They wheeled Jennifer in about an hour later. She was very loopy.
Jonathan leaned down to kiss her.
"Hi. How are you feeling?"
"I have no idea".
He chuckled at her.
She puckered her lips for a kiss and he gave her another one.
"You're very good at that".
"Well thank you".
He helped her sit up and then closed the curtain around her bed so he could help her get dressed again.
The doctor came in a few minutes later and pulled Jonathan and Stephen aside.
"So, we did some preliminary testing. Unfortunately, it looks as if this wasn't a successful procedure."
"How can you tell?"
"After we stitched her up, we did another injection test and when we light up the nerves that are working, that one didn't light up. Typically, in these cases, the parts of the nerves that are still working will still light up. Hers didn't."
"I see. So, assuming you are right, and assuming this wasn't successful, what's her next step?"
"I'm afraid I don't see one for her. She might not ever regain full mobility in her legs".
"Thank you, doctor".
Jonathan returned to Jennifer and found that she had fallen back asleep.
After she was discharged, he picked her up and put her in the wheelchair.
The nurse came and wheeled her out, and Jonathan lifted her and put her in the car again.
They headed back to the hotel, stopping to get her a Neapolitan milkshake.
"Well, we will see you tomorrow, Stephen".
"Call me if you need me, son".
Jonathan wheeled her up to their room and got her settled into bed. He undressed her and put a nightgown on her and then let her have her milkshake. 5 minutes later, she was done and back asleep.
He changed into his pajama pants and laid down next to her and wrapped his arms around her.
"We tried, baby. We really did".
***3 days later***
Jennifer and Jonathan were back in Los Angeles. Jonathan had told her what the doctor said. She hadn't taken it very well.
Jonathan was packing his suitcase to go on his business trip.
"Now darling, Max will be here with you, and you can call Susan if you need something. I'll call you every night and every morning. And I'll be home before you know it".
"I love you".
He leaned down and kissed her.
"I love you too".
She spent the rest of the day working on an article. Jonathan texted her when he landed.
"I love you, I'm in Texas. How about Paris for our honeymoon?"
"I love you too. Paris has too many steps".
The phone rang then, so she picked it up.
"Hello?"
"Jennifer, hi. It's Susan. I was calling to see if you wanted to have dinner tonight?"
"Sure, that sounds nice. How about Mexican?"
"Yum. I'll pick you up at 6".
"Great, see you then".
Susan arrived right on time and picked her up. Jennifer decided to be brave and only take her hand poles with her and not the chair.
"I want you to know, I contacted the CEO of the boutique and we had a long chat. They violated ADA and all kinds of other statutes in how they treated you that day. The CEO apologized and promised it would be addressed at all their locations, not just this one. I also contacted L'Orangerie and told them that if that's how they were going to treat those with limitations, they can give my regular table to someone else".
"Thank you. I agree. I wrote an article on it, retelling the entire experience from my point of view, and then from yours. My editor called and said that it's going to be published in a few different magazines".
Jennifer filled her in over dinner about the nerve procedure.
"I'm shocked you weren't a candidate for a donor nerve".
"Well, I'm not. My mother died when I was 12, and I inherited more of her genes and traits than I did my father's. Apparently, that includes blood and tissue and nerves as well".
After they finished eating, Susan dropped her back home.
"Are you going to be home this weekend?"
"Yes, I am".
"Great. Maybe I'll come see you on Sunday".
"I would love that. Jonathan is out of town till next Thursday, so it will be fun to have some company".
***Sunday***
Jennifer was laying on the recliner in the den. She had the tv on, but she wasn't really paying attention. She was texting Jonathan and drinking a glass of chardonnay.
"Fiji?"
"Too far of a flight. How about Cancun?"
"Too dangerous. What about a train trip across Canada?"
"That's an idea. So is Turks and Caicos. I've always wanted to go to the Turks and Caicos".
The doorbell rang so Max volunteered to get it.
