Page 85 of Everlasting Vows

I glance at Nix, and his wide eyes meet mine. We’re both full of hope. It’s written all over our faces. A gap finally opens up, and I see Murphy’s face scrunched up in pain, and my stomach rolls and swoops to my feet. I can’t stay back any longer and push my way between a couple of nurses to take his uninjured hand in mine.

He slowly turns his head in my direction as I squeeze him gently. “We’re here, Murph. We’re here,” I whisper as I lean down to press my lips to his cheek, my tears dripping onto his unshaven face.

“Mom? Dad?” he groans.

A keening sob tears up my damaged throat and bursts over my lips. I thought I’d never hear his voice again. I never thought I’d hear him say Mom. I’ll never admit out loud the darkest fears of my heart. Not to anybody. Not even to Nix. I drop my forehead to his as my heart soars while tears, full of relief, flow. My body shakes with each sob, and I feel Nix’s reassuring touch stroke down my back as he folds himself over Murphy too.

“We’re here, Son,” he confirms.

29

NIX

My heart pounds against my ribs, feeling too big for the space. He’s awake. He’s finally awake, and we have our son back. I know he’ll be forever changed, and he has a long road of recovery ahead of him, but he’s here and he has us. And through his darkest days, he won’t be alone.

Abbi’s body shakes beneath my hand, releasing the buildup of tension that’s been growing ever tighter as each day passed with no change. It’s been tough on both of us, but there’s a different bond between a mother and her son. A connection that transcends that of a father and his son. I wrap my arm around her the best I can in our bent position and study our son. His eyes are unfocused, but they’re open, and they’re working overtime to take in his surroundings.

When his gaze lands back on us, his bottom lip quivers the way it did whenever he hurt himself as a young boy. I watch helplessly as he presses his lips together, forming a tight slash across his face as he works to gain control of his emotions in a room full of health professionals. He blinks away the tears forming in his eyes, and I know this is just the beginning of his struggles. But I also have every faith in him that he’ll get through this because he’s always been tenacious.

Abbi gently traces each side of his face with the back of her fingers, and I take his uninjured hand in mine to offer him my support. My knees almost give out and drop me to my ass when he squeezes my fingers, and it takes everything inside of me to lock down my emotions so I can be the support they need. She murmurs something to him that has his eyes closing and peace washing over his features. His body relaxes, and he sinks back into the bed.

I snap my head back up to one of the nurses, worried he’s fallen back into unconsciousness.

“He’ll be in and out of consciousness for a while. It takes a while for the body to stay awake. Plus, we topped up his pain medication. The doctor will be in soon to assess him and explain his injuries and what to expect during his recovery.”

I nod sharply. “Okay. Thank you. We’ll be here all day.”

She smiles at me. “He’s lucky to have you guys.”

Shaking my head, I look back at Murphy, lying helpless. “We’re the lucky ones.”

The nurses leave the room, and suddenly we’re alone with our son. I drag a chair over for Abbi, encouraging her to sit, then hand her the coffee that she placed on the drawers. She smiles her thanks up at me, and my heart rate finally settles into something more regular. I blow out the despair that’s been trapped in my lungs and suck in a deep breath, filling them with hope.

As I sit in my own chair, I realize the toll the last few days have taken on me. Tiredness envelops me, and it takes a concerted effort on my part to sit straight in my chair and not slump as if I have no bones or muscles in my body to hold me up. I sip my coffee, watching Abbi watch Murphy. The release of tension from her features makes her look younger.

My phone buzzes, and when I drag it out of my pocket, Prue’s smiling face looks back at me. Shit, we completely forgot to call her with all the commotion. I hold my phone up so Abbi can see. “We forgot about Prue.”

She flinches. “I’m sure she’ll forgive us when we tell her the good news.”

I press the button to accept her call. “Sorry, Sweet Pea.”

“You forgot to call me.” She pouts up close to the screen to ensure we don’t miss it, and I chuckle.

I move my phone around so she can see Abbi, careful not to show Murphy. “Tell her the good news, Abs,” I whisper.

Abbi smiles. “Murphy woke up. We were a little preoccupied.”

Prue’s scream screeches through the phone, and I quickly adjust the volume, so we don’t wake Murphy. “Shhh, he’s sleeping.”

Her shoulders lift and her eyes widen as she covers her mouth, but I can still see her grin. “That’s such great news. Oh, I wish I were there.” She swipes beneath her eyes, and I wish she were here too. It’s been too long since all of us were together. “Can I see him?”

Abbi and I look at each other, having a silent conversation. “How about you wait until he’s awake and you guys can talk to each other?” I suggest.

She frowns but agrees. “Alright.”

Abbi smiles softly.

“Do you guys know how much longer you’ll be there?”