Back Into Your Arms

I looked down at my phone, looking through the photos I had with Julie, there was a photo that caught my attention. It was a photo from 2011.

Julie already had her baby bump and Eric was standing right next to her.
I wasn’t in the photo for I was the one taking it. I remembered how happy Julie and Eric were when they found out they were having a boy.

I didn’t want this car accident to rob them of their future.

I looked at the time again, John would be arriving soon. I stood up and made my way to the crowd of people waiting for their loved ones.

I watched as he emerged from the crowd, his shades on and his hat on, wearing my favorite jeans of his, the one’s he folds and wears his long socks under. He was also pulling a small suitcase.
He noticed me and started smiling, I smiled back. He was holding a small cute box, wrapped in pretty flower patterned wrapping paper.

I was about to speak and greet him, when he decided to greet me himself but with another idea in mind.

He kissed me. Quickly, just a peck on the lips, but I was left wanting more. He then hugged me tightly.

“How do you feel?”

The question stirred me.

How was I feeling? I didn’t even know.

“I feel lost, but better now that you’re here” I whispered back, he let go of me to look me in the eye.

“We’ll figure it out together, this is for you, but don’t open it until you feel better”

I took the box in my hands wondering what was inside.
We got in a taxi and made our way back to Julie’s apartment.
We entered silently as I showed him where to put his things down.

“So, this is your bed?” he pointed to the sofa bed.

I nodded.

“We’ll share it this time, there’s unfortunately no other place for you to sleep”

“Fortunately,” he laughed. I glared at him and playfully stuck out my tongue.

I got into bed and he laid down next to me.

“At what time do you pick up the kids?”

“I pick up Emma at 1:30 and Aaron at 3”

“Ah”

“They called me in the morning”

“Who?”

“The hospital”

I felt a knot in my stomach just thinking about the call.

“What did they say?”

“That Julie’s surgeries are done and they are just waiting for her to wake up, but that Eric remains in critical condition, these kids need their parents John…they need to make it”

He scooted over closer to me and pulled me in.

“Relax, your hands are shaking” he whispered to me. I hadn’t even noticed, but they were shaking violently. I was so stressed out, so worried, so nervous.

He reached for my hands and kissed them.

I felt a tear roll down my face.

“Did you sleep at all last night? I feel like you didn’t”
He knew me too well.

I sighed and shook my head.

“I slept maybe at most an hour?”

“Try taking a nap, I’ll wake you up on time to pick up the kids, the more tired you are, the more miserable you’re going to feel”

I wiped the tears from my face and nodded. I heard his stomach growl. How rude of me to not offer him food.

“I didn’t even make you lunch”

“No need, you go to sleep, I’ll go make myself a sandwich or something”

I watched him as he got up and went to the kitchen. I looked up at the ceiling and then closed my eyes. I felt so much more at peace knowing he was there, I felt safe. Before I knew it, I had finally fallen asleep.