Love at 320 Sycamore

by Florella Grant

  Alarms from Drew’s bedside woke her hours later. She moved a blanket that someone placed on her legs, and jumped up as the room filled with commotion once again. An arm reached out and moved Izzy out of the way. Izzy prayed she was having a nightmare, but the hustle continued.

  “Clear an OR, stat,” one doctor ordered.

  “What’s happening,” Izzy begged someone to tell her. Her presence went ignored, invisible to all medical staff. She panicked and stepped backwards until she felt the hard wall against her.

  They took Drew out of the room in the same manner they brought him into it.

  Izzy numbly walked out to the waiting room. Her family went home, and she never felt so alone. One nurse remained behind the nursing station and noticed her bewilderment.

  “They went home hours ago,” she said then glanced down at the phone. “You can call them if you’d like.”

  “Can you tell me what happened?”

  “I’ll find out for you, honey.”

  Izzy’s fingers attempted to dial Gemma’s number. It took a while for her sister to answer. “Something’s wrong,” she cried when Gemma picked up. “They took him again.”

  She didn’t remember anything after that. Izzy sat in a chair with her knees up to her chest. She cried nonstop. Gemma and Jake barged through the doors and enveloped her in their arms.

  “Shhh,” Gemma tried to calm Izzy down. “He’s going to be okay. I just know it.”

  Izzy’s heart exploded.

  A little while later, the nurse, who remained at the desk, sat next to Izzy. “His lung collapsed. The alarms alerted the doctors that he couldn’t breathe. They took him into surgery.” She stood and headed back to the desk.

  Gemma and Jake sat down. The waiting game continued.

  Chapter 12

  The next few days were a blur. After his second surgery, they brought Drew back to the ICU. Izzy and her family bombarded the doctor.

  “Why is he on another machine?”

  “Can’t he breathe?”

  “How long will it be on him?”

  “Is he in pain?”

  The doctor stuck his hand out, palms towards the group. “Calm down. One at a time.”

  Izzy rubbed her eyes in frustration. They threw many questions at the staff during the whole ordeal, but seldom received the answers. She took a deep breath, counted to three in her head, then continued with the questions. “Okay,” she whispered. “What’s with the ventilator?”

  “It’s best for him right now. Drew just had major surgery on his lungs and his body went through a lot of trauma. The vent will breathe for him while he heals. Nothing to be alarmed about.”

  Gemma and Jake looked at Izzy as she continued to drill the surgeon. “How long will that take?”

  The doctor shook his head. There wasn’t a definite answer for the group. “We’ll monitor him around the clock. When we feel he’s improving, we’ll wean him off the machine.”

  “When will he wake up?” Izzy knew he wouldn’t be able to tell.

  “He’s in a medically induced coma, which allows Drew to rest while his body recovers.” The doctor glanced down at his watch and grew impatient with Izzy. “May I suggest rest for you three as well?” He tapped Izzy on the shoulder and walked away.

  ~~~

  Izzy’s body collapsed into a chair. Her lack of sleep and food turned her into mush. Her eyes wanted to close, but Izzy fought the temptation.

  “Let’s go get something to eat, Izzy,” Gemma said as she reached for her sister’s hand and pulled her off the chair. “You could use a shower too.”

  “I can’t leave,” she retorted.

  Jake wrapped his hand around her other arm and helped his wife pick Izzy up. “You’re not going to do him any good by starving yourself. Besides,” Jake wrinkled his nose and laughed. “If I woke up next to someone who smelled the way you do, I’d go right back to sleep.”

  Izzy knew she couldn’t fight her family off. The gurgle of her stomach echoed through the room as if right on cue. “Fine, but let’s make this quick.” She left her number with a nurse behind the desk and reluctantly followed Gemma and Jake out to their car.

  They drove Izzy to her office where she left her car. She shook her head when looking at it, not knowing what day it was or how long she’d been out of work. Like instructed, she went home and took a quick shower than met them at a diner close to the hospital. Izzy couldn’t stand the thought of being away too long.

  The hot water and soap she scrubbed herself with felt great, but nothing compared to the greasy cheeseburger Izzy shoved into her mouth.

  “Slow down, Izzy,” Gemma scolded. “We don’t need you to choke.”

  Izzy couldn’t help but devour the burger. She didn’t know when she ate last. As soon as the beef hit her stomach, Izzy’s eyes grew heavy again. Deciding to leave the fries and pickle behind, she left her family at the diner and returned to Drew’s side.

  She held onto Drew’s hand to let him know she was there. His eyes opened for a microsecond but then closed again. Izzy’s hopes rose. The doctor told her it was a good sign of recovery, but didn’t mean he was ready to wake. She could expect to see that happen over the course of the next few days.

  Izzy’s head rested on the side of Drew’s bed. She tried to stay awake, hoping to see his eyes again, but she couldn’t fight it any longer. Though she sat in an awkward position, Izzy fell asleep.

