by Robin Nadler
It felt like hours before they heard anything, but finally, the doctor came out and spoke with them.
“She is dehydrated and her collar bone is fractured. She has a mild concussion, but I’m hopeful there won’t be any lasting effects from that. Her CT scan was clear. She needs to stay for a couple days, but then she should be able to go home. She is sedated right now and probably will be out for most of the next day. We will move her to a room shortly.”
David sat down and exhaled.
“Thank you so much,” Lila said to the doctor. He left and she sat down with David.
“Hey, she’s going to be okay,” she smoothed his hair.
“I knew she didn’t betray me, Lila. I knew my life wasn’t a lie,” he looked at her and his eyes were swimming.
She hugged him and smiled, her own heart full.
Chapter Sixty-Two:
David and Lila sat in the room with Susan. They had gone home for the night and slept and were back to see how she was. She hadn’t regained consciousness yet.
“She looks better,” Lila said as she looked at the machines and read the vitals. “She should wake up soon.”
“I hope so. I have so many questions,” he said as he sat down.
“What happened?” Susan muttered as she came around.
“Susan? Can you open your eyes? It’s David.”
She looked at him and blinked. “David? What happened?”
“You were hurt, you have a concussion, but you’re doing better. Do you remember what happened?”
Susan rubbed her eyes and they could tell she was thinking about it. She finally opened her eyes wide. “It was Lisa.”
“Who is Lisa?” Lila asked, sitting next to David.
“My sister,” Susan said. “I can’t believe she was here, but she is.” She looked at him. “Where is she now?”
“I don’t know, but the police are looking for her.” He sighed. “How did I not know you had a sister?”
“She has been in a mental hospital most of our adult lives. She suffers from paranoid schizophrenia and she has always had delusions. She became a danger when she developed a fixation with your father. She made up stories and went after him one afternoon. She was placed in the hospital after that and has been there since. I don’t know how she got out. I don’t know what happened, but David, she needs to be medicated. She needs help,” Susan lay back and the machines beeped.
“Okay, you just need to relax, we’ll find her and figure this out. What matters right now is that you are okay,” David said and held her hand.
Lila looked at the woman in the bed and knew she was the woman they thought she was. The bad feelings she felt at the diner were gone. This woman was genuine and kind and she was the woman David remembered.
“I’m sorry David,” Susan said. “I should have told you about her. I never thought this would happen”
Lila wiped her eyes as she saw the love Susan had for David. She was so glad he was hearing this and it solidified his belief in his past.
“I am okay, Susan, and that’s because of you.” He kissed her forehead. “Get some rest and we’ll be back later.”
She smiled and nodded. David took Lila’s hand and they left.
******
“You’re so quiet, do you want to tell me what you’re thinking?” Lila asked him after they got back home. “It’s okay if you don’t, but it might help to get it off your chest.” She sat down in front of the fire next to where he sat and smiled at him.
His face softened as he listened to her. “I’m just trying to wrap my mind around all of this. I’m sorry I’ve been so spacey.”
“You don’t have to apologize, I was just trying to figure out how I can help,” she turned and faced the fire. “We can just sit here.”
Looking at her, his heart swelled and he took her hand in his. “Can I ask you something?”
The physical reaction his hand had over her body was sobering. She wanted him, always. “Of course.”
“What do you see in your future?”
She was taken aback. “What do you mean?”
“Do you want to get married? Have children? Move away? What are your dreams?” he asked her softly.
She was quiet for a minute. “I see you. I don’t know what that means. I don’t know if it means marriage or a family, or moving to an island off the Pacific. All I know is that I want it to be with you. All I want is you.”
He pulled her to him and she hungrily kissed him. He felt her push him down on his back and their clothes began to fly off. There was no tenderness, only neediness and passion. She sat up and pulled her shirt off before his hands were all over her. He flipped them so she was on her back and he covered himself quickly before he plunged into her, both of them crying out from the intense sensation.
“Shit,” he said and buried himself over and over as her hands held him to her body. They panted and moaned as their bodies slapped together and after a few minutes, both of them were spent.
“Oh my God,” Lila panted as they lay on the floor, sweaty and satisfied.
“I think I’m completely cured,” he grinned, his hand resting on her stomach, his upper body supported on his arm.
She reached up and stroked his cheek. “That was hot.”
