“Thank you,” she replied softly with a fake smile. It was alarming that I had come to recognize what was real versus not real, because I had spent so much time with her.
“We’re going to miss you a lot,” Nurse Hannah stated.
“I’m really going to miss you all. You’ve been so wonderful, all of you.”
“Thank you. Well, before I go over the paperwork, I wanted to return your items to you,” Hannah stated, handing her a large bag.
Sevyn looked at me and then at Hannah before returning her gaze to me again.
“Go ahead. It’s yours,” Hannah stated with an encouraging smile.
I watched as Sevyn reached inside and pulled out a navy-blue Steve Madden crossbody purse. She opened it up and looked inside. She slowly removed a travel size bottle of perfume, hand lotion, a makeup kit, her wallet, and a few other items. Other than the purse, she removed from the bag a set of keys sealed in a plastic bag, some earrings, a watch, a necklace, a phone, and a wedding ring set. There was an engagement and wedding ring along with a man’s wedding band.
The room was eerily quiet as she fingered her husband’s wedding band and looked inside as if she had known an inscription was there.
“Ethan, for then, for now, and for always. Love, Sev,” she read quietly before she slid it on and off her finger and then put it away. She did the same thing with her wedding ring, but there was no inscription inside. She quietly put the engagement and wedding rings on her fingers and stared at her hand.
“It looks nice,” Hannah stated sweetly.
Sevyn snatched them off and tossed them carelessly inside of her purse. Pouting, she replied, “It doesn’t feel right.”
Before either of us could respond, the door opened, and Nurses Kayla, Tasha, Monica, and Vivienne stepped inside. “We all wanted to say goodbye before you left. Everyone couldn’t be here, but we brought you something from the entire team of nurses who have been taking care of you,” Vivienne announced.
Sevyn looked around at everyone and pressed her hands against her mouth. Tears filled her eyes, and then she looked at me, speechless.
Monica presented a gift basket that included all sorts of spa items, along with fresh baked cookies, gourmet chocolates, and a card signed by all the nurses. She bawled like a baby at their thoughtfulness, and some of them cried also.
“Make sure that you come back to see us,” Nurse Kayla declared.
“I’ll make sure to bring her back,” I vowed.
They all looked at me, and there was a knowing look in their eyes. I turned away and scratched the back of my neck uncomfortably.
“All right, big fella. We didn’t forget about you either,” Tasha stated and handed me a card.
I opened it and read the card that expressed how much they appreciated how I supported Sevyn. There were five gift cards inside. Each of them were for one hundred dollars. Three of them were for restaurants, and two were Visa gift cards for whatever I needed.
“Ladies—”
“No, no, no. We don’t want to hear it. Just accept it and keep moving,” Monica demanded, causing the others to laugh. Hugs were exchanged all around before they left, and Nurse Hannah remained. She reviewed the discharge papers with Sevyn, answered all her questions, and discussed follow-up appointments.
She rolled Sevyn out of the hospital and to the front entrance while I brought my truck around to take her home in.
“Do you know how to get to my place?” she asked when I pulled off.
“Yeah. Waverleigh gave me the address. It’s plugged in the GPS.”
She nodded absently and stared out the window again. I reached across the console, grabbed her hand, and gave it a little squeeze. I didn’t hold onto it for long, because I wasn’t comfortable with the feelings that flowed through me whenever I touched her that way.
“Hey, remember I told you we can always turn around and walk back out that door.”
“I know. Thank you, Deuce.”
“It’s my pleasure.”
We pulledup to the condo twenty minutes later, and Sevyn stared quietly out of the window for several minutes.
“Does it look familiar to you?” I asked after a while.
