by Diana Nixon
"Touché," Reggie said quietly, watching the three of them leave.
Offended, I said, "Just don't tell me you are team Mason."
"No, but he sure knows what he wants." Unlike you – was written in her eyes.
"Thanks for your support, Reggie."
"You are welcome, Mr. Bowen."
Wanna know how I spent the rest of the day, while waiting for Ariel and Eden to be back? I was cooking…
Yeah, you heard me right. My beloved nanny made sure we had 'something special' for dinner, and for that, she made me help her in the kitchen.
"Do you think Ariel liked him?" I asked, chopping onion. I swear the vegetable hated me and it was mutual. My eyes wouldn't stop watering.
"If you think she'll love him more than she loves you, then the answer is no. He'll need to try really hard to break what you and Ari have. But when she finds out the truth about him, I think she might want to spend a lot more time with him. After all, girls always have a special connection with their fathers."
I didn't want to believe it. I wanted to be the only 'father' she admired and had a special connection with.
"Stop crying, Blake or you're gonna ruin the sauce." I must have looked really funny, all in tears and with an apron covering my clothes. Very manly.
"Sorry, but the onion really got to me."
"Better cut the mushrooms." She took the plate with the onion away from me.
I went to the sink and splashed some water on my face. My eyes still watered.
"I think I forgot to thank you," I said.
"For what exactly?"
"For calling Mia. I know it was your idea."
"I knew she would find the key to release you from your imaginary prison."
"Which means you think I've been a complete idiot with Eden."
"Remember what I told you the day you told her she needed to leave?"
"You said I was blind if I didn't see that she was not Rachel."
"Exactly. I guess now you do see the difference. Am I right?"
"You know you are. As always."
"Then make sure Eden knows you need her, and not someone else."
Reggie's words wouldn't give me a break. They played in my head like a record.
I didn't know what to do with my tormented feelings for Eden. Not to mention I had no idea how to make her believe I knew exactly who she was and that I didn't see a ghost from my past in her anymore.
By the time she and Ariel were back, Reggie and I made salad, roasted chicken with mushroom sauce and baked a peach pie that Ari loved so much. I didn't participate in the baking process. But I helped Reggie lay the table and brought candles to make the dinner look really special.
"Wow… What are we celebrating?" Eden asked as she walked into the dining room.
"The truce," Reggie said. "It's always good to know the war is over." She switched her gaze between Eden and me.
Ariel put a fluffy unicorn on one of the chairs and said, "It's been a great day."
"Where did you get this?" I asked, pointing to the new toy.
"Mason bought it for me."
"Oh…" I suddenly wanted to fry the innocent toy.
Eden touched my hand and said, "We have had a really good time with him."
"I bet." I pursed my lips, refusing to ask any more questions, even though I wanted to know everything they did with Mason. When I was going to call Eden, like ten minutes after they left the house, Reggie took my phone away from me and said she would give it back later.
Turned out later never happened and I had no choice but to help her with dinner, guessing about the possible outcomes of Ariel's meeting with her father. Good news – she looked happy now and I could finally breathe freely again.
Both of my girls were home, safe and sound, and I couldn't be happier about it. Despite the fact that calling Eden mine was out of my rights list.
I secretly wished it would be okay to call her that, one day.
Preferably in this life.
CHAPTER 12
Eden
The dinner was terrific, as well as the man sitting opposite from me.
I intentionally took the furthest chair from his to put some distance between us. I needed it, and so did he.
All the time Mason, Ariel and I were out, I was thinking about the talk Blake and I had in my room earlier today. He looked a little tired, but I knew his return from the shelter was a good sign.
I missed him, a lot. And no matter how many times I told myself it was not true and what I felt for him was not real, my desire to see him again didn't go anywhere. Not to mention the kiss that I so badly wanted to repeat…
"What time do you need to be in the hospital tomorrow?"
I was surprised to hear Blake knew about my appointment with Dr. Hensley.
"Ten o'clock. Why?"
"I'll give you a lift."
"Don't worry, I can call a taxi."
"I have a meeting not far from the hospital, so there's no need to take a taxi."
"Oh, okay. Thank you." Ian always went to the doctor with me, and tomorrow was not going to be an exception. "I'll introduce you to my brother. He'll be there too. He never misses my appointments." I don’t know why, but I suddenly got nervous about their meeting. Or maybe I simply wanted them to like one another. Both played a significant role in my life now.
"How long do your appointments usually last?" Blake asked.
"About half an hour."
"Does your brother have a car to take you back home after it's over?"
"Yes, don't worry about that."
"Good." He finished his meal, wiped his mouth with a napkin and excused himself, saying there were a few calls he needed to make.
After he was gone, Ariel spoke to me, "Are you scared to go to the doctor?"
"No, why would I be scared?"
"I don't like doctors, or hospitals."
"Well, mine is a very good doctor."
"I'm sure he is, considering he gave you a new heart and saved your life."
