior to the bombing. Ken, Carter’s dad, who was also a gynecologist, stepped in to run the clinic a few days a week until Carter was able to return. Carter was paying his employees full wages in order to keep them from finding new jobs while he recovered
All in all things seemed to be working out for the best. Carter could have lost the use of his hands, his livelihood, everything he had ever worked for. I would have to say that he was pretty lucky considering
The idiot that caused all this mess, had not gone to trial yet, but was being held on attempted murder charges. The clinic had not seen another protester since the incident Carter hired a security company and had an officer on premises at all times to prevent them from ever returning. He would not allow his employees, his patients or himself to be put in danger again.
If it were me, I would have walked away from the business altogether and become an obstetrician where I could help bring life into this world. It would be much more rewarding and a lot less dangerous. But Carter believes in what he is doing and believes these women have rights that need to be protected. The two of us will never see eye to eye on this and that is okay. We have agreed to disagree.
My days became fairly routine. I would wake up, go to work, go out to lunch with Kyle every day without fail, go back to work for a few more hours, then head over to Carter’s to change his bandages and tend to anything that needed tending to, drive back to Kyle’s house for a nice relaxing evening and then end my day at Angelique’s house catching up with her. It was all very exhausting.
I still lived with Angelique, but would spend most of my weekends at Kyle’s. That was for two reasons. One, because I loved being with Kyle and wanted to spend as much time with him as possible Two, because Brandon was spending more and more time at Angelique’s Brandon turned out to be a really great guy. He treats Angelique like a queen, but is still tough enough to stand up to her when she needs put in her place. She can be quite a
handful
He was still bartending, but had decided to finish his schooling and go into the family business. His future looked very promising. Angelique had even met his parents several times and they seemed to approve of the relationship
Brandon decided that things with Angelique were pretty serious and that he wanted to be able to take care of her. The best way for him to do that, was by joining the family business. His parents were very happy with his decision and credited Angelique with it even though all she did was push him to make a decision whatever that decision may
I think my best friend finally found the man that she could give herself to completely. She trusted him and that was a huge step for her. She told me that she planned to continue to move slowly with him, but I could see that she was falling hard for him. I was happy for her.
My trips to Carter‘ house were becoming less uncomfortable. Diane seemed to open up to me a little more each day and let go of any resentment that she may have felt. I believe that she saw that I was truly there for her son. I did not have to go change his bandages, he could have hired a nurse, but I did it because I cared.
there for him when his mistress walked out on him. He still had not heard from Rosa and I viewed that as a blessing. She showed her true colors the day she walked out on him and I did not want him taking her back if she came asking thinking he could do no better.
The right person would come along for him someday, someone who will accept him for who he is scars and all. He did not need to settle for that bimbo who walked out at the most vulnerable point in his life. He was not a perfect person, but he deserved better than that.
I
“Aubrey, thank you for being here for me,” he said as I removed the old bandage and tossed it in the waste basket.
“You do not have to thank me. You know I do not mind doing this for you”
1 know, but I still don’t understand why you do it after what I did to you.”
Thave moved past it, Carter. I care about you and always will and that is w
why i
am
here
“I still love you I never stopped. I still have not signed those divorce papers it is not too late for us”
“Oh, but it is I may have forgiven you, but I have not forgotten and I never will I cannot move backwards.”
“Kyle is that good of a guy, huh?” He had known about Kyle for quite some time. A former mutual friend had seen Kyle and I out together and promptly reported back to Carter I did not try to keep Kyle a secret, but I didn’t want to rub it in Carter’s face either. When he called inquiring. I told him the truth, but did not go into detail I just told him that we were old friends that had been dating for a while.
“Yes, he is. He treats me the way I deserve to be treated and that is all ever wanted”
Book 1 Chapter 17
“Would you hand me that envelope behind you on the nightstand?”
1 picked up the familiar envelope that I had left here the day I moved all of my things out. The bombing happened so quickly after I left the papers here that I had not forced the issue to get them signed. I planned on waiting until he was completely healed and if he still had not signed them, I would ask him again
“Do you have a pen?” he asked as he opened the envelope and pulled out the pile of papers. I handed him a pen that was also on the nightstand and he squinted in panas he tried to curl his fingers around it.
“Carter, you do not have to do that now. You can wait until you are better”
7 want to do this for you, Aubrey. I want to set you free, it is the least I can do after all you have done for me”
He managed to get his fingers around the pen, however painful and scribbled his name on all the appropriate lines.
“You are not going to say that you were on heavy pain medications and this is null and vold, are you?” I joked as I finished putting the new bandages
“Ha, I could, but no. I have been slowly weaning myself off the medications. I would not do that to you even if I was heavily medicated, I want you to go and be happy, I am truly sorry I hurt you, Aubrey”
Tknow
you are. Thank you for signing these.” I took the papers and placed them back in the envelope and put the pen back on the nightstand
I’m done here for tonight. I will be back tomorrow.”
“Okay, thanks” leaned in to kiss him on the forehead and saw that he had tears starting to run down his cheeks. I pretended not to see them and picked up the papers and left that house as a newly divorced woman.
sat in my car and tears began streaming down my own face. Yes, I wanted this divorce and yes, I was completely in love with Kyle, but that did not stop me from feeling the sadness of a failed marriage. It is not something that anybody wants; it is just the effects of bad decision making.
