Oliver stood just outside Shane's door, tears threatening to roll down his cheeks. He needed to go back in, but his brain needed time to catch up with what had just taken place. He had an unspoken fear that cropped up in his mind now and again. It was that Shane would tire of him and choose to leave someday. Feelings of rejection that he thought were tucked away, disconnected from Shane, involving his mother and his first wife washed over him, becoming a tangled web in his mind. She had just attempted to break things off and it was so unexpected and so shocking, that words would not come.

He rubbed his temples, trying to think. Underneath all of the chaos a tiny thought broke through. This is not the same. You still have a choice. Well, he knew what choice he wanted to make! He knew exactly what he and Shane had together. He had experienced the contrast. Going down the wrong road, even though painful, had given him the gift of perspective.

He shoved his hand down inside his pocket and felt the ring there. Shane's ring. The one that belonged on her finger. Oliver squared his jaw. He knew exactly what to say. She hadn't tired of him. She was worried he would tire of her. And that was simply not going to happen.

Just then Heather walked up, looking at him intently. "Oliver, you look like you've seen a ghost. Is Shane alright?"

"No, but she will be. Listen, I need to speak with Shane privately. Will you please make sure we are not interrupted?" asked Oliver.

Heather nodded understandingly.

Oliver opened the door and walked back in. He turned up the lights. She needed to be able to see his face.

She was facing away from him, "Mom, please leave the lights turned down, I'd like to…" She saw Oliver and went quiet.

He stood at the end of her bed and held up his hand. "It's my turn to talk. Shane McInerney, you are the most stubborn, persuasive, beautiful woman I have ever met. You have many times convinced me you were right and to go along with your plans, but that will not be happening this time."

With that he walked over and sat down right on the edge of the bed. He leaned over and placed one hand on Shane's waist and held her free hand with the other. She hadn't expected him to get that close, and felt her resolve melting a bit.

He was close to her face and looked her right in the eyes, speaking tenderly. "This is not a deal breaker, Shane. Not even close. At least not for me."

She began shaking and crying. He reached up and wiped a tear from her cheek and tucked a few strands of stray hair behind her ear. "My future happiness is not wrapped up in some perfect picture of domestic bliss." His voice trembled with emotion, "It's wrapped up in you. I'm expecting hard times, Shane. Counting on them, in fact. But we can face those together."

She was crying and he couldn't tell what she was thinking. "I choose you, Shane. Walking or not, children or not. I want to grow old with you. I want us to sit on our porch swing someday and look back fondly at the life we've shared. I want to start and end each day together. I want to spend my days thinking of ways to make you as happy as you make me." He paused to steady his voice. "I almost lost you this week once already. Please don't make me lose you again."

Oliver took a deep breath, "I have promised you forever, Shane McInerney, and that offer still stands. I am very much in love with you." He pulled the ring from his pocket. "Now, I can't force you to marry me, but I wish with all of my heart that you would."

Shane couldn't speak. The tears were flowing in a steady stream. She could tell he was sincere, that this was not out of duty or pity. All resolve she'd felt to let him go was disappearing as quickly as it had come.

He was staring at her intently, with a hopeful look in his eyes. "I'm all in, Shane." A short pause was followed by, "How about you?"

She managed a smile and a small nod. Oliver slipped the ring on her finger, looking happy and relieved. He reached up and touched her face, leaning in for a soft kiss. He then very carefully reached his arms around her in a hug. She hugged him back with her good arm. They sat that way, until Shane stopped crying and trembling, whispering softly to one another.

Heather had stopped a nurse and a therapist from entering the room. She finally peeked in herself. Shane looked like she was almost asleep and Oliver was holding her hand and gently rubbing her arm with a content smile on his face. Heather smiled to herself. They were going to be okay. She once again quietly shut the door.


"Oliver, look." Shane held up her phone so Oliver could see.

It was a text from Annie, with a selfie of her between her mom and dad. They were all smiling. The message simply said, "Thank you for this, Shane!"

Oliver smiled. They didn't always find out the happy results of delivering a dead letter, but when they did, it always brought with it a special kind of satisfaction.

It was Friday morning, one week since Shane's accident. Oliver noticed, though still very tired, she seemed a bit stronger each day. She also seemed less burdened with worry since their conversation on Wednesday. They were both committed. They both knew it. It's not that they didn't trust one another before, but things were different somehow. There was less fear, and more trust. He felt closer to Shane than he ever had.

