Page 194 of Finding Hope

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

Is it strange that I dream of running in a field of flowers? That I dream of the big silly dog? Or the man I love whisking me away on his gallant horse?

That should be strange, right? Even terribly cliché.

But alas, I literally dream of Jack walking toward me with an armful of wildflowers, of Annie trotting around us the way she does. I think of how her unnaturally long slobbery tongue lolls out to the side and her dribble flies in the wind while we cruise in Jack’s Mustang.

All those details fit the criteria, right?

Flowers. Dog. Mustang.

Itshouldbe pleasant; it mostly is. Except even in my dream, my body hurts and the music sucks.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

I’m aware of my body, of swollen muscles, an arm that weighs a ton… but my other arm, the hand attached to the end, feels like it’s flying.

I feel strong fingers stroke and squeeze. I feel his warmth and presence. Iknowit’s Jack, but I’m way too scared to stop dreaming, because it might mean his hand will go away.

I don’t want him to let me go. I’ll never stop wanting him to hold my hand.

“I see your eyelids fluttering.” Gravelly voice, exactly as I remember it, his breath feathers across my skin. “Wake up for me, Bambie. I wannasee your pretty eyes before everyone comes back and I have to leave again.”

My body throbs with pain as I come closer to consciousness. So much pain. Every single beat of my heart hurts my face, my ribs, my arms and legs.

“Wake up, Bambie. Please wake up.”

I force one eyelid open and squint at the harsh light. The brightness reflecting off white walls and a white ceiling hurts my brain, but then his face hovers over mine and blocks a lot of the fluorescence from above.

“Hey there, beautiful. I’ve been waiting for you to look at me again.”

I smile…

Well,I attempt to smile, but when his eyes turn angry and his smile turns to a growl, I stop. It hurts anyway.

Bringing his large hand to my face, like the gentlest fluttering of a bird’s wings, he strokes my cheek. “Look at you, Bambie. Look what he did.”

“Jack…”

His eyes glitter with emotion. “Hey.”

I try to sit up, to get more comfortable, but he drops his hand on my shoulder and holds me down. “Stay there. Don’t hurt yourself.”

“M’okay.”

“Are you awake now?” He wears the barest ghost of a smile. “I was here earlier and you kinda chatted for a sec, but then you were gone again.”

I don’t remember that. Frowning, I lay back at his insistent hands. “I chatted?”

His smile grows just a little. “Yeah, you told me hey.”

My foggy mind latches onto his teasing grin. “What else did I say?”

His dimple pops. “You said I was pretty.”

“Oh.” I close my eyes to rest.I’m so tired.“Yeah.” I’m not embarrassed. “That probably happened. You are pretty.”

His light chuckle has my eyes opening again. I can’t waste the opportunity to see him, to speak to him, to touch him.

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