Remington sat next to Charlie as he held her hand watching and studying her face. He noticed every freckle, the soft curve of her jawline, and skin that was much too pale. He wished he didn’t have to see that part of her head that had been shaved. Briefly, Remington closed his eyes. More than anything, he wished he had been a better father. Hoped Charlie would open those beautiful brown eyes, and forgive him.
Sky quietly entered the room. Remington hadn’t heard her. By the set of his shoulders and how low his head hung, it was obvious that he was in his own personal hell. Any parent would be, she thought. It was his voice that caught and held her heart.
“I remember when you were born. You were so tiny. You seemed like a little doll. I was afraid to hold you. Afraid . . .” Remington paused. The words seemed difficult to say. “I remember thinking my hands were too big. That they would break you.” He was full of pain. “I haven’t been the best father. Maybe I’ve even been a shitty one, but if you can hear me, I love you more than anything.” Remington’s voice came out as a hoarse whisper. “Come back to me, Charlie. I promise I’ll make it up to you.”
Sky could feel this man’s love and pain. It was palpable. Something inside of her connected to this family and the ice around her heart truly began to melt. Sky had intruded on something sacred and felt a bit guilty intruding on Remington’s moment with his daughter. A man as proud as him wouldn’t have wanted anyone to hear thoughts that were meant just for her. Sky stepped back closer to the door. She opened it and made a bit of noise pretending to have just entered the room. She cleared her throat before speaking because it was thick with emotion. But she did her best to keep it light. “Good evening. How are you two doing today?”
Remington half turned and watched Sky walk into the room. Her eyes were bright, glassy with unshed tears. “You overheard me talking to Charlie.”
She wouldn’t lie. Sky spoke softly as she blinked back tears. “I did hear you talking not sure how much I heard.”
“Enough to make you want to cry.” She was close enough to touch. He used the back of one of his knuckles to gently wipe away a tear that spilled over. “I hope those tears are for Charlie and not me. She deserves them. I don’t.”
Sky stared into those incredible gray eyes, and for the first time in her life, she forgot how to breathe. They were turbulent and so damned expressive. It was as if a portal to his soul had been left open and for a very brief moment, she was able to peek inside. There was hurt, pain and something that resembled passion.
It was as if he noticed it at the same time as Sky. Immediately, Remington shut down. He dropped his hands and stepped back. Whatever that was—that moment—it could not happen.
What the hell am I doing? I’ve crossed so many lines. I’ve got to get back on my game. It was best if they both pretended the last minute and thirty seconds never happened. Sky squared her shoulders. “I actually came to bring you good news. Charlie has made enough progress that we believe we can start the process of waking her up.”
At first, it was as if Remington hadn’t heard her. Then the upturned corners of his mouth grew so broad that it exposed the most perfect smile Sky had ever seen. It transformed his entire face. Remington’s perfectly straight teeth could have starred in a toothpaste commercial.
He was beautiful.
Remington took Sky by surprise when he joyously lifted her off her feet and spun her around in a circle. “Are you serious?”
“Yeah, I am.” She nodded and laughed right along with him wanting to share in his joy. For the second time, in as many minutes, Sky’s mouth went dry, and her heart sped up. Being held in his arms made her tingle all over. The moment she realized it, her smile fell. Talk about crossing lines—again.
Remington noticed it too. Slowly, he let Sky slide down the hard planes of his body. It was only a flash of a moment, but he liked the way she felt in his arms and on his body. Wrong time. What was he thinking? There would never be a right time. “I’m sorry about that. I was just excited.”
Sky cleared her throat. “Umm . . . no problem.” Back to business. She scolded herself. “I need to make sure that you know what to expect. Charlie has been in a medically induced coma for a couple of weeks. Therefore, the process that we will use to bring her out is going to take some time. It’s not a snap your fingers kind of thing. It can take up to seventy-two hours or more.”
Remington hung on to Sky’s every word.
She continued. “Even then, Charlie may not wake up right away. If she doesn’t, I don’t want you to be alarmed. Sometimes, it can take the brain a little longer to realize it’s awake and to start firing off on its own.”
“Can you tell if there is any permanent brain damage yet?”
“Her MRI scans look very promising. I think because Charlie is so young and strong, it is helping with her recovery.”
Remington appeared
