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“I’m insanely bloated. My incisions are sore. It hurts to pee. Oh, and it feels like Freddy Krueger sliced my uterus into shreds.” I give her a big, cheesy smile and pair it with a thumbs up.
“So, better then?” Jace enters the bedroom with a brown paper bag.
Mom grabs the breakfast tray and passes him on the way to the kitchen. “Her color’s returning and her sass is back. I’d say she’s better.”
“Your antibiotics, madam.” Jace sits at the foot of the bed and pulls out a package of tablets. “Ten days of these puppies and you’ll be in the clear.”
I swallow the pill and reposition myself to pet Benjamin and Franklin, who’ve taken up residence on Jace’s side of the bed since I returned home, and he’s been relegated to a guest room for the time being. “Aren’t you two the best medicine? Balls of purring fur who don’t make fun of the infertile girl.”
“Well, that isnotfunny.” Jace stands up and looks out the window, which overlooks the pasture.
“Jace, I’m sorry. You’re right.”
He turns and resumes sitting at the edge of the bed. Places his hand on my hip. I reach down and cover his hand with mine. He sighs heavily. “Look, I’m the one who’s sorry. I don’t want to tell you what you can and cannot say. There’s no right or wrong here. This happened to you. It’s just…you’renotinfertile. It hurts me when you joke about it.”
“It must be hard to watch me go through all this.” I thread my fingers with his.
His eyes fill with tears. “You have no idea.”
“I hate to do this to you, but I have to pee and change my pads. The bleeding is insane.” I wince. As embarrassing as it is, I can’t do my business without Jace yet. Not that he’s made me feel weird about it. He’s been incredibly cool.
I almost feel—safe?
“Stop apologizing, Poppy. For now, my job is to get you healed. Well, and obviously take care of Lena.” He jumps up and springs into action.
Half hour later, we’ve navigated my messy business, he’s given me a sponge bath, washed my hair and dressed me. Fresh underwear…there’s nothing like it.
I’m clean. I’m cozy. I’m back in bed, with a Yeti of warm peppermint tea in hand because it’s helpful to reduce my swelling. “Happy Valentine’s Day, right?” I purse my lips at him like I’m posing for an old-school IG photo.
“You know what? It is the best Valentine’s Day I’veeverhad. You’re on the mend. Your cramps are going to be gone. I get to spend the rest of my life with you.” Jace takes my tea from me and taps the container three times in succession. “Glass. Half. Full.”
“Gawd, I’m turning into Debbie Downer, aren’t I?” I scrunch up my nose at the thought.
“Eh? I was mentally prepared for it. Dr. Madison told me that as part of the surgery, you’d have a complete personality transplant. I’m still on board. For now.” He smirks.
“For me, aside from being a weepy, snarky mess, the worst thing right now is the gas pains.” During the procedure, Dr. Madison pumped my stomach full of gas to be able to see the endometriosis and cysts better. “It’s trapped in places I didn’t expect. My knee and ankle are killing me.”
Jace rubs the places that are aching very softly. “Drink the tea. It will help.”
“You’re incredible, you know. Wanna get married?” I smile, hoping it doesn’t look like a grimace.
“I do.” He grins, almost shyly.
My eyes are a bit heavy because the meds are kicking in. “I mean it.”
“I’m counting on it,” I hear him say before I doze off.
Sometime later, I become aware of Jace sound asleep on the double-sized chair next to me. He must have moved it into the bedroom next to my side of the bed while I was asleep. Lena is curled up in his lap, sucking her thumb. She’s awake but quiet. Her aquamarine eyes watch me curiously.
I wave to her with my pinkie.
A dazzling smile takes over her face. She waves back to me. I motion her over. She slips from Jace’s lap and tentatively shuffles over to me. when she’s close enough for me to reach, I stroke her soft hair. “Hi, baby.”
“Mama sick?”
“I’m almost better.” I half roll over and pat the space next to me. “If you snuggle me, I’ll get better faster.”
Lena carefully climbs into bed next to me and I wrap my arm around her. She burrows her face into my neck. She smells like cookies and sunshine. Talk about the best medicine.
