Page 84 of A Sight to Behold
Lance’s hand encased Isabel’s smaller ones, their fingers intertwining in a familiar gesture that spoke volumes about their bond. He lowered his head until his forehead touched hers, their breaths mingling in the small space between them. Isabel closed her eyes, surrendering to the moment they had seemingly shared countless times. The familiarity of it all made the room hum with a quiet understanding—this was not just a patient and his caretaker, but a husband and wife.
Then Lance swallowed visibly.
And his eyelids moved.
There was a ripple of silence, and then Lance’s eyelids twitched then fluttered open, revealing the deep brown eyes hidden away in the darkness. For a moment, he blinked rapidly, his brows furrowed in confusion as if he were trying to make sense of the world around him. His gaze darted around the room, not settling on anything in particular. Nick felt a pang of dread twist in his stomach. Had the surgery been futile?
Just when despair threatened to engulf the room, Lance’s wandering gaze landed on Isabel. His eyes locked onto her, staring at her intensely, leaving everyone in the room breathless. A tear escaped from the corner of his eye, trailing down his cheek. Isabel moved towards him instinctively, her hands resting on his shoulders. Lance mirrored her action, cupping her face tenderly with his hands. There was something profoundly intimate in their shared gaze, a silent conversation that needed no words. It was as if Lance was seeing the love of his life for the first time, which, in truth, he was.
Then, Lance swallowed, a visible movement in his throat that echoed loudly in the silent room. His eyelids fluttered again, this time more slowly, more deliberately. He was taking his time, savoring the moment, letting the reality of his regained sight sink in. And as his eyes opened once more, the room held its collective breath. The journey from darkness into light was not easy, but Lance had taken the first step, and it was a revelation.
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Nick couldn’t helpbut cast Pippa a smile. And when she caught his pleased look, she gasped and covered her heart with both hands. Tears filled her eyes.
“It worked,” Lance whispered. He blinked repeatedly as if he struggled to focus, but that was normal. Then, he trailed his hand along the soft waves of Isabel’s hair. He reached out, his hands trembling in awe, and cupped her face. He laid his hand on her cheek, where the pigment blemish was, and he brushed his thumb over it as if it was just another part of Isabel that he admired and loved. Nick wasn’t sure if he could see it, or if he cared at all. If Nick hadn’t been able to see Pippa for years and could suddenly see her, no matter how blurry, he’d kiss her senseless, and there would be no blemish in the world that could stop him.
“Isabel…” Lance began, his voice choked with emotion. “My love.” No time for further conversation. He kissed her with an urgency that needed no additional explanation.
A collective sigh filled the room, a mix of relief and joy. Andre and Felix, standing by the door, exhaled deeply, their faces breaking into relieved smiles. Even when Andre breathed, his accent danced elegantly on his lips and attracted the girls’ attention. Understanding the intimacy of the moment, Alfie subtly gestured to Nick, indicating it was time for them to leave the couple alone.
But Nick had already understood.
He stepped away from Lance, whose lips had found Isabel’s. She let out a sigh of relief, and Nick’s heart swelled with satisfaction as he shut the door behind him, leaving Lance and Isabel alone. As odd as it was, after years of marriage, Lance needed to get to know his wife. He’d seen her for the first time.
Nick had done it. He had given Lance his vision back. It was like a huge weight he didn’t know he was carrying—or maybe he did—lifted from him, leaving him light and full of joy. That joy only increased as he stepped out into the hallway, he found Pippa still waiting, her eyes wide with anticipation. “We did it, Pippa,” he said softly, his triumphant sounding in his voice. “We did it.”
“You did it,” she responded. “It was all you, Nick.”
Wendy squealed with joy, and Alfie rubbed Nick’s back appreciatively. “The best oculist ever.”
And in the hall, Felix, Andre, Wendy, and Alfie stopped. They stared at Pippa and Nick, the next couple in the room that needed rescuing. Unbeknownst to Nick, he’d taken Pippa’s hand. All eyes were on them. But he didn’t care, and he squeezed it gently. Lance had his lovely wife and Nick had Pippa—and he’d do anything to make her his wife. And, Nick humbly admitted to himself, he had much to learn from Lance in how to fight for love.
As if she’d been privy to his thoughts, she formed anowith her lips and blinked at him and then looked into the round eyes of the others. The world around them faded away, leaving only the doctors from 87 Harley Street standing together as if they’d been called to organize aputschto bring their Lady Philippa Pemberton into their little family. It was a moment of profound joy, a testament to the power of love, resilience, and the will to succeed.
*
“You performed amiracle,” Pippa said in awe. She said it to all of them, but then she looked at Nick, and her insides hurt. She knew she needed a miracle, not a medical one, but one for matters of the heart.
“It’s the same operation I’ve done a thousand times,” Nick said humbly, but Felix and Alfie huffed.
“You did well; it was a long and difficult surgery.”
Wendy squealed with joy. “Oh, can you imagine their happiness? He can finally see his wife!” She twirled around the landing and down the two top stairs, holding the railing like an opera singer performing a grand declaration of love. She was quite the romantic. As usual.
“So, what now?” Andre asked, leaning against the railing.
“Now it’s Operation Nick and Pippa,” Alfie said. “I have everything ready downstairs.”
Pippa searched Nick’s eyes. “Are you sure you still want to risk everything just to be with me?”
Nick frowned and gave her a puzzled look. “How could you ever doubt my love?”
A man’s feigned moan came from the staircase. “Oh, drat! Another one bites the dust.” Andre turned and waved as he walked down the stairs. For someone who had conquered so many hearts, he was surprisingly resistant to romance. “Let me know when and where to show up for the wedding. I can’t watch all this tender love, it makes me—”
“It just makes you realize what you’re missing,” Felix called after him, following down the stairs. Felix had once loved and lost but never given up hope to find her again. He waited for the return of his beloved Maisie but that was another story.
“You do-a too much-a missing!” Andre said playfully to Felix in his Italian-enunciated manner of speaking.
