Waiting on Sarah Grace

What's Your Name

I really wish I could just stay asleep; it really hurts too much to wake up. My mother is not going to be there. My pops will, but my mom ..... I feel something soft on my hand. It almost feels like something crawling on my hand and I try to move my fingers, I can't; something has my hand. I start trying to pull my hand away, but I can't tell if I'm really moving. I feel so sluggish, my body heavy and sore.  Whatever has my hand just licked it! EEWWW! What hospital am I in and where is my family? Why isn't someone here to protect me from this thing pulling and licking on my hand. Then my hearing comes back, like the volume being turned up.

"Ssshhh love. It's ok. I'm with you now and I'm not letting you go."

I know that voice. I wish I could open my eyes. His voice is so familiar to me.

"Open your eyes baby. Please, open your eyes. I haven't seen your beautiful eyes in 46 days and yes love, I count the days until I can see you again."

My hand is free, and this man is now hovering over me, I can tell because I feel his warm breath on my ear. And did he just kiss my ear?

"Come on baby, open your eyes. I need you here with me. Please come back to me. I know it hurts, but I just need to see you. I need to know you're seeing me back. I need to see your eyes. Please, my love, open your eyes."

He's beginning to sound desperate. Rubbing my hair, kissing my head, the side of my face, caressing my cheek and sliding his finger over my lips. I really need to see his face. Shooter? Is that Shooter? My pop's mc sergeant at arms. The one who is fourteen years older than me. Calling me love and baby, telling me he counts the days until he sees me. He sounds so sad, this man has been my secret crush for the past two years, from the moment I met him at that horse show. I don't want him to be sad, I want to open my eyes for him; to see him. Trying again to pry my lids apart, a little light seeps in. He sees me trying to get my eyes open and begins stroking my cheeks and around my eye, over the eyelid. So gentle, this warrior.

"That's it baby. Come back to me. I've missed you so much, love. Keep trying."

Finally! My eyes are open, Shooter must have dimmed the light when I started trying to get my eyes open, it's not so bright that i can't keep them open. What a beautiful smile this man has. I croak out "hi."

"Hi baby. I'm so glad your back, I've missed you so much."

He reaches over to get me a fresh cup of water, and thankfully he's found a straw, so I don't have to lift my head. After taking several long pulls from the straw, I whisper "better."

"Can I get you something baby? Are you hurting?"

I shake my head no as best I can. He reaches in his blue jeans pocket and pulls out a tube of cherry Chapstick and he must notice the look on my face. He gives me a sexy smirk and spreads it on my lips for me.

"I always keep it in there. I got in the habit when you were in Florida and just kept doing it. I always want to have whatever you need. I'll always take care of you."

I know I've been unconscious, but what's going on with him? He's just looking at me, like a brand-new treasure. "Shooter?"

"Yes baby?"

"What's going on? Why are you acting so different?"

Rubbing my hair and smiling at me, no one has ever looked at me with this much emotion in their eyes.

"I've waited long enough and now you're old enough, we can be more than just best friends. You've had my heart from the moment you jumped off that horse. I fell in love with a beautiful, vibrant young woman. A woman I wanted above anything else and now, baby, please tell me you want what I want. If you aren't ready, I'll wait and go about trying to have you in my life the long way. I'll take you out. I'll cook for you. We'll go for walks on the beach. I'll rub your feet while you read, just please let me be in your life in some way."