Tim slowly turned his head toward the door and reached his hand out to her. Taking a tentative step inside the room, Jessica was overcome with emotion, seeing him awake, his cheeks flushed with life.
“Hey,” he whispered.
“Hey,” she replied, blinking back tears.
“Get over here.”
Jessica swallowed and slowly approached the side of his bed, sliding her hand into his. He brought her hand up to his mouth and kissed it with warm lips.
“You’re a sight for sore eyes.”
All she could do was nod.
“I’m okay,” he reassured, his voice thick with emotion.
At a loss for words, she gingerly bent down and laid her head on his chest, the sound of his beating heart comforting to her ears.
Tim slowly stroked her hair back from the nape of her neck. “How are the girls? How’s Julia?”
Jessica could have laid there all day, lost in the continuous stroking of his fingertips but sat up with purpose. “They’re fine. But first, I have something to say to you.”
Tim touched her chin, focused on caressing her face with his fingertips, worshipping her skin with each stroke. “What?”
She leaned into his touch, her eyes fixated on his emerald gaze. “I love you, Tim.”
His smile beamed. “I love you too, Jessica.”
The eruption of tears couldn’t be helped, and she lay in his arms for several minutes trying to come to grips that he was alive and well, the whole time Tim comforting her when she should have been comforting him. Breathing in his manliness, she clutched his solid body, silently thanking the powers that be.
When she pulled herself together, the words that wouldn’t come earlier suddenly poured out like water out of a hose.
“I can’t even believe what you went through for us during the storm—for Julia. You risked your life and almost died saving my daughter, and I will always,alwaysbe thankful for it.” She closed her eyes briefly, struggling to say everything that needed to be said.
“When you came into our lives that first day, I knew you were special. You were so good with my children and so attentive to me. You brought me pink flowers. You cooked us dinner. I fell for you immediately, but I was stupid and worried more about what my family and neighbors would think. I was so stupid, Tim. And I’m ashamed.”
Tears continued to stream down her face. Tim used the pad of his thumb to wipe them away as he listened. “Don’t cry…”
“You’re the best thing that ever happened to me, Tim. I can’t live without you. I need you. I love you. I want to be with you for the rest of my life.” She thrust herself into his chest again, burying her face in his familiar scent.
“Jessica, I told you everything would be okay. You know I love you. And I want to spend the rest of my life with you and your girls too.” He held her tightly in his arms.
“I was so scared. God, Tim. I was so scared. If I had lost you…”
“But you didn’t lose me. I’m right here, and I’m not going anywhere.” He tenderly cupped her cheek, his expression full of love and light. “I came back to you.”
His words floored Jessica.
“What?” She stared at him in awe, the stream of steady tears dripping from her cheeks.
“I heard you loud and clear, baby. You asked me to come back to you, and I did.”
Dr. Olson was right—he had heard her while he was unconscious.
“Now, will you stop jabberin’ away like a mud-dog—”
“Magpie,” she interrupted in a bout of emotional giggles.
He chuckled. “What the hell is a magpie anyway?”
