I dream of her every night now. I often have the feeling that she’s here with me. I have the impression of smelling her perfume in the room. I need to talk to her, to apologize, to win her back.
The sound of the door opening wakes me up. Out of the corner of my eye, I see Izy curled up in an armchair near the bed, and my heart skips a beat. She’s here.
"I didn't want to wake you up, Nathan. I brought Isabel the usual change of clothes," Alice says.
"The usual change of clothes?"
"Yes, she doesn't want to come to the hotel. She doesn't want to leave you alone." Seeing the confusion, Alice continues. "Even if you didn't see her, she has always been here to keep an eye on you. During your sessions or checks and at night here in your room."
"I thought she gave up on me."
"She’d never do that. I think tiredness has taken over her tonight because she never sleeps at this hour."
"Alice, I ruined everything."
"I'm not going to tell you ‘I told you so.’ You're the only one who can fix it. And Nathan ... I told you that you'd make a huge mistake."
Alice places the bag next to the bed and departs, leaving me with a thousand questions.
I look at her, and my tears fall. She hasn't left me. She has always been more stubborn than me, and for once, I'm glad she didn't listen to me.
When Isabel wakes up and notices me looking at her, she gets up and goes to the door.
"Izy, wait." I sit on the edge of the bed. She stops and approaches me.
"Do you need something?" she asks. Her voice is more like a whisper.
"Yes, I need you," I say, looking into her eyes. "I'm sorry, baby." I hug her. When, after a few seconds, she hugs me back, I start breathing again.
"How do you feel today?" she asks.
"Much better. I still struggle to walk for a long time, but I don't want to give up."
"I'm proud of you," she whispers through tears.
"I thought you went home."
"I never would, not without you. I wanted to be there in case you needed anything or ... me."
"You've always been here...”
She nods as I wipe away her tears.
"I don't deserve you. I've been a idiot."
She smiles and hugs me. "I really love you, Nate."
"You’re my life!" I hug her tightly to me, inhaling her perfume. The scent of home. "Izy, are you…” My voice is shaking, but I need to know. “Are you really pregnant?"
"No, Nate, I'm sorry. I needed some excuse to make you react. Because you’d already started giving up, and I couldn't let you."
"I felt like an idiot. And then you disappeared, and I felt even worse. I thought I lost both of you."
"Forever together, love."
"Come here," I tell her, lying down, making her get on the bed with me. "Alice told me you never wanted to go to a hotel. Did you always sleep in that chair?"
She nods, and her shining eyes look at me. I kiss her with all of myself. I love her because I’d be nobody without her.
