Chapter Twenty One
Jamie kept his promise visiting Eddie a few times during the week also bringing Henry with him. Each visit Eddie greeted them with a bright smile and a good mood.
"So I just realized that I never showed you around, would you like a tour?" Eddie asked. Both men agreed quickly, so Eddie transferred herself from the sofa to her wheelchair easily and lead the way out of her room.
Jamie was impressed by how different Eddie seemed, better spirits and more confident in her abilities. "All of these floors are residents. My floor and the one above me are for younger people, you have to be under fifty to live on one of these two floors. This is my favorite room, this is the beauty room. Twice a week a registered therapist/beautician comes in and works with us on doing our hair, make-up, and such. I did my face this morning, all I need is the clips put on now."
The rest of the tour took a half hour, when they got back into Eddie's small apartment, she was clearly tired but still happy.
"Very nice sweetheart, we still miss you though," Henry told her.
"I know, I do too. I miss both of you. Jamie and I agreed a month so I'd love to see you whenever you can come. Dinner last weekend was wonderful, I don't expect the entire family each week though."
Eddie spun her chair around to face them offering a smile. She did miss them, sitting with Henry listening to stories and Jamie...
Jamie and Eddie's eyes met and Henry smiled at them, "Look at you two. Is there a place an old man can see a nice older lady around here while you two have some time?" Henry asked.
"Fourth floor cafeteria, 60-75 year olds up there, Pop," Eddie laughed. "There's a good coffee machine up there too. I sneak from there."
Henry headed off leaving the kids alone. "Do you want help onto…" Jamie began but Eddie was already moving to the sofa.
"One thing I'm learning here Jamie," Eddie said. "Is that I have to push, I have to push through to complete a task. I love you so much for always being there to help me, to make it easier, but the other thing I'm learning is being a quadriplegic is not easy. It's supposed to be hard and if I realize that and work with that, I'm going to be that much more useful in my own life and in your life too."
"You really want to do all this," Jamie replied. "You really need to do this and I was holding you back a bit, wasn't I?"
"No," Eddie replied firmly. "You were loving me, you were protecting me and having my back like a partner. I was failing you and not pushing myself to get a little further and a little further. I know if seems cruel what I did, leaving, not talking to you, wanting to stay away for a while, but I'm going to a better partner when I get out, almost half of the whole. I love you so much Jamie, I love you for caring for me, I love you for wanting me to come home as soon as you found me, and I love you even more for letting me stay and try to get a little further ahead. Come closer, help me hold you."
As they cuddled Eddie lifted her head to look at him. "I missed this," Eddie admitted with a smile. In his arms Eddie thought everything over. She didn't want to leave, she loved Jamie but in order for her to show it she needed the proper support. The only thing Eddie wanted to do was leave for home with Jamie that minute, she missed his touch, she missed him…but in order to be what he really needed her to be, she had to change.
"This is nice Eddie, just us together," Jamie murmured into her hair. Jamie didn't want to move.
"Yeah, it is." Eddie grinned slightly pushing herself up deeper into his arms independently. "When I come back I'll have learned even more."
Feeling Eddie had moved and burrowed with much more power than before turned Jamie's attention, "Wow, you learned that here? That's great, Eddie." It was settled, she had to be here, she had to grow and he head to let her.
"I want us together Jamie, and now we can be."
Jamie sighed, "Eddie, we can't be together right now. The more time I see you here without me, the better you are. You are doing more and even smiling more, you're thriving Eddie. You are thriving and I love that you are. We can't be together now, you need to do this for you and I have to find out what it feels like not to have to care for you and to let you care for yourself."
"What are you saying, Jamie?" Eddie asked, feeling her heart speed up.
"I'm saying I think we need to have the time, that we have to have a break," Jamie replied. "You need to fly and I need to let you."
Eddie sighed, she knew this was going to happen. Still she forced a smile, "I'm planning to come home at the end of the month, Jamie."
"I know," Jamie replied. "But room to breathe can be a good thing."
Eddie nodded, leaning on Jamie's chest more. Jamie cuddled her tighter until Henry appeared back in Eddie's room. "We best go Jamie," Henry told his grandson. "Before the traffic builds up."
Jamie nodded and let Eddie move herself from his lap to her wheelchair. She saw the men out driving with confidence. They passed another resident, Melissa, in her chair. "Hey, Eddie, who are these handsome guys?"
"This is Henry Reagan, he takes care of me when I'm not here and he's also the best cook and grandpa there is, and this…" Eddie laid her head on Jamie's leg. "Is my boyfriend, Jamie."
Jamie smiled and greeted Melissa with a brush of his hand across her shoulders. "Nice to meet you." Jamie flashed his best smile.
