All She Needs to Know

by Maria Siano

  Summer smiled. "That says a lot about who you really are, Kyle."

  He held her hand between his palms. "I want to ask you...This is not how I pictured this would go. But...I need to ask you now, I need to know —"

  "Kyle, you should..." She slid to the edge of the bed and rose to her feet.

  "Summer, will you marry me?" he whispered.

  Her eyes widened. "Kyle, we should wait until —"

  "— I need to know. Now." He leaned toward her. "Before we get the results from the biopsy. I don’t want you to be with me just because I’m sick."

  "Kyle —"

  "OK." He closed his eyes and pressed his head against the pillow. "I understand if you don’t want to marry me. I don’t blame you." He felt her hand brush against his cheek and his eyes popped open.

  "Yes, Kyle," she whispered. Tears were welling up in her eyes. "Yes. I’ll marry you."

  He lifted himself from the pillow and kissed her again. "Summer, I promise I’ll never keep anything from you again." He hugged her tightly. "There will never be anything I don’t want you to know."

  ***

  Summer fidgeted as she sat in the armchair next to Kyle’s bed. She glanced up at the clock. 5:30 p.m. She had been watching Kyle sleep for nearly an hour as they waited for the doctor to come in with the test results.

  A few minutes later, Dr. Cohen strolled across the hospital room. Summer inhaled as he approached. Even if the doctor gave them bad news, at least they would finally know.

  Summer reached over and gently shook Kyle’s shoulder to wake him. As she stood, Kyle’s eyes popped open.

  Dr. Cohen stood next to the bed and flipped open the medical chart on the clip board in his hand. "Evening, Kyle."

  Kyle pointed to Summer. "You know Summer Madison, my fiancée."

  "Yes, I know Summer...." Dr. Cohen lifted his eyes from the chart. "Oh, I didn’t know she was your fiancée. A new development? Congratulations to you both."

  "Thanks." Kyle peered over at Summer.

  With her chest tightening, she couldn’t return his smile.

  Dr. Cohen glanced down at the report on the clipboard again. "So...." The doctor paused. Again.

  Summer wanted to scream out, beg Dr. Cohen to just say it — good or bad, whatever the results — just tell them already.

  "The results are good, Kyle." Dr. Cohen flipped to the next page in the chart. "It’s good news."

  Summer closed her eyes. Then she opened them and exhaled.

  The doctor tucked the clipboard under his arm. "The Hodgkin’s has not returned." He widened his stance. "You have pneumonia. You’ll need to stay in the hospital for a few more days, for observation, and you’ll need to take things easy for a few weeks, but you should be feeling like yourself again soon."

  "Thank you, Dr. Cohen." Kyle shook the doctor’s hand.

  "You should get some rest now, Kyle." Dr. Cohen patted Kyle’s shoulder. "I’ll have a nurse come in and explain the course of treatment."

  Dr. Cohen headed for the doorway.

  "Thanks again, doc," Kyle called out after him. "Thank you so much."

  Summer sat on the side of the bed and grasped Kyle’s hand. "I’m so glad," she whispered. A bit of color returned to Kyle’s cheeks. But his eyes continued to droop as he let out a breath.

  "I didn’t expect it to be good news." He sighed. "I think I had prepared myself for the worst. But I’m so grateful."

  "Me, too." Summer hugged him. She didn’t want to let go. "Me, too, Kyle." She pulled herself away from him and pressed him toward the pillow. As he leaned back, his eyes nearly closed. "Why don’t you get some sleep now," Summer whispered.

  She tiptoed back to the chair a few inches away from the bed.

  Within minutes, Kyle’s chest began to heave up and down. He looked so peaceful as he slept.

  And a feeling of contentment washed over Summer, too.

  For the past few years, she had always been pursuing something — the next story, her next job. She always needed to get somewhere else, to manage every aspect of her life.

  And so many unanswered questions had intrigued her. About the people she interviewed. About Kyle. About herself.

  But as she sat beside Kyle’s bed, for the first time she had all the answers she needed.

  She loved him. And he loved her.

  It was all she needed to know.

  EPILOGUE

  Spring Valley Observer, December 31:

  Summer Madison Weds Kyle Mills

  SPRING VALLEY — Kyle Mills and Summer Madison were married on December 31 by Rev. John Morrison at Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church in Spring Valley.

  The bride, 34, formerly a staff writer for the Spring Valley Observer, is Director of Public Relations for The Kyle Mills Foundation for Hodgkin’s Research and a guest columnist for Charitable Trust Magazine.

  Mills, 34, is founder of The Kyle Mills Foundation for Hodgkin’s Research, headquartered in Spring Valley. An actor, he has appeared in the films Wreckless, Young Love, and Heartbreakers. Last year he played Mitch in a production of A Streetcar Named Desire at the Spring Valley Performing Arts Center. He is currently directing Cat on a Hot Tin Roof at the arts center, and next spring he will direct a new play for the center called Faith, Hope and Love, which he also wrote.

  After a honeymoon in Montreal, the couple resides in Spring Valley.