Secret Love

Choked Up

Harley had been going to therapy for weeks now. She can move her legs only a little bit. She's come far from where she started. She gets so frustrated not being able to do things herself. I wish I could make everything better for her. She's so tough and strong, she keeps on fighting. After weeks of practice she stopped stuttering. I look at her asleep in the bed. I'm going to marry this woman. I'm going to ask her at Christmas time. I have it all planed out. We are going to go to a light show in the snow and I'll ask her under all the lights. She'd love that. I get up and go to the car. I look at the ring in my hands. Now I have to convince her she wants this ring. Maybe I should just propose to her and not even bring up the ring. What if she hates it? I take a picture of the ring and put it back in the car. I go back inside and sit in the back yard. "You ready to go to Tennessee?" Aaron texted me. "What are you talking about?" I reply. "We are going to Old Lincoln County Hospital in Tennessee." "When?" "Friday of next week." "Sounds good." I say. "Are you bringing Harley?" "Yes, What am I suppose to do leave her?" "No, bring her on the investigation. She'd marry you on the spot." He texts me. "Yeah,she'd like that." I text. "When are you going to do it G?" "Christmas time. Don't tell anyone though." "I won't." He replies. I get up and go into the bedroom. Harley was still asleep on the bed. She started to thrash around in the bed. "Zachary!" She wines upset. She's having a nightmare. "No,no,no." She started crying. I go over to her and sit on the edge of the bed. She sat up and looked over at my side of the bed. "Zachary?" "I'm right here baby girl." I say softly. She hugged me crying into my chest. "Do you want to talk about it?" I hold her close to me. "You died in a car crash." She sobs. "It's okay,I'm right here." I comfort her. She finally stops crying and looks at me. "Go back to sleep baby." I tell her softly. "I don't want to. My dream will continue." "Alright,do you want to get ready?" I ask her as I brush her hair back. "Yes." She moves the blankets off of her. I bring her wheel chair over and set her in it. She wheels herself to the bathroom and I follow her in. I help her go to the bathroom and set her back in her chair. She rolls into the closet and looks over at her clothes. She grabs grey sweatpants and looks for a shirt. She then rolls over to my side and grabs one of my shirts. "We are going out today." I tell her kindly. "Where?" "Thought you could get out of the house and we could go to the zoo." "Oh okay." She folds my shirt and her sweatpants and place them on the jewelry box. She pulls down her short knee length black cotton dress then smiles. I grab her bra for her and let her get dressed. I wait on the bed for her to come out. She finally comes out all fixed up. I follow her to the kitchen and make her some food. Harley lets Gracie outside and waits for her. I set her breakfast on the table and wheel her over. "Can you get me a pencil and paper please?" She asks me softly. "Of course." I go grab her what she asked for along with letting Gracie in. I hand them to her and she begins writing. I sit down next to her and smile. "So I'm leaving next Friday." I tell her. "Where to this time?" She stops and looks at me. "Well we are going to Tennessee, the Old Lincoln County Hospital." "Who's we?" "The crew, me, and you." I smile at her. She paused then a smile slowly spread across her face. "I'm going?" "Yes." I smile at her. "Thank you, Zachary." she smiles at me. "Your welcome love." I smile back at her. She then continued writing. "Whatcha writing?" I look over at her paper. "The poem I told you last night and a new one." "Nice." Harley and I wait until eight o'clock to go to the zoo. I load her in the car and we drive away. "I hope they have Hippos." she smiles at me. "They do. How come you like hippos so much?" "Because they are so cute! I want a hippo!" "Where are we going to put the hippo?" I mess with her. "The pool outside." she smiles at me.