It's been a hard year for Rayna Jaymes but in some ways it has been no different then the many other years that she has spent apart from Deacon. The biggest difference is that they had gotten back together. They had finally worked their way back to each other and then it had been snatched away. It had fallen apart just as quickly as it had gotten started. That was the biggest, and worst, difference between this year and all of the other 13 years that they were apart. In reality, he was never very far away from her but when they weren't together, even a couple of steps made it seem like there were miles between them. Lying in her hospital bed, she has a lot of time to think about these things.
She remembers back to that day on the bridge. She remembers him asking her what she would change about her life and her answer is still the same. Only now, she means it even more than she did then. She would change everything. Lying here alone, she can't help but dream of what could have been. They could have been a happy family. They could have raised their daughter together. They could have spent every night in each other's arms. Her thoughts are interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Hey, Rayna. How are you feeling this morning?" the nurse asks curiously.
"I'm feelin' a lot better, Mandy. When do you think they're gonna let me out of here?" she questions.
She's been stuck there for four weeks and it feels like it has been an eternity.
"I don't suppose it will be too much longer, Miss Jaymes," Mandy responds.
"Oh, and by the way, you got some more flowers. I'll get someone to bring them in as soon as I finish checking you out," she adds.
"Thanks, Mandy. I appreciate all of your help," Rayna says.
"Don't worry, dear. It's my job," Mandy replies with a polite smile.
A few minutes after Mandy walks out, a young hospital volunteer comes in and places the flowers on her bedside table. Rayna thanks the volunteer as he leaves the room. There is no need to ask whom the flowers are from. Deacon has been sending her flowers ever since the day he was cleared to go home from the hospital. Clearly, Deacon is still torn up about everything that has happened since she told him about Maddie. He blames himself. Before she had awoken from the coma, he had been by her side day and night. Now that she is awake, he is avoiding her. Rayna doesn't blame him. She lied to him for 13 years and she didn't expect him to forgive her anytime soon. The flowers had initially caused her to feel a glimmer of hope but the fact that he can't even face her makes it apparent that he isn't willing to move on with their relationship that easily.
Rayna sighs. She can't help but feel a strong twinge of regret.
"Why? Why did this have to happen? Why did I lie to him? Why couldn't he have gotten sober after the fourth time in rehab?" she cries to herself.
There is another knock on the door. This time it is Maddie who comes into the room.
"Hey, Mom. How are you feeling today?" her daughter asks her compassionately.
"Hey, babe. I'm feeling much better. I think I might get outta here soon," she informs her with a smile.
Maddie grins back at her.
"It isn't the same without you. I can't wait for you to get out of here. Everyone is so worried about you and you're all over the news. I'm just glad you're getting better. Daphne said to say hi and so did Aunt Tandy," she says.
"Tell them I said hi, too. Don't worry about the media. You know how public our lives are. As soon as I'm out of here, they'll move on to their next big story. Has my stay in the hospital brought the attention away from Juliette and her situation?" Rayna asks curiously.
"Yeah, they barely even talk about her. The only time they talked about her is when she came by to see you. What did y'all talk about anyways?" Maddie asks.
"Oh, she was just being polite. She seems to have changed a lot since her mother passed away," Rayna replies.
"That's good, Mom…" Maddie trails off.
The look on her face indicates that she wants to ask something more but is unsure of how to approach the topic.
"What is it, sweetheart?" Rayna asks.
"Nothing, really. I was just kind of wondering… um… have you seen Deacon?" she asks with a shy look on her face. As soon as she gets the question out, she looks down at her feet, blushing.
"He hasn't stopped by. Why do you ask?" Rayna wonders aloud.
"Oh, well, no reason really. I was just wondering," she says.
"He came by the house you know," she adds cautiously.
"He did? What did he want?" Rayna asks in surprise.
"He came by to spend some time with me and Daph. I think he was trying to make sure that we were okay, you know, with everything that's going on. It was nice of him. He brought us both a teddy bear. He's sweet. He kept asking about you, too. He was obviously worried about you," Maddie tells her mother.
Rayna's heart fills with joy. Maybe there is hope for them. Maybe she hasn't messed it up too badly.
"That was very nice of him. What did you think? Was it weird now that you know he's your biological father?" Rayna questions her daughter.
"It wasn't weird. I've always liked him. It's cool to get to know him better now that I know everything. Do you think y'all are gonna be together after this is over? It would be nice to spend time together with both of you once in a while," Maddie says shyly.
"I don't know, honey. I'll have to talk to Deacon. He wasn't very happy with me before the wreck," she says sadly.
"Well, doesn't he love you? Don't you love him? Why wouldn't two people who love each other so much be able to forgive each other?" she asks innocently.
"I hurt him badly. I don't know if he'll ever be able to forgive me. The most important thing is that I have you and your sister. I'm glad you were able to forgive me," Rayna responds.
"Of course, I forgave you. You're my mom and I almost lost you. I couldn't imagine how horrible it would be without you," Maddie answers emotionally.
"I love you, sweetie. Come give me a hug. Everything is going to be okay. And don't worry about getting to spend time with both Deacon and I. We'll be able to do that even if I'm not with him," she says comfortingly.
"I love you too, Mom. I gotta go. April's mom is waiting outside. They're driving me home from school today," Maddie says.
"I'll try to come by either tomorrow or Wednesday if I can get someone to take me," she adds.
"Sounds good, honey. Have a good week at school. Tell Daphne that I love her," Rayna says as her daughter walks toward the door.
"Okay, Mom. Bye."
Rayna sighs when her daughter leaves. Visiting hours are almost over and another day without Deacon stopping by is almost complete.
"Maybe tomorrow," she murmurs before falling into a dream about Deacon.