I'm In It With You
Chapter 9
He was in the hospital for a week before he was allowed to come home. His parents had to leave at the end of the week and I stayed behind. I decided to use some of my sick leave and then go on Leave Without Pay. I needed to be here. I needed to take care of him. He was so important to me and I could have lost him. I was going to be here for him every step of the way. It was nice to be in this role. I hadn't realized how much I missed being a wife until I got to play wife, well at least I missed being a happy wife. I wanted to be his wife. I wanted everything that came with being a wife, I wanted the work, I wanted the responsibility, I wanted his last name. I had been on the fence of what to do with my current last time. I was still Tiffany Bryan; Bryan was the name I took with my second husband. I had lived with Bryan as my last name for so long. I didn't want it anymore. I played around in my mind with being Tiffany Stokes. I liked the sound of it. I liked the feel of it. I liked it.
For now I knew marriage would be something far off for us. For now we were too busying being how we were. I liked how we were and as much as I wanted to be his wife I was scared that marriage would change that as it did with my last husband. At least I could daydream for now and maybe one day we could be husband and wife.
I carried a tray into his bedroom. He sat up in bed and gave me a smile. I loved his smile. I loved how I felt inside when he smiled at me. I had been with him now here for three whole weeks. I sat his lunch on the bed and sat next to him.
"You don't have to bring me my food anymore. I can walk into the kitchen." He said before kissing me on the cheek. I knew it. I knew he was healing well and he would be able to return to work fairly soon, but I loved catering to him. Also the more he healed and the closer it was for him to head back to work I would be going back to Vegas.
"I know, but I thought we could eat lunch in bed." I said as I took a slice of the sandwich I had made.
"Of course you did." He said as he nudged me with his shoulder. I smiled at him. He knew me too well. He was starting to know me better than I knew myself.
"I was thinking we can take Sam and walk on the beach after lunch. It seems nice out and I think he is getting tired of the route I have been taking him around the neighborhood. I said before taking a bite of the sandwich.
"Sounds good. I need to start getting out more. I am starting to get a little cabin fever in here. He said. I nodded. We stayed in the house for the most part. I would go out to walk Sam or go to the grocery store. "Can't wait until the doctor clears me for activity. I want to get back in the gym and you." He winked at me.
"Stop that." I said seriously. I of course I missed out sex life, but I wanted him better before anything.
Not long after he got out of the hospital he got to charge his cellphone and heard the message I left him the night of my birthday. We were both able to laugh at it. I told him how angry I was and then how mad I was at myself for being so angry when I learned what happened. He promised me a redo, but I didn't care about a redo. I got my birthday gift. He was ok and that is all that mattered.
Walking along the beach we walked slowly as Sam ran ahead of us. He tried to bite the waves and we laughed. Sitting in the sand he held me close. I loved Southern California life. It was now into September and the weather was still perfect. I could see us coming here a lot if I lived her. I could see us watching children of our own here. We talked about it. We talked about having a baby one day. It was one of the conversations he would have late at night as we lied in bed. We talked about so much. He told personal things about his childhood and growing up and I told him the same. We laughed together and we cried together.
"I'm going to miss you when you go." He said. I looked at him, but he was looking straight out at the ocean. I laid my head on his shoulder.
"I'm going to miss you, but we know we can survive." I said.
"I never thought I would fall in love. I wanted it. I wanted it for a long time and it was always so difficult, but I met you. There was something about you from day one. I can't explain it. That first moment I laid eyes on you. I knew we could have something." He spoke to me and I could feel the words deep inside of me.
"Me too." I said as I looked back up at him. This time he was looking at me. I smiled simply.
"Thank you for taking care of me. I've been though a lot of things and I've been shot before, but this was a lot. Those assholes put 5 bullets in me. I'm surprised I made it." He said.
"I'm so glad you made it." I replied. I shivered as a cold gust blew through. "Let's go home."
"Sure." He answered.
The days passed quickly. I sat on the couch reading a book with Sam at my feet. I was going back and forth. I wanted to stay, but I knew I should keep with my decision of going back to Vegas. It had been nice to make his house into a home while I was here. Suddenly Sam jumped up. I looked up and Nick came through the front door. I sat down my book and gave him a smile. He came straight to the couch and sat with me.
"I'm healed!" he proclaimed before grabbing me in for an intense kiss.
"The doctor cleared you?" I asked when the kiss broke.
"Yeah he says I am all healed up and I can get back to my life." He said. I was excited, but at the same time I had been dreading it. He didn't need me to take care of him anymore and that meant I was going home soon. We would have to wait to find another moment that we could see each other. We were going back to a guessing game. Though I have to admit I was excited for the fact that soon I would be sleeping in my own bed again.
I want to make up for your birthday." He said looking at my sincerely.
"You don't have to." I said truthfully. My birthday was long gone.
"Well then we can do something else." He said. "I got an email with some ticket deals. I'm thinking a football game and lots of good stadium food tomorrow."
"Ok that we can do." I said giving him a smile. He seemed so excited like a child on Christmas morning.
"Got to love a woman who is willing to go to a football game with you." He said as he jumped up from the couch.
"Don't over do it!" I shouted after him as he jogged out of the room. I rolled my eyes. He was so much fun. In full health I never knew what to expect from him. He came back with his laptop and sat right back next to me.
"Let's see about these tickets." He said as he searched through his email. I had my head on his shoulder and I noticed an email pass by with a suspicious subject, I miss you, it was titled. I was concerned, but I ignored it. I knew he would never step out on me in anyway and if someone was emailing him I knew it could be something innocent. He would tell me if it was something serious.
The next day we were off to a football game. It was a warm Sunday afternoon. I wore a t-shirt of his that I fashioned to look good on myself with a pair of jeans. He proudly wore his Cowboys jersey. I held his hand as we walked through the lot up to the stadium. As a kid I was always sitting right next to my dad on Sundays when he watched football. I will admit that though those years I learned nothing of the game, but there was always so much excitement and fun that surrounded it.
We were definitely the odd ones out wearing Cowboys gear in the Chargers home, but Nick was proud of his home team and I was proud to be on his arm. We were lucky that his team would be playing here this weekend.
My fingers were intertwined with his as we sat in our seats. I loved being his woman and being with him as I know he was proud to be with me. The game started and I could tell he was pumped. Besides his job this is what he lived for.
"Let's go!" he shouted. I smiled his way and cheered along. No matter if I didn't know a thing about the game I was going to be right next to him cheering along. I would cheer along with him to matter what. I was always going to be right by his side. No matter how far we were from each other; we would cheer together.
A/N: Sorry this was a short one. I promise to make the next one longer and I plan to include a little scandal.
