The next days are a blur. He is awake. He is unsettlingly quiet, unless he is talking to his children. Will brought the girls over to visit, and Lindsey smiled the rest of the day.
The hospital is miserable. People stare at us. I can't wait to get him home and get him healthy. I had never seriously had to consider what life would be like without him, and I never want to do it again.
When they finally bring discharge papers, he stands and smiles at me, pulling me into his arms. "I love you, Stevie."
He smells like hospital, and I'm hyper aware of the wound on his chest, but I let him hold me as close as he can. A let go of a breath I hadn't realized I was holding, letting go of some of the fear and exhaustion. "I am so glad you're okay."
"Let's go home." I nod, and help him into the required wheel chair.
Karen is ready with the car out front, and we helped him into the back seat, where I sat beside him with my head on his shoulder. The ride home shouldn't have taken as long as it did, but Los Angeles being Los Angeles, we have a long way to go. I don't mind. I lace my fingers between his and relish in the fact that we aren't in the hospital. He is awake. He is going to be okay.
He kisses my forehead and I look up at him. "You okay?" I ask. I have been saying it a lot, but he didn't seem annoyed yet.
"I'm not going anywhere yet, Stevie."
"I know." And he does look better. There is color in his face. The eyes that I could never get enough of were shining again. "What happens now?" He knows the question had a lot of layers, and he smirks at me.
"Tacos?"
"Seriously? That's what you want?"
"That food was god awful and you know it. Let's get some tacos."
I roll my eyes, but smile a little. "Karen, let's swing by that place on Ocean Ave. and pick up dinner. The patient demands tacos."
"Sure thing," she says, grabbing her phone to call the order in.
"You have what you need, right?" I nod, and he gives me a satisfied smile. I desperately want him to kiss me, but we haven't crossed a line yet and I'm not sure what to do. He touches my face and I close my eyes, feeling everything slow down as he stares at me. "Apparently, I only needed major surgery to get you to move in with me," he says, that stupid smirk still playing at the corners of his mouth.
Move in with him. I guess that's kind of what's happening.
Jesus.
