Page 79 of Doctor Second Chance

I consider his words carefully. "That's such a difficult decision, Shep. What does your heart tell you?"

He runs a hand through his hair. "I'm leaning toward taking him. I feel like even though it will be hard now, he will appreciate it. And it will open up the opportunity to talk about what happened."

I take a sip of my drink, gathering my thoughts. "If it were me, I'd want the chance to say goodbye, even if it was hard. Opie's young, but he's perceptive. I think you're right. Seeing her will help him process the news when you give it to him."

"If I take him, I would be so sad to have to leave you here. Of course you could stay at my house, come and go as you please. But the thought of you here and me gone rips my heart out of my chest."

"Thank you for your kind offer. Depending on what Dr. Hampton says, I may take you up on it. But either way, if your heart is leading you there, I think you should go, Shep. I'll be fine. And we will see each other when you get back."

We talk some more about it. Shep is so much more thoughtful than I remember him ever being before. He weighs everything when deciding and is aware of how his choices affect those around him.

Since we are opening up, I decide to bring up the nagging questions I've had since talking to Isabella the other day. With everything going on in our lives—my absence from work, everything with my hand, and now Ari and Opie—I wonder if our timing is off.

I take a deep breath and jump in with both feet.

TWENTY-FIVE

Shep

I take a deep breath, feeling the weight of Elle's question. "I'm sure I want to try," I say, meeting her eyes. "It will be challenging, especially with Opie's situation. But you're important to me, Elle. And now that I have a chance with you again, I don’t want to let it slip by. I’m committed to giving this a real try.”

Elle's eyebrows raise slightly. "You said 'committed'. Are you sure about that word choice?"

I pause, considering. "You're right, I did say that. And I mean it. I know I've been hesitant about commitment in the traditional sense, but that’s semantics. I can tell you I will not see anybody else while we are together. And if something changes for any reason, I make a promise that I will talk to you before doing anything.”

“You need to stop saying you’re worrying about adding stress to my life. If anything, you're a source of anti-stress. I look forward to talking to you, to seeing you, to holding you every day.”

“I feel the same way, Shep,” Elle reaches across the table, squeezing my hand.

I intertwine our fingers, feeling a sense of peace settle over me. "I'd like that. It feels good to have what’s between us more defined."

I’m so grateful for her quiet support. I want to tell her how much it has meant to me. Even from the very beginning, when I thought Ari had left Opie, to now finding out about the dire prognosis, she has given me so much strength to navigate this. I don’t do the best at communicating things like this, but I hope my actions show her how much I appreciate her.

Thursday, July 25

Lego Store

Houston Galleria

11:06 am

We’ve only been in Houston for two hours. We dropped our bags off at The Ritz but were too early to check-in. I promised Opie we would go to the big Lego store here, so that is our first stop.

I watch his face light up as he picks out a Lego set at the Houston Legoland. His excitement is contagious, but there's a heaviness in my chest, knowing what's coming next. We leave the store and walk to a nearby park, finding a quiet bench to sit on.

"Hey buddy," I say, my voice soft. "There's something important I need to talk to you about."

Opie looks up at me, his brown eyes curious. I take a deep breath.

"You know how Mommy's been away? She got hurt very badly and is in the hospital."

"Is she okay?" Opie asks, his brow furrowing.

I choose my words carefully. "She's very sick because a tree hit her very hard during the storm. The doctors are taking good care of her, but she's in a deep sleep."

"Can we wake her up?" Opie's voice is small.

I shake my head gently. "No, buddy. She won't be able to wake up while we're there. But we can still visit and let her know we love her."

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