Page 68 of Road to Rosalee

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Zai felt himself rise from the fog, but only halfway, to a place where he was acutely aware of how cold, confused and terrified he felt. As he battled his way through the claws that wanted to drag him back to the darkness, images flashed before him like a kaleidoscope – a speeding blur he couldn’t stop. They were of days gone by, happier times as a child, then as a teenager and swiftly into his twenties. Then, lastly, Melody’s face swam into his apparitions, as did the soothing sound of her voice.

Awareness slowly slid into his consciousness. Pain began to register in varying degrees, hazed by the wooziness of strong painkillers. There was a softness beneath him that hadn’t been there when he’d fallen from the bike, but whatever it was, it felt like it was spinning. And someone was asking him if he could feel something, anything. He tried to open his eyes to tell whoever it was he couldn’t feel a damn thing. But even his eyes wouldn’t move. He tried to turn his head to the kind voice, but he couldn’t even do that. His heart practically stopped as he deliberated whether he was alive. Was he dead? Was this heaven? A sudden pounding in his head had him sucking in a desperate breath. A voice so familiar to him made him storm to the forefront, giving him the push he needed to finally open his eyes. And when he did, the world he found himself in was unbearably light.

Blinking, he urgently tried to focus.

White walls.

Beeping machines. A steady drone pounding out every beat of his heart.

Unable to stand the light, he squeezed his eyes closed again.

He was alive.

He was going to be able to tell Melody just how much she meant to him.

‘Zai, can you hear me? It’s me, Melody. Please, wake up, baby.’

His Sweet Melody. She was here, right beside him. With an almighty effort he flickered his eyes open and he fought to keep them that way. ‘Mel.’ He squinted against the intensity of light, desperate to see her face.

‘I’m right here, Zai.’

Her voice was soothing, angelic, as was her touch on his hand. He wanted to get up, to take her into his arms, but he couldn’t move. It felt as if a great weight was pressing down upon him, pinning him in place, making it hard to take a decent breath. Then another thought struck him, full force …

Holy shit, I am paralysed?

Terror gathered inside him, condensing and rolling like crashing waves against his chest. He darted his gaze left to right then finally found a point of focus – a picture of a beach on the far wall. Running footsteps clapped into the room and a nurse appeared. With her on one side of the bed, he turned his head to see his beautiful angel’s face come into his line of vision. He fought to find his voice. His mouth felt as if it was filled with cottonwool.

He tried to smile but wasn’t sure if he was achieving it. ‘Hey, you,’ was all he could mutter.

‘Hey, yourself.’ Melody clasped his hand between both of hers. ‘I thought I’d lost you, Zai.’ She blinked faster and tears fell.

Seeing her break broke him. ‘I’m not going anywhere.’ He tried to smile again, and this time he felt it, all the way in his soul. ‘You can’t get rid of me that easily.’

‘I love you, Zai Wellstone, so much.’ She leant in and lingered a kiss on his cheek.

He gave her hand a tender squeeze. ‘I love you too, beautiful.’

Two heads popped in beside her, Matt and Sarah’s smiling faces lifting his heart even higher.

‘About time you woke up, bud,’ Matt said with his trademark grin.

‘Yeah, mister. You scared the bejesus out of us all,’ Sarah added warmly.

He smiled into each of their faces, feeling utterly whole and complete – this right here was the kind of family he’d never had. The ones who loved him unconditionally, who had his back and would move mountains to make sure he was cared for and happy. And that now included Melody who, one day, he hoped to make his wife.

Chapter

20

It had been almost six months since the accident that almost took Zai’s life, and the months had floated by in a blur of happiness for Melody. So much had changed, for the better. And now here they all were, back where they had been, sitting on bales of hay, watching Slim marry the love of his life. The only difference was that instead of being at her forever home, Rosalee Station, the wedding was being held on the beach at Palm Cove, where Slim and Sherrie had relocated. And it was the perfect day for it too – the sky was a sea of blue with only a few cottony clouds floating listlessly upon the gentle sea breeze.

Seated in the front row between her dad and a very pregnant Sarah – two weeks and she’d be due – and her wonderful grandparents, Judy and Steve, and the motley crew behind her (minus Hasselhoof, who’d been fired on the spot for losing his cool with her grandad), she had a perfect view of the two lovebirds. Though she was meant to be watching the bride and groom, she was having a hard time keeping her eyes off the best man – her man. As the ceremony progressed and the celebrant spoke of commitment and love and becoming one, she and Zai kept catching each other’s gazes, the hint of a smile on the lips she so loved to kiss telling her of everything he felt, and everything he wanted to do to her later. He still had the power to make her blush beneath his stare. She thought she’d loved him back then but boy oh boy, she loved him so much more now. Each and every night, she fell asleep in his arms to then wake to his smiling face, her heart slipping more into his as she fell deeper, harder, and more passionately. There seemed to be no limit to their beautiful love story – they continued to write it, together, every single day they lived and worked together in the heart of the country. Walking towards their future, hand in hand, one step at a time, was all she could wish for, and more. She was so proud of Zai, landing his dream position after Slim retired from his job as manager of the station to open a stockfeed place in Cairns. And she was so happy Zai’s parents had finally given him their blessing to follow his heart and do what made him happy. The shock of his accident and how close Zai had come to death, coupled with a long deep and meaningful with Steve about accepting Zai for the countryman he was, had made them take a real hard look at themselves and how unfair they’d been with their only son. It had been a very teary apology, one she’d felt honoured and blessed to bear witness to, at Zai’s hospital bedside.

‘Gregory Mark, do you take Sherrie Fay to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, for as long as you both shall live?’ The celebrant’s voice was strong and sweet as it echoed over the microphone.

Melody found it so strange to hear Slim’s real name.