Love Notes - By Heather Gunter Page 0,44
his injuries and….stuff?” I can’t bring myself to say what I am sure everyone else is thinking. It makes it so final to say it out loud and acknowledge the fact that any career Maverick may or may not have had in football, is now completely and utterly over.
His mom speaks up, “No we haven’t had that conversation yet. We will need to wait until he is awake long enough. The drugs they gave him for the pain are keeping him completely out of it. They want to keep him comfortable until they perform the surgery for his knee, which they will do first thing in the morning.”
“Can I be here? Can I stay?”
His mom who has the kindest of faces smiles softly at me. “Charlie there is nothing that I or I’m sure Maverick would like more. You are always welcome, you’re family.”
Hearing her say those words cause tears to free fall down my face. There is so much meaning behind them. I don’t think I could ever forget them.
I glance around while I’m wiping my eyes, not wanting anyone to see how much those words mean to me. I notice my mom looking on, pretending that she never heard them, but seeing a look of disbelief flash across her face. The moment she catches me looking, her face changes to indifference. Like it never bothered her.
Carol starts to wipe her eyes, when she speaks again. “He loves you and I know you know that. He’s never brought a girl home. So we knew when he brought you over so early in your relationship, that you are pretty special.”
The only person to ever call me special is their son, who has had to just about drill that thought into me. I finally start to get it and see that it took Maverick getting hurt, for me to truly see and believe it.
I turn to look at my mom and say, “I want to be here as much as I can, I need to be.” I’m not sure what kind of reaction I’m going to get and I am just waiting for an argument. “Please Mom.” I desperately plead. She sighs,
“We will work something out where you don’t miss school work and make sure you can still be here as well.” I’m not expecting this reaction at all.
I nod my head in understanding and agreement, “Okay mom.”
“However, now that we've settled that it’s time to get you back to your room and back to bed, deal?” Who am I to question her at this point? I will do anything she wants as long as I get to stay and be here for him and with Maverick when he wakes up–anything.
“Tori, will you please wheel me closer to the bed?” She doesn’t question me; she just knows what I need and what I want to do.
I look at him closely seeing only ‘my’ Maverick and lean over giving him a chaste kiss on the lips. I then lean into his ear hoping that he can hear every last word I'm about to whisper as I tell him, “I love you ‘my’ Maverick.”
I sit back down in the wheelchair and catch a glimpse of his mom and dad holding hands, his mom standing there with tears in her eyes. I don’t watch for long, if I do, I might start crying all over again. I don't need to do that. I need to be strong. He needs me to be strong.
His mom walks over, lays her hand on my shoulder and gives it a slight squeeze. Something so small, means so very much. Just a small token of comfort, even in her time of worry and despair, means so much.
Tori begins wheeling me back to my room and once we get there, I climb back in the bed.
I realize just how very exhausted I really am, physically and emotionally. Tori glances at my mom, “I will make sure that Charlie gets all of her school work.” she says.
I smile appreciatively at her and my mom doesn’t hesitate to thank her and says that she will also call the school to let them know what’s going on.
I drift off to sleep with Tori telling me everything will be fine, my mother in the chair getting comfortable for the night and thoughts of Maverick and only Maverick running through my mind.
Chapter 28-Maverick
What happened and why can’t I see anything and where am I? I only see pitch black darkness. Why won’t my eyes open?
I’m