Still baffled, I ask, “What did he want to know?”
She approaches the chair and sits down. “He told me about the conversation you had about your father, and your button fetish.” I laugh, remembering that I practically blabbed my whole life story in the space of a five-minute conversation. “He was interested in your photos and picked up that one of your father and you from when you went fishing in the lake and fell in.” She frowns then, looking over at the photos. “Funnily enough, it’s been missing for a while now. I have asked the nurses if it got accidentally taken away somehow when I wasn’t here, but no one knows where it went. It’s a mystery. Thankfully, I still have the original, so I can always have it enlarged again and framed. If it wasn’t for that, I would be most upset.”
I’m still trying to get to grips with the fact that my favorite movie star was here… less than two weeks ago… watching me as I slept.
Wow.
“Did he seriously give you his number to call to let him know I was awake?”
Smirking, she nods her head. “Oh, yes, he did. Which is something I must do as soon as you have something to eat. I did promise him. He also sent you some flowers, but they’ve since withered and died, unfortunately.” She then picks up a card placed on the windowsill. “But I did make sure to keep this. It’s the card that came with them.”
Eagerly, my hand reaches out to take the card. I’m a little shaky, but I try and steady myself as much as I can to read.
Don’t forget to wake up. I’m waiting.x
I laugh at the unusual choice of words, but I like them. Straight and to the point. However, the last two words certainly send a jolt of excitement through me that causes butterflies to develop in my stomach. Butterflies I have no right to feel, considering he’s a married man. Of course, he would never entertain the likes of me. I can still dream it though. My fantasies of living with Mr. Gorgeous himself and having all his babies can live in my head for the rest of my life and there’s not a damn thing anyone can do about that. Nor will I feel guilty for it, either.
“Well, you can go and tell him that I didn’t forget to wake up,” I joke back, finally managing to speak again.
My mother laughs along with me. “I’m sure he will be very happy to hear it. He seemed very concerned about you.”
I’m still wrapping my head around this notion when Trent pops in, minus his coffee this time. “Can I come in now?”
My mother waves him in. “Yes, the doctor’s been, and all is okay. They’re just going to get Audrey something to eat.”
Trent, looking all excited, bounces towards the bed. “I told Victoria and Jason. They’re going to get here as soon as they finish their shift at the café. I tell you what, though… I don’t think my eardrum will ever recover from that scream Victoria made down the line. No doubt she must have scared a lot of customers away.”
We’re all smiles as a nurse comes in with some soup and helps to pull me up in a seated position. I’m sore all over, but so glad to be finally in a different position. I feel like I’ve been kept in the same position for months… well, a month.
“We thought we would start with something simple, so chicken soup it is,” the nurse says when I’m finally upright. I say my thanks, and she then says, “I will be back in ten minutes to see how you’re getting on.”
The nurse soon scurries away, no doubt busy with a barrage of other patients to attend to.
With my mom and Trent watching, I pick up my spoon and shakily place it in the bowl.
“Would you like me to help with that?” my mom offers.
“No, it’s okay. I need to learn to do things for myself.” As frustrating as it is, I’m guessing I will be like this for a while, but I certainly won’t let it defeat me. I will get stronger, and I will be able to walk, talk, and feed myself properly… just like the doctor said I would.
I dip the spoon in, only picking up half the amount the spoon can take, and very slowly lift it to my mouth. All the while I’m shaking, so I spill another half causing my mother to fret and use a tissue to clean it off. I manage to get some in and swallow, but my throat is so sore. What makes it worse is I’m not even that hungry. I just know that if I don’t eat a little bit, it will worry my mother too much. I have no idea, but I’m guessing she has been in this hospital by my side more than she’s been at home.
For a few more minutes, I manage to get some sort of a rhythm going and when half the contents are gone, my mother gets up from her seat.
“I better go and call Eli and tell him the good news.”
Shaking my head with disbelief, I smile. “Thanks, Mom. Tell him I said hi!”
Tell Eli Prescott I said hi!Oh, my, I’m living in a different universe!
Once my mom leaves, Trent, rocking on the balls of his feet, comes rushing to sit down in the chair my mother just vacated.
“Well,” he begins, grinning like the cat that’s got the cream. “When are you and Mr. Bigshot going to tie the knot?”
Completely confused, I blink at him a couple of times. “What are you talking about?”
“Well, duh… you and Eli, of course.” He even rolls his eyes.
Despite how much it hurts, I burst out laughing. “He only came to visit me in the hospital. That doesn’t mean we’re running off and getting married any time soon. Besides, he’s married to the famous Kendra Banks, for crying out loud! Jeez, Trent… what’s gotten into you?”
I’m still smiling when I notice his face has become deadly serious. “How much do you remember after the accident?”
Shaking my head at his weird behavior, I pop my mouth open. “From the accident? Waking up here in the hospital and seeing you and my mom.”
Trent, his face suddenly ashen, slinks back into his chair. “Uh-oh."