Normally we went out to the veranda after breakfast so he could burn one, but today he said he was going to go tidy things up and wait for his grandson to arrive. I told him to swing by later, and I made my way back to my room. I was fixated on the television again, flipping among all the cable news stations, trying to get an updated status on the war and listening for any war casualties.
A couple hours after breakfast, Joe trotted into my room. He was bubbling over with enthusiasm as he nearly yelled, “Loraine, I want to you meet my grandson – he just got back from the war.” Joe turned back toward his grandson who was just stepping through my doorway and said, “Max, this is my partner in crime around here. She was my smoking escort when we were in the high security wing, then we transferred to this old folk’s fun house together. We’re both ready to bust outta here.”
I turned around to greet Joe’s grandson. As I held out my hand, I froze, the only way to describe it was – the - earth – stood – still.
Max and I stood staring at each other for mere seconds, that could just as easily have been a lifetime. My heart stopped, my stomach knotted, and tears clouded my eyes. All these days of longing for him, of feeling as though a part of me were missing - evaporated in that instant. I ran to him and nearly knocked him over with my clumsy but welcomed embrace. I felt steel arms wrapped around me as my whole body melted. We were tangled up with each other, and I could feel him kissing the top of my head. I loosened my embrace on his neck just far enough for my lips to find his. No words, but electricity pulsed through me with every pump of my heart, and fire ripped through the rest of my body.
It was Max, he was right here with me. The very first kiss we ever shared back in my hospital room after being shot was undiluted chemistry, a magnetic pull to him. This was so very much more…there are no words. For more than two years he believed that I was gone for good. Finding me here, he held me tighter than I thought possible. His shock coupled itself with my longing for him, and I don’t believe a chisel could have separated the two of us. As I forced my lips away from his to look at him, the shock had not subsided in his expression.
Max started several questions, “How did you…? When did…? Are you okay? It’s really you?”
I just nodded, too excited to say anything, desperately wanting to just cling to him. We stood in each other’s embrace, both too overcome to speak. I touched my hand to his face, the stubble I had felt days before was replaced by his smooth skin, the sun-dried chapped lips had recovered, and all the grit from the dirt and sand was washed clean away. It was my Max, the one I had lost camping, not the one I had seen on a foreign mountain. It wasn’t until Joe had cleared his throat a couple times that either of us even remembered he was in the room.
Joe said awkwardly, “I take it you two’ve met?”
Max pivoted to Joe, while continuing to hold on to me, “Gramps – this is Lauren, this is the Lauren I told you about.”
Joe looked confused, “The girl that got attacked by a bear? I thought she was dead.”
Max’s expression was shameful when he answered, “She was in a coma and the doctors told me…” Max turned his attention from Joe to me and continued, “They told me you had no chance. They told me you would never wake up. I’m so sorry, Lauren. I never would have left. I really didn’t even dream of ever seeing you like this again. I am so sorry for everything.”
Max was sure I thought he had abandoned me. I knew that was not the case. “It’s okay, I wouldn’t have wanted you to see me when I first woke up. I was pretty frail, right Joe?”
Joe nodded enthusiastically, “She sure was. Moving slower than molasses in January, shuffling around with a walker. She’s a might prettier now that she is moving under her own steam.”
Joe motioned the two of us to a couch.
“So how long have you been…” Max didn’t finish.
“Awake? A little over six weeks.”
“And, you’re okay?”
“I am now. My mom’s going to be glad I’m not badgering her anymore. I’ve called her every day since I could work the phone to see if you called her back or e-mailed her.”
Max looked down, as if I were pointing out yet another failure. “I was using my phone for e-mail, and it got smashed a couple months ago. I didn’t think, I mean, I should have…”
I cut Max off with, “That’s right! I’m sure you could have found a Verizon store, right? You should have just popped over to the mall after work.” The absurdity must have been infectious because they both had smart comments about how convenient everything was in a war zone.
We all sat down and caught up on each other. As we talked, Joe and I hatched the best plan. We were both here on a voluntary basis and could discharge whenever we wanted. We decided we would both go back to Ridgeville with Max, so we could all spend some quality time together. I called my mom, Seth, and Rachael to fill them in on what I was up to, and they were all thrilled