"Someone's at the door darling. I love you".
"Love you too".
Max came in to the living room followed by Susan and a bunch of their friends.
"Surprise!"
"Hi. What's all this?"
"Well, we couldn't very well let you and Jonathan get married without some sort of fanfare. And since we didn't feel like you would be up for a bachelorette party, we decided to bring the wedding shower to you".
"That's very thoughtful of you guys, thank you".
They all sat down around her.
"Susan told us you had surgery. Are you alright?"
"I'm fine. It wasn't successful, but I'm fine".
"Where's Jonathan?"
"He's on a business trip. He will be home next Thursday".
"Well, we brought pizza and beer, and a salad, and we are going to hang out with you and shower you like a bride should be showered".
"You guys are so nice. I can't believe you want to spend time with me".
"Are you kidding? We are so excited for your wedding. We can't wait to see how beautiful you look".
"Well, it's going to be a little different of a wedding this time. I had pinned all my hopes on this last operation that I would be able to walk down the aisle. And I can't. And the venue has a cobblestone aisle, so I have to use my wheelchair, not my hand poles. And that also means I don't get to dance with my husband, either."
"Jennifer, it's going to be ok".
"I'm so scared."
"Scared of what?"
"That my wedding will be like the day you and I went shopping".
"Oh, I'm sure it won't be. Those people didn't know you. Your wedding will be full of people who love you and Jonathan".
"I was supposed to write my vows today. All I can think to say is 'sorry you got stuck with a wife with 2 wheels instead of 2 legs".
"Ok, I know what this party needs. Party games".
They broke out the cards and played a few hands of poker and rummy and managed to lift Jennifer's spirits a little.
"So, tell us what the wedding will be like".
"Well, our colors are orchid, black and silver. So, Jonathan is wearing a gray suit with a black shirt and orchid tie. I'm wearing my dress. My dad is pushing me down the aisle, and then we have the ceremony, and then at the reception, we are doing the wedding cake, tossing the bouquet, the garter, and then leaving. We were supposed to have several dances but since I can't, that part has been cut out".
"Have you picked a honeymoon?"
"Not officially. We were discussing that by text when you guys got here. He suggested a train trip through Canada and I'm ok with that. I suggested Turks and Caicos, I've always wanted to go there".
"Are you going to have any attendants?"
"No, we decided we wanted it to be just us up there. We were supposed to stand on this stage that's a couple steps up, but I can't get up there, so now we are standing under something".
"I'm sure it will be beautiful. And what matters is that at the end of the ceremony, you will be Mrs. Jonathan Hart".
"Yeah, I know. I'm trying to see the good in everything, but it's so hard. I had such a clear picture in my head of what I wanted our wedding and reception to look like".
"Have you told Jonathan how you feel?"
"Yes, many times. He just keeps telling me it's ok. I think he has a touch of guilt".
"What on earth could he feel guilty about?"
"Well, we were in New York, and I stepped into the street to pick up something I dropped and there was a bus coming. He saw it, I didn't and he pushed me out of the way. He was only hit by part of the bus. I fell into a fire hydrant and landed at a weird angle on the pavement. So, I think he blames himself for what happened to me. But the doctor told him that given my small stature if the bus had hit me, I wouldn't have survived".
"I had no idea. Now it all makes sense, how both of you got injured".
She nodded.
"Well, I say you will be the prettiest bride ever, regardless of whether you are sitting or standing".
They all agreed with Susan.
She opened the gifts they had brought her, and then they just hung out.
Everyone stayed till 10 or so, and then started to leave.
"Thanks for coming by, I'll see all of you at the wedding".
"We love you, we will see you soon".
She headed straight to bed after they all left. As soon as she was settled into bed, she called Jonathan.
"Hi darling".
"Hi."
"Everything ok?"
"Yeah, I guess. Susan and the girls just left, and I just climbed in this big lonely bed".
"Yeah, my bed is lonely too".
"Are you sure you can't come home till Thursday?"
