Serena swallowed hard looking into his eyes. "I can't cook. I'm also not great at ironing, I leave creases in the wrong places, so your uniforms would still be up to you. I get mad and walk away, but usually come back. I overthink everything. I tend to assume the worst. I'm jealous and I can be petty. I yell when I really want to cry. I have dreams and wants and I don't know how to be a wife."
"I don't want you to be 'a wife' I want you to be my wife. A while ago you told me not to ask you to be anyone but you. And that's what I want Rena. I want you." Trent exhaled slowly as she heard his words.
"Yeah, okay." She lifted her eyes to his.
"Is that a yes?" He smiled down at her.
"Yes. I will marry you, Trent Sawyer. But it's not about the insurance and it's not just for today. It's for tomorrow and the days after. It's for the kindness in your eyes, the way you take care of everyone else before yourself. It's for the way you hold my hand and the way you cut my hair. It's for sitting on a bathroom floor and for watching The Notebook when you really didn't want to. It's for ordering Indian Food when you wanted pizza. It's for asking me to come after a hard day and for telling me what you need. It's for every laugh and tear and every stupid nerdy thing you do. It's the model cars you think are hidden in your closet and how you insist on having DVDs even though you have Netflix. It's that silly smile you get when you're excited about some trivial fact that no one else knows. I will marry you, Trent, not because I need to but because I want to." Trent wrapped his arms around her lower back as she said it gently lifting her off her feet.
"Let's do it today." Trent smiled as he lowered her to the ground. "I don't want to wait."
"Afraid I'll change my mind?"
"No I just... I don't want to wait." Excitement rolled off him as his eyes shined.
"Okay. Let's check on Clay and then go." Serena stepped toward the doorway as the nurse came back.
"Don't worry about the insurance issue." He grabbed the paperwork in her hands and walked out still holding Serena's hand.
They were still holding hands as they entered the trauma room that held Clay and the rest of Bravo. "How's he doing?" Serena looked to Jason who was standing at the head of the bed.
"He's okay. They plan to lessen the sedation now that we are here. How are you?" He gestured to her wrist.
"Oh it's fine. Tripped while getting the thermometer. Twisted it." She took another step into the room.
"That so, Ginger Snaps?" Sonny eyed her.
"Yeah." She glanced to Trent.
"We'll stay until he's awake but then I'd like to take her home to rest." Trent looked at his brothers while diverting attention from her broken wrist.
"Makes sense." Ray walked to the door. "I'm going to talk to Naima, anyone want coffee?"
Within thirty minutes Clay was moved upstairs to a room he would be in at least for the night, although the doctors said a few days. Extra chairs were moved into the room to accommodate the men who were refusing to leave. And together they waited for him to wake.
It took another hour before he began to stir slowly. Moving his legs at first and then his right arm before he grimaced as he attempted to move his left. "Hey there, little buddy, don't do that." Sonny stood beside his bed.
"Tr'nt" Clay's mumbled word was soft and small.
"I'm right here kid. You're okay." Trent moved to Clay's other side.
"Trent," He cracked his eyes open. "Everything hurts."
"I know brother and you're in a hospital. You'll be just fine." Trent soothed.
"There... was there a girl?" Clay looked at him in confusion. "She said you were coming."
"It was Serena. She's here too." Trent turned so Clay could see her and she stepped closer.
"She's real pretty, Tr'nt." Clay's eyes slid closed as Serena blushed.
"I know she is, brother." Trent smiled and turned to the others. "He'll probably sleep for a while now."
"You think he'll be more with it when he wakes back up?" Brock asked from the corner of the room.
"Should be, but might not be. He's on some pretty powerful meds right now." Trent glanced to Serena. "We should go."
"Yeah, maybe we can come back in a few hours?"
"Of course." Trent took her hand.
NNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Trent watched her as they walked away from the courthouse. Her smile was the brightest he had ever seen. Her hair was undone with waves that reminded him of a sunset. It was hanging loosely around her face which was bare. She was wearing his old Bakersfield sweatshirt over a Bravo t-shirt and black leggings.
