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It’s been about two months, and while my physical wounds have healed almost completely, my brain has been a little slower to come around. My therapist says the trauma of experiencing something so violent has made me react to situations as if they’ll harm me, even if I know I’m safe. It’s been hard, but between Cooper and our friends, I’ve come a long way. I was even able to start back at the gallery this week which is a huge deal.
For a while, it was hard just walking in the door, so I worked mainly from home, talking with artists and creating my own artwork. Trish has been incredible and so patient while I’ve been getting back on my feet.
It took a long time to come to terms with what happened for both me and Cooper. It’s not exactly been an easy road for either of us, but the best part about the whole thing is that we’ve gotten a lot closer. It’s taken work and a lot of open and honest communication on both our parts, but it’s brought us so much closer than I ever thought would be possible.
He’s planned this big birthday bash for me tonight, and I am so excited for it. It’s the first time I’ve felt excited about anything in a while, and I know Cooper put this all together for that reason.
After getting my hair pinned up the way I want, I head into our closet searching for my favorite dress, the white one with the maroon flowers on it. It reminds me of who I was before the attack and who I want to find again. She’s still there inside of me, begging to come back, and as I slip the dress over my head and look in the mirror, I can see her again for the first time in a long time.
I grab my brown strappy sandals and head downstairs to find Cooper who’s sitting at the breakfast bar in the kitchen. He looks so handsome in his khaki pants and blue, striped button-down shirt.
“I’m ready to go. Thank you for being patient.” He turns to look at me and freezes. “What? Do I have something on my dress?” I ask, looking down to make sure there isn't a stain. It is white after all. He shakes his head no and walks over to me.
“You look beautiful, that’s all,” he says, smiling his million-dollar smile at me which, of course, makes me blush. He brushes his thumb across my cheek. “There she is,” he says quietly. Instead of being confused by his statement, I know exactly what he means. I’m finally feeling myself again and it’s showing.
We walk out of the house, leaving Piper to herself for the evening, and head towards Megan and Todd’s. I haven't been there in a few weeks, and it feels so good to be out and about. I know I’ve got all of the tools I need in case I have a panic attack, so instead of feeling nervous, I’m thrilled. Plus, I have a handsome date on my birthday. How much better can life get?
* * *
Cooper
I can’t takemy eyes off of her. She’s absolutely shining, and no matter how hard I try to pay attention to the people around me, my eyes always go back to her. When she came downstairs and told me she was ready, I saw the sparkle in her eyes that’s been missing since the attack, and I’m so happy it’s back.
These past few weeks have been hard on both of us, and we’ve worked tirelessly to move on from what happened. The guilt I carry has slowly diminished, and that wouldn’t have happened without Quinn’s ability to pull my head out of my ass. Even when she’s struggling with her own problems, she still makes sure I’m doing okay. She’s proven that I am the luckiest bastard on this planet to have her love me, and I hope to be able to show her how much I love her right back.
A ding from my phone signals a text, and I quickly check it to see if it’s who I think it is. I set up a huge surprise for Quinn for her birthday. Everyone we love was able to come in for her party tonight, even her parents, but one person we love just got here. I take another look at Quinn and watch her talking to Megan, Sara, Lucy, and Natalie. We’re all standing outside in Megan and Todd’s backyard enjoying the beautiful weather and each other’s company.
Knowing Quinn is okay for a minute, I head inside to let our new guest in. I open the door and see the blonde little spitfire that helped push Quinn into my arms.
“Hi, Hailey,” I say, letting her into Megan and Todd’s house and giving her a big hug.
“Hey, Chief Sexy Pants,” she says, making me laugh. “How’s our girl?” she asks on a more serious note.
“She’s really good tonight. She’s more herself than she’s been since the attack,” I tell her.
Hailey has been checking in regularly and knows a lot about what Quinn and I have been going through recently. She wasn’t able to take off work after the attack, but she’s more than made up for it in daily check-ins for both me and Quinn. She’s become a great friend to me and a morale booster for Quinn. I’m so thankful for how much she’s helped bring Quinn back.
“I’m glad to hear that. Is this going to be okay? I’m worried about her having a panic attack from being surprised.”
“I thought you could call out to her and get her attention from afar. That way you wouldn’t be right in her face.”
“Oh, that’s perfect. I love it.”
“Everyone’s outside, so let’s head back there.” I lead Hailey to the backyard and step outside, my eyes automatically finding Quinn. She has her back to the door, so she won’t see us coming out. I’m starting to get a little more nervous as the night goes on. I want this to be the best day for her, but there’s a lot of surprises happening tonight, so I hope everything goes according to plan.
“God, I could so go for a glass of wine. What are my options tonight, Coop?” Hailey says loudly, making everyone turn. My eyes stay glued to Quinn, cataloging every facial expression to make sure she’s okay. Her eyebrows furrow in confusion, and then her eyes widen in surprise. A smile breaks across her face, and she comes running over to Hailey and wraps her in a big hug.
“Yes please, crush my lungs,” Hailey says, but you can see she’s squeezing Quinn just as hard. They both laugh as they break apart, and I see tears in Quinn’s eyes. She turns to look at me. “Did you do this?”
“Happy birthday, babe,” I say, and she comes and hugs me.
“Hey wait, I just got here, and you can’t have her back yet,” Hailey says, making everyone laugh. She grabs Quinn’s hand and walks over to the bar area to get a drink. They’re both chattering away and catching up like no time has passed since the last time they’ve seen each other.
“First surprise down. How ya feeling?” Todd asks as I watch my girl laugh and have a good time.
“I’m good. That went better than I thought it would, so I’m ready for the next one,” I tell him. I reach into my pocket and find the ring I stashed there earlier. I wasn’t sure if tonight would be a good time but seeing the sparkle in Quinn’s eyes assures me that tonight is the night.
We all talk and laugh and eat for a couple more hours, but it’s starting to get dark, so I know I need to make my move soon. A sudden bout of nerves washes through me as I think about what I’m going to do. I’m not worried she’s going to say no exactly. More about what I’m going to say and potentially for her to say not right now.