"I'm positive, darling. If I could, I would".
They chatted a little longer and then she hung up and went to bed.
She dreamed of running a race all night long.
***The next morning***
Jennifer got up early and did 2 hours of lap swimming. Afterwards, she came into the workout room and worked on balancing. She managed to up her balancing time to another minute longer. The physical therapist came and did her stretches and exercises with her and put her on the balance bike.
"Would it be possible for you to come every day this week?"
"Yes, I think we can arrange that".
"Thank you".
After the physical therapist left, Jennifer kept working herself, doing the inversion table, the balancing exercises and the motorized bike. Around 3, she used the hand poles to get herself to the shower. She decided to not use the shower chair and to try and balance in the shower instead. She braced herself against the wall and took her shower.
Afterwards, she climbed into bed and took a nap.
She woke around 8 for dinner and found that Max had left to go to a poker game.
She was in the kitchen, throwing together a salad, when one of the cans of veggies fell off the counter and onto her foot.
"Ow!", she cried out as soon as it hit her.
She bent over and picked it up and then put it on the counter. And then it hit her. She had felt the can hit her foot. A slow smile spread across her face. She decided to throw caution to the wind and not use the hand poles to get around the kitchen. It wasn't normal movements, but she managed. She was so proud of herself she could hardly stand it.
She spent the rest of the night texting Jonathan and researching what this meant. She decided not to tell Jonathan till he got home. She wanted to show him, not tell him.
She stayed up till 11 researching and then headed to bed, her mind so full of information, she could hardly sort it out.
***Middle of the night***
Jennifer woke up and realized that her back was throbbing. She grabbed her hand poles, made her way to the kitchen for some Aleve, and then went straight back to bed.
***Thursday***
Jonathan's plane landed around 4 and he headed straight to the house.
"Darling?"
"In here".
He found her lying in bed working on her laptop.
"Oh, I missed you".
He came over and kissed her a few times and then hugged her for a few minutes.
"I missed you too".
"What did you do while I was gone?"
"Well, I had physical therapy every day. And I swam laps in the pool for about 2 hours each day. And I worked on my balancing".
"Wonderful".
"Is your father still coming to dinner tonight?"
"No, the flight he and my aunts were on was rebooked to tomorrow morning".
"What a shame".
"Honey, we need to talk about the wedding".
He sighed. "I know".
"So, we have the rehearsal tomorrow night, and my father will be here tomorrow afternoon. We need to make reservations somewhere for dinner afterwards, just you, me, Pa, Max, and my aunts and uncles."
"Got it".
"And you and Max are going to find somewhere to stay tomorrow night".
"No, Jennifer. I don't think that's a good idea".
"Jonathan, you and I can't stay together the night before our wedding! It's bad luck for you to see me the next morning, and lord knows we've had enough of our share of bad luck recently. It's time to turn the tide".
"I don't want you to stay alone".
"I'll be fine. I promise".
"Ok, but I'm sending a limo to bring you to the venue".
"It's a deal. And you and Max need to take my car so that we can use it to leave the venue".
"What time do we have to be there?"
"12, on Saturday. Wedding starts at 4".
"I have a few surprises in store for you, Miss Edwards".
"I have a few surprises in store for you as well". She leaned over and kissed him.
"Darling, I booked our honeymoon. And I told them about your situation, and they told me that everything is wheelchair accessible. But there are some excursions that you won't be able to go on".
"Oh, that's ok. I just want to relax with you, darling".
"Well, that is definitely on the agenda".
She scooted back against him and put her hand on his chest.
"How were your meetings?"
"Good, actually. I was very impressed with each of the plants, and I think it might actually have been a good sound investment on our part".
"Good, I'm glad to hear that".
They spent the rest of the evening just relaxing and looking forward to the wedding.
As they climbed into bed that night, she kissed him goodnight like always.
"I cannot wait to marry you, Mr. Hart".
"I cannot wait to marry you, Miss Edwards".