Whiskey and Country

A mixture of hurt, sadness, empathy, and love bled from her glossy moss-green irises.

My throat worked, but I couldn’t swallow.

“Nick, I know grief. And how much it can shatter someone. I want to be there for you. For the good parts but also the bad and the ugly,” she said, cradling my face and forcing me to look at her.

“Dahlia, I wasn’t ready. I’m still struggling. Sometimes. Those last images of him flash back when I’m alone. In my truck. In the shower. Early in the morning.” I shrugged. “They used to haunt me. They don’t anymore. But I’m still learning to live with them. And accept the reality. But Jack choking, lying in a hospital bed, wearing that blue gown, tore scars open I thought were mostly healed. I’m sorry I didn’t share the complete story before.”

I laced our fingers together and led her to the sofa. With her body hugging mine and my arms locked around her waist, I told Dahlia all about Derek. We laughed as I narrated incidents of our friendship. We cried together when it came down to the moment I turned off his respirator. And how I couldn’t say a proper goodbye because the last night I visited him, he slept the entire time.

Dahlia sniffled through her tears.

“Ohmygod, I’m sorry it happened to you. I can’t imagine how hard today must have been.” She fastened her grip on me, protecting and loving me. “Nick, I never perceived Derek and you were that close.” She pulled my head to her chest, and the beat of her heart brought me much-needed comfort.

“Dahlia, my heart can’t bear to lose another person I love. Derek. Buddy. I couldn’t fathom the idea of losing Jack too this morning.”

The woman I loved with every chunk of my heart got to her feet and held out her hand for me to grab. Together we made it upstairs. She pushed my shoulders until I sat on the edge of the bed and uncapped the marker she took from the table on our way up. The one I used this morning while I worked on the construction blueprints.

She clutched it between her teeth, and with both hands, she rummaged through my dresser.

I quirked a brow, wondering what she was looking for. There was nothing but boxer briefs, socks, and sweatpants in those.

Her face lit up when she found it. Derek’s list.

With the pen still between her teeth, she sat beside me and unfolded the sheet of paper. She struck through the eighth item. With more vigor than required.

Derek’s Bucket List – 8. Do something deemed impossible

Underneath, she wrote:

I saved Jack’s life today. It definitely counts as doing something deemed impossible. Only real heroes can do this. I’ve been giving myself a hard time about it when I should be celebrating instead. Jack could have choked on anything at any given time, but lucky for him, he did it with me by his side, and I did all the right things. It’s worth something. And the woman I love and who loves me back (a lot), says she has no idea how to repay me because what I did today is an act of pure love. And strength. And bravery. And she’s telling me here and now I’ll be her hero for the rest of time.

Dahlia capped the marker, but something caught her eyes, and before one of us could say anything, a big tear rolled down her cheek.

She cocked her head until we stared into each other’s souls.

“You added your last item?”

I nodded.

“You really believe it?”

I rubbed my fists over my eyes, raw and probably swollen by now. “Already told you, Dahlia. I’m in love with you. And I can’t see myself feeling any other way. Ever.”

She jumped to her knees and crashed her lips on mine.

“You’re the real deal too, Nick.”

I pushed back, my body igniting under her touch. “We have to go. The doctors are waiting for you to sign the discharge papers.”

“I know, but I wanna make sure you’re okay first.”

I breathed in. “I am. I will be.”

Dahlia knitted her fingers through mine, and I followed her downstairs. And if she’d asked me to, I would’ve followed her to the end of the world.

Derek’s Bucket List –26. Nick: Find the one

Derek, I’m pretty sure I’ve found my person. My soulmate. The one I’ve been put on this Earth to be with. The one making my days and nights better. I had no clue my heart had been missing one half until she walked into my life. Actually, I walked into hers, but it’s just semantics, right? Dahlia completes me. In every way. She’s the love of my life. I’ll keep you updated. I just hope she feels the same…