Page 28 of Still The One

‘Is this your longest walk?’ I ask.

‘Yep,’ he says, a proud look on his face. ‘The doctor mentioned going home tomorrow.’

‘Tomorrow?’

That’s quick. I mean, it’s not really but it feels quick.

‘The details haven’t been ironed out.’

‘Well, that’s – amazing.’

‘Yeah?’ he asks, his tone unsure.

‘Very. When you were first brought in, I was worried we wouldn’t be having this conversation at all.’

‘You worried?’ he asks as if he’s not sure he believes me. ‘For real?’

I nod. ‘Since the moment you were wheeled into my trauma room, Fost.’

He cracks half a smile, looking suddenly shy but also relieved to hear it.

‘Ready to head back?’ his physical therapist butts in, motioning in the direction they came from.

‘Yep,’ Foster says, nodding. ‘I think I’ve pushed my luck far enough for today.’

Matty gives him an appreciative yet gentle pat on the back. ‘You did great, buddy.’

‘I’ll see you later?’ Foster asks, shooting me a charming grin before turning to follow his physical therapist.

‘Yep, I’ve got a bag full of bedside activities in my locker. Just got to get through my baby swim class next and after the toddlers, I’ll probably make it up to your room for lunch?’

‘Perfect,’ he says, flashing me the smile that has always been hard to say no to.

‘See ya then,’ I say, watching them walk away, his IV pole clinking softly with each step. As they disappear through the heavy door back into the hospital corridor, I smile. Am I excited to see him for lunch or at the news that he’s being discharged soon? I’m not sure.

Dolly elbows me in the calf playfully. ‘Hot lunch date, huh?’

I roll my eyes, trying to hide the smile that threatens to break through. ‘It’s nothing.’

‘Nothing but longing gazes and unresolved tension?’ Margaret chimes in with a smirk.

I give them both a look. ‘You got that from the last two minutes?’

‘A girl never forgets those looks and at our age, seeing it is a rarity. Who is he?’

‘His name is Foster, and we were once married,’ I say, tossing my towel aside and hopping back into the pool with them.

‘Married?’ they say in unison, bobbing on floaties in front of me. ‘Why the past tense, darling?’

I’ve never actually tried to explain this part. ‘We got married impulsively in a five-minute ceremony after only a month of knowing each other. We threw our cares to the wind, and we jumped all the way in. Which was so, so good as it was happening, but in the end, love wasn’t enough. He had his life and I had mine. It was destined to fail.’

‘A serendipitous moment that wasn’t meant to be?’ Paul asks like he’s experienced it before.

‘Exactly,’ I say, realizing he’s described it perfectly.

I’d never want to have not experienced it, because it was great in the moment. But reality had different ideas and considering that’s where we live most often, I had to listen because I deserved to be happy too. And I wasn’t.

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