I tried to compose myself and grabbed a Kleenex from my glove compartment. I wiped away the tears and any make–up that might have smudged. I then drove to Kyle’s for a night out. He had made earlier plans for us to eat out. We had been cooking at home so much, that he thought it would be a nice change. I agreed
I arrived at his house and looked in the rearview mirror for any smudges I might have missed. None to be found, I walked into the house to find him snoozing on the couch. I tried to be as quiet as I could, but Kyle was such a light sleeper that he could hear a dog fart even in his deepest slumber. It was fascinating to me, but also quite frustrating when I would try to sneak out of the bed in the middle of the night to use the restroom. I woke him every
“Hi, Baby” His voice was even sexier than normal when he was just waking up. “Did everything go okay?”
“Um, well, better than expected.” I took a seat next to him on the couch.
“What do you mean?” He sat up on the couch trying to open his eyes completely, but finding it difficult
“Carter signed the papers. I am officially divorced.” I could tell that he did not know how he was supposed to react.
I’m sorry” It was really more of a question than a statement though.
“No need to be sorry. This is what we have been waiting for, I am all yours now. Well, you do have to share me with Angelique sometimes, but for the most part, I am all yours”
“That is good to hear, Baby, very good. The smile made an appearance on his face now that he knew it was okay to be happy about the divorce. He leaned over and gave me a big kiss on the lips, I guess it would be a big relief to know that you were no longer dating a married woman, even if she had been separated from her husband before you even began talking to her. I know that if the tables were turned, I would never feel like he was completely mine until those papers were signed.
“This calls for a celebration. Do you want to go so
someplace different for dinner?”
“No, what you have planned is fine, but I am starving, are you ready to go?”
“Yes, ma’am Let me get my keys He grabbed them off of the kitchen counter and we were out the door,
We enjoyed a nice dinner out. We raised our glasses and toasted to the official beginning of our relationship. Because it was such a special night, we probably had a few too many drinks and we ended up calling a cab for the ride home just to be safe. The celebration continued once we got home and I fell asleep in his arms once again
The following day, I called Angelique to give her the good news and she immediately wanted to throw me a divorce party. I felt that it would be disrespectful to Carter and I politely declined. I did however, go to the bar and have a few drinks with her over the weekend.
The months went by and Carter eventually no longer needed my services. I did continue to call and check in on him. He returned to work and seemed to be managing just fine. I was impressed by his recovery
August 24th rolled around and I was not sure how I would handle the first anniversary of my son’s death. It was a difficult day for me to say the least.
Back Chapter 17
I imagined what his first birthday party would have been like Would he be walking now or saying “Momma” when he needed me? I had so many
questions that will never be answered.
Kyle was constantly there by my side. He drove me to Matthew’s gravesite and sat in the truck while I sat there on the ground and talked to my son He held me in his arms and let me cry into his shoulder as I mourned my child once again I think the person who said “Time heals all wounds” was a fool and had obviously never experienced such a loss. Time had healed nothing for me. I still had the same questions I had a year ago and the pain was still unbearable
Kyle and I went to the grocery store and bought a small cake. We celebrated Matthew’s birthday anyway in hopes that it would ease some of the pam. It did not. I cried myself to sleep that night just as I had a year ago.
Quickly, the holidays followed and we celebrated them with Kyle’s family. I had already become a part of their family and felt comfortable around each and every one of them. They were good people that welcomed me in with open arms. It helped that I already knew his mom and sister from working with them at McDonald’s so many years ago.
His mothers did however, remember the events of that New Year’s Eve and reminded me of how I jumped in the lake in the middle of a blizzard and that her husband had to hose down the driveway because I blew chunks on it. It was quite embarrassing, but it made for a good laugh anyway
On New Year’s Eve, we again celebrated at his mother’s house. All of his siblings were there ringing in the new year with us. It was a great night of drinking and laughter and stories of the years past. Everybody was having a great time.
“Bree, would you come with me please?”
“What’s wrong. Kyle?”
“Nothing, just come with me.” He grabbed my hand and pulled me down the stairs. He led me into his brother’s room. He sat me down on the bed. but remained standing
“Bree, do you know it has been eleven years since our first kiss, right h
here in this room?”
“Yes, romantic isn’t it?” I tried to stand up and kiss him, but he stopped me. I could tell that he was nervous about something, but I had no idea what. I thought he would be happy remembering those moments.
“Bree, I love you with all that I have and all that I am. I have loved you for nearly half of my life,” he reached into his pocket and I then realized why he was acting so weird know this seems fast to you, but for me, it seems like it took forever.”
He pulled his and out of his pocket, dropped to his knee and opened the black velvet box that he now held. “Aubrey, I promise to love you forever and I promise to never hurt you. I want to spend the rest of my life next to you. You are all that I have dreamed of and all that I have ever needed. Will you do me the honor of being my wife?”
He took me by complete surprise, but it only took a nano–second to reply. “Yes” I bent down next to him and threw my arms around his neck. He wrapped his arms around me and kissed me with such emotion that I began to cry. He smiled at me and wiped the tears from my face and said, “You have just made me the happiest man in the world. Now, do you want this ring or not?”
“Yes, yes.” I held out my hand for him to place it on my finger. It was a stunning white gold ring with three stones representing past, present and future. It was perfect. We definitely had a past between the two of us that was quite funny, our present was perfect and the future was looking very promising. He slid the ring on my finger and again kissed me. I was sure that I would remember this New Year’s kiss for a long time to come
We walked upstairs hand in hand and by the looks on everybody’s faces, I knew that he had already told them of his plans to propose. “Well?” his brother asked.
“Of course I said yes. They all clapped and began congratulating us. His mother hugged me and told me that she knew it would happen eventually It was just a matter of time. I spent the rest of the night with a smile plastered on my face and glancing down at the ring finger that now sparkled. It was the perfect ending to a somewhat messed up year.
