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“Cool, she’s alive!” Benji cheers, and I laugh.
Angie comes over and gives me a sweet hug around the waist. David, still crying, swipes away my own tears off my cheeks.
“Hi, Laura, I’m glad you didn’t die like Grandpa,” Angie says sweetly.
Uncertain, I nod. “Me, too, hon.”
Jessi waves at me. Beside her, Alice is comfortingly patting Lewis on the shoulder, who is still crying.
“What’s going on here?” Alice asks, eyes soft between David and I. I make a mental note to ask them both what went down while I was asleep because apparently, Alice is over-glaring hard at David.
“We’re in love,” David says, and Jessi cheers. Even Alice claps, which makes Angie clap, and I start crying again. David kisses my cheek.
Benji and Lewis exchange a glance.
“Uh, yeah,” Lewis says slowly. “We all already knew this?”
“Dad, are you getting senile? Should we get you checked out while we’re here?”
“Oh my god.”
“Benji, that’s rude?—”
“Angie, honey, don’t tug on?—”
“Ow!” I yelp.
“By the way, I told Mom about this and Mom called Aunt Cindy and Aunt Cindy called Grandma and now…”
“Why would you tell everyone!? All I did was trip on a rock?—”
“Dude, you’re at the friggin’ hospitalovernight!”
“Mom, can we go get a pizza since Laura is alive?”
“Um, hi.”
A new voice interrupts us all. We all stop, and turn to the intruder.
A very beautiful woman in a white coat, a black stethoscope around her neck, and holding a clipboard is standing inside. Her nametag reads: Dr. Ayesha Khan.
“Hi, Dr. Khan,” Alice greets her.
Dr. Khan gives all of us a bewildered look. “Did no one think to tell the doctor the patient was awake now?”
Alice looks at Jessi who looks at Lewis who looks at David who looks at me. I gasp, “I really don’t think that’smyfault. I’ve never met the woman!”
“Okay, everybody out, out, out, I need to examine our patient.” Dr. Khan chases everyone out.
While the doctor is busy, David leans in and kisses me once more. This time, it feels like we’re kissing for the very first time. David’s touch is light, completely appropriate for the setting, but I feel flames of desire lick through me, and I pull him closer by the collar. I deepen our kiss, just for a moment, just to feel the way he responds, eager and desperate.
When the doctor clears her throat, we pull away. David presses his lips chastely against mine once more, and it feels like everything is in front of me.
As I watch David struggle to step away, his hand lingering on mine, his lips pressing again and again to my brow, even as the doctor tries to shoo him away, I think about how we got here. All of the pain and uncertainty and confusion had been worth it.
There’s a lot to figure out. We still have to discuss everything from work to France to if we tell people things are differentnow. But what do I know? For the first time, David and I have a chance to be together.
“I love you,” he reminds me before allowing himself to be ushered away.
