Thank you very much for reading and for your very kind reviews, it is very much appreciated. Here's the next chapter.
They strolled together across the grass on a beautiful day with glorious sunshine and crystal clear azure skies - the kind of day that brings joy to the heart and a spring in one's step. The leaves on the trees rustled in the gentle breeze and the lake glistened in the distance. She stopped and turned to face him, her eyes sparkling.
"Nick..." she said.
Nick awoke with a start and a second later grief washed over him like a wave. He closed his eyes as memories came flooding back and his heart felt as though it was breaking once again. It seemed as though he had cried a river in the past twenty days but it had dried up now and the tears no longer came, there was just a constant ache and a feeling of emptiness.
Every night Yvonne was in his dreams and there was a moment every morning upon awakening that he would feel no pain. It lasted merely a split second, a few seconds on occasion if he had been in a very deep sleep - but pretty soon realisation would dawn, he would be overcome by an overwhelming sense of loss and pain and he would wonder how he was going to get through the day.
Nick yawned, threw back the bed covers, got out of bed and readied himself to face the day ahead. He showered, dressed in a white shirt and black trousers then switched on the television in the corner of his hotel room and wearily perched on an armchair as he flicked through the channels, before switching it off again. The room was dark due to the thick navy blue curtains still being drawn and as he picked up his Rolex, which was lying on the bedside cabinet, he saw that it had only just turned 8am. He wondered what he would do that day.
He was trying to take one day at a time. Anton Meyer had told him he had to allow himself to grieve, that time was a healer and that, although it may not feel like it now, it would get easier to cope with his loss. It seemed to Nick as though time had slowed down, the days had never seemed longer and he tried to fill the hours by touring Detroit, visiting the museums and wandering the city's parks. He would be surrounded by people in the bustling streets but never had he felt so alone.
Nick had got used to being on his own and going home every day to an empty flat before he met Yvonne. They had been together ten months but it felt as though they'd known each other for years. Their relationship was uncomplicated, there was an instant connection between them from the moment they met and although they had bickered and had had disagreements on occasion about professional matters, it hadn't affected their personal relationship. He had been the happiest he'd been in a long time and even his colleagues had noticed, commenting on his good moods and more relaxed demeanour.
How he wished Yvonne was beside him as he toured the city, she would have liked it. They had talked often about visiting the USA, Yvonne had particularly wanted to visit New York City, Nick had been once several years go and they had decided they would go together one day. They talked of going to see The Statue Of Liberty, strolling in Central Park, seeing a play on Broadway. They wanted to see the magnificent Niagara Falls and walk on California's golden beaches as the waves lapped gently on the shore. They had both realised early in their relationship that they had a future together but both of them having such demanding jobs and busy schedules meant that they had not got round to organising their dream holiday. Then one summer night both their lives had been changed forever and their hopes and dreams shattered.
Nick sighed and dropped onto the armchair as the memories of that terrible night and the months that followed came rushing back. The shock upon hearing she had been seriously injured, the fear that he was going to lose her - never before had he felt such fear as he felt that night. He remembered the look of terror in Yvonne's eyes as the ambulance was attacked by the rioters - he had held her hand and assured her as best he could that everything would be okay as she lay in immense pain whilst the screaming mob hurled objects, banged on the doors of the vehicle and prevented them from getting to the hospital. She had arrested before they got to the ED and he had been forced to perform surgery on her in the back of the ambulance.
Though Nick had realised he was falling for Yvonne soon after their first date, it was that night that he had realised just how much he loved her, how he would do anything for her and couldn't live without her.
He recalled the long days and nights that followed keeping vigil at her bedside, and the months taking care of her at home. It hadn't been easy, there were good days and bad days and it pained him to see Yvonne, who had been so independent, strong and feisty, in pain and struggling with the simplest everyday tasks. But he was grateful for every precious moment they had together.
He remembered Christmas Eve. Late that frosty December night, they had been lying together on her bed in the living room, listening to the radio, as they usually did every evening.
The room was warm and filled with the soft glow from a single lamp beside the bed, Yvonne's right hand was in Nick's left, their fingers intertwined. They lay in silence, content in each other's company as festive tunes filled the room.
It was their first Christmas together and Nick was determined it would be a memorable one. They wouldn't be having turkey with all the trimmings for Christmas lunch - his cooking skills were rudimentary. They didn't have a tree adorned with tinsel and colourful, twinkling fairy lights, with piles of gifts underneath, but they had each other. After all, that was what Christmas was about - spending time with the people you love. Both Nick and Yvonne had spent the festive period in recent years working long hours before returning to the silence and solitude of their homes.
The opening melodies of the oft-played song Fairytale of New York started, and Yvonne turned her head to look into Nick's eyes. "I wish we'd gone to New York" she said with wistfulness in her eyes and voice as she reflected on broken dreams.
Nick turned onto his side to face her, gazed into her greenish-grey eyes and smiled. " We will" he said earnestly. Yvonne returned the smile, heartened by his optimism.
They had had a good Christmas with smiles and laughter and as Nick continued to reminisce, his heartache intensified. But he did not want to stop remembering. Memories were all he had left, and he knew that as long as he kept remembering Yvonne, she wasn't really gone. She was in his heart, and there she would always be.
Life was fragile, Nick knew that. He has been a doctor for almost twenty-five years and in that time he had seen a lot of pain and heartache and families torn apart. He had also come face to face with his own mortality a few years ago. He knew just how precious time was and how everyone wished they had more of it - more time to spend doing all the things they've always wanted to do; time to spend doing nothing at all; time to spend with the ones they love. Time was not to be wasted.
Nick stood up from the chair he had been seated on for almost an hour, as he realised upon consulting his watch, and walked over to the window. He opened the curtains, allowing sunlight to flood into the room. It was a fine day with bright sunshine and just a few wispy clouds floating in the pale blue sky. The streets below were busy with traffic and people coming and going, some hurrying by, others ambling at a gentler pace.
He put on his jacket and coat, picked up his wallet, slipped it into his trouser pocket and left the room. He had decided he would go for some breakfast before booking his flight to New York.
