He pauses, a glint of amusement in his eye.
“And frankly, I wouldn’t have dared. That woman turns into a lioness if you so much aslookat one of her children the wrong way…”
My eyes fill with tears at the thought of that stubborn man, my... boyfriend? That’s how Dr Warren described him, and I realize I quite like the sound of it.
“I’ll do what I can,” I promise, offering the doctor a faint smile. “But I can’t make any guarantees…”
“You’ll be here for at least another two or three days,” he replies. “Try to get some proper rest, and convince your boyfriend to do the same.”
Then he’s gone, and barely a second later, Remi bursts back into the room. His eyes are red-rimmed, his expression tight with worry, but the moment he sees me awake, something softens in him.
He reaches for my hand immediately, careful not to disturb the IV.
“How are you feeling, baby? What did the doctor say? My… my mum knows him, says he’s one of the best.”
“He definitely seemed competent,” I murmur. “And kind. He said there’s no sign of lasting damage… I’ll need to stay a few more days so they can be sure, but… apparently I’m going to be okay.”
Remi lets out a long, shaky breath, like he’s been holding it in since the moment I fell.
“Alright, baby,” he says, managing a small, tearful smile. “We’ll do whatever they say. But that… that sounds like good news. Really good news.”
He leans down and presses a soft kiss to my forehead, then brushes my hair back gently. His voice is quieter when he speaks again.
“There are a few people outside who’d love to see you. But only if you’re up for it, no pressure at all. They just… they just want you to know you’re not alone.”
I blink at him, surprise fluttering in my chest, quickly followed by a wave of nerves.
“Who?” I ask quietly. “Who’s out there?”
His face lights up.
“Well, there’s Mum, Maude, and Ben, of course. Then Anne, Francis, Noah, Jamie, and Ian. ”
I stare at him, eyebrows lifting in disbelief. “They’re all... They’re all here? For me?”
I point to my chest, utterly baffled that I could’ve caused such a stir, that all these people have turned up just to seeme.
“Yes, foryou, Seb,” he says, exasperated but smiling. “Who else? Will you please accept, just once, that people care about you? If only you knew how easy it is to love you…”
I fall silent, unsure I’ve heard him right.
But then he says it again, this time without hesitation.
“Yes.Love. I nearly lost you, sweetheart, and I can’t keep it in anymore. I love you. My beautiful, brilliant pianist. I loveeverythingabout you, with all that I am. I love you so much that the thought of losing you…” His voice breaks. “I don’t think I could’ve survived it. You’ve become part of me.”
He pauses, searching my face. “And if you’re not there yet, that’s okay. I’m not saying this because I expect anything back. I just had to say it. Before it tore me apart.”
I don’t think, I just move.
IV be damned, I reach up, grab his face with both hands, and kiss him with everything I have. It’s messy, desperate, breathless, but it feels like oxygen after nearly drowning.
When we finally pull apart, our foreheads still touching, I whisper against his lips, “What did you think I was going to say, you idiot?”
I smile, tears in my eyes.
“I love you, too.”
We both burst out laughing, a giddy, cathartic release after everything we’ve been through. I rest my forehead against his, and for a few quiet moments, we just breathe each other in, trying to absorb the weight of the past few days.
