Page 94 of Out of My Mind

His dad kissed him on the forehead. His mom came in the room carrying a humongous floral arrangement. It couldn’t fit on the table. She showed him the card.

Get well soon! Thinking of you up North! Love, Delia and Seth.

Mac rubbed his fingers over the card, wishing they were here. “Anything from Gideon?”

“No. But he’s pulling for you.” Something in her voice made him think there was more to that, but he couldn’t tell. Drugs and all.

Mac held his parents’ hands as the nurses rolled him into the hallway.

“Wait!” A distant voice called out. “Wait!” It got closer.

“Sir, you have to stay back. We are getting ready to wheel the patient into surgery.”

“Please. Just one minute. You can time me.”

Mac couldn’t see what was going on. He was on his back. The ceiling provided no clues. But then there was Gideon’s face and his crazy hair over him.

“Hey, you,” Gideon said.

“Sir…”

“One minute. Please.”

“Please,” Mac said to the nurse. She stepped aside to let them have a private moment.

“Baby.” Gideon ran his finger along Mac’s cheek.

“You called me baby in front of other people.”

“I love you, Mac. Maybe it’s the extreme situation, or maybe I just fall faster than the average guy. I love you. And I don’t care who knows it. Hey,” he said to the nurse. “I’m gay, and Mac is my boyfriend.”

“That’s wonderful. Now can we please continue rolling your boyfriend into surgery?”

“Certainly,” Gideon said. “I’ll admit my timing isn’t perfect.”

“Yes it is,” Mac whispered.

Gideon leaned down. Mac inhaled his familiar scent. “How’d you get down here?”

“I drove my mom’s car overnight.”

Mac ran a finger through Gideon’s hair. He wanted to savor this moment.

“This surgery is going to go great. You’re going to heal. And then we can spend the rest of our lives together.”

The rest of our lives?Even Gideon noticed the slip. “That was jumping the gun. Dramatic moments call for dramatic declarations.”

“Like I love you,” Mac said.

“Did that count as you saying you loved me?”

“You have me on a technicality.”

“I know.” Gideon winked. Mac couldn’t get enough.

“Are we ready?” The nurse asked. Mac caught her smiling.

“Yes! Hit it! Tally ho! I would say break a leg, but you have no more legs to break.”