I sucked in a shaky breath, my throat still raw. “H-hurts.”
“I know, love.” His voice stayed soft, steady. “They’ll be in with more meds soon.”
I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the soundof his voice pull me back from the edge. “You don’t have to stay all night.”
He huffed out the smallest breath of a laugh. “Yeah, I do.”
“Who’sadoc—doctor—at Hall?”
“We have it covered,” he reassured. “Plenty of volunteers will support the work.”
“Mmm,” was all I could manage.
When the nurse came in with more pain meds, Marcus stayed right there, distracting me while the IV was adjusted. His hand never left mine.
“You’re doing good,” he said once we were alone again. “Better than you think.”
I blinked at him, my chest tightening—not from pain this time, but from how much I loved this man. “Thank you for being here.”
“Always.”
How many times had he said that? How many times had he promised me that he’d never leave? So many.
The meds pulled me under again not long after, but even in the fog of sleep, I felt his hand in mine.
Epilogue
MARCUS
Alex droveus home so that I could sit in the back, holding Tyler’s hand and reassuring him that he was okay. He’d moved on from positive Tyler to grumpy Tyler, to get-me-the-hell-out-of-the-hospital Tyler, but he held my hand as if he couldn’t quite bear to let go. The surgery was behind him. The graft was healing well. And today, they discharged him for good.
Before we left the hospital, they gave us all the instructions—pain management, wound care, and follow-up appointments. The nurse walked us through the list twice, smiling at Tyler as she handed over the folder. “Keep it clean, dry, and follow the dressing changes exactly as shown. Call us if there’s any redness, swelling, or fever. Don’tpush yourself too hard in the first few weeks,” she said, her voice kind but firm. “And don’t be a hero about the pain meds. Stay ahead of it.”
Tyler nodded, absorbing every word, though I could see the flicker of nerves behind his eyes. “I have a doctor in my corner,” he reassured her.
Yes, he did. And hell, I’d make sure he followed all the advice to the letter. The worst of the pain was behind him now—we just had to get through the healing.
Thin March sunshine filtered through the trees as we pulled into the parking spot at Guardian Hall. Snow still covered everything in the yard, the sky was pristine blue, and I couldn’t stop smiling.
“I need to warn you that Jazz has a surprise waiting,” Alex said, raising a single eyebrow.
“What kind of surprise?” I asked. “More kittens?
Alex grinned. “Not quite.”
I helped Tyler out of the car, and he winced at the movements, still a few weeks away from being pain-free. “Are you sure you’re okay to walk in?” I asked.
“I’m good,” he said, squeezing my hand. “I’m better than good.”
As we stepped inside, I noticed that the musicroom door was propped open. I caught the flicker of something colorful inside and raised an eyebrow, but Alex just smiled.
“Come on,” he said, ushering me and Tyler toward the space.
When we walked into the room, I stopped short.
A handmade banner hung across the far wall:WELCOME HOME, TYLER.And beneath it, a cake sat on the table, covered in way too much frosting, the words a little messy but perfect:We missed you.
Jess stood near the corner with Eli bouncing on her hip, Jazz already slicing into the cake, grinning as if he couldn’t help himself. Tyler’s mom and dad waved from behind a small pile of gift bags, and even Morgan was there with his baby, Gabbi, cradled in his arms.
