“Thank you, doctor.” I nodded to let Michelle know I was ready for her to wheel me in.
Entering Ally’s room, I thought I could handle seeing her like that. Her head wrapped in gauze, tubes helping her breathe and bruises covering almost every inch of her body. It was too much. Michelle put a hand on my shoulder and left. I picked up her bruised hand and kissed it gently. I started to pray to every god that would listen.
I continued to go in several times each day for a long time. They took her off the meds that kept her in the coma. Then they talked to me about her ventilator. They didn’t know if she would be able to breathe on her own with how long she had been on it. Frank, Fran and I discussed the options. They started bringing Sam for visits. I held him while he cried and begged his mom to wake up. I promised she would and that no matter what, I would take care of him. He just clung to me for dear life. My boy was as brave as my girl. My family was strong and we would make it through this.
I spoke with my mother and got advice on in-home care for Ally. Mom asked if she could get everything set up for me, and I was relieved and thankful at the offer. Frannie would take care of Sam until we could and she would get my house ready to bring them home when it was time. I told her to let Sam pick any of the three spare bedrooms, gave her my credit card and tasked her with making it fun for him to decorate for himself and his mother when she came home. I would not give up on Ally.
The weeks passed and finally, it was time to try removing the ventilator to see if she would breathe on her own. She would. I just knew it. Her mind and body had needed this time to heal and rest. She had been through so much. I was released a while ago, but I continued to stay at the hospital. I would not leave her alone. She would never be alone again.
We all stood around her bed as the doctor removed the tubes. Frannie went out to get Sam once that was done. Nothing. She didn’t breathe. She was as still as death. Sam started talking to her, then begging her. Frannie and Frank had to take him out of the room. I went over leaned down to her ear, “Baby, it’s been long enough. It’s time to wake up. Come on, you can do it. I love you, Freckles, and want to marry you and I want Sam to be mine, dammit. Wake! Up! Woman!” I ordered.
Just then her chest rose, then fell and that was it. I kissed her lips. And her chest rose and fell again but the motion didn’t stop this time.
“Yes! Come on, baby. You can do it. Come on, open those beautiful green eyes of yours for me.” I leaned in and kissed her longer this time, not closing my eyes though.
She started blinking her eyes, trying to focus. I waited for her to acclimate as patiently as I could. But I had to kiss her again. This time she gently kissed me back.
“Baby, I’m here. I’ve got you and I am never letting you go. Did you hear that?” I asked her, wanting desperately to hear her voice. She mumbled something that I couldn’t quite make out. I looked at her with confusion, so she said it again in a dry scratchy voice.
“Karma really freaking hates me dammit.”
That’s when I knew, she was going to be ok. Anything that came at us, we would handle and we would do it together, as a family. Instead of the two musketeers like she told me a while back, we would be the three musketeers now. I said that out loud on accident and she just laughed at me and told me she loved me. It was amazing that after everything she had gone through in her life, she could still find the happiness to make jokes and smile. That was a true hero. A person that didn’t give up, no matter how dreadful things got. She kept going. Kept living life to its fullest. That was Ally and she was my hero.
Epilogue
Ally
1 Year later
Life had been hard for so long it was hard to comprehend how I survived. I never gave up. I had not just Sam to fight for, I had me. It took me a long time to realize that I was indeed worth fighting for. We prayed every night for God to send us a hero to save us. When in reality, we were praying for love. For family. For a chance at life. We prayed to not be alone anymore.
Tom had nearly killed me this time. I knew it would happen just as sure as I knew I needed air to breathe. We had come so far. God and Grams had put people in our paths, giving us the family and love we so desperately needed. How could I let that monster hurt them? I couldn’t. The choice in the end was simple. Them or me. It had to be me. I gave myself, so they would live.
It took me a long time to heal from that night. The road was hard and painful but I woke each day blessed to have Sam, Jonah, Frank, Frannie and so many more that I got to call family to help. Being surrounded by love, kept me fighting and striving to get better each day. I did it. My mind, body and soul were healed.
As I watched my husband, Jonah practicing baseball with our son, Sam, I was reminded to never take for granted the moments in life that seemed simple or unimportant. Every moment counted. Every. Single. One. Everything could be taken from you in the blink of an eye. Grams taught me that. She taught me what perseverance meant. “Never give up my girl, things will always get better if you can just hold on through the rough patches.”
I had many heroes in my life, in different forms and ways. All of them special and unique. I thanked God for them every single day. I knew if we could just hang on, the rough patches would be behind us.
I didn’t want to die that day and I refused to. I had my son and I had finally found my hero. My Mr. Dreamy Eyes. I still got butterflies just thinking of him as mine. Jonah was mine. This beautiful man never gave up on me and I still had no idea why. He had taught me so much about love, trust and what it was to be a family, that I could never thank him enough.
Jonah and I were married six months after I left the hospital. I didn’t want a big lavish wedding, that just wasn’t me. Shayla, Jonah’s sister, begged me to let her handle the details and promised to keep it small and special.
We were married on a beautiful evening the day before the Wordly Homecoming, right in front of the carousel. Yep, that’s right, the scene of our first date. Shayla knocked it out the ballpark. It was the wedding of my dreams. Afterwards we all had pancakes with lots of syrup, cotton candy, corndogs and snow cones. It was anything but traditional but it was amazing and I would never forget it.
