Page 95 of Dear Henry, Love Edith
The voices and static dimmed like someone turning downthe dial. But before they disappeared, cool fingers traced her cheek. Warm lips grazed her brow. Then she heard his voice.
“It’s me, Edith. I’m right here beside you. No more adventures without me, okay?”
She didn’t know if he was real or not, but for the first time since enteringThe Twilight Zone, she fell asleep in peace.
Henry had initially wanted to relocate Edith to a hospital in a bigger city. But after speaking to Dr. Reddy, who assured Henry there was nothing a larger hospital would do for her that they weren’t already doing here, and after speaking to an intimidating nurse who assured Henry that Edith was like a sister and she’d receive no greater care anywhere else, Henry agreed the best move was to stay put.
Gritty eyes, unshaven whiskers, rumpled clothes—Henry knew he looked a mess. But he couldn’t leave her side. Not yet. Not until she made it out of the woods.
At times he thought she had. Then her cheeks would go all flushed again, and she’d start talking to her deceased father.
Henry never knew what to say to her in those times. “I’m sorry, Dad,” she’d say again and again. “I’m sorry.”
“It’s okay, Edith. Everything’s going to be okay.”
“I messed up.”
“Hey. Don’t worry about any of that right now. You just need to get better, okay?”
“I shouldn’t have left.” Edith’s eyes would close, her voice slurring whenever she began drifting away. “I should have stayed... with Henry.”
Henry squeezed her hand. “No, sweetheart. I should have fought harder to stay with you.” Maybe if he’d been here, Edith wouldn’t have accidentally swallowed an aluminum phosphide tablet. How that happened, he still didn’t understand completely. Somehow a tank pill had gotten into her satchel. She must not have realized what she was swallowing when she took it during the middle of the night.
Henry’s stomach growled. Not for the first time either. How could he eat? It felt like a betrayal when Edith could barely take in a cupful of liquids. But willing Edith better through starvation didn’t exactly make a whole lot of sense either.
He ought to go find some food. Henry stood from his chair, reaching for his back pocket. But instead of a wallet, he pulled out a crinkled envelope. What? Oh, that’s right. He’d left his wallet in his bag, which he’d given to... Oh, gosh, who had he given it to?
He scrubbed his face. Kaya. That’s right. Kaya. She’d taken his things for him and promised to keep them safe. Then Edith’s host—Amahle?—had slipped this letter into his hands outside the hospital.For you, I think.
Pushing his hunger off a bit longer, Henry sat back down and opened the letter.
Dear Henry,
So much is in my heart that I want to share with you. I’m not sure where to even begin. I love you. How about I begin with that? I think I fell in love with you themoment you showed up in the coffee shop pretending to be my boyfriend. I knew it was just pretend. I knew it didn’t mean anything. But still. I can’t remember the last time someone came to my rescue like that. (The fact that I was already half in love with your blue eyes probably didn’t hurt matters.)
Then when I discovered that you were also the man I’d been exchanging notes and letters with... Well. Suddenly you were more than just a handsome man helping me out of a sticky situation. You were Henry. The real Henry. My Henry. I had shared things with you. Things I’d never shared with anyone else, so now you knew me better than anyone else.
And it scared me to death. I saw the future I thought I wanted so badly slipping through my fingers and a repeat of the pain I’d already experienced happening all over again.
So as much as I loved you, I continued my plans for leaving, knowing the other shoe would drop eventually. The day of the interview, when you left me for work, I thought that was the shoe dropping. Then that night, when I asked you to come with me, and you said you couldn’t, I thought that was the other shoe dropping.
Now six months later, living the adventure I dreamed of, I’m starting to realizesomething. I don’t think the other shoe ever dropped. I think I took it out of your hand and flung it before it had the chance to drop.
Is this making any sense? Probably not. I’m very tired. And between you and me, my back is killing me. But that’s not the point.
The point is I love you, Henry. I know I already said that. But I’m saying it again. I love you. I don’t regret coming here. I love the people I’ve met and the experiences I’ve had.
What I regret is not asking you to wait for me. Why did it have to be all or nothing when I left?
Will you wait for me, Henry?
Love, Edith
Henry folded the letter. He lifted Edith’s hand to his lips, then leaned down to press his forehead against hers. No words were necessary. Of course he’d wait. As long as it took.
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
Edith blinked open her eyes to the hum of voices and footsteps. Where was she? Her gaze swept across the confined space of her bed enclosed by three walls of curtains. An IV pole with a bag of saline hung above her head. Next to her side, an empty chair.