"I wonder where my Mom is today? It's nearly eleven o'clock." said Shane.

"Oh, she's probably just had a few errands to run." Oliver said. It wasn't exactly a lie. Heather, Joe, and Bill were busily preparing Shane's house for her arrival.

She eyed him curiously. Oliver O'toole was the worst liar she had ever met, and he had briefly made a face that often meant he was holding back information. Before she could question him, he spoke.

"Shane, look at this." he said, handing her his newspaper. "It's a story about the accident."

Shane quickly grabbed it and read silently to herself. There was not much there that she didn't already know, but she was looking for specific information. "Here it is! Selena Lewis...we have her name, and her parents names are here too!"

Oliver nodded soberly. "The funeral is tomorrow morning."

"Okay, if you could bring me my laptop from the DLO, I could easily get an address or phone number or something and then…" Shane stopped at the look on Oliver's face.

"What is it? Why are you smiling like that?" inquired Shane.

"Norman and Rita already found an address and phone number." he stated.

"Oh, well, how should we…"

Oliver glanced at the clock. "Norman and Rita have been instructed to anonymously deliver an envelope with a check from the O'toole foundation at 1:00PM, directly to their home. It should be enough to cover funeral costs, plus some extra." he said quietly.

Shane looked at him in surprise and admiration, " When did you arrange all of that?!"

"You've been sleeping a lot, Shane. I knew it was important to you that we do something right away. Norman and Rita agreed to help immediately." Oliver sighed, "I know the money won't fix anything, but maybe it will lighten some of the immediate burdens they may be facing."

Shane nodded. "Thank you, Oliver." She squeezed his hand, thinking once again what a miracle it was to be alive.


Heather McInerney parked Shane's car in the hospital parking garage, hopefully for the last time. Shane was coming home tomorrow. She smiled, feeling grateful and relieved. She had spent the morning with Rita, getting Shane's room prepared and stocking the house with groceries, while Joe and Bill worked their magic making everything wheelchair accessible.

She had decided to stay for the next week, fly home for a week and pack and arrange to sell her home, then make a permanent move to Denver. She would become Shane's full time caregiver, and her online work as a graphic designer would temporarily be reduced to part time. She and Oliver had discussed the plan in detail as Shane slept. Between the two of them, Shane would never be left alone. The insurance would cover nursing care around the clock for the first 4 weeks, and then slowly taper off to only nights, and then none at all.

As she stepped out of the car and slung her purse over her shoulder, her brow furrowed slightly. There was only one thing she was worried about that she had not yet discussed with Oliver. She knew her daughter well. Shane thrived on being involved in life. She was a high achiever. She loved being around people and making a difference. And she was fiercely independent.

During college, Heather had briefly worked at a recovery center for people that had been injured as seriously as Shane. The physical hurdles, although significant, were not the hardest thing people faced. It was the mental struggle. Their lives had been severely altered, and for some, the emotional toll kept them from making progress. She didn't want to watch Shane fall apart that way. Oliver had told her it would be okay if she had to go back home, that he would make sure Shane was taken care of, but she knew they would both need extra support. The next few months would be extremely difficult.

Heather told herself to cheer up as she entered Shane's room. After all, today was a happy day. Shane was prepping to go home. One day at a time. They would all take it one day at a time.

'Hi, mom! What have you been up to?" asked Shane.

"Oh, just grocery shopping and such. I wanted to be fully stocked up for tomorrow." she smiled.

Shane sighed, "I am so ready to sleep in my own bed!"

"Well, it looks like we have everything arranged for tomorrow." Oliver said as he checked something off in his planner. He had recently purchased it at the gift shop to track everything Shane related. He had made sure every piece of equipment had arrived, follow up appointments had been scheduled, and medications filled. He wanted this transition to go as smoothly as possible.

"Oliver, may I look at your calendar so I can enter the appointments into my phone?" asked Heather.

"Oh, I'll just sync mine with yours, Mom. I've got it all here." said Shane.

"You'll "sync" your what…?" Oliver looked perplexed.

Shane laughed. "Our calendars are stored in the cloud. We can share contents. If one of us adds something, it will show up for both of us."

"Oh, well that seems useful." stated Oliver.

