A man comes up behind us, ushers us through the front door, and encourages us to follow him to the back of the house. Unsure of what else to say at this point, I place my bag and jacket on the handle of the chair in the living room.
“You have a lovely home.” It sounds so cliché, but it is all I can think of to say, and it truly is a lovely place. I’d love to call a place like this home one day.
Dax smiles down at me and takes my hand, leading me along following the couple, which I assume to be both his parents.
“Thank you, Liv. We are very blessed.” The man holds his hand out, and I take it.
“Nice to meet you, Dr. Johnson.”
“Please, call me Marc. Let’s have a seat, and dinner will be ready soon.”
I wonder who is making this dinner if she is still sitting here, but I don’t think that is an appropriate question. Instead, I just take my seat, folding my legs against each other.
His mom hands me a drink and says, “Wine, okay?”
I nod as she also takes her seat across from us.
“So, tell me the story of how the two of you met.”
I immediately freeze and am transported back to that night at the beach. The night that changed my life was seeing my ex-boyfriend and my childhood friend lying lifeless on the wet sand. Dax springing into action, and me? Well, I just watched them feeling so helpless despite being trained to save lives. I just couldn’t move that time, paralyzed by my fear. The fear of Brodie being dead and, worse yet, feeling as though I am to blame. His life almost ended because of me. I hear someone call my name. It sounds muffled like I am underwater. Maybe it’s because I feel as though I am drowning in my pain and guilt. That would be a fitting punishment, after all. I have yet to address these issues, but only because I don’t want those feelings to resurface. The riptide of my heart being thrown out further and further no matter how hard I try to fight the current. I just seem to fall deeper and deeper into the abyss until I am just part of an infinitely lost sea.
ChapterTwenty-Six
Dax
I can seeLiv drowning in her thoughts. I put my hands on her shoulder and answered my mom’s questions. “Liv and I met in the emergency department. Isn’t that right, Liv?” I give her a little nudge with my arm.
She seems to return from her thoughts with a shake of her head. I can almost feel the sadness she feels about remembering that night. What should have been the day we met was turned into the day of the accident. I wish we had a chance at a new start. Those were the hands we were dealt; I hope we can overcome that someday. I look at her with a smile on my lips. She returned my smile, and I knew my girl was back with me in the here and now, not thinking about the night I almost lost her forever—the night I thought I would never see her again.
My parents are very much in love, and it is still apparent in how they look at one another. I can tell that my mom sensed something had happened that night because she had just looked at my dad, and they seemed to be having a private conversation with that one glance. I want to have that future with Liv, where we can just look at each other and know what each other is thinking. I would like to say that it is that way now because of this intense connection I feel with her. However, this also realistically comes with years of loving the same person. When you are married for that long, you can communicate without words kind of thing.
Just a single glance says it all between them. I know I will get asked about this later, but my parents are too perceptive to bring it up now.
She continues to hold my hand, and then she proceeds with the story. “Dax hurt his ankle surfing, and I was his nurse. I called his name in the waiting room, and later, he asked me out. Well, he asked me what we did for fun here, and then we made plans to meet up the next day. I didn’t know if he would show up, but I am glad he did.”
I look at her in disbelief. “You seriously didn’t think I would show up?” I laugh and bring her hand to my lips. “Sweetheart, you are stuck with me now.”
My mom seems to find this amusing. “Yes, Dax is like his father in many ways. When he sets his mind on something, he gives it all he has got, whether it be with his career or his family. My men love fiercely.”
A lady comes to the doorway and tells us that dinner is ready. We go to a formal dining room and take our seats. Even though the table seats about ten people, we sit closer to the end near one another and have a nice family-style meal. The conversation is much more relaxed, and his parents are genuinely nice and caring people. Even though they seem to have money, they are not pretentious.
“So, are you in school too, Liv?” Dad has let mom lead the conversation, but now he joins in on the questions.
“Yes, I am in NP school and am doing my clinicals at Memorial Hospital, too.”
Dad looks at both of us. “Well, that explains Dax’s chipper mood when he returns to the office.”
I shake my head at this comment, but maybe it is true.
Liv interjects, “I don’t see him very much. He is very busy, and so am I. I am glad he makes time for us and equally happy to see him.”
This seems to please my father. I know he thought maybe I am focused too much on something other than the endgame that he feels is my career—continuing as a partner with him at his practice. It is, to a certain extent, but Liv is also my endgame.
As if reading my thought… “So, are you planning to stay in Houston?”
Liv is quiet for a moment before she speaks, and I swear my heart stops for a minute because we haven’t precisely thought of what we will do after she graduates. We have barely had time to rekindle our relationship, never mind planning our future after graduation.
“Well, Dax and I haven’t thought that far. I’d like to think we are taking this one day at a time. I guess that is dependent on a few things.”
