Page 22 of Bliss
Alex
After reassuring Tina that she’d be back later in the morning, Callie and their friends grabbed their purses, while Alex grabbed the bags of Tina’s belongings. She didn’t want to risk someone stealing anything, but mostly she wanted to remove the possibility of Roz arriving before her and searching the bags and guilting Tina into allowing her to help her with her email correspondences. Roz was a nice woman, and she was a good friend to Tina, but her level of nosiness had caused more than a few arguments between the friends, and even a few between Tina and Alex. Tina didn’t need that stress on top of everything she was dealing with.
After they left Tina’s room, and pulled her door shut, Isadora asked her daughter, “Do you want to come home with your father and me, or are you awake enough to be able to drive home?”
Nodding, Hannah sighed, “I’m not even sure if I’m awake or dreaming right now. I definitely should not be driving.” She turned to Callie, and asked, “Are you able to drive my car back to Alex’s?”
Callie hesitated to answer, so Alex said, “I can drive it back to my place,” then she turned to Joselynn, and asked, “Are you awake enough to drive home?”
“Yeah, that coffee is kicking in. I’m good.”
While rubbing her daughters back, Isadora said, “Your father and I need to go change and let the nurses and on- call doctors know we’re leaving. We’ll meet you back in the ER waiting room in about twenty minutes. And after we’ve all gotten some rest, we’ll help you get your car from Alex’s.”
“Okay, thanks, Mom.”
Isadora smiled as she leaned in to kiss her daughter’s temple, then she and Richard walked in one direction, while the rest of them walked over to a bank of elevators.
When they reached the ER’s waiting room, and they all started taking a seat around her, Hannah sleepily said, “You guys don’t have to wait with me. I know you all have to be just as exhausted as I am.”
“Oh, shut up,” Joselynn groaned, as she lightly slapped her arm. “You wouldn’t leave us behind, so we’re not leaving you behind.”
Hannah just sleepily smiled and closed her eyes, allowing her head to slowly dip and rest on Callie’s shoulder.
With a hard exhale, Alex pulled her cellphone out of her pocket, asking, “Any of you mind if I call and leave a message for Roz right now? Should I step away?”
“No, of course not,” the three of them answered in unison, and Alex gave them a small, grateful smile.
Alex pulled up Roz’s contact, and after taking a deep breath, she pressed the call button. After what Tina told them, she wasn’t surprised that the call went straight to voicemail.
“Roz, uh, hi. This is Alex Coleman, Tina’s ex. I’m calling to let you know that Tina was involved in a serious car accident last night. Her surgeries went well, but she’ll be in the hospital for at least a week and she’ll need at least a couple of months to fully heal. She’s at Newton General in room 318. Visiting hours are eight to eight. I’m leaving the hospital now, but I’ll be back around noon, maybe sooner. If Tina needs anything before then, or she needs me to bring something with me, just give me a call or text me. Okay, see you around. Bye.”
As she hung up, she cursed, “Shit,” and looked over to Callie and Joselynn, and asked, “Should I have explained her injuries?”
Shaking her head, Joselynn answered, “I think it was a fine message.”
After Alex slipped her phone back in her pocket, Callie took her hand, lacing their fingers together, and asked, “Would you like me to come back with you?”
Nodding, Alex answered, “Yeah, if you want to. I don’t plan to spend the whole day here. Just an hour or two, just long enough to help her get her emails sent to her employer and figure out if there’s anything else she’ll need help with once she’s released so I can plan for it.” She leaned forward to see Joselynn and Hannah, and asked, “Do you want to plan for a barbeque do-over tonight? There’s no way I can eat all of that food by myself.”
“I’m free. Just text me a time,” Joselynn answered, and Hannah nodded against Callie’s shoulder, and huskily groaned, “Same.”
Joselynn quietly chuckled, and teased, “You know, it’s kind of funny that the youngest among our group are turning into pumpkins before the oldest in our group.”
Callie’s half-closed eyes shot wide open, and she claimed, “I’m awake. I’m fine.”
“Uh-huh,” Joselynn snickered, reaching over Hannah to pat Callie on the head as if appeasing a young child.
Callie gently swatted her hand away and pouted as she turned to Alex, who smiled and gave her a soft kiss on the lips.
“Thank you for staying with me.”
“You’re welcome. I know she’s your ex, but I couldn’t leave you to deal with all of that on your own. And if you need help with whatever help you decide to offer her, I’ll do what I can.”
Alex gave her another soft kiss on the lips, and before she could voice her gratitude for Callie’s understanding and support, Hannah’s parents came walking into the waiting room, dressed in their nice clothes from the night before.