He laughed and leaned down to kiss her again, sucking on her lip. “That was smoking hot.”
She ran her finger over her swollen lips. “What about you?”
“What do you mean?”
“You asked me what I saw in my future, so what about you? What do you see?”
He leaned over and grabbed his pants, reaching for something. He looked at her and opened the tiny box he pulled out. “I see you. Will you marry me?”
Chapter Sixty-Three:
Lila blinked.
David got nervous.
“What did you say?” Lila pulled the sheet up under her neck.
“I asked you to marry me,” David sat up and looked at her.
“But I’m naked.”
“So am I.”
“How can I tell our grandchildren about this moment when we are naked?”
He smiled. “So if we have grandchildren, does that mean we get married?”
She sat up and reached to touch his face. “Do you know what you would be getting yourself into?”
Taking her hand in his, he held it to his heart. “I would be getting to live my life with the woman I love. I would be able to make a home with you and grow old with you and fight with you and make up with you and create memories that will sustain us when we are in a home together.”
She laughed and her eyes were wet. “I have MS. I need you to understand what that might mean.”
He sighed. “I do. I understand what it means and what it doesn’t. It means you are dealing with a disease that requires our utmost attention and care, which it will always get. What it doesn’t mean, is that you can’t be loved. It doesn’t mean you deserve to be alone. It doesn’t mean you can’t have a family.”
“I love you,” she said softly.
“And I love you.” He waited and looked at the ring and then at her.
“Ask me again,” she said.
“Will you marry me?” he asked her sweetly.
“Yes,” she said as her tears fell. “Yes.”
He took the ring and slipped it on her finger before she launched herself into his arms and pressed her mouth to his. He wrapped his arms around her they fell back onto the blanket.
“You have made me so happy, Lila,” he pushed her hair off her face as she lay on him.
“You have made me feel normal,” she placed her hands on either side of his face. “Do you know what that means to me?”
“Normal?” he smiled.
“I haven’t felt like I was normal in so long. You look at me like I am the most important person in the world to you and that is such a gift. I love you so much,” she pressed her lips to his and straddled his waist.
“You are the most important person to me. You a
re my everything,” he murmured.
“And you are mine,” she replied and kissed him again.
“So how about we work on your fantasy,” he said, as his arousal became evident.
“Are you up for it?” she grinned.
“I think it’s pretty evident I am,” he said.
She stood up looked at him. “Come on,” she reached for him and he got up. They went into the bathroom and she turned on the shower before she grabbed more condoms and placed them on the shelf.
He stepped into the stall and she joined him, the water falling over them. She ran her hands over his chest and looked up into his eyes. “The first time you held me in the shower was the time I think I knew I loved you.”
He smoothed her wet hair from her face. “I think I knew I loved you when you sprayed me in the face with pepper spray.”
She buried her face in his chest, as she turned red.
“How is that possible? That was the worst David.”
“No it wasn’t. You took care of me,” he leaned in and nibbled on her neck.
“After I hurt you,” she added, her knees getting weak as his lips moved over her.
“Because I scared you,” he muttered.
“Because you were trying to protect me,” she ran her hands over his back as he moved to her chin.
“Shit,” he said as she reached her hand between them and began to stroke him.
He reached down and lifted her leg up and pressed her against the wall. She moaned as he broke contact to grab a condom, dropping it in anticipation.
“Let me,” she said and took it, covering him gently and looking up at him as he picked her up and she wrapped her legs around his waist as he entered her. He pressed her against the wall as he thrust in and out of her, the water flowing over them and their moans the only sound in the room.
She felt her whole body contract around him and he held her tightly as she gave him everything she had. He couldn’t hold off any longer and exploded inside of her.
“Oh my God,” she said as he put her down gently.
He removed his protection and went to grab a towel.
“David, wait,” she said softly.
He stopped. “What is it? Did I hurt you?”
“No, I want you to know something,” she had tears in her eyes.
“What’s wrong?” he was concerned at her tears.
“I can’t wait to be your wife,” she said and ran her hand over his chest. “I just want you to know that.”
He smiled. “I know that.”
“Good,” she said. “I’m glad.”
He looked at her funny. “What’s going on? Is there something you aren’t telling me?”
“No. I’m just feeling a little sentimental.”
He turned the water off and grabbed them both towels. He wrapped her up and they walked to the bed in the room.
