Cherry Lover (Cherry 2)

“How much time has passed.”

“Since you were shot…about thirty-six hours.”

Thirty-six hours was a long time for my family to wait to see if I would be okay. My mother must have been a wreck. And Monroe…I didn’t even want to think about her. “Send them in, please. All of them.”

“Of course, Mr. Remington.” The doctor walked out, and a few minutes later, my brother stepped inside. He was an unemotional guy, but he looked at me like he was going to break down in tears. He came to my bedside, grabbed my hand, and then rested his other arm on my shoulder. “How are you feeling?”

“Alive.”

He smiled slightly. “I was scared for a second there.”

“No reason to be. It would take more than a bullet to kill me.”

“I know.” He leaned down and kissed me on the forehead, something he’d never done before. “I love you, man.”

“I love you too, brother.” I gave him a gentle pat on the arm because I was still weak.

He pulled away so Mother could get to me.

She was a wreck.

“My baby.” She leaned down and hugged me tightly, careful not to put pressure on my chest. Her tears dropped onto my neck, and she shivered as she held me. “I was so worried about my baby…”

“I’m alright.” I rubbed her back gently. “The doctor said I’ll make a full recovery. Everything is going to be okay.”

She kept crying against me, because she needed the moment to know that I was really okay. That I was the same strong man I was just days ago. I might be weak in a bed right now, but that wouldn’t last forever.

“I love you, honey.” She pulled away and kissed me on the forehead.

“I love you too, Mother.”

She squeezed both of my hands before she pulled away, tears still streaming down her face. “I know Monroe is more anxious than all of us, so…” She stepped to the side and joined my brother.

Even with puffy eyes and tearstains on her cheeks, Monroe looked like the most beautiful woman in the world. She was exhausted, scared, and happy all at the same time. She came to my bedside, said nothing, and then rested her forehead against mine.

My hand moved into her hair, and I held her close, grateful I was alive so I could appreciate this moment. The right woman walked into my life a long time ago, but I was an idiot and didn’t appreciate her. Now she was mine, and I would live long enough to enjoy her.

Neither one of us cared that other people witnessed our affection. My hand continued to stroke her hair, and I felt at peace in her presence, like she was the only person in the world who truly understood me. She completed in a way my own family didn’t. She loved me unconditionally, accepted me for who I was. She loved me despite my flaws. She didn’t love me because of my money. She loved me—for me. I opened my eyes and looked at her lips. “Marry me.”

She inhaled a deep breath at the request, her eyes snapping open so she could look into mine. She pulled back slightly so she could get a better look at me, to make sure I was sincere and not just high on painkillers.

“I’m serious. I almost died. I could die tomorrow or the next day. I found the woman I love, and I want to be with her. So, will you marry me?”

Her eyes softened.

“I don’t have a ring…”

“Yes, you do.” My mother pulled her wedding ring off her left hand, the ring my father gave her thirty years ago. It was a white gold band with a single solitaire diamond in the center. “I want you to have it.” With tears in her eyes for a new reason altogether, she placed the ring in my palm. “It would make your father and me very happy.” She closed my fingers over the ring.

“Thanks, Mother.” I turned back to Monroe, who was now sniffling as she tried to combat tears. I grabbed her left hand and held the ring close. “You better say yes. I’m putting this ring on your finger regardless.”

She chuckled, but that also made her cry harder. “You know my answer is yes.”

I slipped the ring onto her finger, and as if it was meant to be, it fit perfectly. “You’re officially mine now. You’ll have to put up with my bullshit, my stubbornness, and my carb-free lifestyle every single day.”

“And I gladly will.” She cupped my cheeks and leaned in to kiss me.

My arms wrapped around her, and I held her close, even if it caused me a bit of pain against my chest. It was worth it just to hold her, to know I had my whole life ahead of me. And I had the chance to correct all of my mistakes.