Three Weeks [COMPLETED]

Chapter 36 - "Moving on, I'm thinking a winter wedding."

As Kit began to drift out of sleep the next morning, she became aware of a deep, humming voice, one she knew as well as she knew her own heart beat. A smile spread over her face before she even opened her eyes. When she opened them, she was greeted by her dad's bright, jolly blue eyes. He smiled for a moment, before frowned.

"Its about time!" he boomed. "What kind of daughter are you? We leave for two weeks and you end up in the hospital?"

The mischievous sparkle in her dad's eyes vanished Kit's tiredness. She was whole again.

"You left me. What kind of father are you?" she returned.

"Jack, really?" her mother scolded. She gave him a gentle slap as she moved to the side of the bed. "Honey, you're awake,!"

She slipped her hand into Kit's.

"I bet she wasn't really asleep," her father continued.

He took Kit's other hand and a weight left her shoulders knowing she was protected.

"Jack," her mother hissed.

"Kelly," her father mimicked.

Her mother shot him a serious glare and he dropped his smile for a moment. But the moment her mother refocused her attention back on Kit, his wicked smile was back in place. Everything was right again. She didn't feel broken anymore. Despite her weak heart, she felt strong.

"How are you feeling?" her mother asked. "And I mean, really feeling?"

Her shoulders dropped a bit and both her parent's expressions softened.

"I'm tired," she said, the weariness seeping into her voice. She glanced between both of them. "Tired and annoyed. Frustrated, but also, okay. This surgery took more out of me physically, but emotionally, it didn't knock me down."

She was silent for a moment, trying to find words to describe how much it had meant that Edison had come back. How much it meant when he hadn't left. He knew how broken she was, but still, he had chosen to stick around, and that made her feel bigger than her brokenness.

"I'm oddly okay."

She could see the relief the answer provided her parents.

"That's what I want to hear, Kitten," her dad said proudly.

He playfully nudged her jaw with his fist and she leaned into the touch.

"Honey, that's great," her mother said.

She nodded. "And before the surgery, I was fine. I felt great. I felt like... I felt like me again," she said.

The image of Edison sitting by her bed, holding her hand popped into her brain.

For the first time that morning, she glanced around the room, looking beyond her parents. She found Edison in the corner, looking unsure of himself as he silently watched her reunion with her parents. She gave him a reassuring smile. The look caught her parent's attention and they both looked towards him. He froze under their gazes, looking uncomfortable to have all the focus on him.

"Mom, dad, this is Edison," Kit quickly spoke up. Her tone was casual as she attempted to clear the awkward air hovering around him.

"Yes, we met," her father said. He flashed Kit a smile. "I must admit we were surprised to find him at your bedside when we arrived. But, we have come to see he is a good fellow and we fully support the marriage."

Edison's eyes shot up in surprise, but Kit just laughed. Her laughter seemed to help ease his shock after a moment and he managed to add a stunted chuckle. Her father flashed him a kind but mischievous smile.