After living with Oliver for the last few months, I’ve gotten to appreciate everything she does even more. Cooking nearly every day is a loving act of service that I didn’t fully understand until I was the one pouring my love into a meal for him.
Now, knowing how much Lori thrives on providing good food for everyone, it makes me almost want to cry with the amount of care she shows her family.
“Baby, it’s okay. I promise this won’t be forever.” Oliver’s fingers carry mine to his lips once we’re in the bedroom.
“Oh, I’m not sad we’re here. I just realized how lucky I am.” My eyes are misty with newfound adoration for the people around me.
It’s been all of the homemade meals delivered to the hospital. The tag-team efforts of everyone to make sure I had what I needed so I could stay at his side while he recovered.
Sawyer and Val have fetched a lot of our stuff, so even though staying here is temporary, it reminds me of our house.
Complete with the light purple comforter on the bed.
The tears break free as the emotion bubbles over. Not knowing if Oliver was going to live or die, the constant stress of seeing him in pain. Only being allowed to touch tiny pieces of him at a time for weeks…it all boils into sobs seeing him finally sitting on our mattress.
Alive. Whole.Mine.
“Soph? Come here, baby.” He gestures me closer until I’m wrapped in his strong arms. “Are you gonna tell me what’s wrong?” His words flow over my racing pulse.
“I’m just—” I choke down a sob. “—I’ve missed you so much—” I can’t stop my chest from heaving. “—I was so worried. I love you, Ollie.” I still have to be careful how hard I can hold him, butknowing there’s no more visiting hours, no more nurses going to be barging in…I finally feel the weight of all of the pain dumping from my limbs.
He crushes me to him in a soul-healing hug. “You’ve been so fucking strong.” Gravel laces his words. “I’m glad I’m healthy enough to take away some of that load. You never deserved to have to carry it all.” He drifts his thumb across my cheek, wiping the path of droplets coursing down it. “Hell, I wish I could take all of this burden now. But I can promise to put my princess back on the pedestal where she belongs. Let me take over dealing with the shit.”
I drift my fingers through the longer dark hair on the top of his head, then down over the short stubble of the back, slowly tracing the raised puckers of stitches that knit the skin closed.
A fraction of an inch deeper and he would have been gone.
That’s it. The mere breadth of a thread is all that stood between me holding him and burying him.
Such a tiny distance that would have evaporated my entire world.
It makes me want to drink him in, cling to him and never let him go.
When our baby kicks, I hear Ollie’s breath hitch.
“Was that—” He tilts his chin to look up at me. “—you, or…”
Biting my lip, I nod. “We’re both happy you’re home.”
Ollie lowers his face, then digs my shirt away from my waist to press his lips to my taut belly button. His hot palms wrap to the small of my back and he freezes with his mouth tight against me.
“I really am the luckiest man,” he murmurs, tickling me with his whiskers. He only pulls away long enough to yawn.
“Let me get you some food, then we can just relax, okay?” My thumb brushes the shell of his ear as he nods.
“Yea. I really shouldn’t be this ass-kicked just walking to the car and back.” He blinks heavily, betraying the exhaustion he’s fighting.
“I know how it goes. I think I slept twenty hours a day when I broke my leg. It takes a lot of energy. I guess it’s why I got so into reading?” I have no idea how many days passed as I phased in and out of sleep.
I’m so grateful Lori was there, along with my books. In hindsight, I should have noticed her and my dad falling in love. But I was just so dang tired, I couldn’t pay attention.
“Well, I’m glad that was the hobby you chose.” His lip turns up in a smile, despite the dark circles under his honey-colored eyes.
“Me too, Biggie.” Tenderly, I stroke his temple, then kiss his forehead. “I’ll be right back.”
Tucking in my shirt, I head out into the living room where Lori and Dad are sitting on the couch with their two babies.
She looks up from his shoulder. “Oh, let me—”
