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Once we get to home, I order a pizza and after taking a shower, we crawl into bed together.
Just the beginning indeed.
Chapter 7
Cathleen
Waking up in his arms is unlike anything I’ve ever dreamed of. This morning we laid in bed for hours doing nothing but talking. Talking about our pasts, and we want for the future. I just want him. It was lovely. Around early evening, after we’ve had dinner, his doorbell rings, followed by what can only be called a cop-knock. Wayne answers the door, and I hear two sickening thuds in rapid succession followed by loud voices. I recognize the new voice. My dumb ass brother, Fabian is here for some fucking reason and there is only one person who could have told him where I was at. I wish I had more clothes on, but the long t-shirt of Wayne’s that I slept in will have to do.
“Fabian,” I yell, using the wall to guide me. It’s scary not being able to see when you are in a new place. I try to remember when we came in last night, but we were too eager to get into bed.
“Cathi, tell me where your shit is,” he says impatiently. “Let’s go,” he continues when I don’t say anything.
“Fabian, what the fuck are you doing here?” I ask. There is no way I am going away.
“Mom called. She said you were fucking your doctor. Gave me this address.”
“You’ve got to be kidding me. He isn’t my doctor. Don’t you have a training camp you need to be doing or something?”
“I took a long weekend.”
“Wayne, are you okay?” I ask, deciding to ignore my brother.
“Yes. I just got my jaw, but I got his eye.”
“Oh good,” I say holding out a hand for him which he takes.
“Gee, thanks, sis.”
“Hey, don’t be an asshole. You’re the one who rang my man’s doorbell and then cold-cocked him.”
“What are you even doing here with him?”
“I love him, Fabian.”
“Oh please. You just met. At best it’s lust.”
“You’re just saying that because you’ve never been in love. Have you ever even had a girlfriend before?”
“This isn’t about me, Cathi.”
“Maybe it should be, then you would understand.” Fabian wanted to be a priest before he found football. I am pretty sure he kept the celibacy thing going. Football groupies are so not his thing.
“Maybe I would.”
“Fabian this is Wayne.”
“Nice to meet you,” Wayne says chuckling.
“How are your faces?” I ask thinking that they both probably need ice.
“I’m good. He’s got a wicked hard right hook,” Fabian says chuckling.
“Me too. You aren’t so bad yourself, southpaw.” Wayne says squeezing my hand.
“Mandy said I should be resting, so if you two don’t mind,” I say with my hands on my hips. “I’ll be in bed. Can you two manage to get along?”
“We can,” they say at the same time. Wayne kisses me before Fabian comes over to me for a hug.
“I’m glad you’re here. Are you staying for the surgery?” I ask.
“Might as well,” he says. “I’ll go to the hotel with Ma though. She’s burning a hole in the credit card I set up for her. Someone needs to reign her in.”
“You’re a good son and brother, Fabian. Don’t punch my guy again,” I say playfully punching him in the stomach. He’s always made a big show of fake pain ever since I was younger.
“Night guys.”
I head back to bed, but I just lay there. Anxiety settles in for the long haul. I hear some sport on TV in the living room. I am glad they are getting along, at least for now. When Wayne comes to bed sometime later, we make slow, breathtaking, love without a word. It’s like he knows that’s all that will calm me right now. He really is perfect for me.
* * *
Friday morning dawns and I feel the surgery looming over me, like an elephant sitting on my chest. I am so nervous that I almost don’t want to go through it. What if I die? What if it still spreads afterward? It being cancer. What if I never get to feel Wayne again? At this point, not seeing him would be fine. I love him, sight unseen. When we get to Wayne’s on-site surgery center, Mandy and the nurses, Jenny and Jackie are already there getting things ready. Fabian had fallen asleep on the couch, so he came in with us. My mom is here already as well. She helps me into a gown, and I lay down on the bed. I took off all my jewelry as well. My hair is a surgical cap so it’s out of the way. Before the surgery, Wayne comes in.
“I want to marry you when this is all over,” he says.
“I want that too.”
“I have a ring for you when you wake up. Your vision should be better when you wake up. It won’t be one hundred percent yet, but it will gradually get better over the course of the next few days,” he says.
