Second Chance Romance (Southern Nights) Completed

Chapter 20

“Second Chance Romance”

2012 Copyright All Rights Reserved

Chapter 20

A week had passed and nothing much had really changed.  Jade was still in the hospital and she hadn’t been able to remember anything before her accident, Austin and Libby stayed in the hotel by the hospital and visited Jade on a daily basis and Oliver had yet to return to the hospital and make a reappearance.

More than once Austin wondered why he hadn’t seen the Sheriff but between being with Jade and taking care of Libby, he hadn’t thought to dwell on it much.  His days were full with getting to know his daughter and by the time night arrived he was so exhausted that as soon as he heard Libby’s small snores, sleep followed him right behind her.

To his relief Jade hadn’t asked him any more questions about their prior relationship or Libby‘s parentage.  At some point he would have to sit down and talk to her about it but right now wasn’t that time.  He didn’t want her to stress out any more than she already was.  He wanted her main focus to be centered on Libby and regaining her past memories.

That focus was finally starting to pay off.  Libby and Jade had started to reconnect on one level.  Austin had noticed the strain it put on Jade but with Libby’s constant smile of encouragement, she soldiered through and now that mother-daughter bond was strengthening more and more every day. 

Libby simply amazed him.  To be so young she was an extremely bright child. She managed to capture his heart with just a smile and she had him wrapped so tight around her finger that he would be willing to give her the world if she asked for it.   

He hated that he missed those first years of her life.  He hated that Jade went through the pregnancy and birth alone and he hated that until now, Jade had been forced to raise their child as a single parent. 

No more!  She wouldn’t have to do it no more, he told himself.  No matter what happened when Jade regained her memory and remembered their past, he wouldn’t let her take the burden of raising their child on her own. 

And in the end, even if he couldn’t win Jade’s heart, he would make sure that he was there every step of the way for Libby.

Austin glanced down at the small girl that so trustingly held his hand.  She glanced up at that same moment and beamed brightly back at him.  When he called the nurses station this morning for Jade‘s daily update, he learned that she had been physically cleared and the doctor was signing her release papers.

Jade was free to go home.

Libby was so excited she could barely contain herself. 

He had been in contact with his brother all week and Tim had managed to coordinate and repair most of the damage at Jade’s father’s home so that it was habitable.  The damage had been limited to mostly some broken windows and basically a big mess where the wind knocked pictures off the walls, turned tables over and broke nick knacks. 

Austin had hoped to take her back to her father’s home thinking that maybe something familiar would help rekindle her forgotten past.

The elevator doors opened and Austin gently squeezed Libby’s hand.  “So,” he started, leading her down the hall towards Jade‘s room, “do you want to tell your mom the good news or do you want me to tell her.”

“I want to tell her,” she said excitedly.

“Okay, you it is then.”  Austin tapped lightly on the door before going inside.  He still moved slowly because of his broken leg but he had become pretty adept at moving with one crutch.

“Come in.”

Libby released Austin’s hand and bounced inside the room.  “Mama, Mama, guess what?”

Jade’s answering smile sent Austin's heart stuttering.  “What is it Libby?”

Libby jumped on the side of her mama’s bed and perched herself up on her knees.  “You get to go home today because the doctor said so.”

“I know, he told me just a few minutes ago.”

Jade’s gaze flickered up towards Austin.  He was leaning up against the side of the wall, watching her and Libby like he did every other day they had come to visit her.

She didn’t remember anything from her past but there was something about Libby and Austin that just seemed familiar to her.  She couldn’t explain it with words but even though she couldn’t remember being Libby’s mother, she could feel deep down that she was and that soother her in ways that no medicine or therapy ever could.

Then there was Austin.  Always so attentive and caring.  She couldn’t remember who he was or anything about any relationship they had together but there was just something so familiar about him.  She recognized him on a level that went soul deep. 

“Isn’t that great news mama?  Tonight we can sleep in our old beds.  The ones we have at granddad’s house.”

