THE COLOUR OF LOVE (Wattpadprize14)Completed

Chapter 50 - Dreams do come true.

Twenty four hours later Cole still sat by Cherrie’s bed holding her hand, willing her to live with a determination so intense it hurt to breathe.

Her mother looked across at him and said, “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’ve met. I’m Cherrie’s mother and you are?” She smiled.

She looked at him curiously, aware that he’d shed as many tears as she had and hardly left her daughter’s side. Who was this man that seemed to be so affected by her daughter’s condition?

Cole looked up at the woman with Cherrie’s eyes and smiled. “Yes, I can see you are her mother, she has your eyes and gentle smile.  I am Cole.” He replied and he smiled when he saw a look of surprise in her face. Her eyebrows knitted together in a frown just like Cherrie’s did.

“Cole!” She exclaimed, “You’re Cole. Oh my God, you do exist. Cherrie was not dreaming after all.”

“Well, I don’t think that’s all together true.” Cole responded, thoughtfully as he looked lovingly at the woman who now held the key to his heart.

“I don’t understand. What do you mean exactly?” Cherrie’s mother asked.

“I know you’re going to find this hard to believe, but we met in our dreams. I don’t know why or how it happened but we fell in love in those dreams and I won’t leave her side till she wakes up and I can tell her that now in real time.”

To Cole’s surprise, she nodded and said, “I know Cole, she told me she dreamt of you and that she was convinced you were destined to meet in the real world. She would not rest until she found you.”

Cole stared at her, unable to believe that Cherrie had been searching for him just as he had been searching for her.  He looked back at her pale lifeless face and instinctively leant forward and kissed her forehead.

“Cherrie, I love you. Please wake up.”

His fingers laced through hers as he gently stroked her cheek with his free hand. He lifted a lock of hair from the side of her face and gazed longingly at her closed motionless eyes, straining to see the slightest movement that might indicate she was waking or a hint that she knew he was there.

The Doctor arrived to check on Cherrie and after examining her and checking her medical records; he smiled at Cole and spoke directly to her mother.

“I’m happy to say, she appears to be over the critical twenty four hours and is holding her own. Her breathing is improving and we might just be able to remove the oxygen in a couple of days. It’s amazing really as her injuries were quite extreme.”

“She’s a fighter.” Her mother said proudly, “She never gives up and thank God she hasn’t this time either.”

“She definitely is, Mrs Summers. After everything she’s been through in the last few years, her heart still beats with determination.” The doctor smiled and left both Cole and her mother feeling that much happier.

Later that afternoon as Cole dozed with his head resting on the bed, his fingers laced gently through hers’, he felt the slightest pressure from her fingers. He immediately lifted his head and looked at her. Did he imagine it, or did she just move her fingers in his hand?

When her mother came out of the bathroom he said, “I’m not sure if I imagined it or not Mrs Summers but I think her fingers moved while I was holding her hand.”

“Really, Cole, do you really think so?”

“I can’t be a hundred percent sure, but it definitely did feel like she moved.”

“Maybe it’s just reflex action.” Mrs Summers remarked, not wanting to get her hopes up.

~~~

Cherrie was so confused, what did the voice mean? What colour did she need to find? Her mind was in a whirl as she stepped out of the waterfall and walked onto the bank of the gentle, bubbling brook.

“Bells, I can hear bells.” She said out loud. “Little tinkling bells are coming from somewhere, but where?” The sound bringing back a memory of when Cole had heard the bells and she hadn’t. Surely if she discovered where the sound came from she would find Cole.

Feeling a little thrill of excitement that caused her stomach to do somersaults, she headed in the direction of the sound. As if by magic a carpet of purple unfolded before her. Her excitement grew and the somersaults in her tummy rushed through her like a jet plane. She broke into a run and felt as if her feet had wings as she suddenly floated amongst a sea of purple flowers.

“Orchids!” she shouted, “Purple orchids!  I remember now. The purple orchids.” Memories came flooding back of all the moments she’d spent with Cole and then it hit her like a bolt of lightning. “The florist, oh heavens! The Purple Orchid florist. It was there all the time.”

Cherrie spun round and round, her hand sweeping through the orchids as her anticipation grew at the thought of finally finding Cole.

Abruptly she stopped and stared at the field of purple flowers that stretched on as far as her eyes could see.

‘It’s the colour purple.’ she thought to herself. 'Purple is the colour I needed to find.'

~~~

One of the nurses walked past the room pushing a trolley full of flower arrangements. Cole looked at Mrs Summers and said, “I’m going to call my sister and ask her to bring flowers to decorate Cherrie’s room.”

Mrs Summers nodded her approval.

“Yes, that’s what I need to do now.  When she opens her eyes I want her to see beautiful flowers all around her.”

Cole stood up and walked out the room to call Natalie.  Quite by chance he bumped into her in the hallway carrying an arrangement of purple orchids.

“Nats, I was just going to call you.” He looked at the flowers she was holding. “Who are those for?”

“For Cherrie,” she smiled. “I know she loves orchids, purple orchids.”

“How do you know?” Cole asked, surprised that his sister would know this.

“When she came into the florist to order a wreath for her late father, she specifically asked for purple orchids.”

Cole smiled as if suddenly everything became as clear as daylight, “Nats, I was just going to call you and ask if you would do me a huge favour.”

“Of course I will Cole. If I can, you know I will.”

“Will you please go back to the florist and bring back as many purple orchids as you have there today, please Nats. I will pay for them all. I want her to wake up in a field of purple, just like in the dreams we shared.”

Natalie frowned at her brother, but could see he was deadly serious and as his dreams had come true so far …. Cherrie was living proof of that, she smiled, hugged him tight and said, “Of course Cole. Here you take these in the meantime and I’ll go back to the florist now.”

She handed the arrangement to Cole and laughing, she left with a wave saying, “Back soon with the entire florist.”

Natalie chuckled to herself as she got back into her car, wondering what Cherrie would say when she woke up in a sea of purple orchids.