“I think I know what you’re feeling,” he crawled into the bed and she joined him. “I think we both have become so accustomed to being let down, that we don’t know how to be happy. We don’t believe it will last,” he smiled as she curled up next to him.
“I want it to last,” she said sleepily.
“Then it will,” he closed his eyes and drifted off.
She heard his breathing slow and she lay there, exhausted, but unable to get her thoughts to settle. Something was wrong with her, and she needed to get a handle on it.
Chapter Sixty-Four:
David walked Lila to the booth in the elegant Italian restaurant he found to take her and celebrate their engagement. It had been a week since she accepted his proposal and they had both been busy with work and helping Susan in her recovery. She had been released the day before and was doing great.
“This is so nice, David, but it isn’t necessary. I would be happy eating anywhere with you,” she said as the maitre d handed them the wine list.
David selected a wine and thanked him before he grinned at her. “I want to celebrate properly, and you deserve this.”
She blushed and he put the menu down, reaching across the table and taking her hand in his. “You look absolutely stunning, by the way.”
“Okay, you have to stop being so romantic and sweet. I’m going to melt into a puddle.” She sat back as the wine was poured.
He laughed and they picked up their glasses.
“I want to propose a toast to the most amazing man I have ever met, and in my line of work, I’ve met a lot of men,” she grinned. “That didn’t sound right, but you know what I mean.”
He grinned and she continued.
“When I got up that morning to go to my appointment with you, I could never have imagined that my life would have taken such an amazing turn. What started as a silly idea to have a child alone, turned into the moment I found my soul mate,” she felt her eyes fill as she looked at him. “You have made all of my dreams come true.” She picked up her glass. “To many more amazing moments.”
They clinked their glasses and took a drink before David sighed.
“What is it?” Lila looked at him with a concerned glance.
“Why was it silly?”
“What?”
“You always blow off the idea of having a baby. I just wish you believed you deserved it all,” he shrugged. “I guess my job is to make that happen.”
She looked at him and smiled. “I’m starting to believe it more every day.”
“Dr. Lila?” a voice asked out of the blue.
David and Lila looked up as an elderly man came over with his wife. Lila’s face broke out into a huge smile.
“Elton, hello!” she stood up and hugged him. “Ginger, how are you?” she hugged the woman. “This is David, my fiancé.” She looked at David who was grinning at the couple.
“Nice to meet you both,” he said and stood up to shake their hands.
“You snagged a great one here,” Elton said. “Dr. Lila helped me and Ginger with some issues I was having.”
Lila blushed. “It was nothing.”
“Are you crazy?” Elton looked at David. “I came to see her when those damn pills didn’t work. Four hour erection my ass,” Elton said and laughed. David looked at Lila who was trying not to laugh.
“Dr. Lila told him he wasn’t hopeless,” Ginger said as they both pulled up chairs. “That first appointment was amazing.”
“I don’t know how she managed to find anything, it’s not like Elton ever learned how to manscape,” Ginger said.
David choked on his wine and Lila laughed.
“Come on now, you’re a handsome manly man, have you ever done that?” Elton asked David.
Lila saw him looking shell-shocked. “So how are you both doing now?”
“Well, we went to the Bahamas and had sex on the beach,” Ginger said.
“And she doesn’t mean the drink,” Elton said and he and Ginger kissed.
David and Lila stared at the couple and then at each other. “Um, well that’s good, I guess, right?” David said as Lila moved closer to him.
“You know it. I recommended Dr. Lila to all of my friends at the home and they didn’t believe it. I told her she should come in and run a clinic,” Elton laughed and Ginger wiped her eyes.
“You saved our marriage and more importantly, you gave my husband his confidence back. You are amazing,” she squeezed Lila’s hand.
“I couldn’t agree more,” David said and smiled at her.
“Alright, let’s go and let them enjoy their dinner,” Ginger said.
“All this talk has gotten me a little worked up,” Elton said to Ginger. “Shall we stop in the bathroom?” He nibbled on her neck.
David thought he threw up a little in his mouth.
Lila looked at them and watched as they left. She and David looked at each other and sat in silence for a minute.
“So, that was weird,” she said and they both burst out laughing.
“Did an 80 year old man just talk to us about manscaping?” David said.
The waiter brought the
ir food and both of them looked at it.
“I don’t know if I can eat, ever again,” David said.
Lila giggled. “I’m a urologist, you know that.”