Shane jumped on that, "Does that mean you want a cell phone?"

Oliver just smiled as he tucked his planner into his pocket and patted it fondly. "Not today."

Shane grinned. Oliver had only been able to shave every other day or so while at the hospital. He currently had the beginnings of a beard on his face. He also wore a casual button up with slacks instead of a suit. His shirt was still tucked in of course, and he looked as neat as ever. She thought he looked very handsome. She was concerned about the dark circles under his eyes though.

Heather must have been thinking the same thing. "Oliver, why don't you go home and sleep tonight? I've caught up on sleep and can stay with Shane."

Oliver glanced at Shane, "Oh, I don't know if…"

Shane insisted, "Oliver, you've been here all week. You need rest, real rest. I won't be released until 10:00AM tomorrow, and I don't want to see you a minute before 9:00AM."

Oliver smirked, "Was that an order, Ms. McInerney?"

"Of course not," said Shane. "Simply a firm request, Mr. O'toole."

"Oh, I see. In that case, I agree to your request. But you must promise to call if you need me between now and then." Oliver looked at her seriously.

Shane nodded, touched by his concern, "You know I will."

He squeezed her hand and leaned in for a kiss. "I'll see you tomorrow morning, at 9:00AM sharp. I love you."

"I love you too. Sleep well." Shane smiled reassuringly as Oliver left the hospital for the first time in a week.

"I didn't know if he would actually leave." said Heather.

"Shows how exhausted he is." said Shane. "He's been taking care of me, but not himself very well, I'm afraid."

"Such is life when someone you love needs you." said Heather. "So, do you want to order up some hospital food for dinner or would you prefer some of these fresh macaroons?" she grinned as she held up a small box, showing Shane the contents inside.

Shane burst into laughter. "Mom, my poor ribs cannot take any more laughter today! The doctor did talk to me about making sure I ate enough, because one of my medications can reduce appetite. It's kind of you to help me with that." said Shane.

Heather laughed too. "Well, I do what I can."


Oliver stopped at Shane's house on his way home. He wanted to see what kind of progress had been made and make sure everything was ready.

He found his Dad and Bill finishing up the ramp up to Shane's front porch. It was freezing, but they worked cheerfully.

"It's coming together nicely. We just have to place a few more reinforcements." said Bill.

"Hey, you look tired, son. Why don't you head home and get some rest." said Joe.

Oliver sighed, "I will. I have some other equipment in my car that will hopefully make life more doable for Shane. Oh, I was also thinking we should install some stability bars in the bathrooms and…."

Joe held up his hands, "Already done. Rita did some research, and we figured out what would work best in Shane's space."

Norman and Rita pulled in just then and offered to help Oliver unload the car. They updated him on the DLO happenings and confirmed the successful delivery of the check to the Lewis family.

"They were so shocked they didn't even ask any questions. They said thank you at least five times. It was very touching." sniffed Rita.

"Oliver, where should I set this box?" asked Norman.

"Oh, um all of this seems to go in Shane's bedroom or bathroom." said Oliver. He felt slightly awkward invading Shane's personal space, but there was no other course of action.

Rita was oblivious to his discomfort. "Wait until you see what Heather and I did to Shane's bedroom!" Rita opened the door with Norman and Oliver following, with arms full, close behind.

It was a cozy scene. There were clean sheets and fluffy pillows. A comfy recliner was close by. One nightstand had Shane's laptop, a binder with "Our Wedding Plans" inscribed on the front, and several novels, all within easy reach. Oliver noticed one was Shakespeare and smiled to himself. The other contained a new lamp that appeared to have a remote control, a vase full of fresh yellow roses, and a picture of Shane and Oliver in a small frame. Oliver noticed it was the same picture he'd seen on Rita's phone.

His eyes shifted to the dresser. There was a picture of the four of them with their Dark of Night awards, several from Rita and Norman's wedding-including one just after they'd gotten engaged, and one from Christmas with Heather and Alex. Oliver's green tie was draped carefully around the engagement photo. He smiled, remembering that night.

"This box is full of... foam?" Norman looked a little confused.

Oliver shifted his attention. "Oh, yes, those are for positioning, to help Shane be comfortable while she sleeps. We should probably just leave them in the box at the end of the bed."

They set aside a box that was clearly for the nurse. Next came a chair for taking a shower. It had to be assembled. Rita read the instructions while Norman and Oliver put it together.

