the surgery, and Dr. Menard will remove all the scarring. I know it’s hard right now, but hold out for one month.”
It’s taking all my strength just to make it to tomorrow. A month feels like an eternity.
Dad must see the hopelessness on my face because he rises to his feet and pulls me up.
When he frames my face with both hands, the lump in my throat grows impossibly big. The stitches were removed two days ago, but it did nothing to improve the horrible swollen scars.
Dad leans closer, his eyes burning with certainty, and his mouth set in a determined line. “You are so beautiful, Fallon.” Then he leans down, and he presses his lips to my right cheek.
I fist my hands at my sides and squeeze my eyes shut as I say, “You’re my Dad. You’ll always think I’m beautiful.”
“You are,” I hear Uncle Mason.
Dad moves to the side, and as Uncle Mason and Uncle Lake join us outside, it’s so hard not to breakdown and cry.
Uncle Mason’s sharp gaze drifts over my face, and then he states with so much certainty I can feel it in my bones, “You are fucking breathtaking. No amount of scarring will ever change that.”
When I shake my head, Uncle Mason asks, “Does the scar on my arm make me look any different?”
I shake my head again. “You’re a man, Uncle Mace. It makes you look rugged.”
“In four weeks, you’ll look good as new,” Uncle Lake adds his opinion.
I know. But it doesn’t make me feel any better.
“What’s really the problem?” Uncle Lake asks. He’s always been so damn perceptive, just like Jase.
Kao.
With the business ties between our families, I don’t want to say something that will cause friction.
Instead of admitting the truth, I say, “I know a month from now everything will be different. It’s just hard right now.”
My uncles and Dad give me a hug, and then Uncle Lake says, “Come on, I brought food.”
His words make the corner of my mouth curve up as I follow them back inside the house.
I’ve resumed my visits to my grandfather, and sitting on the couch next to him, I wait for him to start the movie we’ll be watching.
Since I turned thirteen, watching classic movies have been our thing, where Gramps play chess with Jase. Carla and Gramps read the same books, and with Forest, he plays golf.
When Gramps goes to Youtube instead of selecting a movie, I frown.
“Have patience with me, my girl. I don’t go on Youtube often,” Gramps explains. “Ahh… there it is.”
Then he presses play on a reconstructive video done by Dr. Menard. My eyes are glued to the TV screen as Dr. Menard explains how he did reconstructive surgery on a woman who had suffered domestic violence. Seeing the before and after pictures leave me speechless.
When the video ends, Gramps says, “I wanted you to see how good your doctor is, so you won’t have any worries about your impending surgery.”
From talking to my family the past weeks and now having watched the video, I do feel confident that Dr. Menard will be able to help me.
“I know he’s good,” I agree with Gramps. “I’m worried about going back to the academy and having to attend classes for the three weeks before the surgery,” I explain.
A dark frown settles between Gramps’ heavy eyebrows, and then he barks, “You’re my girl, and if anyone gives you any trouble, I’ll end them.”
My grandfather’s fierce protectiveness warms my heart, but it doesn’t do anything to lessen my anxiety.
“Tell me what you’re worried about,” Gramps urges me to open up to him.
Knowing he won’t back down, I let out a heavy sigh. “Kao.”
The thunderous expression on Gramps’ face darkens.
“I’m scared of his reaction. Noah has been sending me updates regarding Kao’s vision, and this morning he said Kao could see finer details like faces and what they were wearing.” My anxiety has increased with each day closer to the end of the Christmas break. I don’t want to go back. I wish I could hide at home until after the surgery, but missing a whole month of school is also not an option. “I don’t want Kao to see the scars. It would kill me if he were repulsed by me.”
“Are you in a relationship with Kao?” Gramps asks.
I shake my head. “We were close before the accident and were on our first date when it happened.”
“And after the accident? How was your relationship with him?”
“He said he wants to be