Forever My Home (The Aster Lake Series Book 1)

by Unknown

  “It’s not your fault, Archer,” Madi reassured him. “And now it’s our turn. It’s our turn to give back to Adalyn. We pray. We talk to her. We stay by her side every day and guide her through this. We’ll help her find her way back to us. I have faith in her, we all do. We have to stay positive. This is Adalyn we’re talking about. The happiest person on Earth.”

  Archer went to the window and watched the rain come tumbling down. It started last night and hadn’t let up yet. He thought back to the first day he had seen Adalyn. She didn’t know it, but Archer had caught a glance of her walking down Main Street. She had been smiling and walking with a little extra bounce in her step. She looked so damn happy, like she had won the lottery. Her long hair was bouncing off her back, but he couldn’t stop looking at her smile. He had wondered at the time how someone could be so happy. Then she showed him.

  Five days later…

  “She’s making great progress. Tomorrow, we’ll slowly start reducing the medicine keeping her in a coma. It should be fully out of her system within a few days. From there, we wait.” The doctor walked over to Archer and put his hand on his shoulder. “I know you haven’t left, but I strongly suggest at least taking a walk outside. The rain stopped and a little fresh air never hurt anyone.” His light blue eyes darted at Adalyn. “She won’t wake up today.”

  Archer felt relieved with the good news, finally breathing after a long intense week. Archer had made himself at home in her small hospital room. He wasn’t leaving, never would.

  Madi had brought some clothes for him, and Bailey and Danny were spending time with their grandparents. Neal’s wife, Angela, showed up in town shortly after Adalyn’s surgery. Neal had put a tracking device in Angela’s watch, and with a combined effort with Ian, they were able to make contact with her. Adalyn got her looks from her mom. Even though her hair was slowly turning gray, she looked like she could be Adalyn’s older sister. The kids were ecstatic to have grandparents. Well, Bailey was. Danny was warming up to them, though. It was a moment he wished Adalyn could have witnessed. They have brought the kids by every day to visit.

  Archer had seen more people from town here in the hospital than he did living there. People she never met were coming by to show their support. Margie and Scott have been by every other day, reminding Adalyn that she needed to be baking more cookies. Archer told them not to visit again if they were only going to complain about cookies. However, he knew they meant good. He would rather see them joking with her, than crying all over her.

  Madi’s parents, along with Jack and Jill, came to visit once. It was a few hours’ drive to the city, and with work, they just weren’t able to visit as much. Ian got a hotel room with Layton, and they came by every day to visit as well. Ian and Neal have spent some time together, and mended their little riff. They were talking about working together on future projects already.

  Archer needed her back. He missed her. The kids missed her. He wanted her laughter to fill his house again.

  He took the doctor’s advice and decided to go for a walk after his shower.

  He sat on one of the metal black benches and called Ian.

  “Arch.”

  “She’s healing. Might be awake in a few days,” Archer explained.

  “Good to hear. How are you holding up?”

  “Better.”

  “I can’t wait to meet her,” Ian told him.

  “I’m sure she feels the same. You got any news on Rainor’s father?”

  “No, but I have hope. You want company later?” Ian planned to stay in town until Adalyn woke up.

  “Not tonight.” He watched a few kids running around in the small little play area outside, screaming and laughing. “I gotta go.”

  “Later, Arch.”

  One week later…

  “She isn’t waking up,” Archer growled at the doctor again. He had been complaining and arguing with him all week. There was no improvement.

  “She will,” the doctor insisted, “I have no doubt about it.”

  “She needs more time. Her body is still healing, Archer,” Madi again reassured him, like she had for the last several days. Archer was impatient. She should have woken by now, and he didn’t understand why it was taking so long. The swelling in her face was better, the bruising faded, and she was starting to look more like his angel.

  He hated being in the damn hospital. It was driving him crazy. Every day he sat in that room and talked to her. He held her hand all the time, and often fell asleep in the chair while his head lay at her side.

