“I won't say I told you so, but you know how I feel. Jeff tells me they're not going to let volunteers do that work anymore, which seems right to me. It was a wonderful idea, but much too dangerous.”
“I know. It sure got out of hand fast that night. I didn't even know what had hit me when I went down.” It didn't bear thinking about what could have happened to her, and they talked about it for a while, while Pip gave him meaningful looks and he tried to keep a straight face. He discussed it with her again over lunch.
“I can't just ask her like that with you standing there.”
“Well, you'd better do it soon,” Pip threatened him, and he laughed.
“Why? She's not going anywhere. What's the rush?”
“Because I want you two to get married.” Pip looked like she was going to stamp her foot.
“What if she won't?”
“Okay, then I'll marry you, even if you are too old. Sheeshh… I've never seen anyone so slow!” she scolded him. And the next time he went in to see her, Pip sent him in alone with a stern look.
“I'm not promising anything,” he reminded her. “I'll see how she feels.” He hedged his bets, and didn't want to disappoint Pip any more than himself. He didn't want to push, no matter what Pip thought. He had to trust his own instincts, not those of a child of twelve, although she had the right idea and her heart was in the right place, and he loved her too.
“You're the biggest chicken I know!” she accused him, and he laughed on the way in, and when he got to the cubicle, he found Ophélie looking peaceful and then concerned.
“Where's Pip?”
“Asleep on the couch in the waiting room,” he lied, feeling ridiculous, and then suddenly he wondered if Pip was right. Maybe the shooting had changed everything. Life was short, and it was real, and they loved each other. Maybe it was time to put his heart on the line to her again. It was worth the risk.
“I'm sorry I've put everyone through this,” she said, looking guilty. “I never thought this would happen,” she said, looking tired. She still had a long way to go, and the doctor said it would be a long recovery, which was hardly surprising, given the damage the bullets had done. But it could have been a lot worse, and nearly was.
“I was always afraid it would happen,” Matt said honestly.
“I know you were. You were right,” she said, as he took her hand. He was standing next to her, and stroking her hair.
“I'm right about a lot of things sometimes, and wrong about others.”
“You haven't been wrong about much,” she said, looking up at him gratefully, which was comforting to hear.
“I'm glad you think so.”
“Thank God Pip picked you up on the beach,” she said, and they both laughed.
“As I recall, you weren't too thrilled about that.”
“I thought you were a child molester,” she said breezily. “Wrong again.” She smiled at him and closed her eyes, and then opened them again and looked at him. She seemed surprisingly at peace, given all she'd been through. She was a very brave woman, and he loved her with all his heart.
“And what do you think now?” he asked softly.
“About you? That you're the best friend I ever had… and I love you …” she added cautiously, looking into his eyes. “Very much, in fact.” More than she ever knew. He was almost more than she deserved, or so she thought, particularly after all the trouble she had caused Pip, him, and herself. It had been a hell of a jolt for all of them.
“I love you too, Ophélie …” He was afraid to ask her, and then thought of Pip berating him again, and the thought of it made him smile and drove him on. “Do you love me enough to marry me?” he asked her, and she looked up at him, shocked.
“Did you just say what I think you said, or is it the drugs?”
“Could be both. What did it sound like to you?”
Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him, and she was still scared, but not as much as she had been. She had nearly lost everything when she got shot. How much more could she lose? And she had everything to gain with him.
“It sounds good to me,” she said in a whisper, and a tear rolled down her cheek. “Just don't die on me. Please, Matt…I couldn't go through that again…”
“I won't,” he said as he bent down to kiss her. “Not for a long time at least. And I'd appreciate it if you'd make an effort not to get shot again. I'm not the one who nearly died here,” and then he added seriously, “…I would die if I lost you, Ophélie…I love you so damn much…”
“Me too,” she said, and then he kissed her, and as he did, the nurse appeared, and told them he had to leave again, their time was up. ICU patients couldn't have visitors for longer than five minutes, ten at the most, but it had been long enough to find out what they both needed to know.
“Is it official, then?” he asked her, before he left. “Will you marry me?” He wanted to hear it from her lips.
“Yes, I will,” she said softly but meant every word of it. She was ready. And it was time.
“Can I tell Pip?” he asked as the nurse waved him toward the door.
“Yes, you can,” she said, smiling from ear to ear as he left, and she looked up at the nurse with a grin. “I'm engaged.”
“I thought you were married,” she said, looking surprised.
“I am… but I'm not… well, I was…I almost am…I will be,” she explained. She was giddy, she was so excited. All it had taken was getting shot three times to figure it out. A small price to pay.
“Congratulations,” the nurse said, and took her temperature, just as Matt walked back into the waiting room, and Pip stared at him to try and figure out what he'd done.
“Did you chicken out?” she accused him with a worried look, and he shook his head, trying to conceal his excitement from her so he wouldn't give it away.
“No, I didn't.”
Her eyes opened wide. “Did you ask her?”
“Yes, I did.”
Pip could hardly contain herself and neither could he. “What did she say?” She was holding her breath, as he smiled and put his arms around her. She was almost his.
“She said yes,” he said, with tears in his eyes again. It had been a very emotional day.
“She did? OhmyGod! Wow!! We're going to marry you! OhmyGod! Matt!” She put her arms around him, and he swung her around the room. “You did it! You did it!”
“We did it! Thank you for the idea, and the courage, and the kick in the pants. If you hadn't pushed me, I probably would have waited another year.”
“Maybe it was a good thing she got shot, sort of, well… you know …” Pip said thoughtfully.
“No, I don't know. And if she ever does something like that again, I'm going to kill her myself.”
“Me too,” Pip agreed, as they sat side by side together, partners in crime. Everything had worked out exactly as planned, thanks to Pip. All they had to do now was pick a date.
27
OPHÉLIE WAS IN THE HOSPITAL FOR THREE WEEKS. AND Matt stayed at the house with Pip for the entire time. She went back to school after her mother had been in the hospital for a week, but she went to visit her every afternoon. Matt spent the mornings in the hospital with Ophélie, then picked Pip up at school, and would bring her to see her mother in the hospital after school. They settled into a routine for nearly three weeks. And when she came home, Matt carried Ophélie upstairs to her room. She had to take it easy for another six weeks.
They had saved the lung and repaired her stomach, and they said the intestines wouldn't be a problem. She could manage with one ovary, and even have more babies if she wanted to, and the appendix was gone for good. She had been unbelievably lucky, and Louise Anderson from the Center had come to apologize to her for letting her put herself at risk. But Ophélie reminded her repeatedly that it was what she had wanted to do. It had been her choice. But there were going to be no more volunteers on the outreach team, which was just as well, although Ophélie had loved working with them. And she promised to come back to work at the Center itself in a few months, if Matt agreed. He had a say in it now, and he was no longer sure. He thought she should stay home with Pip, and him.