Page 87 of Bailey-Rose: The Complete Duet

“Huh,” I mused aloud. “I can see why that makes sense.”

“Do you have questions, concerns, or anything else you want to know about?” Dr. Arbour offered.

In some ways, talking to him about this was weird, having been his patient since I was a baby, but he was a professional and simply looking out for me. “I know for sure I’m not looking to build a family in the next year. There is so much I want to see and do now that I have that freedom. Let’s go with the three-year implant. That way, I have time to think about it after living a little. Plus, not having to worry about taking another pill would be magical.”

“That sounds like a wise choice to me,” Dr. Arbour said with a nod and gathered the supplies he needed.

Moments later, with a little poke, some numbing, and a giant-ass needle, my arm was being wrapped up.

“Give it one day before testing out how effective this is,” Dr. Arbour cautioned. “You’ve lasted five weeks, so I’m sure one more day won’t be that bad. One last thing, then you can go live a beautiful life.”

Dr. Arbour settled his hands on my shoulders and gave me a sweet yet watery smile. I could feel panic starting to rise, causing Nugget to let out a sharp bark when he couldn’t reach me. Dr. Arbour scooped up Nugget and placed him in my arms, patting my knee affectionately.

“No need to fret, kiddo… this is good news,” he assured me. “I am retiring at the end of the week. My practice will be handed over to Timmon and another surgeon I trust to care for my patients. You were the reason I continued to work this long because I couldn’t trust anyone else with your care. Bailey-Rose, you are like a granddaughter to me, and I can’t tell you how happy I am to see you grow up, find love, and be given a second chance to see the world.”

This had been the last thing I’d expected him to say. “You’re not that old… you can’t retire.”

“Oh, you sweet girl, but I am that old. Hell, I was old when I helped bring you into this world.” He laughed. “This is a good thing, Bailey-Rose. I had one more surgery left in me, and I saved it for you. Now it’s time to let the younger generation make their mark in the world. For years, I lived in this hospital more than my own home with my pack. It’s time for us both to travel and have wild adventures. Who knows, we might run into each other on the beach or hiking a mountain. That would be a memory worth making, don’t you think?”

A tear rolled down my cheek, but it was a happy one, even though I was going to miss these moments with the man who saved my life more times than I can count. “It would be the best memory.”

“That’s the spirit,” Dr. Arbour cheered, clapping his hands together. “Come on, kiddo, let me walk you and your pack out one last time so I can make this memory too.”

“Maybe we should take a picture, just in case you get really old and forgetful,” I suggested.

“What a brilliant idea. I’m sure Nurse Harlow is lurking somewhere nearby,” Dr. Arbour whispered conspiratorially, making me laugh and reminding me this was a happy moment.

We were so excited that I was finally free from all restrictions. Now it was up to me to learn what my body could handle with my newly repaired heart. In a few ways, it was a little intimidating. I wanted to try everything, yet the fear I’ve lived with for twenty-five years kept whispering in my ear, making me doubt if this was really real. How could a heart that had once been a ticking time bomb in my chest suddenly become the thing that will give me a full and happy life?

The guys were too excited to return to the house after the appointment, so we decided to go for an early dinner. I was more than happy to do anything that got me out of the house. So Warrick was nominated to pick the place, and we ended up at Just Like Mom’s. It was a diner meant to replicate the old-fashioned feel when diners were in their glory. However, when I sat in the booth, I immediately knew why Warrick picked this place—the milkshakes.

These were not your average milkshakes. No, these masterpieces came topped with whole doughnuts, slices of cake, cinnamon rolls, and brownies. You name it, they could make it happen and put you into a sugar coma you’d never regret. The rest of the food looked amazing too, but I knew Warrick was playing to my sweet tooth.

“Guys, if I eat one of these, you’re going to have to roll me out of here,” I said, staring at the two-page spread of pictures.

“Care Bear, today is a day to celebrate. Don’t get bogged down in the details. Get what speaks to you, and we’ll deal with whatever comes after,” Warrick reasoned.

Gareth reached over and turned the page back to the normal food. “Pick your meal first then decide if you want a shake. I’m sure they can make them to-go as well if you think it will be too much now.”

“Oh, I like that plan.” I grinned. “I feel like my stomach has shrunk over the past weeks since I was never hungry. Knowing I can come back to eat the milkshake when I’m ready changes everything.”

The waitress came over to greet us and take our food and drink orders. “Coming right up,” she announced. “I’ll be back with your drink and shakes.”

“So, Care Bear, what's first on the bucket list?” Warrick asked, resting his chin on the palm of his hand. When I looked at him confused, he seemed a little surprised. “Are you telling me you don’t have a list of things you’ve wanted to do but couldn’t?”

“Not really,” I admitted. “It was easier to accept things when I didn’t fixate on what I couldn’t do but created lists of all that I could do.”

Yun-Sun got up from his seat, walked over to the main counter where you could sit, and asked the lady serving there a question. Moments later, Yun returned with a white paper placemat and a small box of crayons.

“What’s all that for?” I asked, watching him take out the blue crayon.

He glanced up at me, his stunning eyes filled with mischief. “We are going to create an adventure list.”

“An adventure list…” I repeated.

“This has nothing to do with death or dying, so I don’t feel like a bucket list is the right term,” Yun-Sun explained. “You will get to put down whatever you like, but each one of us gets to add an adventure we’d like to experience with you. I’m going to put down taking you to a theme park. Not many people know this, but I’m a roller coaster junky.”

While something like that shouldn’t surprise me, it did. Out of all the guys, he was the most calm and collected. Perhaps that’s why he enjoys roller coasters—it’s all about controlled chaos.