Painting Annalise

36 - Brayden

I've decided to leave this line for comments on the motivational pictures <3

"I miss you" I whisper with my fingers drawing circles on her arm

"I don't know if you'll come out soon, but I'm praying you do. I have so much to say to you. Things you misunderstood and this time I'm saying my feelings with no fear of your rejection" I pause and push the lump down my throat.

I take a deep breath and open my mouth for the words I have spent my afternoons rehearsing repeatedly. My imagination of how and when it would come out is far from reality but at this point, I've just decided to forget everything and do it. It's easier said than done.

My mouth opens and closes with nothing leaving it while my heart pounds away. Never in a thousand years did I see myself feeling this way. "I love you, Annalise," I say with my head on her blanket. 

"I think I love you too" I hear a raspy voice say

My head snaps up as I search the room for the source and when they land on Annalise whose eyes open slightly I begin to panic. For the first time in the past two weeks, I feel happy.  Tears roll down my cheeks mirroring her reaction as well. I blink them away trying so had to no break down in front of her.

She's awake. Annalise is awake.

I rub my eyes to make sure I'm not dreaming and when she stares at me with tears rolling down the side of her eyes into the pillow, I know she's back.

"Are you real or am I dreaming again?" I touch her face expecting her to lean in, instead, she smacks my hand away.

"ok, you're awake"

"you're awake"

She moves to sit up so I rush to her side. I pass her the glass of water I brought for myself before rushing to get the doctor. She asks a few questions and when he mentions she has been in a coma for over two weeks, I don't miss how disappointed she looks. The middle-aged man looks at her vitals giving me the opportunity to quickly call Sam.

"yes Brayden," she sounds so drained, I really can't blame her - these past weeks have been absolute hell because let's face it, no mother would want to get that phone call. And Sam has been doing her absolutely best; in my opinion. Her eye bags are getting heavier and with adrenaline pumping in my veins, I was too excited to see her get better. 

"Annalise is awake" I quickly say. 

There's silence.

Pin drop silence.

A silence that has me checking the phone to make sure I didn't end the call. And then it comes. A shrill scream blocks my left ear, followed by her appreciation to God then a faintly speaking Aaron until my ear pops.  

"is she really awake?" he asks sounding happier than I've heard him these past weeks.

"yes man," he hangs up and says nothing more.

I stop to thank God as I stare at her name placed in the name holder against the door. There's a smile on my face but tears fall, and it takes me a few minutes before  I can walk back into the room. Annalise's still sitting up and talking to the doctor with a polite smile on her face.

"your fiancé has been such good help taking care of you," the clueless man says making me wince 

Her eyebrows rise in confusion. With no more words, the doctor nods at me and excuses himself.

"fiancé hunh?" her mocking tone making me remember exactly just how much I craved to hear her voice. The regular replaying of a voice note she sent me a while ago was nothing compared to how she sounds now. And I feel like the main character in a movie reuniting with a lost loved one. 

"I missed you," I say quietly

"I heard you say it every day," she says calmly while getting up from the bed.

I chuckle at her choice of words. "bend a bit" she commands making me confused but I don't argue. 

The moment her arms wrap around my neck I don't regret my decision. I wrap my arms around her waist, placing my chin on her head. She whimpers against my shirt before I feel the spot dampen a bit. I pull away just to wipe away her tears, taking the risk of placing a light kiss on her forehead. With her arms still wrapped around me, she groans before burying her head into my chest

As selfish as it sounds I'm happy I am the first person to see her the moment she woke up.

"I've wanted to do this for a while" I feel her smile against my chest

"me too," I reply truthfully. Since I got to know you.

I'm about to say something but the door slams open making me pull away even though she can barely stand on her own. Her mum basically pounces on her quickly making Annalise stagger a bit but I catch her before they can both end up on the floor. Her mum weeps softly in a way that breaks me and I can tell it broke Annalise too, from the way her eyes start tearing up again.

"you finally grew some balls after she came out of a coma didn't you" Aaron pats my back before joining their family hug.

I watch them hug each other with a sad smile of my own. Annalise looks up and when our eyes meet, her smile grows wider after which she mouths thank you.

Eventually, they pull away and Annalise's mum forces her to go back to bed against her silent protests. The doctor calls Sam to speak and Aaron has exams so he stays for a while but eventually leaves.

"Finally," she says before pulling me closer to her.

I ignore the butterflies that form in my stomach at her affectionate side and lay next to her on the bed her mum paid extra for. It's wider than the normal hospital beds so it contains both of us.

Annalise cuddles me, making me pinch myself at the painful thought that this may not be real. This may all just be another one of my dreams, that end with me waking up in a corner of this room. She seems to find my actions funny because she laughs lightly before pulling away. I don't let her create much distance between us as I wrap my arm around her waist and pull her closer to me. If it's a dream, I might as well make good use of it.

This whole experience seems to have brought out a different side of her and there was this fear in me that once she was back to her normal self she wouldn't spare me a glance. Pushing away every negative thought, I place a light kiss on her forehead.

Take care lovelies
Remember my DMS are open