But right now, this is the whole Universe, condensed into one simple hospital bed: you, me, and sweet pea.
The rhythm of the machine slows my own racing pulse and the room blurs.
Slowly, the weight of the day pulls me down into a dreamless sleep.
Chapter 32
THE UNIVERSE OF THREE
Heaven and home are where we are
Della
After two nights of oscillating between my bed, his bed, and the chair, the morning finds me head pressed into the mattress by his side, fingers stiff from hours of holding on.
A gentle squeeze, more a whisper of contact than a real touch, sends a warm shiver through my body.
For a second, I think I’m dreaming.
Then I feel it again but, this time, it’s clear. His fingers twitch against my palm.
My head snaps up. Dawn pours gray light over everything. The monitors keep doing their thing, but now they beep a little faster.
I look at him and, for a second. I am the one who cannot breathe.
He is waking up. Dorian opens his eyes. Still the darkest eyes I’ve ever known... and they find me instantly.
"Dorian," I choke out, scrambling up from the chair, still holding his hand.
He tries to speak, but the tube is still there.
“Don’t try to talk, I’ll call the nurse.”
His fingers tighten around mine, and in that moment, his eyes say more than any words could.
I press the button, and within minutes, a quiet storm of movement fills the room. The nurses check him and start the protocol of removing the tube. It is quick but clearly uncomfortable, and Dorian faces it with just a frown.
Only after the nurses leave and he’s positioned in a more upright position, I lean over him, my hands hovering over his chest, terrified to touch him but desperate to feel him.
"You’re back. Oh, God, you’re back."
“Della.”
His voice is a wreck—a raspy, broken sound that scrapes against the silence—but it’s the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
He tries to take a breath, wincing as his ribs press against the bandages, but his gaze never leaves mine. He lifts his hand, the IV lines swaying, and reaches for my face. His thumb brushes my cheek, wiping away a tear I didn't even feel fall.
"I heard you," he whispers. "I would have left an angel wingless…” He pauses, his voices gaining strength. “Just to come back to you."
"Well, then,” I breathe, smiling through the tears, “it’s a good thing you came back and didn’t cause trouble in heaven.”
“You are the only angel I need,” he murmurs, his eyes heavy but burning with that familiar intensity. "Stay with me, Della.”
“I am not leaving, Dorian," I whisper, pressing my face into his palm, kissing the lifeline there. “Not anymore.”
Tears fall in silent, single rivers. A fragile smile blooms on my lips as Dorian’s eyes glisten—mirroring my own tears.
We cry and smile in the same heartbeat… two souls touching, remembering each other.