I smiled sadly. "Indeed." Without a new heart, I would probably be no longer alive, and I would never meet Ariel. Or Blake…
I knew very little about my heart donor. All I was allowed to know was it was a young woman, a couple of years older than me. I didn't know how she died, but I was sure it was a hard time for her family and friends. But whoever she was, I was grateful for the life she gave me. I never cherished what I had as much I did now, that I had been so close to losing it all, forever.
***
Blake
When Reggie told me Eden was gonna have an appointment with her doctor, I knew I wouldn't miss it for the world. I wanted to talk to him too, because I didn't know anything about her state, except a few things that she told me.
"Ready to go?" I stood at the threshold of her room, watching her comb her hair.
She put the hairbrush on the vanity table, gave her reflection in the mirror one more look and nodded. "Ready."
"If I didn't know better, I would have thought you were going on a date." She was wearing a cute sleeveless black dress with a full skirt that ended a little above her knees. Her hair was long and loose, and her lips glistened with a barely visible lip gloss.
"I always want to look good when I go to my doctor appointments. In case I get bad news, at least my look won't give away my desperation."
Her words scared me. It was the last thing I expected to hear in response to what was supposed to sound like an innocent compliment.
"Everything's gonna be all right," I said, trying to make myself believe it. Sudden worry filled my heart. But I didn't want to tell her about it.
"Of course." She forced a smile. I knew it was forced, because it never reached her eyes that stayed unreadable.
We went down the stairs and found Ariel and Reggie waiting for us in the living room.
"I just wanted to wish you good luck," the girl said to Eden.
"Thank you, my princess." She kissed Ari on the cheek and gave her a hug. "Behave
while I'm out, okay?"
Ariel nodded.
Eden put on a coat, we left the house and went to my car. I opened the door for her, but she didn’t rush to get in. She looked at the house and said, "Who would have thought I would enjoy my time here so much?"
"I'm glad to know you don't regret staying with us."
She looked me in the eye and added, "At times I feel like I can't control anything of what's happening in my life now. But who knows, maybe it's for the best?"
"Trust me, I know exactly what you are talking about." When it came to Eden, I never knew what to expect next, neither from her, nor from myself. But I surely enjoyed my time with her like anything in the world.
She got into the car and so did I. I started the engine and waited for her to fasten the seatbelt. After Rachel's death, I always made sure everyone in the car I was driving was safe. I used to forget about the seatbelt, especially when I was in a hurry, but now safety came first.
We sped down the road and I couldn't stop thinking about what Eden said about her appointments with the doctor. Every time she had them, she was scared to hear bad news.
I looked at her, but she was lost in her thoughts. She looked calm, but I knew she was nervous. So I took her hand in mine and kissed it.
I could almost feel her body freeze at my touch.
I didn't comment on what I did. Still holding her hand in mine, I kept watching the road ahead of us, as if touching her was as natural as breathing.
To my surprise, she didn't try to free her hand, neither did she say she didn't like it.
We didn't talk, but it was not necessary. I wanted her to feel my support and I guess she felt it, through my touch and hopefully through my thoughts that were wrapped around her now.
When I parked at the hospital parking lot and shut down the engine, her phone rang. She pulled it out of her purse and smiled. "Ian." She turned the screen to show me her brother's picture flash there. "Hello?" She said into the phone. "Yes, I'll be there in a few."
"Where is he?" I asked when she ended the call.
"At the doctor's office. He always comes earlier."
"It's because he doesn't want to miss anything."
She smiled. "Or because Mr. Punctuality is his second name. I don't remember a single time my brother was late for any of his meetings, school or university classes."
"What does he do for a living?"
"He's a computer genius. He works for an IT company that develops software."
"I'll keep that in mind in case I need his help."
"If you tell him you've heard a lot about his talents, he'll become your number one fan."
I chuckled. "Noted."
When we got to the office, a guy in his late twenties stood up to greet us.
"Hey, sis!" He opened his arms and Eden willingly dived into his embrace.
"Hi, big brother."
His green eyes shone with love. Not the kind a man feels for a woman, but a very tender feeling that usually runs in the blood. And even though Eden and Ian were not blood relatives, I knew he would kill for his adopted sister.
"I guess you are Blake," he said, stretching his hand in a greeting.
"I am. Nice to meet you, Ian."
"I've heard a lot about you," he said, winking at his sister. Her cheeks reddened, as if the things she told him about me were never supposed to be revealed.
"Likewise," I said. "Eden told me you know everything about computers."
"I sure do," he said proudly of himself.
"I'm dying to know what she told you about me…" I looked at Eden, whose cheeks reddened even deeper.
"Sorry, man, I care about my life," Ian replied.
"Okay, you two, stop making me blush." Eden put her purse on a chair and took off her coat. "Blake, will you wait for the appointment to end?" Hope lit up in her eyes, and I couldn't ignore it.
"Of course." Before leaving for the hospital I called my secretary and asked her to reschedule my meeting for later so that I had enough time to talk to Eden's doctor after her appointment was over.
