Chapter 30

Three weeks.

It takes three agonizing weeks before Izzy finally opens her eyes. We got the call a couple of hours ago. It took us some scrambling to find a last-minute babysitter before we could get to the hospital, but Gabe's grandfathers happily agreed to watch the little ones.

"Stay out late, go on a date, come get them tomorrow," Chris encouraged with a wink as we were leaving their place.

I'm not sure if we'll do that, but at least we have plenty of time to deal with Izzy's doctors. They said she regained consciousness but isn't responding yet—something called locked-in syndrome. It's a rare condition caused by damage to the brainstem that leaves a person completely paralyzed except for their eye muscles.

According to the doctors, her prognosis could vary wildly: from partial recovery to permanent but stable to progressive decline. For now, they recommend we take her home with specialist care or find a facility equipped specifically for locked-in patients while they monitor her progress. It's too soon to tell if this is permanent damage or if she has a chance of some mobility again.

My heart clenches with grief as I realize she may never fully recover or be her old self again. Her entire life has changed irreparably in an instant.

"Do you want to go in first?" Gabe asks gently once the doctors depart down the hall.

I nod, bracing myself. Maybe the doctors are wrong. Perhaps she'll speak, respond to me . . .

"Izzy," I greet her, forcing cheer into my tone despite the heaviness in my heart. What if the doctors are right and she will be like this permanently? She needs a feeding tube and lots of care.

Slowly, ever so slowly, her eyelids lift. Her eyes, clear and seemingly aware, meet mine. There's no smile, no movement from her, but the way her gaze fixes on me . . .

I move closer, brushing the hair back from her still face. "Hey, you . . . I heard you're awake finally. Cora misses you. We can bring her to see you soon."

Her eyes open wider as if I had said something wrong. Maybe I said the wrong thing. I just don't know what. Was it mentioning Cora? I just realized that hospitals are not the best places for children. Okay, I need to learn a few more things on how to raise little ones, but I'm getting there. I'll become a pro before I have my own.

I take a deep breath before saying, "You don't want her to come?" Izzy blinks once. "Okay, I take that as a yes."

So the doctors are right. She can hear and even understand. She just can't move anything but her eyes.

"I'm here to take care of your little ones while you get better," I reassure her.

Izzy's eyes move to the other side as if she doesn't want to see me or maybe talk to me. I should stop assuming, though.

"Why don't we do this? Blink once if the answer is yes and twice if it's not, okay?"

She blinks once.

"Would you like me to care for Cora and Caleb?"

Izzy blinks once.

I squeeze her hand. "You got it. I'll care for them as if they're mine. Then, when you're better, you'll be able to care for them."

She blinks twice.

"You don't want to take care of them?" I ask, confused and slightly alarmed.

She blinks once.

"But you're their mother, Izzy," I state. The monitors begin to beep faster.

"Ame, she's getting agitated. You have to stop asking questions," Gabe says, pulling me gently toward him. "She just woke up, and we don't want to overwhelm her."

He's right, but also I've been waiting for this moment for . . . well, weeks. "I'm just trying to figure out how to help her."

He sighs. "I know. Why don't you let me take this one?"

"Okay," I say reluctantly and kiss his jaw. "You have better bedside manners with patients."

Gabe steps closer to Izzy. "Isadora, we're officially the guardians of the children. We'll take care of them as if they're ours. Ameline has power of attorney for you, too, which means she'll be making any decisions that pertain to you until you're ready to make your own.

"I hope you work hard to get better. If not for them, at least for yourself. We're paying for all your medical bills, and I'll pay for the best long-term facility where you'll get all the help you need. Does that sound like a good deal to you?"

Izzy blinks once.

"Good, I'm glad we agree on something." He turns to look at me. "It's time to go home, Ame. We might be able to take advantage of my grandparents' offer."

I want to tell him that I'm not in the mood for that, but I do want to let Izzy rest. I kiss her forehead. "Why don't I come tomorrow?"

She blinks twice.

"You don't want me to visit you?"

Izzy blinks once.

"How about when you're at the long-term facility?"

She blinks twice again.

"So, no visits?"

She blinks once.

It hurts that she doesn't want to see me. "Okay, but when you're ready to see me, I'll be there, okay?"

We gather our belongings and head out.

"That was weird, right?" I ask as we make our way out of the room.

"It probably hurts, and you feel like she's rejecting you. I don't think that's the case. We can't know how she's feeling right now. Her entire life has changed radically," Gabe states. "Even if this isn't permanent, it'll take years for her to recover most of her faculties."

"I wish I knew how she got here."

He shrugs helplessly. "For now, we should get her personal items from the apartment and put the furniture in storage. No use paying rent when she's here. We'll figure out longer-term living arrangements once she's discharged."

"You really think she'll recover enough to live on her own?" I ask uncertainly.

"Have a little faith, baby," he urges gently, kissing my temple. "For now, let's go home and rest up. Maybe later, if you're feeling up for it, I'll take you out on a date."

I raise an eyebrow. "A date, huh?"

He grins. "Well it has been far too long since I properly wined and dined my girl."

I let out a little huff. "You've never taken me out on an actual date before, Decker."

He laughs. "Oh, I did several times. I just never told you we were on one."

My eyes go wide with realization. "Wait, those dinners . . . the movies . . . the times you came over to my studio and cooked?"

He nods.

"I wish you had told me how you felt then," I confess with a small sigh.

Gabe puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me closer to him. "It's one of my biggest regrets, all that wasted time." He kisses the top of my head.

"Even without the title, you were a dreamy boyfriend," I confess.

"Only for you," he says. "Always for you, baby."

"Take me home, Gabe. I might not be in the mood for a date, but I definitely need you to make love to me."

He grins and winks. "Your wish is my command, my lady."