Callie gently jostled Hannah, saying, “Wake up. Your parents are ready to go.”
After Hannah rolled her head around on her shoulders and stretched her arms above her head, they stood and met Hannah’s parents near the exit. Alex profusely thanked them for everything they did for Tina, and Isadora assured her that she’d be continuing to look after Tina as her patient through the entire process of her healing. Hands were shaken, hugs were exchanged, and promises to text each other to confirm they made it home safely were made, then they all split to go home.
It was just after 3 a.m. on a Saturday, so there was hardly anyone else out on the road, and Alex was grateful that they were all abiding by the traffic laws and not taking advantage of the empty roads by driving recklessly. Alex had always been a cautious and defensive driver, but after seeing what had happened to Tina, Alex was a little more paranoid about being near other drivers.
She was grateful when they made it home safely in just twelve minutes, and both Joselynn and Hannah texted soon after to confirm they also made it home safely.
When they walked into the kitchen, and Alex reached into a cabinet to grab two glasses, she asked, “Would you like a drink? Do you need anything to eat?”
Callie sleepily shook her head as she rested her back against the center island. “I’m not hungry.”
Alex filled the glasses with filtered water from the fridge, and as she offered one to Callie, she sidled up next to her, resting her back against the counter. They took a few sips together, and as they lowered their glasses, they sighed in unison, then turned to look at each other with small smiles.
Alex gently tugged the hem of her shirt, so Callie fully turned to her, setting her glass on the island, then wrapped her arms around the back of her neck and rested her head on Alex’s chest. As Alex wrapped her arms around her, pulling her in tighter against her body, they released another long, burring sigh together.
Alex felt like such a fool for fighting Joselynn on meeting Callie. If she’d agreed to the blind date the first time Joselynn suggested it, they’d be going on dating for two months, rather than just a couple of weeks. That was time lost that she’d never get back. She’d been so worried about having her heart broken again that she’d forgotten how precious and rewarding life could be with that risk constantly looming. Love and companionship made life almost magical. Love made even the ordinary feel extraordinary. Love infused the mundane with joy and energized life in a way that nothing else could. Love and life were so fragile and precious and they could be lost in an instant. And that’s why they were always worth striving for, more so than anything else, more than wealth, education, status, and definitely worth more than comfort. Comfort was stagnant. Love was a living, breathing, intangible essence that could never remain stagnant, but must grow, evolve, and infiltrate every cell of one’s being and every corner and facet of life. And it was because love was all consuming that it hurt so damn much when it was lost or betrayed.
Running a hand over Callie’s silky hair, Alex said, “I feel so many things right now, but I don’t know how to put them into words.”
Callie lifted her head off her chest, her tired eyes looking between Alex’s searchingly, then she smiled and pressed a soft, lingering kiss against her lips. “I love you too, Alex.”
Alex released a small, breathy laugh and nodded. “Yeah, that’s the gist of how I feel.” She caressed Callie’s cheek and brushed her fingers through her hair to rest her hand on the back of her neck. “Thank you for being so understanding, supportive, and trusting. I don’t know how involved I’ll need to be with Tina’s recovery, but I don’t want our relationship to suffer because of it. I know Britton always tried to gaslight you when you brought up issues in your relationship, but I don’t want you to ever feel like you can’t talk to me about anything, even if you think it’s probably just a misunderstanding or you need reassurances of my love and loyalty. I want you to be honest with me about how you feel, and I’ll meet you with love and respect in return. I never want to hurt you or make you resent me.”
Callie’s eyes teared up as she jerkily nodded, then darted forward to press a firm, lingering kiss against Alex’s lips. “You’re not like Britton, not even remotely close. I know I can talk to you about anything and you won’t make me feel foolish or try to tear me down. Alex, I trust you to love and respect me the way I deserve, and I trust you to be loyal. I’m not worried about you entertaining some kind of second-chance scenario with Tina. I hope you know that’s not why I offered to help you with whatever you need to do for her.”
“I know, baby. And I appreciate your trust and support more than I can express in words.” Alex gently kissed her on the lips, nose, and forehead, making her sweetly smile up at her. “Come on, let’s go to bed.”
They took their glasses of water upstairs, and after changing into pajamas, they washed their faces and brushed their teeth, each standing at separate basins in the bathroom. It was only the second time they’d gotten ready for bed together, but it felt so right that it felt like they’d been doing it for years.
When they climbed into bed, Callie curled up on her side, resting her head on Alex’s chest, and draped her arm and leg across her body. With a deep, purring sigh, Callie squeezed her and kissed her chest over her tee shirt.
“Good night, baby.”
Alex kissed the top of her head, and whispered, “Good night, my love.”