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“What movie do you want to watch, Angel?” I’ve just positioned myself behind her on the couch. She’s sitting in between my legs with a heating pad on her abdomen. Savannah left about an hour ago, warning Kelsey that she’d better call if she needs anything.
“I don’t care, you pick.” She seems so…defeated. I hate that she feels like this and that there’s nothing I can do to make it easier for her.
“Talk to me, Kels. What can I do to make you feel better? Can I get you anything?”
“You’re doing it. I told you, Joey snuggles are the best cure for everything.” She looks over her shoulder and smiles at me before frowning again. “The first two days are always the worst, and then I’m to a point of functionality. Unfortunately, there’s not a whole lot you can do for me.”
Well, that fucking sucks. I don’t like feeling useless — I’d absorb this pain in a heartbeat for her if I could. “I guess I’ll just be the snuggle provider until you need me for something bigger.”
“Oh, I’ll definitely need you for something bigger by the weekend.” She wiggles her ass against me, making me groan in response.
“He’ll be more than ready for you — I promise you that.”
She snuggles back up against me and I put on reruns of Schitt’s Creek. As I suspected she would, Kelsey falls asleep about ten minutes later. As I lay here listening to the soft purr of her snoring, I can’t help but smile. Hospital trips aside, if the rest of my days look like this — taking care of the woman I love in sickness and in health — I’ll die a very happy man.
Chapter 36
“Are you sure you don’t want to take one more day, Kels?” Joey asks as he serves up our breakfast.
“I’ve taken enough time off. I feel fine, I promise. The headache has subsided, along with the rest of the pain.” I meet his gaze to find his looking back at me with sheer worry. “If I start to feel rough again, I will call you to come pick me up.”
I love Joey with all of my heart, and I’m beyond grateful for how caring and tender he’s been the past couple of days. But he’s doing exactly what I was worried about — babying me and treating me like I’m broken. The worst part is, I don’t know how to get him to stop.
“Talk to me, Joey. What’s really bothering you?” That question comes out of nowhere, but I don’t know how else to get to the deep root of the issue at hand.
He doesn’t speak right away. Instead, he looks at the stain on the kitchen floor and shakes his head. “I have never felt so helpless and useless than I did when I found you on this floor. All I could think was that I should have been here, taking care of you, and I wasn’t. The worst part is that there’s no guarantee it won’t happen again. And I’m worried that I won’t be around if it does.”
I knew this whole episode was affecting him hard, but I don’t think I realized just how much he was blaming himself. Maybe I’ve been too hard on him for his behavior. I’ve had five-plus years to come to terms with this issue — he’s just finding out about it, and in the worst possible way. He needs time to process this new reality with me, so it’s understandable that he’s worried.
“What can I do to put your mind at ease?” I take his hand and hold it between both of mine.
“Truthfully, I don’t know if there’s anything you can do. I’m trying to move forward from this and count my blessings that you’re here with me. But I’m fucking terrified, Kels — I don’t want to lose you.”
Joey has never been one to wear his heart on his sleeve — he’s always been a “man’s man” who didn’t really show much emotion. So the fact that he’s being so open with me about his fears speaks volumes.
“I’m not going anywhere, Joey — you’re stuck with me.” I smile playfully. “I love you.”
Despite my smile, his face is as serious as ever. “I love you too, Kels. More than anything in this world.”
“Okay, so trust that your love will always bring me home, no matter what.”
He lets out a small laugh. “Are you sure I can’t just chain you to the bed so I know you’re safe?”
“As kinky as that sounds, I’m afraid not.” I run my hand through his hair before I kiss him. “I know you’ll be worried regardless of whether I tell you that you don’t need to be. But I swear, I’m fine to go back to work today.”
Joey lets out a long sigh. “Alright, as long as you’re sure.”
“I am. Plus, you need to get back to work too.” I have a feeling that he’s going to be frantic throughout the day.
“Welcome back, Kelsey. How are you holding up?” Principal Morris greets me in the teacher’s lounge.
“As good as can be expected. I’m lucky to have a great boyfriend and sister to take care of me.” No matter how overbearing they can both be, I’m thankful beyond words to have them in my life.
“Well, Joey told me you were probably going to be out all week, so I’m honestly surprised to see you here today. Please don’t hesitate to let me know if you’re not feeling well and need to leave.”
I’m not surprised that he told her that. If he had his way, I would’ve stayed home all week. “Thanks, I should probably get to my classroom and catch up on things.”
When I walk into my classroom, I’m greeted with several “Get Well Soon” balloons, a bouquet of orchids, and a card sitting on my desk. The sight brings tears to my eyes. Often in life, we wonder if we make a difference in people’s lives — as a teacher, that feeling sits tenfold. We wonder if the lessons we teach our students will stay with them long after they walk out of our classrooms.
