Total pages in book: 82
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 78387 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 392(@200wpm)___ 314(@250wpm)___ 261(@300wpm)
“You froze your sperm, remember.”
I grimace at the thought. “It won’t be the same.”
Elle hugs me tighter. “It will be the same. Whoever you marry will carry your child normally. Inception can still happen like it normally would, it’s just different because the doctor has to insert the sperm during ovulation.”
“So clinical.”
“Eh, just look at it as having all the birth control free sex you want. Most women will be grateful, and you’ll definitely save on condoms. Your wife will thank you someday.”
“Will she?” I ask.
Elle nods. “If not, then she doesn’t grasp what a gift you are to her.”
I clear my throat and say her name quietly.
“Huh?” she responds.
“Look at me.”
She lifts her head, and our eyes meet. “Will you marry me?”
“What?” her voice cracks.
“Will you allow me to take back everything I said in December and marry me? Forget all the stupid shit I said and did, and consider being my wife? I can’t, for the life of me, see myself traversing this path I’m on without you. Not now and not in five, ten or fifteen years. Hell, not ever. When I close my eyes, it’s you I see next to me, whether we’re at home, in the office or on the road. I realize now, you don’t have to give up your career to be my wife or for us to have a family because I can go with you. Your mom took you, Peyton, and Quinn on the road, and we can do the same thing. I know the road isn’t the best place to raise a family, but when they’re little, who cares, right?”
I adjust and try to sit up a bit, but the strain on my port hurts. I wince and Elle’s there to soothe me. Once the pain subsides, I continue, “I was wrong not to see past the importance of having your dad walk you down the aisle. I didn’t get it until he shared his thoughts with me, and I was wrong for the things I said to you. I’m sorry, Elle. I’m sorry for making you think I don’t care about your job because I do. I see the good you do for young artists and they’re lucky to have you. And I’m sorry for not accepting your feelings on planning our wedding. I was angry and being an ass. Instead of fighting for us, I gave up, but you didn’t. If I were you, I would’ve run far and fast, but you didn’t because you believe in us.”
“I do,” she says, nodding.
My hands cup her cheeks and I wipe away her tears. “I’m so damn sorry, Elle, for all the hurt I’ve caused you. I want to be your husband and the father to your children. I don’t even care if we have to wait or you want to do it right now, in this room, just please tell me you’ll marry me.”
Elle lets out a sob and covers her mouth. She nods frantically while saying, “Yes,” through her cries. “Absolutely, yes.”
I pull her in for a kiss only for a knock on the door to interrupt us. “Are you freaking kidding me?”
Elle pulls away and laughs. “I’m not supposed to be on your bed,” she says quietly and slips back into the chair. I refuse to let go of her hand and keep our fingers locked together tightly.
“Come in.”
A doctor and nurse come in, and Elle tells me they’ve been looking after me since I was brought in. She tells me she’s going to be right back and leaves the room. The doctor goes through my illness, and how he wants me to stay in the hospital for my next round of chemo and my off week. He wants to monitor my organs for a bit longer and feels that staying in the hospital is the best solution. For obvious reasons, I don’t like the idea, but since I almost killed myself with an imaginary fish bite, I give in. Unfortunately, he also wants me to stay in the ICU to prevent any cross contamination on the other floors and says my risk of future infections is lower while in here. This means, visitation is limited to visiting hours only.
The nurse steps back from the doctor, cracks a smile and winks. I’m assuming something’s up. I have a feeling Elle’s pitched a fit about visiting hours, and if she hasn’t, I bet she might now. When the doctor is done speaking, the nurse asks if I’m up to trying some solid foods and I agree. Honestly, I’m sort of hungry, and was hoping to get out of ICU so Elle could bring me some food. I’m going to have to ask her if she can at least sneak me a cinnamon roll from Whimsicality or something.
When they finally leave, the quiet gives me a moment to reflect and to close my eyes. I’m tired, but I don’t want Elle to think I don’t want her in here. I do. I need to feel her presence. I don’t know where the courage to spill my guts to Elle came from but I’m glad that whatever dream or vision I had made me realize how much of a fool I’ve been. There’s no reason why we can’t be happy as a couple, married and with children, while she has a career. I can be the guy that follows his wife on tour, the stay-at-home dad, the cub or girl scout leader. I can do whatever I expected her to do. I should’ve never expected her to give up her career. It’s what she’s wanted to do for as long as I’ve known her. My job is only because of her. I had to find something I thought would keep us together, when I just needed to focus on how we feel about each other.