She was pissing me off. “Feel better?” I asked, unable or unwilling to keep the snideness out of the tone.
“Not as good as I’ll feel when we get a restraining order on your ass,” she quietly threatened.
I was getting sidetracked, so I turned back to Caitlyn. “When you finally let me into your world, I didn’t even know how to feel human emotions. But over the course of knowing you, I fell in love with you.”
God, now it was my turn to start crying. I had to get my shit in order. I couldn’t be kicked out of her house weeping like an idiot.
Tammy snorted. “You sure got a shit way of showing it.”
Ricky just held Caitlyn, consoling her, in the place I should have been.
“I am in love with you. You are the only woman I ever want to be with. I told Rachel that, and she was testing me. That’s what you saw. A moment earlier, you would have seen me trying to kick her out. A moment later, you would have seen me trying to kick her out. What you saw was the worst possible moment of my fight against her, and I’m sorry for that. But you have to know that my mind never wavered. I was kicking her out when you walked in. You can believe me or don’t, it’s up to you, but I love you, and I can’t see a world worth living without you in it.”
I was out of breath, my pounding heart creating a roaring noise in my ears.
I’d said what needed saying. The rest was up to her.
When she finally looked at me, it was over. All the emotion I’d bottled up my entire life began pouring from my eyes. I sobbed like a child. Then she was there, my beautiful Caitlyn, her arms around me. “I forgive you,” she whispered as she held me in her arms.
Then another set of hands were on me. I looked up to find Tammy crying too. “Do it again and I’ll give you something to cry about.” But the threat had no head as she stroked my arm in a comforting gesture.
By the time I stopped crying, Caitlyn had taken the bouquet from my arms and had wiggled into my lap. Ricky invited us over to Ricky and Rafael’s house for dinner, then both friends left us alone.
Caitlyn made love to me on the chair, and when I came, I called out her name, declaring my love over and over again. As I held her afterward, I asked for a favor. “Can we take a picture of us with these flowers to send to Wenton?”
It was part of the hunt.
“Are you sure this is it, KP? We would hate to disappoint him.”
She was being reasonable, but I hated it because it only came out when honesty was truly difficult. I was ready.
“My last hunt was to fall in love, Caitlyn. I’ve done it, and I want him to know you’re the one.”
And there it was.
We took a selfie with the flowers and sent him a text with our picture: LOVE = Flowers.
I then looked through my phone for the picture I took with Caitlyn of the heart I painted on her graffiti gift project and sent it to him as well. LOVE = Names on a Tree (paper).
I usually heard right back from him, so I was surprised when he didn’t respond immediately.
Later over dinner with her friends, the worry grew. It wasn’t that late, and he was usually a night owl. I called rather than texted, but he didn’t answer the phone. Something inside of me, something visceral, knew something was wrong. I called the facility.
After speaking to the receptionist, I was put on hold a long time. My heart started racing. This was also strange. The facility was always so hot for our money that we were treated like royalty. They would have never had me wait for anything, let alone for someone to come to the phone. Finally, his doctor picked up.
“Mr. Preston. We were just about to call you. We’ve been attending your brother. It seems Wenton has had a heart attack. He’s in the hospital and we have him stabilized, but…”
The phone dropped from my numb hands. Caitlyn picked it up and got the details then called Robert to pick us up. We made it in thirteen minutes, a world record. I ran inside, but they wouldn’t let me see him.
“He needs to rest, and we have to monitor his condition. We’ll let you know when you can see him. I suggest you go to his cottage and wait for our call,” the doctor instructed calmly.
“I want to see him,” I shouted.
“Seeing you upset won’t help him. We have him stabilized, and he’s fine for the moment. Please take some time to calm down, and we’ll call you as soon as we think he’s ready for visitors.”
“He’s my fucking brother! I’m not a fucking visitor!”
Caitlyn grabbed my arm and pulled me in the direction of the waiting area. “We’ll be in here when you have news.”
She stayed with me all night, stroked my head, and spoke in soft, comforting tones. Sometime around seven in the morning, they let us see Wenton. We were both stiff and tired but happy to be able to finally see him. He was in good spirits but looked weaker and frailer than I’d ever seen him. His eyes were glazed over and distant, and the greenish pallor of his skin had deepened a shade. I knew, as soon as I saw him, that I was losing him.
“Hey there, Drama King, what’s this nonsense?”
The smile was so very weak, but it appeared. “How else could I get you out here on a weekday?”
“You could have called.”
I was serious. If he wanted me, he should have known he could call.
“They took my phone,” Wenton said with deep sadness.
“So, you didn’t see the pictures I sent you?” I was trying to be light and happy, no need to dwell on the obvious.
“Nope.”
“I did it, bro. I’m almost done with the last hunt. I have a picture with my initials in a tree. Well, sort of a tree. Also got a picture with flowers. All we need is a picnic, a kiss, and um…a lovestruck gaze, then I’m through.”
“Great. The lucky woman better be Caitlyn.”
She took his hand. “I am.”
“Well, let’s go on that picnic,” Wenton whispered, already tired from talking too much.
I lost a little of my enthusiasm at that point. They’d never let him out for a picnic.
Wenton apparently felt otherwise because he buzzed the nurse, who he obviously had some sort of flirting relationship with, because he went into mode when she arrived.
“Amelia,” he batted his eyes, “can I go to the lake?”
Amelia was a heavyset, kindly looking woman in her fifties. She looked like an angel until she said the following words, “Doc won’t allow it.”
“Please, just for two minutes to see the water? You don’t have to tell the doc, just sign the little paper that says I can. I’m not going off property, just to see the water.”
She patted his hand. “Sorry, Wenton, I can’t do it. Your heart isn’t feeling too well today, I won’t be able to get the approval,” she said sadly.
“Okay, can I get a wheelchair to take a spin around the floor then?” Wenton gave his best puppy dog grin.
“I might be able to authorize that, just give me a minute,” she said as she walked out.
“Okay, here’s our chance.” I recognized Wenton’s sneaky mode. “Go get a chair from the nurses’ station. Amelia has to go find the doctor to authorize my wheelchair. We just have enough time.” Wenton’s hopeful smile broke my heart.