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“How is that possible? He’s not dead?” My question is ridiculous, but I need to ensure I’m hearing her right.
“No, he was—” I hiss, that truth too painful to accept. “But he’s started breathing on his own.”
Biting the inside of my cheek until I taste blood to confirm this isn’t a dream, I gasp when I observe the true miracle in front of me. I’ve been given a second chance at life, and I intend to live every minute of it. “Is he going to be all right?”
“It’s up to him,” the doctor says, shaking his head, clearly dumbfounded. “The next twenty-four hours are crucial, but he has just come back from the dead. Anything is possible.”
Needing to touch him, to make sure this is real, I float through the room and take Saxon’s hand. “You came back,” I whisper. “I’m here to protect you. And I promise, I will never let anything happen to you, to us ever again. Open those eyes. You’ve got our baby to meet.” Nora discreetly wipes the tears from her eyes.
Sam comes up behind me, placing his hand on my shoulder. “Way to scare us, asshole. When you wake up, I’m so going to kick your ass.” I laugh, we both do, and it’s the best feeling in the world.
Kissing the back of Saxon’s hand, the heat of his skin warms me to the core. “You kept your promise…”
“Will you take care of me?”
“Yes.”
“You promise?”
“Yes, I promise.”
“For how long?”
“For as long as you want me to.”
As the color slowly returns to Saxon’s cheeks, I embrace the chaos because the flip of a coin, the flip of fate just fell in our favor. This isn’t the end. No, this is just a taste of what’s to come.
Six Months Later
Losing someone you love, regardless of the amount of time you’ve known them, is unparalleled to any pain in the world. They say what doesn’t break you makes you stronger, but death, it tests the limits and has you wishing for just one more second with the person you love.
“Do you have any last words?”
Sniffing back my tears, I peer down at the matchbox Saxon holds—the box which contains our goldfish, Goldie.
“I’m sorry for being such a sucky owner. How’s that for last words?” Saxon’s honeyed chuckle is one of my favorite sounds in the world, especially since there was a moment when I thought I’d never hear it again.
Six months ago, a true miracle happened—Saxon challenged fate and came back to me. The moment he opened his eyes, I knew I would never go a day without looking into them ever again. At first, he was confused, and I was afraid I would be forced to relive the past. But after the haze lifted, he asked if he could hold me. He was unsure where we stood because so much had happened.
My response was,“Try to stop me.”Wild horses couldn’t tear me away because the moment I melted into his arms, I was finally home.
He surprised the doctors when he was up and walking a day after waking from his coma. But I never doubted anything less. I couldn’t stop touching him because for a split second in time, he was taken away from me. The memory is still so raw. I wipe away my tears.
But that’s all in the past. Saxon stands strong and radiates health. With his vibrant tattoos, ripped jeans, and mussed bed hair, he is the epitome of what every bad boy strives to become. One would never guess what we faced six months ago.
“Don’t be so hard on yourself. To be fair, in goldfish years, he was at least ninety-five.” I bite back a smile while he kisses the top of my head, always trying to take away my pain.
Goldie was our first pet together because after Saxon was given the all clear, there was no doubt in my mind that I was moving to Oregon. I once said home is where the heart is. Saxon is my heart, he always has been, and once I thought I’d lost him, I knew there was no way I was going to let that happen again.
Whispering Willows was sold within a week of it going on the market. Hayley made sure we got a good deal. The new owners, a young couple from California, reminded me so much of Sam and me. I knew they’d be happy there because I was. When we signed on the dotted line, I thought I’d be riddled with sadness, but I wasn’t. This was a new chapter, and I was so ready to dive in.
My mom and dad knew how much I loved my horses, so they added three beautiful beasts to their clan. They said it was an excuse to visit them every once in a while, but horses or not, they couldn’t keep me away.
Rubbing my swelling belly, I smile. It’s unbelievable how much my life has changed. It hasn’t been smooth sailing, and anyone looking in would wonder why I took the long way when the answer was staring me in the face all along. I suppose, sometimes, the things we can’t change end up changing us. And throughout it all, I’ve learned that I want to be a voice, not an echo. This new Lucy is the person I was always destined to become. I just needed to realize that the best journey leads you home.
My sparkling diamond catches the sun, the kaleidoscope of color rivaling the brightest rainbow. This ring doesn’t just represent everything I’m going to gain, it also signifies everything I could have lost. The moment Saxon was okay, I told him I had read his letter and the answer to his question was yes. A thousand yeses.
He’d never been happier—up until that moment, that is—because when I told him he was going to be a father, his life was complete. It is a memory I will never forget.
