Work of Art

𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐨𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬

After a few hours, Jules was wheeled back into her room, still completely knocked out due to the anaesthesia. A nurse told Art, who was anxiously sat in the waiting room, that she was back from surgery and was going to be coming round soon so he can go back up to her now. He shot up from his seat and quickly made his way down the ward and into her private room at the end of the hallway. When he saw how pale and almost dead she looked, her already slim, bony face even more gaunt and dehydrated with dark purple eye bags. he couldn't help exhale slightly, but he also noticed how she looked at peace and out of pain any more. It took her a while to wake up to the point where it worried Art, he kept asking the nurse whether it was normal to take this long and she assured him that it was completely normal and some people naturally take a while to wake up. The clock just hit 5 PM when he noticed the covers begin to move a bit, Jules's eyes were still closed but her face was scrunching and making mindless expressions every so often. Her hand and fingers were slowly moving around whilst Art's hand was wrapped around them and her body began to slowly squirm. Jules slowly opened her eyes and was slowly and absentmindedly blinking and looking at Art. " Hey Baby." He uttered quietly. "How you feeling?" He put his hand on her face and brushed his fingers against his cheek. Jules wasn't in the state where she could respond so she just tiredly lay her head on her dads palm.

𝐭𝐰𝐨 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐬 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫
"Come on Juliet! A couple more steps now." Her physiotherapist said to her. Her knuckles were turning white due to the amount of pressure that she was putting on the metal handlebars either side of her. " Come on Jules walk to dad for us." Her surgeon prompted her. Jules eyes were fixed on Art who was stood in front of her, her breath was heavy and exasperated as if she had just run a 5k. In reality, she had taken five steps. This did not feel like progress for Jules , who usually ran her life at 100 miles per hour but her doctors swore that barely any of their patients were back up walking in this short amount of time. She was letting out sounds of frustration as her right leg was physically restricting her from going any further. She was beginning to feel flustered and sweat. Her chest was contracting rapidly and heavily. "You got it J, few more steps." Art encouraged her with a slight wobble in his voice. He hated to see his once active, up for anything, determined girl found crumbling to something as small as a few steps. When she looked over to him again to keep an eye on her bearings, he noticed the tears welling up in her eyes and her cheeks turning red. " I can't do it Dad. It's too hard." She whined. Art knew that she would be able to do it if she really pushed her self. " Yes you can Jules. " He told her firmly. Jules fell to the ground in frustration, rubbing her kneecap . Art was immediately at her side wondering if she had hurt herself in the process, but once she collected herself and calmed down she tried again. One limp at a time but eventually after a long session including nurses, doctors, physicians, her surgeon, physiotherapist and father, Jules reached the end of her walkway and was allowed to retired back to bed. These sessions exhausted her and it worried her about her future in tennis if scenarios this small were taking so much out of her every day.

𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫

After confidently beginning to walk again and making multiple trips up and down the ward with a gang of professionals spotting behind her in case anything happened, Jules was finally discharged and allowed to go home with the instruction to take it easy and wear a leg brace when walking and to lay off any heavy exercise.  It was good to be home but Jules couldn't feel her life was beginning to have no purpose to it. Sure, she was still enrolled at Stanford but she didn't feel healthy enough to go back just yet. She also didn't fancy being around Lucas with him pestering her without her Dad to stand up for her. She could tell it was going to be a long road to recovery and it is moments like this Jules wanted to turn back time so this wouldn't have happened. It did relieve her that she was out of hospital in time for her 18th birthday. She had told Art that she didn't want to make a big fuss as she really wasn't feeling up to it. Ultimately since she had come home Jules had fallen into a rut of depression and anxiety. She used to always feel on top of the world and now she was scared of barely moving in case she experienced that same god awful feeling her leg that she wouldn't even wish upon her worst enemy. 

One evening, Jules was sat on the couch watching Wimbledon on the TV when Art came and silently sat next to her. She turned her attention to him for a moment and gave him a smile and he reciprocated. He then started " I know you didn't want anything for your birthday this year, and I promise that when you are better we will do whatever you want. But for now I just want to give you this..." He produced a box wrapped with a bow and card attached. Jules appreciated the sentiment but rolled her eyes. " Dad ! I told you. I don't want or need anything this year." Art had tried to argue against this when she first told him but Jules is too stubborn that the man decided to respect her wishes. He smirked at her and said " Well you can't be mad at me as this isn't from me."  Jules eyebrow raised and her head cocked to the side. Art pushed the present towards her " Just open it and find out." At first Jules thought that her grandma ( Arts mother) had sent her something in the mail as she lives in Colorado. She tore open the wrapping and there was a photo album with a 'D' for Donaldson on the front of it. Jules looked at Art baffled and he urged her to open it. On the first page there was a photo of a woman smiling widely on a tennis court, her face was familiar yet unidentifiable to the girl. She had large brown eyes and a very distinguishable chestnut brown head of hair. Then it finally hit her. " Was this Mom?" She asked Art quietly, he was sat closely to his daughter who snuggled up him, his head resting on the top of hers as he observed her opening her gift. He nodded slowly with a subtle smile on his face. She turned to the next page and there was a photo of the woman holding a trophy, one of her with another man who Jules could recognise a mile away. A younger Art Donaldson. One of them kissing at a party, one of them with a very young looking Patrick Zweig and another girl that Jules had never seen before. She continued to flick through the pages until she realised that it was her parents life together in order up until they had Jules. There were photos of Jules as a toddler with a very happy couple photographed with her. The last photo in the album was from Jules's 3rd birthday, blowing out her cakes candles and sat in the arms of her very sickly looking, gaunt, pale mother. This was a huge contrast to the Sunkissed, doe eyed lady on the first page of the book. This made Jules tear up slightly as she had never known her mother and she felt like after looking at the album that she had known her for her entire life and she knew her whole story. She noticed that a majority of the pages at the back were empty and she was confused. Art then helpfully passed her the envelope. She opened it and blinked back her tears as she read it. 

My Dearest Jules, 

If you're reading this then you must finally be 18 ! Unfortunately I feel this means that I am no longer with you. I hope Dad is looking after you and giving you the life you truly deserve. I wish I was there to see you grow into the beautiful young woman that I don't doubt that you are. However I decided to show you how wonderful my life was with the most special people in it. I have also left spaces so that you can continue my story. I want you to fill this book with lifes best moments and look back in a few years to see how proud of yourself you should be. I hope you fulfil life the best you can and claim every opportunity that comes your way. I love you very much my darling girl. You were the best thing that ever happened to me and your father. 

Lots of love and Happy Birthday my precious Jewel

Mamma x 

At this point Jules was sobbing and Art was quick to join her. The two spent the rest of the night in comfortable silence until they both simultaneously ended falling asleep on the couch.