“Hi, Tay,” Abbey frowned and huffed a quiet sob, so grateful to see her daughter alive and well. Tears lined her lashes as she looked at Zach. “Can I hold her?”
“Yeah. Just be careful.”
Abbey nodded, sniffling.
“Tay-tay, give Mommy a hug.” Zach helped Abbey hold her daughter, careful of her IV and the few other wires connected to her.
A combination of a laugh and cry escaped Abbey. She hugged Taylor, closing her eyes. “Mommy loves you, sweetie. Mommy loves you so much.”
With her nose pressed into Taylor’s hair, Abbey looked up at Zach. “Thank you,” she whispered. She glanced past him to Cael. “Hi, Cael.”
Cael smiled and reached for her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Abbey’s bones had all healed as had her cuts and bruises. Her brain had been the only thing they’d been waiting for.
“Welcome back, Abs. We missed you. Zach especially. Mom and Dad should be here soon.”
Abbey gave them each a heartfelt smile. She kissed Taylor’s cheek and lifted her hand, brushing the toddler’s brown waves away from her face. Taylor lay against her mom’s chest, almost perfectly still, as if she knew and all she wanted was to hug her mom.
Zach took out his phone to capture the moment. Even if Abbey didn’t, it was one he’d treasure forever. Abbey looked up right after Zach snapped the picture.
Abbey knit her brow, seeming confused, as Zach pushed his phone into his back pocket.
“What’s wrong, Abs?”
“Your hand.”
“What about it?” Zach held up both hands, palms facing out. His eyes widened when he realized she must have seen the ring. “Oh.”
Abbey’s eyes widened and her brows lifted, as if expecting an immediate explanation.
Cael leaned in and whispered in Zach’s ear. “You want to tell her, or shall I?”
Chapter 20
The look on Zach’s face was priceless. Cael didn’t think Zach expected her to be as observant so soon, or maybe he’d just forgotten in the rush to get to the hospital.
“Did you get married without me?” Abbey’s words came out slow and steady. It was obvious she had to focus on what she wanted to say. Seeing her struggle when she’d always been so quick witted hurt, a lot.
“No,” Cael answered, wanting too much to tell her but doing everything in his power to keep the smile from bursting onto his face. “He got engaged.”
“What?”
“Yeah, so… I’m not quite sure how to tell you this.” Zach turned and looked at Cael, his eyes questioning.
“I do,” Cael said, and without any hesitation, he pressed a chaste kiss to Zach’s lips, eliciting a quiet gasp from him. Cael eased back, a huge grin on his face, and hugged Zach to his side.
After the initial shock faded, Abbey’s face glowed, her smile reaching all the way to her eyes. The sheer joy radiating from her overshadowed the paleness of her skin.
Zach’s cheeks flushed, and with a sheepish smile teasing his lips, he shrugged. “We sort of have a few things to tell you.”
***
As Cael’s head hit the pillow, he let out a huge yawn. Zach slid into bed beside him, pulling the covers over them. Nestling close, feet and legs tangling, Zach pressed his back to Cael’s chest and pulled Cael’s arm around him. Cael hugged him from behind and closed his eyes, already drifting off to sleep.
The day had started off strained with tensions mounting and breaking at Zach’s parents’ house. His grandparents didn’t even show up at the hospital, claiming too many visitors might be too much for Abbey, but Cael knew it was because his grandfather didn’t want to be around him and Zach.
His grandmother, on the other hand, had seemed to come around a little bit before the phone call from the doctor. Abuela had actually come out of the guest room and made an effort to talk to Cael as if he were a real person. He appreciated the effort and, to his surprise, Abuela seemed to warm up to him. When he’d asked her why the sudden change of heart, she’d paused with a serious look and said, “I’m trying to understand why my grandson fell in love with a man instead of a woman.”
Cael hadn’t taken it too personally. A lot of people didn’t understand why or how a man could be attracted to another man. Heck, even Cael didn’t understand it. It’s just how he felt. How he’d always felt. And yeah, he’d fallen in love with Zach years ago, but Cael hadn’t imagined Zach would ever fall in love with him.
