Dark Paradise || N.H

Epilogue

August 16, 2012

I nearly jolt out of my seat, gaining a few stares from other patrons in the waiting room and my mother beside me. “Honey are you alright? Was it that dream again?” she rubs my back and wraps an arm around me. “Yeah the same one” I sigh as the image of a blonde haired boy with eyes as blue as mine flash behind my closed lids. Niall, his name is Niall.

He has haunted my dreams for as long as I can remember. It's creepy because at first I never saw his face only his eyes, then little by little he just revealed himself to me. We've even had conversations, and each and every time it felt so real. It's odd, the idea of going to sleep every night is something I look forward to now. Just because I know i'll see him.

“He's woken up!” my aunt Gene comes rushing into the waiting room looking over at baby Spencer who happens to be sleeping in my fathers arms along with him.

“That's fantastic Gene! Now you can thank him” my mother nearly cries and an over whelming feeling takes over me. I want to meet him. The man that saved my aunts life in that robbery. It's been three long days, and if we weren't eternally grateful we would have left the second we heard he was in a coma.

“When can we see him?” I ask just as the doctor comes in, “In about 30 minutes, he should be fully woken up then. He may be a bit groggy but his memory is intact. He'll know you when he sees you for certain” The doctor smiles at aunt Gene and she smiles back wiping away the tears. I'm very curious to see the one who risked his life for her and baby Spencer. If it weren't for him Spence would be left without a mother, much like I was before my parents adopted me.

Thirty minutes pass and a nurse brings my aunt Gene in with baby Spencer. We all wait a few more minutes before she comes back out so we can meet him and give him our thanks.

“The nurse said he doesn't have anyone other than his mother who is a recovering depressee. She's a regular here at this hospital and will be here shortly” Aunt Gene fills us in, only making our gratitude for the boy grow. For some reason the information really hits me and all I want to do is be there for him. Aunt Gene said he isn't much older than me. Maybe we can even develop a friendship.

We walk down the maze like halls until we get to room 210 labeled, “Horan”

Filing in one at a time we walk in to his room, my parents are introduced first seeing as i'm the last one in line and the room being so small but we make due. I look across the room before my eyes fall upon the boy laying in the hospital bed. My my heart almost stops and my mouth goes dry. Eyes as blue as mine stare back at me and I know he recognizes me, just like I do him.

“Gemmy this is Niall, the co – worker who saved my life” Aunt Gene introduces us, her eyes filled with tears while she balances Spencer from arm to arm. Although no introduction is technically needed. Niall sits up wincing and placing a hand on his abdomen never once breaking eye contact with me. I stare back at him not sure where else to look. How is any of this possible? I thought he was just a fragment of my imagination. A caricature of the perfect boyfriend that my loneliness had created in an idle state while I slept.

“Gemmy” my mom whispers, nudging me to say something.

“Oh um – I – Nice to finally meet you” I stutter, emphasizing the word finally. He struggles to counteract my words by opening and closing his mouth before he settles for, “Like wise” and clears his throat. His accent is even present holy shit.

My parents, along with Aunt Gene carry out a conversation with him while I try to make sense of it all. I stare at the tiled floor, his eyes burning holes into the side of my face from time to time. I close my eyes and try to focus, to think, and file through my memories of him. Flashes of my dreams replay and phrases bounce around my head. “I love you” echoes and stands out to me making my heart lurch forward in my chest. He loves me? Do I love him...? No it was just a dream.. That came to you every night.

Is it possible for two people who have never met to be some how connected through their dreams? As I look back at him talking to my parents, the idea seems highly possible.

***

“Well we should leave you now, your mom will be here any minute” My aunt announces and I feel a sense of panic trying to take over. I don't want to leave until I talk to him. Alone.

“We really can't thank you enough Niall” My mom takes his hand.

“If theres anything you need please don't hesitate to call Gene and she'll let us know” my dad shakes his hand. And Niall's eyes find mine again.

“C'mon Gemmy” my aunt tugs at my cardigan.

“Oh um I want to thank him too, personally” I give her a tight smile and she nods.

“Sure we'll wait outside” she walks out with baby Spencer in her arms and my parents ahead of her.

I wait until I hear the click of the door before I make my way to his side. I look him up and down in the hospital bed, my hands clammy and knotted together in front of me.

“I'm sorry um – but do you know who I am?” Is as close to a soft blow as I can get.

“Your as beautiful as I had dreamt” he answers my question indirectly and I feel my cheeks flush. His eyes bore into mine and it's not even the slightest bit awkward.

“So you are him, the one from my dreams” I sigh, and he nods.

“And your the girl from mine” he adds with a small smile.

“How?” I whisper and he finally takes his eyes from mine while I try to hide my blush.

“I don't know.. All I do know is” he pauses and reaches for my hand, I flinch and he hesitates. The memory of him not being able to touch me in my dreams replays at light speed in my head. And all I feel is an overwhelming frustration, it bothered me just as much as it did him. “I've been waiting for this moment for what feels like a life time” he sighs and finally I let him take my hand.

The second I came in contact with her a strange feeling takes over, and all at once the fragments get pieced together. The bits and pieces come back into memory, “I – I found you” I whisper more to myself than to her. For some reason my fathers voice echoes in my head, “You two will each other and all will be fine” what does he mean?

The moment I realize I had said such a thing out loud I instantly regretted it. I'm not sure if she remembers it like I do. She's going to think i'm insane and i'll scare her off.

“I'm sorry” I try to take my hand back but she doesn't let go.

We should be asking questions and figuring things out but the more I think about it. The more I know that, that's just not how things work with us.

“Niall?” she squeaks and when I look up, her eyes are welled up with tears. “All will be fine” she laughs covering her mouth with her other hand to mask her happy sobs.

I sit up the best I can but she meets me half way, and like all the times I had imagined it she gently presses her lips to mine. I can't help thinking, I finally get a do over.