"This is more complicated than solving a dead letter." said Norman.

"Yes, well, the instructions are very ambiguous." grunted Oliver.

They finally finished. Rita stared at the chair. "I knew you guys could do it! Luckily Shane has a good sized bathroom."

Oliver carried it and placed it in the shower. He glanced around. It looked a bit like the hospital bathroom with bars to hang onto everywhere, except it smelled like Shane's perfume. He loved that smell. The thought of how difficult daily activities were going to be and the chance that she may not heal completely, made Oliver heartsick. As he was exiting, he noticed a small card taped to the mirror with Shane's handwriting. "Have faith. It only takes a little." It was unexpected, and Oliver was touched.

He suddenly heard his dad call to him, "Oliver, we've finished! Come check it out!"

He, Norman, and Rita quickly cleaned up Shane's room and all headed outside to admire the ramp. The sun was beginning to set. "Excellent craftsmanship. Thank you both so much. She will be so surprised."

"It was mostly Bill's work, I just did some lifting and hammering." said Joe.

Bill gave Joe a friendly slap on the back. "Couldn't have gotten it done on time without ya."

"The inside is all set too!" exclaimed Rita with a double thumbs up. "I'll hang the banner across the porch first thing in the morning. I'm so excited she is coming home tomorrow!" She clapped her hands together in delight.

Norman turned to Oliver. "It's almost 5 o'clock. Have you eaten?"

"Not yet. I was going to try and find something at home and then get some sleep." the fatigue was starting to settle in.

"Well, how about we all go to the Mailbox Grille for a bite? That way you won't have to worry about fixing anything." said Joe.

Oliver nodded. As he climbed into his car, he stared at the ramp in front of Shane's house. Would it be permanent? He didn't know. But all he could think about was how supportive everyone had been. She was so loved, and not just by him.


Shane's cell phone began to vibrate. It was just before 7PM. "Hello?"

Heather could tell by the smile on Shane's face that it was Oliver.

"Yes, I promise I'm fine." Shane's eyes got teary. "Thank you, Oliver. You get some sleep too. Okay. Love you too. Bye."

Heather smiled at Shane, "Everything okay?"

Shane smiled back. "Yes, he was just calling to make sure I was okay before falling asleep. And he...he thanked me for being so easy to love."

"Wow, that was very sweet." Heather said sincerely.

Shane nodded and sighed, "If I wasn't already in love with him, sincere compliments such as those would induce such feelings."

"He is a wonderful man, Shane. You chose well." said Heather.

"You know what's weird, Mom? I don't feel like I "chose" at all, even though I know I did. It's as if…" Shane looked contemplative, "as if my heart kept saying "that's him" even before my head could make sense of it all. Mostly it feels like I just got really lucky, but Oliver doesn't believe in luck." She shook her head, "I don't know if that makes any sense!"

"Of course it does!" said Heather. "Sounds like the best kind of love to me. Have you two had a chance to discuss your wedding date?"

Shane's face fell slightly. "A little. I'm not sure what to do. It's hard not knowing what recovery will look like. I'd love to be able to walk down the aisle, if I could. June seems both awfully close and too far away, all at the same time."

"Well, why don't you wait a month or so to reevaluate. No need to rush a decision." encouraged Heather.

Shane nodded and tried to smile, but she felt deep down that a delay would be unavoidable.


Oliver was in bed, staring at the ceiling, unable to fall asleep. He was exhausted, but he couldn't turn off his thoughts.

All he could think about was Shane coming home tomorrow and how she might feel. Some things would be familiar, but everything would be different. He couldn't stop thinking about how he would feel in her situation. He didn't know what else he could do to be supportive, but he wanted to do more.

He glanced at the clock, 8:12. He sighed and then a thought crossed his mind. He quickly sat up, walked to his desk, pulled out some paper, and began to write. The words came easily. He looked it over after he finished and then placed it in an envelope.

He then got dressed and drove to Shane's house. He walked up the new ramp and quietly let himself in. Shane had given him a key once they started dating, for emergency purposes, and this seemed like a good time to use it.

He made his way to Shane's room. But where to leave the letter? He wanted to be sure she found it, but didn't want it out in the open where anyone could see it. He carefully slipped it under her pillow. He smiled with satisfaction as he turned to leave. Now he could sleep.