He puts the ear tips in his ears and brings the chest piece over his heart and listens. Then he removes the ear tips from his ears, putting them in mine. “You hear that?” he says loud enough for me to hear. “My heart beats for you, Ava. Itbelongsto you.”
My eyes become misty, and I pull the ear tips out. “I think I love this romantic side of you, Trevor Criss.”
He leans back into the couch. “I was going to propose under our tree. I thought that’s where you’d want me to do it. I’d been thinking about it for weeks. But then this happened, and, well, Iguess doing it in the hospital wasn’t exactly one for the memory books.”
I take his hand. “It was perfect. Besides, you proposed to me the first time under the tree. I’m glad you didn’t do it there. That was then, and this is now. And considering I wasn’t expecting it at all, the fact that you did it was amazing and special enough. Do you really want a wedding? Like an official wedding with guests and flowers?”
“Don’t forget about the cake. I want it all, babe. I want the photographer and the vows and you being walked down the aisle. Rice being thrown. The pastor pronouncing us Dr. and Mrs.” He touches my ring. “I want a ring.”
I don’t bother telling him he had one. Because it doesn’t matter. None of it does. All that matters is he loves me enough to want to do it all over again.
“I love that you want all that. But, Trevor, it sounds expensive.”
“You let me worry about that. I have a job now. One that pays a lot more than being a paramedic. And since I’ll be sitting on my ass for the better part of a week or two, I’ve got nothing better to do than plan our wedding.”
My eyes go wide. “Youwant to plan our wedding?”
“I’m being sappy,” he says, wiping one of my tears.
“You are. But I love it.”
“I love you, Ava. I hope you know how much I mean it.”
I nod, tears thickening my throat. “Thank you.”
“For what?”
“For waiting to say it. For saying it exactly when you did. For not dying yesterday. For wanting a wedding you can remember. For offering to plan it.” I lean my forehead against his. “For finding your way back to me.”
“It was never a choice. It was going to happen. We’re soulmates, Ava. Didn’t you know that?”
We’re so close, I’m sure he can feel the baby when she jabs me.
He laughs, putting a hand on my tummy. “Someone feeling left out?” He picks up the stethoscope. “Want to hear her heartbeat?”
“With that?”
“You’re far enough along.”
He sticks the ear tips back in his ears and puts the chest piece on my rounded tummy down low under my belly button. I can tell the exact moment he hears it because his face lights up with the most brilliant smile. As we take turns listening to our daughter’s strong heartbeat, I say one more silent thank you.
Thank you for being the father I always knew you’d be.
Chapter Forty-Seven
Trevor
I’ve been working in the ER for three weeks, my leg having fully healed with the exception of a badass scar—or two of them since the bullet went clean through. They pair well with the shrapnel scars on my torso and together speak to one hell of a life I’ve lived these past months.
As suspected, I’m on primarily nights and weekends with the occasional day shift. The money is great, which has made planning the wedding even better.
The down side? Also as expected, Ava and I don’t see each other nearly as much as we did before.
I’ve put out feelers for other jobs. Anything within an hour’s drive or train ride. Something in cardio preferably, or possibly trauma. But surgery for sure. I need to cut. But there’s been nothing. No callbacks. No interviews. I’m starting to fear I was right about nobody wanting to hire the Amnesia Doctor. Damn news stories.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m happy to even be practicing medicine. But I get the feeling there’s much more I’m capable of than patching up kids who fall at the playground or dealing with common complaints like abdominal pain, chest pain, fevers, andheadaches. It’s basically what I was doing as a paramedic, only here at the hospital.
At thirty-three weeks, Ava has cut back on her hours, my parents having stayed in town all this time just to help out at the shop and be here for the ceremony and baby.