Eddie smiled as Melissa headed back to her room, no doubt she'd see the usually chatty lady later. Jamie leaned down and kissed Eddie's lips, "I'll call you. Take care of yourself."
Eddie bit her lip to try to keep from crying. She didn't know for sure what Jamie meant, were they over? She introduced him as her boyfriend on purpose and he didn't balk at it. She would just give it a few days and wait to see what happened.
"Why so glum chum?" Henry asked Jamie as they headed back to Brooklyn.
"I told Eddie we need to take a little break, Pop," Jamie replied. "She's becoming independent, she's coming into her own at the residential. I'm in her way right now. We need to…I don't know."
"You need to get out of this, I'm only useful to Eddie if I'm taking care of her mindset, Jamie and decide what your relationship really is all about. You say you love her, or do you love being needed by her?"
"Pop, how can you say that!? I love Eddie, just like she is! She doesn't have to do this for me to want to be with her Pop! She doesn't have to…"
"No, but she wants to, Jamison," Henry sighed. "She wants to be more than she is, she wants to maybe give you a hug one day when you didn't have to help. If you love her like you say you do, let her do this. It wasn't fair how she left and kept everything quite. If you want to take a little break too, do it! Give it a couple weeks, but don't throw away love if that's really what you have. Don't do it, kiddo. I know I did it."
Jamie looked at Henry with confusion. "Don't get me wrong, I loved your grandmother, but the love of my life I either let go or didn't meet yet. I never had the depth of feeling for Gran as Dad did for your Mom or you do for Edit, that's how I knew that Sydney wasn't the right girl for you, that's how I know Edit is."
Jamie thought about Henry's words all the way home. He did love Eddie and he had no intention of giving her up, but Eddie had been right a few weeks ago, if she wasn't injured, they would be at a far different place in their relationship than they were now.
Over the next week, Henry made the trip to see Eddie twice, but Jamie stayed home. Each time Henry went to visit Eddie asked about Jamie. "He's working honey," Henry replied. "And I think he's thinking too. I think it's good you two each have a little space, you'll appreciate each other more. Now tell me all about what you learned?"
Eddie smiled, "Look…" She concentrated on her arm and made the limb move up and down then side to side. "Only this one does it, the right side is…"
"That is fantastic," Henry beamed. "You should call and tell Jamie this. He's missing you, he's giving space, but he misses you."
Eddie smiled, she would call Jamie tomorrow and let him in on the good news.
After Jamie got out of work the next day, he headed to the grocery store. All the while he shopped he kept hearing the phone ringing over and over again. Jamie groaned hearing his cell ringing as his arms were full with groceries. "Why is it when I'm busy someone calls?" he complained.
Jamie placed the groceries inside his car, turning to take the rest out from the shopping cart into his trunk. Slamming the trunk Jamie got in and started home, swinging by his childhood house.
Bringing in the packages of meat from the bags Jamie brought them into the freezer. "Meat for Sunday dinner. You feeling okay Pop?"
"Of course never better, I'm old not sickly," Henry reminded. Chuckling Jamie headed home before his milk went bad.
It took three trips for Jamie to take all the groceries in, putting them neatly away just the way he would if Eddie were home. He missed Eddie so much, he missed the sound of her voice, he missed the way she cuddled up to him.
As he waited for the laundry Jamie checked his phone, smiling seeing Eddie had called several times. He sat on the couch returning the call. "Hey, Eddie how are you?"
"Good," Eddie replied. "I'm good, I miss you and I had incredible news…"
Eddie told Jamie about her new arm motion, "I wanted to share it with you but I wasn't sure…"
"That's really great Eddie! I can't wait to see myself. When you come out that calls for a celebration," Jamie grinned proudly at her improvement.
"So you're happy about it?" Eddie asked. "And you'll come to get me in two weeks?"
"I'll come see you next week, we can talk." Jamie replied. "I really am so proud of you."
Eddie hung up and drove to the cafeteria where she met up with Melissa. "So how is your handsome man?"
Eddie sighed, "I'm not exactly sure if he's still my man or not, we're using the remainder of my time here to see. He says he's going to come and check on me this week. I left him to come here and I didn't even tell him so he's got the right to be a little upset with me."
"I'm sure he'll be here with baited breath when it's time, he loves you, it's so clear," Melissa encouraged. "You have a something really special."
Eddie sipped at her juice and smiled, they really did and this was the last time she intended to test it.
A/N: Eddie is going through some crazy changes within herself, but don't worry, those changes will only help her relationship with Jamie become the true partnership each of us that ship them know it can be.
Next Update – October 17th – Jamie and Henry come up with an idea that allows Jamie and Eddie to be a more normal couple. Jamie and Eddie have a candlelight date.