everywhere. I grip the steering wheel hard, painfully ready should another car swerve in our direction.
Suddenly Kao says, “Will you go away with me this coming weekend?”
I quickly wet my dry lips, then asks, “Where?”
“Where it will be just the two of us. Rancho Valencia in Rancho Santa Fe?”
“That’s a three-hour drive,” I squeak, far from ready to spend that long in a car.
“I’ll arrange a helicopter.”
My mouth curves up. “You’ve thought about everything, haven’t you?”
“Of course,” he chuckles. “I’ve booked a villa from tomorrow night through to Sunday afternoon.”
“What if I said no,” I tease him.
“I was willing to risk it.”
“What time are we leaving tomorrow?” I ask as I pull the car into the parking area outside the medical center.
“Five o'clock?”
“Sounds good,” I grin as I turn off the engine, and then I let out a relieved breath. “We made it.”
“I never doubted you for a second,” Kao murmurs as we climb out of the car.
When we walk into the doctor's office, Kao stops by the reception. “Kao Reed. I have an appointment at ten.”
“Take a seat. Dr. Hodgson will be with you in a minute,” the receptionist says with a sweet smile.
The instant we sit down, I rest my hand on Kao’s thigh. I know I’m being possessive, but the receptionist looked a little too friendly in my opinion.
Kao covers my hand with his own, and he leans into me so he can whisper, “I can’t wait to get this behind me so we can go back to the suite and make out.”
I smile at him, and turning my hand over beneath his, I weave our fingers together. “My hermit. We’ll have to live in the mountains once we’re married.”
“You’d do that for me?” he grins happily.
“Of course. I know how much you hate being around people.”
“Except you,” he murmurs lovingly.
“The doctor will see you now,” the receptionist calls, popping our happy bubble.
“Should I wait?” I ask Kao, but he shakes his head and pulls me to my feet.
I stick close to his side as we walk down a short hallway and then into an office.
“Good to see you, Mr. Reed,” Dr. Hodgson says, and they shake hands.
“You too.” Kao gestures to me, and then he chuckles. “I brought my girlfriend for support.”
The doctor spares me a smile as I sit down on a chair that’s situated against the opposite wall.
Dr. Hodgson gestures for Kao to sit behind some heavy eye equipment. “How do you feel?”
“Much better. The itchiness and pain are gone. Mostly my eyes just feel scratchy,” Kao answers.
“How are the migraines?”
I have to press my lips together to not answer on behalf of Kao.
“I had a bad one yesterday. I don’t get them as often anymore,” Kao replies.
“Okay, how many fingers am I holding up?”
“Two.”
Dr. Hodgon’s moves back. “Now?”
“Four.”
He steps all the way back to where I am. “And Now.”
Kao pauses for a while before he murmurs, “I think four.”
“That’s good.” Dr. Hodgson goes to take a seat opposite Kao, and he inspects his left eye first. “Look up. Down. Left. Right. Straight ahead.” A couple of seconds later, Dr. Hodgson says, “Pressure check.”
I clasp my hands on my lap, my gaze glued to Kao.
“The pressure looks good. Your left eye is eighteen, and the right fifteen. I’m pretty happy.”
“That’s good,” Kao chuckles.
I have no idea what that means, but I’m happy the doctor seems pleased.
Dr. Hodgson’s stares long into Kao’s eyes, then he says, “The graft has attached nicely. The corneas are crystal clear. I don’t see any air bubbles, which is good.” He shifts closer to Kao again. “Look straight ahead for me.”
Then Dr. Hodgson gets up. “If your eyes become foggy or cloudy, I want you to call us. Don’t rub or push against your eyes, but so far, everything looks good.”
Kao moves out from behind the equipment, a relieved expression on his face as he smiles at the doctor. “That’s good to hear.”
“The blurry vision will start to get better, and you’ll start to see finer details soon.”
“And color?” Kao asks.
“Like I mentioned before, you’ll see primary colors first, probably red. Don’t be surprised if you wake up one morning and you can see color. The blurriness will take longer to fade, though.”
“Will I need prescription glasses?” Kao asks.
“I don’t think so. Let’s wait to see what your vision settles on.”
They shake hands again, and just like that, the appointment comes to an end. I expected it to take much longer. When I rise to my feet, Kao comes to