"Rena, you just got married in slippers." Trent laughed.
"And you're in combat boots." She giggled back.
"Do you want a ring?" He pulled her close when they reached the car.
"Never really thought about it. I guess not." She kissed his cheek.
"I'd get you one if you want me to?" Trent felt more complete in this moment than he ever had. At his first wedding he had been surrounded by his blood family and his brothers but something about that day had never felt right. When he was hurt two years later the wrong was obvious. She had come to the hospital exactly once before deciding he was no longer her future.
Trent shook the thought away as he looked at his wife. His wife, who chose him scars and all. He smiled at her assertation that his scars showed determination.
"Trent, you with me?" She asked and he knew he hasn't been.
"Sorry. Yeah." He looked at her in the passenger seat.
"I said I'm good with or without a ring."
"I want you to have one." Reaching out he took her hand. "You sure you want to spend your wedding day at the hospital?"
"I'm sure. He asks for you every time he wakes up. Feels safe knowing you are there, besides don't most people spend their wedding days with family?" She looked down at her phone pulling her only useable hand away.
"You didn't know them before this week." Trent glanced to her.
"But I feel like I did. Pizza sound good?" She looked up from her phone.
"Had it yesterday. Order Indian." He looked back to the road.
"Do you even like it?" Laughing she went to the online menu.
"I like the bread and the little ball things." Trent smiled. "And I like that it's your favorite."
"Little ball things? Chicpeas?" She laughed. "Chana Masala and Naan for you then. What should I get for the guys?"
"I have no idea. More little balls and bread?" He smiled sarcastically.
Less than an hour later they walked back into Clay's room with Trent carrying three bags of food. He set it on the counter by the door and turned looking toward Clay. "He wake up at all while we were gone?"
"Nope, Sleeping Beauty has been out. What'd ya bring us?" Sonny stood stretching his back.
"Indian." Serena looked over her shoulder to smile at Sonny as she unpacked the food.
"Oh." Sonny quickly saw the death glare from Trent. "Sounds great."
"It's my favorite." She bounced slightly as she pulled another container out.
"Mandy likes it too." Brock crossed the room to help her with her one handed attempt to get the food around while Trent looked at the various machines and monitors attached to Clay.
Sonny took another bite of the Naan Bread as Trent handed him a soda. "Hey there, Goldilocks. You with us?"
"Mhm. Smells good." Clay cracked his eyes open looking from one brother to the next.
'"It is. Trent can he eat?" Brock moved his plate to stand.
"Chart doesn't say he's NPO. I can double check though." Trent stood and exited the room and returned quickly stopping to make Clay a plate of food.
"What happened?" As the bed was raised Clay took in his surroundings.
"You have an infection, kid. Spiked a fever." Jason leaned forward and patted his leg. "You're okay though."
"And the fact that you're hungry is a good sign." Trent spoke from across the room.
"Oh. Serena.. your wrist?" Clay's eyes narrowed and darkened.
"Yeah I'm a klutz. Managed to trip and twist it. All good in about six weeks and until then I can figure out how to be a lefty!" She smiled while attempting to get rice on her fork.
"Trent, is it a spiral fracture?" Clay looked up as Trent approached with his food.
"I'm not sure, why?" Trent sat back down next to her. He knew why Clay had asked. Knew that when he had x-rayed the kid's left wrist after a bad fall it showed a remodeled spiral fracture from adolescence.
"Because you get them from someone twisting your wrist." He stared at the plate in front of him.
"Clay, I tripped over the strap to Trent's med bag. Landed with my wrist wedged between the bed and the nightstand. You were passed out with a high fever the whole time although I was shocked you didn't hear me yell." Trent watched her lie to his brother grateful for her kindness.
"You sure?" He looked up at her with big blue eyes that held hope that he was not the cause of her injury.
"I'm sure this wasn't your fault. Now eat before it gets ice cold." She stabbed at a piece of chicken missing and nearly knocking it to the floor.
"You want a spoon?" Trent laughed.
"Yes, actually I do." The pout on her face made them all laugh.