Page 116 of Free to Breathe
My arms drop to my knees, and my head falls in between them as I clutch her letter in one hand. “God, baby, I love you too. Keep fighting.”
I’d forgotten Alice was in the room until she says, “I know she will, Colby. She has more fire in her than half of the patients I see.”
My head snaps up. Alice smiles. “I see she took my advice to get her life under control.” She nods at the letter in my hand.
Suddenly, I can’t talk fast enough. “All day. Every hour or so. It’s like just as I was sinking, she knew how to bring me back up.”
Standing, Alice tells me, “People with huge social support go into surgery with less anxiety and depression. Their odds are better than those who don’t have that backup in their lives, Colby. Corinna already had a much better chance because she’s so remarkable. Everyone gravitates to her.”
I need to tell Alice what Corinna didn’t know for sure when they met. “I’m crazy in love with her.”
Alice grins. “There’s nothing crazy about love when it’s the right person.”
I smile, my first genuine one all day. I’m about to reply when the door opens.
It’s Bryan. Dr. Moser’s take-charge persona has been left in the surgical suite it seems.
And my anxiety slams back into me, freezing me in place.
“Alice.” He nods at the psychologist. “Colby. Where’s the rest of the family?”
I swallow hard to clear the vomit hovering in the back of my throat, waiting to expel itself. “Around. They’re around.”
He nods, exhausted. “Let’s get them up here. I’ll go over everything.”
I reach in my pocket for the phone. “Bryan, can you tell me…” I can’t ask. I’m petrified to know the answer.
He drops himself into a chair. Scrubbing his hands harshly over his face, he looks up at me wearily before a huge smile breaks out. “She’s alive. The whole fucking tumor is gone. Now, text the family and give me a goddamned brownie.”
I shove the box over at him as I collapse into Alice’s waiting arms, crying. It takes a few minutes before I can compose myself enough to walk around the table and grab him up from his seat. Slapping him on the back several times, I start to express my gratitude but stop because the words won’t come out.
Soon I’ve texted the family, and they’ve raced back in. We’re a mess of tearful, hugging, and kissing lunatics. But I can’t say my eyebrows aren’t the only ones that don’t shoot up to the top of my head when Dr. Bryan Moser grabs Em by the waist and lays a kiss on her that expressly says he’s interested in more than gratitude from the willowy blonde.
When he lets her up for air, she gazes up at him for just a moment before pushing up her glasses. In pure Em style, she mutters, “Holy hell.”
Bryan laughs.
I grin right before asking, “How long till I can see Corinna?”
Bryan comes over and clasps my hand. “Another few hours. I’ll send someone down to bring you up. I don’t want everyone in tonight to confuse her, but I know you’ll want in there. In the meantime”—he reaches over and swipes another brownie and eyes Em up and down—“I need to finish some paperwork. I’ll see you all soon.”
Bryan leaves the room, and Phil pounces on his sister like a lion with raw meat. “Well, well, well.”
Em tries to ward him off. “That was as much of a surprise to me as it is to you!” she exclaims.
Leaving the Freemans to fight it out, I turn to Alice. “Thank you,” I say with the utmost sincerity.
“It’s been my pleasure, Colby. Take care of her.”
I plan to. For the rest of our lives. Which I can now begin to plan beyond today.
61
Looking Bright
“Corinna, wiggle your toes.”
“Move your fingers.”
