The Slightest Hope

Chapter 20

HARRY'S POV

I groaned at the irritating knocking on the door. Rose, with her petite arms wrapped around me, snuggled closer into my chest. A flood of memories poured in from last night and I smirked at the lust of it all. But with Rose, there was also an air of love, which together created a most desirable passion. 

The knocking continued and Rose grumbled into my bare chest. 

"Who is it?" I called groggily, a twang of annoyance easily detectable in my voice. 

"Who else would be awake this early?" A chirpy voice teased. Elizabeth. I glanced at the bright red numbers on the clock. Indeed, only Elizabeth would be awake at 6 am on a Sunday morning. 

"Can I come in?" She asked. I just began to wonder how she had gotten through the usually locked front door, but my thoughts were interrupted by the grinning blonde who erupted the door open, despite my lack of response. 

She cooed at Rose and I snuggling and I pulled the blankets higher over us. I had forgotten we were naked. 

"Relax, Harry. I'm not staying. I was just asking if it was okay if we took Drew to church." Elizabeth stated as she gave us not so subtle winks. Ohmygod, she was so embarrassing.  

"Um, Rose? That's your decision." I said, brushing her hair off her forehead. She barely lifted her face from my chest before responding. 

"Why did you even ask? This is not worth waking up for, Elizabeth." Rose sassed. I chuckled at her attitude. She was not a morning person, like me. 

"Well, all right then, Miss sunshine." Elizabeth retorted before closing the door and tiptoeing away. 

"Sorry. She's always like that." I apologized. Rose looked up at me with sleepy blue eyes and my heart fluttered in my chest. She was so beautiful, it hurt. I had never felt this way about anyone ever before. Rose brought out the best in me, she saved me. I loved her with such a passion, that there were no words to describe. Everything she did was adorable. Like the way she overly blushed or the way her eyebrows furrowed when she was angry. She was perfectly imperfect. She was mine. 

"Don't be sorry. I loved meeting your family. I am so happy that you reunited with Josh. That was such a great moment." Rose confided, smiling as she rested her head back onto my chest. 

"I'm in love with you." I blurted. My cheeks grew hot with embarrassment. Of course Rose and I had always said that we loved each other, but never have I admitted to being in love with her. But by the way she stroked my arm with her soft hand and the way her eyelashes tickled my chest, I knew it was real. 

"I'm in love with you too, Harry." Rose grinned without hesitating. The butterflies in my stomach went erratic. Rose loved me. Of all people, she loved me. The comforting warmth of her reassuring words sent me back into a love-dazed, sleepy state. 

"I'm going back to sleep now." She said before snuggling into the dark confines of my chest. I rested my cheek on hers and drifted away. Though, I didn't dream. I only dream to escape reality, but now my reality was better than any thing I could ever imagine.

JOSH'S POV

I jolted as Elizabeth fumbled to get my wheelchair out of the van. She grunted as she struggled and eventually Drew had to help her. When the wheels were successfully on the pavement, we glided towards the old wooden church. 

Ever since I was found alive, buried in rubble, days after I was declared missing in action, Elizabeth made us go to church every Sunday, even when Blake was still a screaming baby. I didn't have a problem with church though, I was definantly grateful to be alive.  

I hadn't been to this exact church since before I was handicapped. The church was the same one Harry, our parents, and I used to attend and didn't hold and particularly fond memories. Back then, there was a different pastor, who wasn't keen on Harry and I's reckless antics. Once, we decided to skip Sunday School with two other boys and play hide and seek in the empty hallways of the church. The pastor, Robert, disciplined us for weeks, saying we were children of the devil. I merely laughed but Harry seemed slightly hurt by his harsh words. Out parents had given us a whooping when we got home and every day after school, we had to recite biblical verses for an hour. That punishment was especially terrible, because instead of being outdoors in the caressing warmth of the summer, we remained inside, learning new parts of the bible. A new pastor was at the church now. Pastor John was nice enough, though his sermons could sometimes be too much.  

Drew babbled all the way to the entrance, speaking of a tragic veteran story of which I was not accustomed. He was such a pure person. Sweet as candy and would never harm a fly. Drew was infatuated with me, always asking questions which I gladly answered. A deep, understanding bond had grown between us. Drew and I were both handicapped in different ways, yet we were somehow the same. 

Pastor John greeted us with a smile. I rolled up the handicapped ramp that they had built just for me. I was eternally grateful for all their hard work, but in truth, it was just a reminder that I would never be the man I used to be.  

"Why hello there, Elizabeth. You sure look nice today. Oh, and Blake looks the same....adorable as mess!" Pastor John laughed at his joke. He was a strange man. Extremely nice, but strange. 

"My, who is the handsome fellow?" He asked, reaching a hand out to Drew. The hand hung limply in the air as Drew stared at it, making no attempt to return the handshake. Pastor John place his arm back at his side as he awkwardly cleared his throat. 

"Oh, Pastor. This is Drew. He's Josh's younger brother's friend." Elizabeth stated, grabbing Drew's hand and giving it a firm squeeze. Pastor John's eyes flashed down to my mangled body. He had heard of my predicament, but never actually seen me since. His expression flashed one of disgust but he quickly restored himself. I assume Elizabeth had caught his uncalled for expression because she gave my shoulder a reassuring squeeze. It didn't matter anymore, I had grown used to the whispers and pointing. I looked the boogie man and Elizabeth was a saint to even stay with me, despite my grotesque appearance. 

Drew wheeled my chair inside to the front row, the only one able to fit the width of my chair. They sat beside me, Blake and Drew discussing the Toy Story movies. I smiled at their conversation as I took a moment to look around. Everyone was staring at me, avoiding eye contact as they nudged people to look in my direction. My heart stiffened. These were my friends, people I used to share admirable memories with. I let a single tear fall before quickly wiping it away. Now wasn't the time. My high school sweetheart and ex girlfriend, Tracey, tapped her husband's shoulder, pointing at my chair. She looked me directly in the eyes as she released a small laugh. Tracey was making fun of me. The air became stuffy and a lump was growing in my throat. I expected sympathy from good-hearted church members, not appalled stares and sickening chuckles. I needed to get out. 

I furiously rolled the wheelchair down the aisle, ignoring the confused cries from my family. I just kept going until I was out the door, free from the shattering emptiness of the church. I had forgotten to watch where I was going and my wheel chair tumbled and rolled down the concrete stairs. 

I fell onto my stomach, head slamming into the cement of the sidewalk as my wheelchair tumbled somewhere in the distance. I felt the warm escape of blood from my head and face. I tried to cover myself as everyone rushed our of the church, but I was literally paralyzed, my legs hung like lump noodles. At the sound of Tracey's tittering, I began to sob. My scratched chest heaved with each cry, rubbing onto the harsh concrete. Pastor John ran over and tried to help me up. I pleaded him to leave me in my destroyed remains, only wanting to sob my sorrows away, but he refused. He set my in my wheel chair as Elizabeth rushed over to wipe the blood from my face. I broke down when I saw Drew. He no longer looked at me with admiration and respect. Now he saw what I really was. A cripple. I was just a breathing corpse. I was no better than him. Drew turned away, scooping Blake into his arms. I sobbed as my will to go on left me, leaving behind just an empty shell of a man.