  He prayed every day. He begged every day for her to wake up.

  The kids came yesterday, along with her parents, and stayed for four hours. They really wanted her to wake up when they were here. But, she didn’t.

  Three days later…

  “Please wake up, Mommy,” Bailey urged her while lying next to her in the bed. “Danny has an important question to ask you.” Bailey looked at Danny and he smiled at her. Archer wasn’t sure what the question was, but Adalyn needed to know her life was waiting for her.

  “He won’t ask you until you wake up. And he might even make me ask you. He’s shy.” She went back to Danny. “Right Danny?” she asked him. He nodded at her while he stood by the window next to Archer, and Bailey continued, “He’s very shy, but he talks to me a lot when it’s just the two of us. Oh, and you should see his room, Mommy. It’s cool.” She ended on a whisper and Archer thought she might start crying again. Her picked her up off the bed and hugged her. Neal and Angela took the kids shopping so Danny could get what he needed for his room. They took pictures and showed it to Archer; he picked out black and dark blue colors.

  A week later…

  “Neal,” Archer said greeting him as he walked into the hospital room. He swung his gaze to his wife. “Angela.”

  “Son.”

  Every day they visited, it was the same. Neal called him ‘Son’ and Angela hugged him and whispered hello in his ear. He liked her parents. They were good people. They took Archer the way he was, and they instantly loved him and the kids. Just like Adalyn.

  “Anything new?” she asked as she pulled out of the hug.

  Archer shook his head.

  “She just needs a little more time. That’s all.” She went to Adalyn and kissed her forehead. “After this, she’s going to be up for days. She’ll probably drive you nuts,” she teased.

  Archer smiled and knew that if Adalyn were up for days, he would be also.

  Angela pulled her brush out and started brushing Adalyn’s hair. This was something she started doing after they had removed the gauze from her head. Archer noticed her scar was slowly healing and her hair had started to grow back. Angela told Archer that Adalyn’s hair always grew fast, and no one would be able to notice the patch when her hair was up in a ponytail. Archer didn’t care if she was bald, she would still be the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. She would still be his angel.

  “I love your daughter,” Archer started, “I love the way she looks at me. I love the way she makes me feel. She loves the kids, and I love that she picked us. I was running out of hope of ever finding someone and having a family until she showed up. She’s all I’ve ever wanted, and I know she feels the same way about me. One thing you’ll learn about me is that I’m an impatient man.”

  “I’m so happy she found you, Archer,” Neal said, sitting down in one of the chairs. “We always wanted her to be on her own, find her life and live it.”

  “I’d like very much to marry your daughter,” he said, looking over at Neal from where he was standing by the window.

  He smiled. “She already said yes, Son.”

  “I know, but it’d help having your blessing.”

  “I’m pretty sure by now you know you have our blessing,” Angela answered for her husband. “She picked you.”

  Two days later …

  “What?” the doctor asked.

  “Her hand.” Archer rushed to her bedside. “I swear she moved a finger.” Arche
r was sitting by her side, holding her good hand, because the other one was still in a cast.

  The doctor went around to the other side and did his usual routine. He listened to her heartbeat, then pulled her eyelids up and blinded her with a light. “Hopefully it’s not just involuntary muscle movement.”

  Archer ignored the doctor because he knew it wasn’t. He knew she was waking up. It was time. He made a few phones calls without ever letting her hand go. He needed to feel it the next time. He let her parents know, but asked not to share the news yet with the kids. He called Madi, who insisted on coming back up, even though she was just here yesterday. He wasn’t going to argue.

  Everyone was waiting for her to wake up. Archer knew it would be soon.

  She was finally going to wake up.

  Chapter 26

  One day later…

  Beep

  I thought I shut that thing off.

  Beep

  Oh my God, why is it getting louder?

  Beep.

  I have a headache. This is not going to be a good day. Wait, why can’t I move?

