Page 119 of Somewhere We Belong

“Come on, let’s go sit down,” I said, guiding him to the bed to lay down.

He was wound tightly and something else seemed to be bothering him.

“Hey, are you in pain? Do you need something?” I rubbed his arm while he just sat there.

“I love you, Nova,” he said softly.

My heart stuttered. I opened my mouth, but he shook his head.

“I’ve loved you since that first time you gave me a haircut. You were patient with me when I didn’t know what I wanted and when I said I didn’t like clippers. You've… you’ve always treated me like everyone else, and you’ve always made me feel safe.” He cupped my face. “I’ve loved you since you turned down all of my offers to help you. Your stubbornness is admirable. I love you and the sunshine you have brought into our lives, not just with an amazing daughter, but with your strength, your smiles and your thoughtfulness. We are lucky to have you in our lives, and I should have said it before I left, but Nova, I am in love with you. I don’t think I stood a chance against your love because you've always felt like you belonged with us. You don’t have to say it back, I know it's scary and you will say it in your own time, but I had to let you know. It killed me that I could have left the world without ever telling you how I really felt.”

I was crying again as he hugged me. I knew I loved all of them.

“I think I’ve loved you from that first haircut or how you held Sol for me when she was three months old and I was stressed out because she was crying so much. You looked so good with her in your arms and when she stopped crying for you, I knew you were special.” Butterflies exploded as I got ready to confess something. “You were always off limits, but I always wondered what our life would be like if you were mine.” I laughed nervously. “I think it's so much better than I imagined. I love you, Theodore.”

Theo grinned, his eyes shining with tears as he pulled me forward. “I love you and I hope we can give you and Sol the life you deserve.”

“Well, no more hiking, that’s for sure,” I chuckled.

“Not for a while,” he said, kissing me softly, deepening it and then resting his forehead against mine. “Nothing will keep us apart.”

The curtain opened as a nurse walked into the room. I stepped away as she came to check on his IV.

“I’m going to go check on Sol and see if I hear anything about Atlas,” I said, blowing him a kiss.

His cheeks grew red as he smiled. I left the room, checking in on Sol who was passed out, getting checked on by a nurse. She was the same nurse who had helped me when I came in last summer.

“Oh, hey you,” she said, like she recognized me. “You came in last summer with a concussion.”

“Yup, that’s me, how does she look?” I asked.

“Great, just a little dehydrated, but once she finishes the IV, she’ll be good to go,” she said, flipping through an iPad.

“Do you happen to know what happened to the other man that was brought in with her?”

“Oh, the one across the hall?” She pointed behind her.

“No, the man with the broken leg,” Iris added.

“Oh Dr. Jensen! I think he is coming back from getting an X-ray,” she said, looking at his watch. “I can let you know when he comes back.”

“Would you please? He’s my boyfriend and I’ll be forever grateful,” I said, as I heard the sound of a curtain being pulled aside. Theo was walking out of his room with his IV cart, heading straight towards me.

“Sir, you can’t just leave your room,” his nurse said, walking to us.

“Can he stay with us?” I asked immediately. “He’s my boyfriend and he doesn’t do well in hospitals.”

“How many boyfriends you got, girl?” Jane asked.

“Uh… three,” I said blushing.

The other nurse scoffed at me. “Seriously, leave some men for the rest of us girls. Six men between the two of you and I can’t even manage to tolerate one for more than an hour.”

“Wait, you have three boyfriends too?” I asked, getting excited at finding someone who was in a relationship like me.

“Three husbands,” she grinned. “My husband helped your guy find Sol.”

“Aiden.”

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