Authors: Breena Wilde,12 NAs of Christmas
Her Secrets (9 page)
FIFTEEN
“Count back from a hundred,” the anesthesiologist said kindly.
Willow was nervous. She
’d never had surgery before. Austin, her mom, her sisters, and Emma had come with her to the hospital. They gave her the encouragement and support she needed. She could do this. Because of them she had the strength and courage she needed to survive. Because of them, their love for her, she would survive. They were her miracles.
“Ninety-nine. Ninety-eight. Ninety-seven…”
***
Willow
heard beeping. People were shouting. After a time the noises went quiet and she saw a white light at the end of a long tunnel. It beckoned and she started walking toward it. With each step the tunnel lit up. Hands reached out to touch her. She felt like she should be scared, but she was filled with love, so much love that she started to cry. The emotions filled her to overflowing and she longed for more. When she reached the end of the tunnel, people stood there waiting. Somehow she knew them. One elderly woman reached out and embraced her.
“Welcome home, Willow dear.”
She pulled away. “Hi. Thank you for being here,” she said, looking into the woman’s soft eyes.
The woman smiled and put her arm around Willow’s
shoulders. Others patted her arms and touched her hands. She glanced back the way she’d come and stopped.
“I’m not ready,” Willow told the woman
, hoping she’d understand.
The woman
removed her arm. “Go back then, dear. We’ll be here when the time is right.”
SIXTEEN
Willow opened her eyes. She was in a small room. Her family surrounded her bed. Their expressions were downcast and sad.
“Hey,” Willow said, her
voice hoarse. “Why the long faces?”
It seemed that their countenances changed as one
, and they spoke together too—all different things so she couldn’t understand what any of them were saying.
Finally Austin took Emma from Willow’s
mom’s arms and brought her over. “Hey, baby girl,” Willow whispered. She smiled and reached out for Willow. “Can I hold her?”
“In a minute. The doctor needs to check and make sure you’re—” his voice broke. He coughed and continued, “Everything is okay.”
“Okay,” Willow said.
The doctor came in and ran her
tests. When she was finished they all looked at her expectantly. The doctor smiled. “Good news.” At those two words Willow felt the room sigh with collective relief. The doctor smiled bigger. “Willow isn’t completely out of the woods, so to speak. I believe I got all the cancer and it looks like her motor functions are working properly. So…”
Austin, Willow’s mom and her sister
s clapped. Even Emma clapped.
The doctor continued,
“She’ll need a round of chemotherapy, just to make sure the cancer is all gone. She’ll also need a lot of physical therapy.” She cleared her throat. “We did almost lose her.”
Willow
remembered the bright light, the lady with white hair. She knew the doctor was talking about that moment and her heart started to beat rapidly.
The machines Willow
was hooked up to reacted with beeping noises.
“You all right
?” the doctor asked, checking Willow’s pulse.
She
nodded. “Yes, just glad to be here.”
“Good.” The doctor turned to Willow’s
family. “She needs rest—a lot of rest. It’s going to be up to each of you to make sure she gets it. Understand?”
They all agreed.
“Excellent.” The doctor went to the door. “I’ll be back later to check on you.”
“Thank you, doctor,” Willow said, wiping at fresh
tears. “I really appreciate everything you’ve done. It means a lot.”
“You’re very welcome.”
When the doctor was gone, Willow’s mom and sisters kissed and hugged her. Then they left too. Emma and Austin stayed behind.
Austin
sat on the bed and laid Emma on Willow’s chest.
She kissed the top of her baby’s head. “Hi baby girl,” she said softly. Emma smiled and reached a hand up to her mother’s face. Willow kissed it.
Austin laughed. Willow glanced over at him. She sucked in a breath.
He’s so handsome
, she thought admiring his thick, dark hair and his eyes. Especially his eyes. They seemed to dance with happiness.
For some reason that made her think of his
cowboy hat, the one he wore every day when they spent their summer together. “Whatever happened to that ratty old cowboy hat? The one you always wore when we first met.”
Austin looked surprised and a little uncomfortable. He rubbed the back of his neck.
“What?” Willow tried to shrug, but it hurt too much.
Austin
stood. “Laura gave me that hat while we were dating.” He smiled remembering. “She said I was sexy in it.”
“She was right,” Willow
said softly, understanding his discomfort.
“
When I left you that day, after our summer together, I knew I needed to figure out my feelings for you and that meant the hat had to go.” He glanced out the window.
“You threw it away?” she
asked, horrified.
“No.”
He faced Willow, stuffing his hands in the front pockets of his jeans. “The hat is one of the two things that I kept to remind me of her.”
“Well I’m glad to know you still have it.”
And she meant it. He’d been through so much.
Austin kneeled beside Willow
. Emma cooed. It was obvious she was just as smitten with him as Willow was.
“You
’re okay,” he said, caressing Willow’s head.
“Yes.” She
leaned into his hand.
“You realize what this means, don’t you?”
“No, what?” she asked, allowing herself to smile. She hoped it meant Emma, she and him would be together for a very long time.
“You’re stuck with me. You’re going to have to grow old with me.”
“I like the sound of that.” Willow took Emma’s tiny hand between her fingers.
Austin
leaned down and kissed her lightly on the mouth. “I love you, Willow Merrick.”
“Say it again,
” she whispered, loving the sound of her name on his lips.
Austin kissed her again. “I love you, Willow Merrick.”
The End
Read the Blurred Lines series by clicking
Blurred Lines: The Omnibus Collection
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Thank you so much for rea
ding Her Secrets. I hope you enjoyed getting to know Willow and Austin. Individually these two characters had lives filled with a lot of trials and pain. Together they are able to give and receive a lot of love.
If you enjoyed Her Secrets, please do me a favor. Go back and leave an honest review. It only takes a couple of minutes but helps me out a great deal.
Sincerely,
Breena Wilde
Breena Wilde calls the West home, but she's lived all over the United States. The only state she's never visited is Florida. Someday she'll rectify that - either before or after she goes to Paris, France.
She's the author of the international bestselling BLURRED LINES series.
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