  I lift my arm and nothing happens. Huh. Maybe I slept on it funny.

  Shit, now my eyes won’t open.

  Beep

  What the hell is going on? A sharp pain in the back of my head just ricocheted through me and down my body. Fuck that hurt.

  Beep

  Why am I so sleepy?

  A few hours later…

  Beep

  I’m seriously going to hurt Rudd. Why hasn’t he shut the alarm off? And why do I still have this headache? Did I take pills the last time I was awake?

  Beep

  Shit! I can’t even remember.

  Beep

  I tried to scream, but heard nothing. I tried again. I lost my voice, too?

  Huh.

  I must be getting sick. Shit, I’m so confused. And tired.

  God, I’m so tired.

  Where’s Rudd?

  Ten seconds later …

  “Three,” Archer told Madi. It was so hard for him to stay still. He sat there hour after hour, waiting for her to move her hand again.

  Three times now, Adalyn has moved her fingers. It wasn’t much, but he felt it every time. And every time he wanted to break down and cry. It was taking longer than he thought, but the doctor said it was normal. She had been asleep for a long time. She wasn’t just going to pop up out of bed. Madi had not left since she got there.

  “She’s trying really hard, Archer, I know she is. Pretty soon we’ll see those beautiful eyes of hers,” Madi said from the other side of the bed.

  Archer smiled. “I love her eyes.”

  “She won’t have to hide them anymore.”

  “True.”

  Two hours later …

  Beep

  Seriously, again. Where is Rudd? Why can’t I move? I keep telling my body to move. Arms. Hands. Do something!

  But, I get nothing!

  Beep

  Jesus, this is annoying. Fucking just move already, I yelled at my body and got nothing in return.

  Beep

  Why is this so hard?

  I tried screaming. I tried moving. I tried kicking.

  It felt like I was fighting some kind of invisible force field, and it was starting to piss me off. Why isn’t anything happening?

  Beep

  And why the fuck is that damn alarm still going off?

  I swear, I’m going to run it over with my car. If only I could move.

  Beep

  One day later …

  Beep

  Here we go again.

  I told my arm to move. Nothing.

  I told my leg to move. Nothing.

  I told my eyes to open. Nothing.

  Beep

  OH MY GOD! I yelled inside my head. It didn’t hurt as much as it did earlier, but the throbbing was still there. I can smell! The faint smell of fresh cut wood drifted in my nose. Rudd must be here in bed with me.

  Beep

  But if he was, then why is that damn alarm still going off! Jesus, this is really starting to piss me off.

  Beep

  I told my hand to move. Even if it was just a little bit, just enough to feel Rudd’s body next to mine. I knew he was there. I could smell him, but it wasn’t enough.

  I needed to feel him.

  Beep

  MOVE DAMN IT! MOVE! MOVE! MOVE!

  “Angel.” His voice was soft and sweet as it flowed through the room. I love it when he was gentle with me.

  Rudd? I said, not hearing my own voice.

  Beep

  Move. Move. Move. Please just move stupid body.

  “Angel.” I heard again, and felt pressure on my hand. If I couldn’t move, then at least I could feel him. He was here.

  I figured I would try one more time. Then, I was going back to sleep.

  Beep

  My words were lost on my tongue, but I managed to make some kind of noise.

  Finally!

  I must really be sick.

  I heard a bunch of mumbling voices and noises. For a second, I thought I heard my mom’s voice. But that couldn’t be right. This was one really weird dream.

  I felt something on my lips. It was cold and wet, and slipped into my mouth.

  It was amazing, and I was thirsty for more.

  Things were starting to get louder. I could still hear the alarm beeping, but it seemed further away now. Thank God for that. I’m totally getting a new one.

  Voices were becoming a little clearer, but I still couldn’t make them out. I tried again to open my eyes. God, they were heavy.

  Why am I so tired still? I feel like I’ve slept for years.

