Page 27 of Remnants
“Tell them that you fell down the stairs.” I watch him roll his eye and I give him a shrug.
“I know, hard to blame all of this…” I gesture to his broken body. “On a fall. Imagine, if you will, trying to explain to a doctor how I received vaginal trauma from a fall down the stairs. Thegreatest decision I ever made during our marriage was having that doctor put in that IUD before we got married.”
I watch his one eye go wide and his heart rate speeds up. I give him a grin. “Oh yeah, those morning-after pills were just extra precaution, but I’ve been protected this whole time. I wasn’t bringing a baby into a world where you would have control over it. Not a chance. Now, back to business—I ask for nothing, disappear, and you move on with your life. Sure, your surgeon career is over but you’ll figure something else out.” I wave my hand dismissively. “The question is, do we have a deal? If not, that’s fine, too. I’m sure we could revisit leaving you on the floor where you were earlier.” His stare is intense for a long moment but I don’t back down. I glare right back and then, surprisingly, James blinks and gives me a small nod. I try to hide the look of shock on my face as I nod as well.
“Get some therapy, and don’t get married again, James,” I state as I turn and walk out of the room feeling light for the first time in my entire life.
Nora
EPILOGUE
Boston, MA
Two & A Half Years Later
“Katie!You’re going to be late!” I call as I secure my prosthetic before rolling my black jeans down. I grab my cane before walking to the kitchen to pull out the container of food for Sam.
“Listen.” I hear her breathe in annoyance as she rounds the corner. “I own the bakery, I can’t be late.” I smile at my seven-months-pregnant wife as she does her adorable waddle to the couch to put her boots on. She growls in frustration before looking at me.
“Nora!” she whines and lifts her foot. “Help.” I laugh as I set the container of Sam’s food down before heading over to help her put her socks and boots on.
“It’s not funny,” she pouts. “I have your family’s monstrous genes in here. I’m the size of a whale.”
“But a very sexy whale.” I laugh as she playfully smacks my arm before I help her stand and she and I head to the car, Sam in tow. As I drive us away from our cute little ranch-stylehome, down the streets of Boston, I can’t believe how absolutely different my life—ourlife is now.
Katie came back the morning after everything happened with James and told me she was getting a divorce. She was poor, homeless, and happier than ever. The divorce went faster than I think either of us expected it to. James kept to his word and made it painless on her, for once. And he told police that someone broke into his home and tried to rob him. So, he came out like a hero and is now working as a surgical consultant. Last we heard, he only had twenty-five percent mobility in his hands. None of us are shedding any tears.
As soon as the divorce was finalized, I proposed to Katie in the most over the top, cheesy way. I took her dancing, and then on a horse drawn carriage and when we got to our destination—a gazebo covered in flowers and twinkle lights—I pulled out a strawberry lemonade cupcake that I had set up there beforehand with a small diamond band in the frosting.
Katie cried while screaming “yes” over and over, and then we spent the rest of the night dancing under the lights.
About two years ago, Katie and I decided to move. When I asked her where she wanted to go, she said the other side of the country, so we ended up here in Boston. It took about six months before Mac and I missed each other too much, and he sold Black Widow and opened a new shop here that we own together. We even have another artist, Everett, who is a great asset to our growing shop. But the best thing about it all is that Katie opened her own bakery last year right after our wedding, and she has become very successful.
What could be better? She’s right across the street from me at my tattoo shop so I get to take her to work every day. It’s been like a dream come true, and then about ten months ago, Katie confessed that she wanted to be a mom and after talking, I told her I was ready to be a parent as well. Though, I have to admit,I didn’t think the first round would take—you hear stories of people trying for years before they get pregnant. Katie was just blessed, and my brother was so kind to volunteer to donate so that the baby shares both our DNA. Not that it really matters, she and I plan on adopting down the road as well.
Three years ago I never saw myself opening up to anyone, never allowing myself to care for someone. Especially not a married woman. But, the moment our eyes met, I knew I was fucked. If I were to tell this whole story to an outsider, they would say it’s amazing that I was able to save Katie. But the truth is, she saved me. She looked past my flaws and scars. She held me close during my darkness, and on my bad days, she still does. She’s kind, patient, and understanding and I will forever say that Katie is the one that saved me.
“Alright, don’t forget we have dinner plans tonight after birthing cl—what?” Katie asks as she grabs her bag to get out of the car.
“I love you, both of you,” I say as I place my hand over her belly. She smiles warmly at me and kisses my lips. “We love you, too. Now, your son is screaming for food so I’m going to go eat the first dozen or so cookies that come out of the oven. I’ll see you at lunch.”
I kiss her once more before letting her go to work, a smile on her face. She gets to the door and turns and blows me a kiss before walking inside.
I am so thankful for everything I’ve gone through to get to this point, to have her, and for us both to be able to live our lives together, the way we wanted.
Comfortable. Happy. And not alone.
THE END