Chapter 2 – Making a connection
Alex opened her eyes when she heard Gene's voice.
He wasn't there.
But it had felt so real. She heard him so clearly and felt his lips brush her forehead. There had been a definite, tangible connection. And now, there was nothing.
An intense pain seared through her body and she sobbed openly. Not just because that tiny connection was lost, but because she had never fully connected with Gene.
She tucked her knees up to her chest and rolled onto her side, squeezing her eyes shut. Gene's face was all she could see. She felt hot tears spill down her cheeks.
"I love you too" she whispered to the empty room.
Many hours later, Alex was still sobbing. She had run out of tears long ago and her sobs were making her shake.
She heard footsteps approaching, so she opened her eyes. It was a nurse.
"How are you feeling today, Alex?" the nurse asked.
"Ok" Alex mumbled.
"Want to talk about it?"
"Not really" Alex responded, hoping the nurse would leave.
She didn't. "It might help if you tell me" she persisted. "What's all this about?"
"There's this guy" Alex began. "And I think I've lost him." She could feel herself starting to cry again.
"You shouldn't just give up" the nurse encouraged her. "Tell me more about him."
"He was a sexist git. But he saw me differently, I could tell" Alex said dreamily. "He used to give me these lingering looks when he thought no one was watching. He was really protective of me, but in an unobvious way. And whenever we touched, even lightly, it sent shivers down my spine."
"Well, it sounds to me as though you're very lucky" the nurse said. "Don't give up hope. You'll find a way back to him, I'm sure."
"Yeah, I hope so" Alex murmured to herself as the nurse walked away. "But how?"