  “Angel.” I heard him whisper in my ear again. I turned my head towards his voice and smiled. It was comforting, but at the same time, there was sadness in his voice. I wish I could feel him. I needed to feel him. I wanted his arms wrapped around me. I needed to feel safe again.

  “Adalyn.” I heard in my other ear a voice I’ve never heard before. “I’m Doctor Hylm. I’m touching one of your hands, can you feel it?” One hand registered his touch; he was touching the middle of my palm. I squeezed as hard as I could, even though I doubt I did anything productive.

  “That was good, Adalyn.”

  “Hmmm.”

  “Your throat is tender and sore.” He was right, it was; every time I tried to talk, it scratched me. “Keep taking the ice chips. They’ll help.”

  I nodded, or at least it felt like I did, and tried to open my eyes again. I made progress because I started to see a flicker of light. It was so bright it hurt, it made the throbbing in my head rear its way forward, smacking the front of my skull. I quickly gave up that task.

  “Ok, Adalyn, I need you to concentrate on your feet now. Can you feel anything?”

  Someone was tickling me. It was light as a feather, but it was there.

  Jesus, I must really be sick. I have no energy, I’m tired, I can’t open my eyes, and there’s some doctor in our bedroom. Why wouldn’t he just take me to the doctor if I were this sick?

  Oh God, something must really be wrong.

  “Adalyn, you’re doing great. I need to check the other hand.” There was a pause before he started talking again. “Can you feel my touch?”

  I could feel something on the tips of my fingers, but couldn’t move my hand.

  I shook my head yes.

  “That’s good, but you won’t be able to squeeze my hand. This one’s in a cast, but it’s healing up nicely. You’re very weak. This is normal. However, I need a favor from you. Can you do that?”

  I nodded my head again, not registering what he told me.

  Damn it, my headache was coming back; the throbbing was pushing its way from the back of my head to the front. It felt like it was slowly creeping up on me. I turned my head to the side, hoping that would help.

  “Every time you’re awake, I need to you to move your fingers and your toes. We’ll start easy. Do you think you could work on th
at for me? Every time you’re awake, can you move them?”

  I nodded again. Sleep was taking over and fast.

  “Good. You’re doing great. Now, get some rest and we’ll talk soon, ok.”

  I was too tired to do anything but let the sleep take me away.

  Eight hours later…

  “She’ll wake up again.” I heard Madi say. It did not surprise me she was here. She helped take care of me when I had the flu.

  “It’s been eight hours.” I heard Rudd reply to her.

  Jesus, eight hours was a long time. I wonder how long I was sleeping the last time. And the time before that.

  “Maybe you need some of that fresh air everyone keeps telling you about?” Madi was teasing him, but I didn’t want him to leave.

  “No,” I said, the word scratching my throat.

  I moved my fingers and toes like I was asked, and tried to open my eyes. It was way too bright. I don’t ever remember it being like this in our room before. It’s like the sun was sitting right outside our window.

  I felt another piece of ice on my lips and opened my mouth. “I’ve missed you.”

  He missed me? While I slept? I opened my mouth to try to speak, but another piece of ice was there. It was small and melted fast.

  I opened my mouth again to talk and another one was there robbing me of my chance to speak.

  “It’s about time you woke up,” Madi said. I concluded she was feeding me the ice chips as she slipped another one in my mouth. “Do you know how long you’ve been out, Adalyn?” She slipped another one in. Even if I could talk, she wasn’t letting me. “Archer’s going crazy.” Another piece of ice found its way into my mouth.

  “Madi,” Archer warned.

  “What? I miss her but Jesus, she didn’t need to sleep that much.” Another piece of ice and she continued, “I have so much to tell you, Adalyn. I can’t wait to get you all to myself. But I’m pretty sure Archer won’t let you out of his sight for a year! I’m going to have to come steal you away.” She shoved another piece of ice in my mouth. “But then, if I do that, he’ll probably arrest me.”