  ~~~

  For the next two nights, Izzy slept by Drew’s side. The staff assured her they would call when he woke up, but Izzy insisted on staying.

  “Good morning,” she heard someone say on the third day.

  “Morning,” she moaned. Izzy assumed another nurse or aid had entered the room to take Drew’s vitals. It had been that way, two- hour checks, since he returned from his surgery. Her eyes didn’t open.

  A hand reached up and rubbed the back of her head. Izzy jerked her head up to find Drew smiling at her. She rubbed her eyes and prayed she wasn’t dreaming.

  “Izzy,” he whispered.

  Izzy wanted to call out for the doctor, Drew woke up for sure, but she couldn’t find the words. Tears of happiness ran down her face. “Drew,” she said as she took a deep breath of relief.

  He placed his finger over his lips, telling her to be quiet and listen. “When I was a teenager, I had a job working for the O’Brien family. Do you remember them?” Izzy urged him to save his energy and not talk, but he wanted her to answer.

  She shook her head and tried to recall the name. Izzy studied Drew’s face as she recognized the name of the family who once owned 320 Sycamore.

  Drew talked slowly, but continued. “Every day I used to watch as you passed the house. I saw the admiration in your eyes, you couldn’t help but gaze at it every time you passed. So, I made a vow back then, that someday I would buy that house for you. When I came back to town to find you, I saw the sign, and that’s why I asked you to be my agent. Except you never told me that house was for sale, and I couldn’t push it and give myself away. I want you back, Isabella. You are the only true love I ever had. I bought 320 Sycamore for us.”

  Izzy couldn’t control her sobbing. “You came back to find me?”

  “Your sister told me you were living in West Seneca again,” Drew told her. “That’s why I moved back, to be with you. I prayed you’d accept me, and when I saw the house for sale, I knew it was meant to be.”

  Her vision blurred as tears built up in her eyes. All that time he had a plan. For her. “They accepted your offer.”

  Drew smiled as he pulled her close to him. “Of course, they did, I offered them much more than they asked.”

  Izzy wiped her eyes and leaned into him. Her lips met his as her heart burst in joy.

  “I love you, Isabella.”

  “I love you too, Andrew.” Izzy burst out laughing. Nobody ever called him by his full name, not even herself. Drew chuckled the best he could, his body still neede
d to heal.

  “Will you marry me?”

  “Try to stop me!”

  Chapter 13

  One year later, Izzy and Drew offered to host the family reunion in the backyard of their dream home. The day was more special to them than to the rest of the family. Their wedding day.

  Drew’s recovery took a long time, and part of him still struggled. Izzy hired movers when they moved into the house so Drew wouldn’t over assert himself. She did the unpacking and decorating while Drew recovered. Izzy wouldn’t have it any other way.

  The big day arrived. “I do,” Izzy proudly said before Drew kissed her in front of their entire family.

  Aunt Laura waited to greet the newlyweds. Her hands immediately reached for Izzy’s stomach. “Are you having a boy or a girl?”

  “Both,” Drew laughed.

  “Not at once,” Izzy assured her aunt and tapped Drew’s arm. “There’s only one in here, and we want to be surprised.”

  Drew and Aunt Laura both rubbed Izzy’s baby bump, as Izzy looked across the yard. Gemma smiled from the other side. “I owe this all to you,” she mouthed to her sister.

  Drew took Izzy’s hand and walked her to the center of the yard where all could see. “I adore you, Isabella Walker, and always will.”

  He pulled her close to him and kissed her, a kiss full of passion and admiration. Their family and friends cheered them on. Izzy reached her arms around his neck and matched his kiss with her own. The crowd around her faded away.

  Some people never get a second chance at love, but Izzy and Drew received more than just one second chance. They held each other tight until the sound of the crowd snapped them back.

  “Alright girls,” Izzy shouted as she turned her back toward them. “Catch this.” Her bouquet flew behind her. Izzy turned her head to catch a peak at the lucky maiden to catch it. She glanced at Drew when the bouquet landed in Clara Morris’s hands. The pair laughed.

  “Well my darling, looks like everything turned out perfect.” Drew whispered in her ear. “What do you say we let the family enjoy the day, and you and I escape to Hawaii?”

  Izzy looped her arm into his and gleamed. “Let’s go.”

  ###