I made a new friend too, a kindred spirit. Michelle had been through her own hell and she opened her old wounds to help me though mine. We talked endlessly and spent many evenings watching movies and eating popcorn. I was pretty sure she had a crush on Jonah’s brother, Shane, but she won’t give in. Her wounds run deep and she hasn’t learned to trust another with her heart. Oh, but she would. I knew she would. Shane came off cocky and full of himself but the look I saw in his eyes when he looked at her, took my breath away sometimes. I prayed that Michelle would find a way to let him in. She deserved to have a good man in her life. But she was determined to put Shane in his place at every turn.
She told me once when I mentioned it, “Hell No! He is not my type!”
I always laughed when I watched Shane trying to be all macho in front of this badass, female alpha. He certainly had his work cut out for him.
I was now Ally Bradford and proud of it. Sarah was still there, but she had been through so much that I put her to rest. Sam and I had new lives with so much joy, we decided that we didn’t want to go back to the old names. We had been happy with these names and they were us in every way.
Frank and Frannie decided they were too old to get married. Frannie declared to me that they would live in sin and didn’t give a damn what people thought of it. I just laughed and hugged her. A piece of paper didn’t change the way you loved someone but something told me Frank wanted to make an “honest” woman of her as soon as he could get her to say yes. I loved these people so much.
“Hey baby? What are you smiling about over there?” Jonah asked walking up to me all sweaty and grinning.
“Oh, not too much really. Just sitting here thinking about how good life is and how thankful I am to have found you. Oh, and I have been timing my contractions. They are just about six
minutes apart so I think you might want to go get the car so we can all head to the hospital now,” I said tilting my head and smiling at him.
Jonah stood there with his mouth gaping, eyes as big saucers. He was in shock. I started laughing.
“Holy crap! What the hell are you laughing at woman? Sam and I are over here running around like crazy, playing baseball, while you sit here in labor? Why didn’t you say anything?” he roared at me turning red.
Jonah yelled for Sam to come because Mom was about to have the baby in the middle of the field. He proceeded to pick me up and started running towards the car as if the hounds of hell were chasing him. I looked over his shoulder to see Sam scrambling to grab my lawn chair and our cooler of drinks. Then he was off running after us.
“Good lord, Jonah. I am not dying ya know. I’m just in labor. The way you are bouncing me around, may make the baby come more quickly. So, chill out, mister!” I had to yell to be heard.
He stopped suddenly, thinking about what I said. “My God, Ally. I am so sorry, you’re right. What the hell is wrong with me?” he then slowly walked me to the car as if I was as fragile as glass. Men! Ugh!
My labor was hard and fast. Pain was nothing new to me, so I handled it well. Jonah on the other hand hyperventilated more than once. Shane came in at one point dressed as a doctor, scrubs, lab coat, mask, hat and even rubber gloves and said he needed to evaluate the patient. That did it. Jonah took off after him and the chase was on. As I tried to breathe through a tough contraction, Michelle walked in with a question in her eyes after seeing them running down the hall.
“Why is Shane dressed like doctor and running like a little girl screaming from Jonah, again?” she asked me.
I couldn’t help it, even with the pain, I started laughing and couldn’t stop. I loved Shane so much. He could take any situation and make me smile no matter how bad I felt. He was truly one of a kind. I had to work on Michelle. They would be perfect for each other. She needed Shane.
“Shane was just being Shane of course. He takes any opportunity he can to piss his brother off. I wouldn’t want it any other way. And I don’t think Jonah does either,” I told her smiling and I knew it was time.
“Go get them now, Michelle! Hurry it’s time! Go, go, go….” I couldn’t help but scream that last part because of all the pressure I suddenly felt.
Shortly after that we welcomed our daughter, Haley Francine, six pounds, four ounces into the world. She had a beautiful head of red hair and her daddy’s beautiful, blue eyes. And as they handed her to her father to hold, my big brave SEAL sat down, held her close and began to cry.
Yes, our life was wonderful.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
First I want to thank my children, Meg, Jake, Luke, Nic, Josh and my husband Jeff, for all of their support. You have been my biggest cheer leaders from day one when I said I wanted to write a book. Sorry, for the frozen pizza, take out and noodle dinners so many times! Love you more than you will ever know. Each of you are in this book in one way or another.
There were some wonderful women that never gave up on me even when I wanted to give up on myself.
Ann Marie Myers, to my best friend. We have seen and done so much in this indie world and without you none of this would have been possible. Love you!
Sheryl, you tirelessly read as I wrote no matter what condition it was in and gave me honest and helpful feedback on True Hero. Without you this book would have been a mess. LOL! Love you!
To Char the grammar queen and beautiful word smith. You are simply amazing. Never forget that.
Thank you Jenn and Kathryn, for all of your hard work in helping me refine my story.
When things seemed to be at their worst there was ONE author that stepped in and calmed my fears, lent her ear, offered help when no one else would, found me the extra help I needed to fulfill my dream of writing a book. She will remain unnamed but she damn well KNOWS who she is. I love you to the moon and back. I could never repay your kindness.
And now for two very special women that were a huge part of my life but are no longer with me here on earth but watching me from heaven. I love you Grams and I know you and Sarah are smiling down on me now. “Butterfly kisses”
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Susan Owensby, a mother of six, lives in the Midwest along with her husband, a retired Army Veteran. An avid romance reader for years, Susan is happy to share stories that have been floating in her head for years with her readers. In her spare time when she is not writing or doing graphic design, she loves reading, of course, listening to her favorite music, and spending time with her family. Be sure to follow Susan so you don’t miss out on her latest news at the following:
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TRUE HERO: A Romantic Suspense Novel (True Hearts Series Book 1) Page 19