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Stifled by the sound of his voice, I tried very hard to breathe.
“Jae?”
“Dad. It-it’s me.”
“Aeir? Is that you, honey?”
Nodding, I answered his question as if he could see me.
“Oh, God. It’s you. You stay put. I’m coming.”
“I don’t have anywhere I need to be right now.” I chuckled, finding relief in the bit of comedy I’d managed to fill the moment with.
“Let me get your mother. One second.”
“Dad,” I rushed out.
“Yeah?”
“Please. Just come alone.”
My request came with blurred eyes and a quivering bottom lip.
“Aeir,” he sighed.
“Please.”
“Alright, baby. Whatever you want. Give me a few minutes and I’ll be right up there. You hear?”
“Yes. I hear you, old man.”
“Good. Jae, keep an eye on her until I get there.”
“I promise,” Jae replied, smiling all the while.
She ended the call and wrapped her arms around me again.
“Are you going to be okay?”
“I was in a coma for two whole years, completely oblivious to it all, only to wake up and discover the woman who’d brought me into the world had given up on me. Jae, I don’t know if I’ll ever be okay.”
It was the most I’d said since I’d awoken and just that bit had me exhausted beyond explanation. Recognizing the depletion, Jae changed the subject.
“I just had my lunch delivered. I thought I’d ordered way too much but it feels like just enough now. I’m sure you could use a bite to eat.”
I nodded, knowing that any amount of words would require more energy than I had at the moment.
“Give me just a moment. I’ll be right back.”
A glimpse at the clock on the wall as she exited revealed the time. It was almost eleven o’clock at night. Jae was still on the night shift. It had taken her years to adapt, but it had become her favorite. For once, I was happy she hadn’t changed shifts and taken the 7:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m. she’d been offered four years ago.
Taking a moment to rest my eyes, I closed them in hopes that the burning would stop. In just a few minutes, I’d managed to cry nearly every tear my body had ever produced. I was exhausted, though everyone said I’d been asleep for two whole years.
I love you.A delicate voice, much similar to my own, sounded as images of dark, tattoo-covered arms appeared behind my lids.
To the motherfucking moon and back.The baritone rattled my heart.
A yearning I’d never experienced rocked my core, forcing my eyes open. I took a look around the room, making sure I was the only one still here. The feeling of those tattoo-covered arms caressing me was so surreal.