"Good." She took a deep breath and knocked on the door of Dr. Hensley's office.
"Come in!" I heard him say from behind the closed door.
Eden entered the office, and Ian and I stayed in the hallway to wait for her.
"So," he started, sitting in one of the chairs. "What do you think about her?"
"What do you mean?" I unbuttoned my jacket and sat down next to him.
"As her brother, I want to be sure she's safe with you. And the fact that you are here today means you care about her." He gave me a studying look, as if he wanted to read something in my eyes.
"I do care about Eden. I think she's a good person: kind, open and selfless."
"Do you find her attractive?"
I could barely hold back my smile. "Yes."
Ian nodded as if making a mental note about something. "If you hurt her, be ready to deal with me."
I liked his honesty. And I wanted to be honest with him too. "I like her, I really do. And I'll do my best to give her everything she needs to feel welcomed in my house and in my family."
"Now that is the exact response I expected to hear from you."
"Does this mean I've got your approval?"
"For now, yes. But I'll keep an eye on you."
"Fair enough."
We talked some more until Eden left the office, saying she needed to have some blood work done.
"Is everything all right?" Ian asked, worried.
"Yes. Wait here, I'll be right back."
"I wanna talk to the doctor," I said to Ian. I waited for Eden to be far enough not to hear my words.
He nodded and got back to his chair.
I knocked on the door and walked into the doctor's office. "May I have a word with you, Dr. Hensley? My name is Blake Bowen. Eden's working for me."
"Sure, take a seat please." He motioned for a chair across from his.
"I know so little about Eden's health problems and her surgery. How dangerous was it?"
"Chances were high she wouldn't survive it, considering her state before the surgery. Fortunately, it went well, even better than I expected. The new heart fit her perfectly."
"What are the possible consequences of her surgery?"
"You want to know about the worst one?"
I swallowed. "Yes."
"For now, everything's fine. Eden's taking medicines and her blood pressure seems to be normal. But she needs to avoid stress as much as possible. And positive thinking is a must."
"I see."
"But you should never forget about the time," the doctor said.
"The time?"
"No one can tell for sure how long she's gonna live."
My breathing caught, hands started to shake. "You mean… Her time's limited?"
"When her family signed an agreement for a heart transplant, I told them there was no guarantee the new heart would let her live a long life. I did my best to perform the surgery. But what happens after it – is always unpredictable. Everything depends on how well the new heart works for her."
"I guess she's not your first patient, so tell me – how long lived those you operated before her?"
"The longest one of my patients lived with a donor's heart was five years."
"Five years? That little?"
"Everyone's case is different, Mr. Bowen. Only God knows how long Miss Shelton's gonna live."
Everything in me went on pause. The doctor kept saying something about the effect of the medicines Eden was taking, but I wasn't listening to him.
I felt like someone had siphoned all the air from my lungs; breathing suddenly felt impossible. I loosened my tie and leaned against the back of my chair.
"Do you need some water?" The doctor asked.
I nodded, unable to speak.
Five years…
The number had never seemed to be so insignificant. It was a drop in the sea, compared to all the years a healthy person could live.
&nb
sp; I stared at the glass of water brought by the doctor, but my hands were shaking and I refused to take it.
"I changed my mind," I said, standing. My legs felt as if made of sand, I could hardly walk and keep my balance. But I needed to return to the hall before Eden found out I talked to her doctor.
"Are you sure you are okay, Sir?"
I nodded again and walked out of the office.
Ian saw me and stood up, saying, "Oh, no… He told you about the time, didn't he?"
"Does Eden know?" I sat down in a chair and ran both hands through my hair.
"She does." Ian smirked. "It was impossible to hide it from her. Right after she was allowed to use her phone again, she googled everything and there was no choice but to tell her the truth."
"How did she accept it? How did all of you accept it?"
Ian sighed. "Mom, dad, Eden and I made a deal – we will live as if nothing ever happened. She made us promise her to never talk about the time issue again. But when we heard the numbers mentioned by the doctor, we were as shocked as you are now."
"How did you…"
"Learn how to live with it?"
"Yes."
"We love her. This is the only thing that helps us face every new day, thanking God for giving us a little extra time with her."
I heard the footsteps behind me. I knew it was Eden. But I couldn't look at her, knowing one day, maybe very soon, I might not see her again.
"Don't tell her about my conversation with the doctor," I said to Ian.
"I won't."
"Missed me?" Eden said, smiling.
Slowly, I raised my eyes to look at her and saw nothing but the reflection of my endless despair in her eyes.
"As always," Ian said.
I rose to my feet and said, "Call me when you get home." It was so hard to give a voice to my thoughts.
She looked a little surprised, but didn't comment on my request.
"See you later." I needed to get out of the hospital, the sooner the better.
"Shall we go?" I heard Ian ask her.
I didn't take the elevator, and quickly ran down the stairs, dying to breathe some fresh air. Once outside, I opened my mouth and shut it like a goldfish, thrown out of the water.