Jade’s gaze flickered between Libby and Austin again.  It was great news.  The doctor explained to her that there was a good possibility that when she was back in familiar surroundings, memories may start to resurface.  She was tired of swimming in a pool of nothingness.  She just wanted to remember who she was and what made her Jade.  “Yes, I think it’s great news,” she told Libby.  “I’m more than ready to get out of this place and go home and have some real food.”

“Are you sure you’re up to leaving,” Austin asked.

Jaded nodded, feeling a little more than insecure at the way that he was watching her every move.  “I’m definitely ready,” she assured him.

“Any more headaches,” he asked her.

“No.”  She pushed herself up higher on the bed.  “I’m just tired off having to sit here and do nothing.  I really am ready to get out of this place.”

Before Austin could reply the door behind him squeaked open.  He glanced back over his shoulder just in time to see a nurse pushing a wheel chair into the room.

“Looks like your chariot has arrived.”

Jade started to weakly laugh.  “That’s the way it appears.” 

“You get to ride in that mama?”

Austin held his hand out to Libby.  “She sure does sweetheart.  Why don’t you come with me so the nurse can help your mama get dressed.”  Libby jumped off the bed and walked over to his side.  He gave Jade a pointed look.  “We’ll just be waiting outside until your done.”

“Okay,” she acknowledged, swinging her feet to the side of the bed.  The nurse was already helping her change her clothes when he and Libby stepped outside of the room.

*****

Three hours later Tim pulled up in front of Jade’s family home.  When they first pulled up into the driveway, Jade’s heart fell when nothing at all seemed familiar.  It was just another small house that could have been any other house.

No one said a word as she pushed open her door and stepped outside of the car.  She took several steps forward and stopped at the bottom of the steps, just staring up at the front porch, trying to find a sliver of a memory.

There was nothing.  Nothing but the same blanket of nothingness that she had been suffocating in all week.  She felt the prick of tears burn the back of her lids and it made her want to scream. 

Why?  Why couldn’t she remember anything?  It wasn’t fair. 

“Are you alright?”

Jade jumped at the sound of Austin’s low voice behind her.  His touch at the small of her back soothed her.  “Yes,” she lied.  “I’m fine,” her voice shook.

“No, your not fine Jade.  Your anything but fine.  You don‘t remember anything, do you?”

She hated the fact that he could see through her so easily.  He had done the same thing in the hospital and it drove her crazy.  “You don’t know what I’m feeling Austin,” she snapped at him.

His arm came around her shoulder and he pulled her closer into his side.  This was the first time that he made any move to touch her and for a second she let herself soak in his warmth and his clean shaven scent.  It was a nice smell, one that she had come to know over the last week and she had found some comfort in that one small piece of familiarity.

“Jade, I know you and I know you are not fine.  Hell, nobody in your position would be fine after everything you have gone through.  But your strong, your brave and you have a heart of gold.  You’ll get through this.  I’ll help both you and Libby get through this.”

One runaway tear slid down the side of her cheek.  She was so tired of feeling useless and scared.  She just wanted to be herself again, whatever her old self was. 

Austin squeezed her shoulder.  “You ready to take the next step and go inside?” 

“But what about Libby?”  She glanced behind her and noticed that Tim, Libby and the car was gone.

“Tim took her for some lunch and ice cream.  He’ll bring her back in an hour.  I thought you might want to do this by yourself first.”

Jade was glad that Austin had thought to ask Tim do that.  Austin was always thinking ahead about what was best for her and Libby.  She may not remember this man but she was learning to trust him.  She could see that he had a good heart and he was proving to her over and over that all he cared about was her and Libby.

"Mmm,' she murmurred to herself.  She was already feeling her stomach churn because of what she may or may not remember when she walked inside the house.  

“That’s okay with you, isn’t it?”

“Yes,” Jade let out a nervous chuckle.  “That’s probably for the best.  I mean, I don’t…”

Austin touched her lips with his fingers to stop her rambling.  “Are you ready to do this?” he asked her again.

Jade stared up at the house again and straightened her shoulders.  She lifted her chin up high and prepared herself for what she may or may not discover.   “Yeah,” she swallowed past the growing knot of fear in her throat.  “I’m ready.”