AllFreeNovel
Share Us
We both spoke at the same time.
Vanna dipped her head, her hands fisting in the sheets. “I’m fine.”
I sat down next to her hip, taking her hand in mine. She didn’t protest, but she also didn’t hold on.
I hated this, and I didn’t know how to fix it. Helplessness wasn’t something I was accustomed to.
“The car is ready.”
Her bags were sitting next to the bed. Freya had packed them for her earlier.
Vanna sat up, pulling her hand from mine. “I’ll get the nurse.”
The doctor had been by an hour ago, checking up on her and signing the discharge papers. The only thing left to do was to get her outside.
The nurse entered shortly after Vanna pressed the call button, pushing a wheelchair in front of her. “You ready to get out of here?”
Vanna swung her sweatpants-covered legs to the side of the bed. “I guess so.”
I helped her sit down in the wheelchair, then grabbed the bags.
Following the nurse and Vanna into the hallway, I made sure she’d left nothing behind. The wheels squeaked with each turn, the sound grating. The elevator ride down to the bottom floor was quiet. Vanna was staring at her lap, and I was staring at her.
The tight feeling in my chest had returned, thanks to the thoughts churning in my head.
What if she no longer wants to stay with me?
The driver rushed over as soon as we stepped through the main doors of the hospital. “Mr. and Mrs. Olysses.” He held out his hand. “If I may?”
I handed the bags over, stopping next to the open car door. Before Vanna could stand up, I had her up in my arms, gently depositing her on the back seat.
After I buckled her in, I thanked the nurse and went around to the other side of the car, sliding into the back seat beside my wife.
“Are you comfortable? Should I turn up the heater?” It had been an unseasonably warm day for Chicago, but Vanna always seemed to be cold.
“I’m okay.”
That was the last thing spoken between us until we turned into the driveway of our home. Vanna’s breath stuttered when she set eyes on the house, and my body tensed in response as I assessed our surroundings for a potential threat.
When I was sure everything was as it was supposed to be, I turned to Vanna. “What’s wrong? Are you in pain? Should we go back to the hospital?”
“I’m fine.” She bit her lip, then added, “I just wasn’t sure if I’d ever see the house again. Or Daisy.”
“Vanna.” Her name sounded as if it was ripped from somewhere deep inside me.
For the first time since she’d come back, she initiated contact, placing her hand on top of mine that was resting flat on the seat from where I’d gripped the edge. “It’ll take time for me to believe this is real. It all seems too good to last.”
“This house will always be yours. My lawyer has already drawn up papers to put it in your name. The only thing missing is your signature. You’ll never be forced to make an impossible choice again.”
Her hand tightened on mine, and since I wasn’t one to miss an opportunity, I turned my hand and intertwined our fingers. “I can’t ever make up for how I reacted, but I can make sure that you’ll always have a safe place to live.”
Her eyes went glassy with unshed tears, and she dropped my gaze and pulled her hand away. The loss of her touch tightened the rope that seemed to have wrapped itself around my chest.
The door opened, breaking the tension. I shuffled out, then rounded the car, opening Vanna’s door before lifting her out.
She placed her arm around my neck, the other resting on my chest. “My legs work perfectly fine. You don’t have to carry me.”
“Yes, I do.”
