I sat balled-up in the furthest chair from the bed, listening to the heart monitor and watching Wade's chest rise and fall slowly. For some reason I couldn't take my eyes off him. The doctor part of me made it worse. I knew the risks. No matter what the nurse said, it wasn't a good sign that he wasn't awake yet. I'd never been so confused in my life. I didn't even know how to begin recovering from the betrayal, but at the same time I was so incredibly scared of losing him. If what George said was true, which I knew it was, it healed the most betrayed part of me – the part that was shocked because I'd always felt Wade was more committed than me. He'd always been enough for me. That night he went off on me about doing what made me happy I'd put all those other expectations out of my mind. I should have told him all I wanted was him, just as he was.

He shifted slightly and I froze, unsure if I should be elated or dreading this encounter, but feeling both parts in no small amount. His expression turned from blank to confused and slowly he opened his eyes to take in his surroundings.

Like someone with stone limbs, I pulled myself out of the chair. "Hey…" I whispered, crossing my arms over my chest to repress the gnawing feeling that returned as I went to stand closer.

His brows knit together, "Zoe? What's…?" Some memory seemed to kindle in his mind and displeasure moved across his features. "How did you find me?"

"Blind luck…" I smiled half-way, knowing the relief was going to take over, even as it welled in my eyes.

"Are you okay?" He whispered, reaching out a comforting hand to stroke my forearm in concern.

Of course I wasn't okay. I wasn't okay long before this drama. I couldn't choose a feeling anymore, so scared and relieved. Unsure, I simply erupted into tears again that I wished he wouldn't see. He pulled me onto the bed and wrapped me up in his arms while I cried.

"Zoe, I'm so sorry. You've got to know that it meant less than nothing." He said after a minute.

"You don't have to explain it," I murmured. "I understand."

"No, you have to know that I love you. I really do. I have for a long time. It just feels like I fight for you an awful lot. Back before we got together I knew it was meaningless for you. I was just some fun on the side, and even afterwards I was just a placeholder for George and… don't deny it, please." He shushed me. "I just ignored it, like it would go away; because, you meant so much more to me."

"I told you that changed."

"I know. You said it, but see, it was already in my head – had been for a long time. Even if we had a good thing, it was going to end sometime. You said it yourself, we're too different."

"Stop," I told him, sitting up to look him in the eye. "I didn't mean to freak you out that night. Remember when you told me to stop living my life from the outside, and just do what makes me happy? I really took note of that. I love you for you, exactly like you are. I changed my picture, Wade. And the sign wasn't because I needed you to be more. It was because I know you want the bar to happen and I'm behind you 100%. I always will be. I'm serious about you and me, no matter how different we are. I just want to put this whole thing behind us."

"Is that even possible?" He frowned.

An earnest nod while I leaned closer answered the question. There was no part of me that was willing to move out of his orbit – the one I never realized I had belonged in all along.

"As in… forgotten? All of it…?" He looked at me quizzically, as if I was laying some sort of trap.

"Everything. I'm serious. I didn't like it; you didn't like it. We're both on the same page now and to be honest I don't want to crawl out of your arms."

He laughed and pulled me tighter, breathing a deep, happy sigh into my hair. "I'm all in, Zoe. I'm serious: I love you and that's not ever gonna change. I freaked out, but I'm never going to make that mistake again."

"M'kay" I muttered.

A few minutes later a nurse poked her head through the door. "Ms. Hart, you have a call waiting." As I detached myself slowly and got up, she continued. "Do you mind if I let some more people in here? Two gentlemen especially want to see you. Lavon Hayes and someone named Earl?"

"Sure, send 'em in."

I smoothed out my hair a little and leaned down to kiss him before leaving. Something between us clicked and particularly in that kiss I could feel it – open hearts, the kind I think I'd really been called towards my whole life, even if I didn't know it until now. Releasing his hand, I joined the nurse out in the hall and followed her directions toward a general use phone.

"Hello?"

"Zoe?" came my mother's voice.

"Yeah, it's me. Sorry for running out on you like that. There was kind of an emergency here."

"Did it all work out alright? You sound exhausted."

"Yeah…" I smiled, "it was rough, but it did."

