The Twilight Twenty-Five
thetwilight25[dot]com

Prompt: Parking Lot

Pen Name: Mcgt
Pairing/Main Character(s): Bella
Rating: M

This will be a multi-chaptered story.

Photo prompts can be viewed here: thetwilight25[dot]com/round-six/prompts

A/N

Thanks toLittleRedScientist for helping beta this for me and Jenequilter for her prereader skills.

Chapter 11 – Parking Lot – Better in Time

"I heard you were being sprung today."

Looking up I saw Alistair casually leaning up against my door frame, his floppy blond hair falling into his eyes.

"Yep. I managed to walk across the floor without falling on my face and remembered ten items on a grocery list. Guess I'm well enough to recover the rest of the way at home." Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I stood and shuffled my way to my new friend. He'd checked in on my progress over the last week as my brain healed from the traumatic head injury I'd received thanks to the lovely red hydrant right outside my little shop.

Thinking of my store reminded me of how much work Esme and Angela were doing trying to keep the shop afloat while I was cooped up in here. Their calls and visits were helping to soothe my anxiety about the one thing I'd been singularly focused on for the bulk of my adulthood. I needed to send them a little gift as my way of thanking them.

After a quick hug, I wandered to the table beside my bed and picked up the pad and pen that had become like an extension of my left arm. Jotting a quick note to send thank you gifts to Angela and Esme I looked back up at Alistair peering over my shoulder at what I'd written.

"Did Rose give you that little trick? Until your memory comes back fully, carrying a notepad will be your best friend. It will also help you from becoming frustrated at yourself which can derail any progress you're actually making."

Rose, my feisty, drill sergeant of a physical therapist. She'd help me improve greatly over the last few days, pushing me when I thought I couldn't go another step. She'd also worked with so many people who'd been affected by brain injury; she'd given me tips to help make my life easier

Gesturing down towards the paper, he asked, "Those are the two that work for you, right?"

Nodding, I told him all about the two women who had completely taken over all my duties in the shop. I wasn't sure why it had never occurred to me to give them both more responsibility instead of playing the martyr and shouldering the burden all by myself.

"Well, perhaps this little experience will allow you to accept help from others, right?"

I knew I still had a long way to go when it came to relinquishing the tight grasp I had on my shop and life in general, but accepting their help had been a positive first step.

We both sat along the side of my bed chatting aimlessly about what a hard ass Rose was as my physical therapist, to how I felt about going home.

Shrugging, I told him I wasn't exactly sure how I felt. Which was partly the truth. I was afraid of being alone in my apartment even though my dad had made sure to change my locks after Aro had stolen everything. As much as I wanted to go home and eat non-hospital food and get back to work, I just couldn't shake the nagging feeling of dread I had about going there. The flip-flop of my emotions was beginning to really drive me a little bit crazy. I knew it was completely irrational but Alistair had warned me repeatedly about the mood swings that would coincide with my healing.

"You know it's okay to be apprehensive, right? I just hope you allow all those friends who sat patiently in the waiting room day after day for you to wake up to help you. They want to, I know it. They just don't know how. If you don't ask, they'll assume you're fine and dandy and move on with their lives."

A welling of emotion overcame me at his mention of my friends. The very same ones I dismissed as not having when I was comatose. Putting his arm around my shoulders he gave me a piece of paper with his number on it and told me to call him if I ever needed anything.

"Stay strong Isabella and remember, just because help is a four letter word it doesn't mean it's bad one."

Giving me one last squeeze, he told me his break was over and left me to finish packing up the items my mom and dad brought me over the last week.

While I was stuffing my pajamas into a duffle bag I couldn't help but get emotional all over again at the thought of my mystery man. I hadn't seen him in my dreams since I'd awoken and it felt like every day that passed he slipped further and further away from me.

I tried every night desperately bringing his voice and fuzzy image to the front of my mind as I drifted off to a heavily medicated sleep. And every morning I awoke to no memories of the night before. No dreams, no nothing. It was as if I closed my eyes one moment and opened them only a minute later. I never even felt the night nurse come in and check my vitals, something I was acutely aware of happening like clockwork around here.

And it was seriously beginning to depress me.

I had often wondered over the last week if perhaps I really had just dreamt him up as my perfect man. The ones you only read in fairytales or see in romantic comedies yet I longed for my handsome knight in shining armor to sweep in and carry me off on his white horse.

Or come in and take everything you worked your entire life for, I thought, reminding myself of what Aro had done to me. This only depressed me further when I thought about all the medical bills I'd just tacked on, and I had no earthly idea how I was going to pay for it all. I tried to shake off the gloomy thoughts wanting to go back to the warm fuzzy feeling I had when I daydreamed of my mystery man.

"The nurse at the desk said the doctor's signed off on your discharge. Are you ready to go home?" Dad called walking into my room followed by Jamie the nurse du jour, who was pushing a wheelchair in front of her.

"Yep, just need to grab some stuff from the bathroom and I'm ready to go."

After signing the necessary paperwork I sat in the chair placing the heavy duffle bag in my lap and was taken down to the elevator.

Of course once we'd been deposited by the entrance, I remembered I'd left my purse sitting up on the bedside table.

"Crap. Dad, can you go up and grab my purse?"

"Stay right here. I'll get it then bring the car around, okay?" He scolded me, knowing I'd probably try to walk to the car on my own and end up face planting in the middle of the parking lot.

Smiling sweetly up at my dear old dad I sat down on the bench that was just outside the door and told him I'd be waiting.

The day had turned out nicer than expected with the sun peeking out from beneath the clouds. I closed my eyes and allowed its warmth to cascade down on me feeling like it had been a year since I'd last seen daylight.

Well, real rather than the imaginary beach from my coma I thought, chuckling to myself.

"Isabella?"

Opening my eyes I saw a tall stranger walking towards me, a cup of coffee from my little store in his hand and dark sunglasses hiding his eyes.

"Do I know you?" I asked, standing up and trying to run though any memories I might have when something clicked into place.

His voice.

I felt my jaw drop open and I sat back down on the bench in a heap, unable to process that this handsome man might actually be the stranger from my dreams.

"Not really," he said, sounding sad. "I'm actually the one that almost hit you." Sitting heavily on the bench beside me, he ran his fingers through his hair before pulling his sunglasses off and it felt like all the gears in the world had finally clicked into place. His eyes that were never visible in my dream were a deep shade of green similar to the woods out back of my apartment, and even with the dark bags beneath them they were simply gorgeous.

A/N

Okay – there you have it… Mystery man is indeed real. I suppose you all knew that by now, but still… stay tuned, tomorrow you'll find out a little bit more. What'd you think? Stick with me folks, there's still 14 more chapters to go!

Thanks to all the peeps that have been leaving me reviews. It really does help me when I hear your thoughts about the story. It keeps me going, which right now I need since I have to pump out nine more chapters by the end of the month.