THE COLOUR OF LOVE (Wattpadprize14)Completed

Chapter 51 - Purple Orchids

Cole stared in shocked surprise. He’d only been gone for less than half an hour when he’d bumped into Natalie around the corner, and had spoken to her about the flowers. Out of sight of Cherrie’s room, he had not seen the Doctor and Nurse rushing into her room.

Cole was speechless as he stood holding a rather large arrangement of purple orchids in his hands. Inside Cherrie’s room there were two nurses and a Doctor fussing around Cherrie. Her mother was laughing and amidst all this fuss Cherrie was talking.

‘She’s awake, oh thank God, she’s awake.’ Cole thought as he stood rooted to the spot just inside the room.

Cherrie tried to lift her head but the Doctor cautioned her to lie still. She looked at her mother and in desperation she pleaded, “Mom, did you see Cole? Please tell me I wasn’t dreaming. He was really there, wasn’t he Mom?”

Her mother smiled through her tears and said “Why don’t you ask him yourself.”

Cherrie’s eyes opened wide as she followed her mother’s eyes towards the door.

“Cole” she gasped and fainted.

Cole rushed over to the bed, but the Doctor pushed him aside as he immediately began checking Cherrie to see if she had lost consciousness again, but as he lifted her eyelid and shone his torch into her eye she blinked and tried to lift her head again.

The Doctor insisted she lie still with her severe injuries, as she was still very weak.

Cole stood at the bottom of the bed holding the orchids tightly in his hands, not realising he was crushing the stems he was so excited and tense to see that Cherrie had opened her eyes and his heart sank when they closed again. When she opened her eyes again he waited impatiently for her to see him. Would she recognise him? His head was spinning with the very idea she might not, or worse still she may not remember him from their dreams.

When the doctor said she was going to be alright, he walked slowly towards her, clutching the orchids to his chest. They felt like a security blanket, something to hold onto, especially if she didn’t acknowledge him. His heart beat fiercely against his ribs as he approached her side.

“Cherrie.” He said softly.

Cherrie had been talking to her mother telling her she was okay and to stop crying. But when Cole spoke, her mother stopped mid-sentence and looked across at Cole. She had forgotten he was even there.

Cherrie turned to see what her mother was looking at “Cole, Cole is it really you?” She asked shouting, thinking she must still be dreaming.

Cole suddenly felt like his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth. He opened his mouth but no words came out. His breath came in short, raspy gasps. Was he dreaming too now? Was this real? After all this time was it really her lying there?  Or would he wake up and find himself back in his sister’s flat all alone again?

“Cole, I need to know you’re real, please touch me, so I know I’m not dreaming again.”  Her plea was so heart wrenching, her mother cried softly waiting for Cole to respond.

Cole was lost for words and although Cherrie looked pale and fragile, when he looked into her eyes he could see the woman he had fallen in love with in his dreams.

 Without saying a word he pushed the orchids towards her. She smiled weakly.

“For me?” She asked.

Cole nodded, why was he finding it so hard to say something? The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he just couldn’t say what he had intended to say the moment she opened her eyes.

“Mom, please can you give Cole and I a moment alone.” She said sensing his apprehension.

Her mother looked from her to Cole and then back to her daughter and smiled. “I’ll be just outside the door if you need me Cherrie”

“I’m fine Mom, really I am.”

As her mother walked out the room she turned back for one quick look at the young couple before she closed the door.

“Cherrie …. I.” Cole suddenly found his voice and the words tumbled out so quickly Cherrie had to ask him to slow down.

“Cherrie, this wasn’t supposed to be how we would meet. It’s all gone so wrong.”

“What did you want to happen, Cole?” she asked cautiously.

“I wanted you to recognise me and run into my arms so I could sweep you off your feet and kiss you and ….” He looked at her to see her reaction before he carried on.

“And?” She asked.

“And tell you ….. I love you.”

When she didn’t respond, Cole looked down at the orchids he was holding and silently placed them on the bed next to her. He took her hand in his and kissed her finger tips and whispered, “You really do exist. You’re not just a dream anymore.”

A little tear rolled down Cherrie’s cheek, as she looked at the purple orchids, the next words that she said, she’d no idea where they came from or why she said them, “Cole.”

He looked up immediately into her eyes. The eyes he knew so well.

“Yes, Cherrie.” He said fearing she was going to reject him.

“The colour of our love is …”

“Purple!” Cole finished the sentence for her. “Our dreams have been influenced by purple all the way through Cherrie. Purple is the colour that has brought us together. Purple Cherrie, purple is the colour of our love, it has to be.” He said excitedly.

“Cole, stop babbling and kiss me, dammit! I need to feel your kiss in real time.”

Before she could say another word Cole bent down and kissed her lips softly.  He felt her lips part, an invitation he could not resist. She was real, she was here and he was kissing her. The woman he had fallen in love with in his dreams, he now held gently in his arms.

“Cole,” Cherrie breathed between kisses, “Please tell me we’re not dreaming again.”

“I love you Cherrie and this is real time, no more dreams darling, just you and me in the real world now.”

“I love you Cole, with all my heart and soul.” She said looking into the eyes she remembered from all her dreams. They were real now, not just something she saw when she closed her eyes.

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Acknowledgements

This love story is now at an end ….. the final curtain has closed of a love born in dreams ….

Sometimes dreams may come true, but only if you really believe and have the courage to pursue them against all odds.

To my wonderful friend Jae-Christopher Rowan, your support and friendship have been my rock throughout this story. Without your inspiring feedback through each chapter I would have lost my direction for The Colour Of Love. Unbeknown to you, your comments were my road map through this fantastical journey. Thank you Jae, for being with me, every step of the way, and inspiring my thoughts.

My sincere thanks to Nikki Kelly, for her support and encouragement and for giving my stories a boost by mentioning them on her page. Thank you so very much Nikki, could not have done it without you.

Thank you to all those who followed this story, commented and voted. Your feedback was very much appreciated and valued. I will be taking on board all the constructive criticism when I do the editing.

My thanks in advance, to my sister Desray Rowe, who will be doing the painstaking job of pulling every chapter apart and editing it – driving me insane with all the corrections!!

Lastly – to every new reader who has read this story, I really would appreciate your views on my journey through fantasy …..