"That's wonderful to hear, dear. Are you flying back out, or are you going to stay there?"

"I'm going to stay. This is really where I belong."

"But what about Wade, dear? Are you going to be alright?" She fretted.

I didn't even know where to begin with my mother, so I opted for the short version. "We worked things out actually… We both recognize it was a mistake, and long story short we're stepping past it."

"You're back together?!"

I was too relieved by the whole thing to cringe at her response. "Yeah, I know it seems crazy and it's hard to explain everything that's happened since I got here. We're not perfect, and I guess nobody is, but we're going to make this work. It means a lot to me."

"Okay…" She hesitated. "I guess your father and I seemed pretty perfect for a lot of years and look what happened to us. Perfect is probably overrated. I won't say I'm not hesitant, but I'm also not there. Do what you think is best and I'll trust you on it."

"Thanks, Mom. I don't know what I would have done without you; I really don't."

When I came back to the room I found Earl hanging in the background while Lavon chastised Wade. All of them glanced up at me as I shut the door and a smile played up a corner of Wade's lips that I knew was just for me. Maybe it was letting him off too easy, but somehow this felt right – like despite all of the heartache, we'd never been closer or understood each other so well.

"Seriously, how on Earth would I get anything done? You're the one who actually keeps my place together. I'd have to hire people."

"Or just get a new tenant."

"Yeah, well…" Lavon looked back up at me and I knew he was evaluating me in some way, but the verdict was unclear. He was good at hiding those. "You gonna need a ride back to the airport, Zoe?"

Shaking my head, I stepped further into the room. "No, that was my mother on the phone asking the same thing. Guess I left my cell someplace. She was just worried when I ran out on her like that. We got it straightened out."

"You sure? I can always take you back."

"No, Lavon, it's really okay. Leaving in the first place was a mistake." I added, casting a side-long glance at Wade. He would have no idea about my little trip, although it was probably easy to guess its cause. Lavon's verdict still wasn't in, but he gave me a curt nod and turned back to Wade.

"Well, let me go see how they're coming on that paperwork. I'd rather not be here all night and you should be getting some rest."

As he left, I noticed a strange look on Earl's face; like he was thinking really hard on something specific. Wade didn't seem to notice it, just closed his eyes and leaned his head back as I walked over to stand beside him, opposite Earl. He had to be exhausted. Alcohol poisoning wasn't exactly getting run over by a semi, but it had almost been enough.

"You really did it this time, didn't you?" George's voice filled the room as he and Tansy came in and Wade came back to attention.

He let out a sort of half-hearted laugh. "You have no idea, Tucker."

"You scared us all to death, you know. Don't think I'm gonna let you off easy."

"Seeing me in this get-up isn't enough for you?"

We had to laugh. The hospital gown was less than attractive, I had to admit.

"Not a chance, but it helps your case a little."

"Anything that helps, I guess" Wade smiled and wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to the bedside. "I guess somebody has to be tough on me" he teased.

I knew George wouldn't be okay with me letting him completely off the hook, but then again, it wasn't George's relationship. And he had started me on this path anyway.

"That's my job, right?" he grinned. "If you pull another stunt like that I just might have to quit. You scared the hell out of me and I can't keep doing this."

"Trust me, I don't think you'll have to. Actually, this kinda started as an identity crisis in the first place. I'm not that guy anymore."

"Really?" Tansy jumped in, probably more for my benefit than Wade's, "You managed to end up here. Seems pretty clear which path you picked."

With a sadly humored expression, he replied, "Yeah, but it just proved that things are different now. Hell, the fact that I almost got myself killed with the guilt at least says something. No, this is the end of the road for that guy."

"World, watch out!" Earl exclaimed softly, reminding us all of his presence. "The boy always had a brain and a heart, if he could only catch them."

It was obvious Wade didn't even know what to say. Something special was passing between them – something I didn't quite understand. I glanced back at Tansy for a read, and was glad to see that she was at least pondering something. Her support mattered to me for some reason and I wanted her to see that regardless of what happened with her, Wade wasn't a complete nobody. She would probably freak out if she knew exactly how much I thought of him, but I wanted her to know it all the same.

The door opened behind again and Lavon reentered, followed by Doctor Hahn who had been in earlier.