In Need of You

Chapter Five

Elisha heard a knock at the hospital door before it opened. He saw a mass of black curls tied back by a pink ribbon enter into the room. Her wide smile and big brown eyes reminded him of the little girl that he saved. She held a blue box in her tiny arms. It's aroma teased his nose. 

"Hi Mr. Brysen," Madeline said. 

"Hey little one, where's you, Momma?" 

"She right behind me," she said pointing her finger to Sabrina entering the door behind her. She held two plastic containers of food in her hand thanks to Grandma Zora. 

Elisha smiled, watching the two approach his bed. They both had on matching floral sundresses. The child was beautiful like her mother, he thought. She had cinnamon-brown skin and long black curls that spiraled past her shoulders. Her little button nose closely resembled Sabrina's. She was nearly this woman's twin. "Is this beautiful young lady your daughter?"

"That she is," Sabrina replied. She pulled the child closer to her body and ran her fingers through her hair. "This is Madeline Ellis."

"I wanted to give you this, Mr. Brysen." Madeline handed him the card she made.

Elisha smiled, then took the card from her. "Please, call me Elisha. Mr. Brysen is too formal."

Reading the card, he noticed she drew two stick figures. Each of them was holding hands. A heart was above their heads with the saying, "You're our hero". 

"Madeline," he said, looking into her eyes. "This is the sweetest thing someone has ever given me." He embraced the little girl. Her hair smelled of lavender and gardenia just like her mother. 

It was a scent that he would never forget. He couldn't forget it. It literally implanted itself in his brain.

"I brought us some chicken parmesan that my grandmother made. I tried to tell her that this wasn't a date, but she so insisted since I was bringing Madeline with me," Sabrina said pulling the tray up to his bed. "I have enough if you would like to have some."

He glared into her eyes. This was the one, he thought. This was the woman that he was going to wake up to every morning. This was the woman and child he was going to see bring warmth to his cold house and make it a home. Sabrina and Madeline were perfect in every way. "That would be fine. I love Italian food."

"Elisha," Madeline said. She looked at the television, then back at him and her mother. "Would you like to come to church with us someday?"

He looked at Madeline, then at Sabrina whose cheeks grew redder than Santa Claus's. "I would love to, as long as your Momma is okay with it."

Sabrina hesitated, then spoke. "Yeah. That would be fine. When he gets better, he can come to church with us, but only when he is ready, okay."

"Okay," Madeline said. Changing the channel from the news station, she found her favorite cartoon, My Little Pony and sang along with the intro. 

Sabrina glared at her, then placed her hand on her hip. "Young lady, you're--"

"--Let her watch it," Elisha said, taking her hand into his. "She's not bothering me. Besides, it better than hearing the constant doom and gloom that happens every day. I get enough of that anyway."

Sabrina sat down in the seat next to his bed. She inhaled deeply before exhaling. "Elisha," she paused. "Listen, I want to--"

"--Get to know you better," he said, cutting her off for the second time. He noticed the frustration in her eyes. "I would want to get to know Madeline better too."

Sabrina smiled. "That wasn't what I was going to say," she said. She glared into his eyes, then looked away. "I don't think I'm ready to move into any kind of relationship. This seems so sudden for me."

Elisha nodded. There were deeper wounds behind her words. There were past aggressions she was still holding onto. He could see that. He moved in his bed, shifting his weight to one side. He beckoned for her to come closer. 

As she neared his bed, he cupped her chin with his index finger. "Whatever he did to you and Madeline, I don't ever want to do that to you. I want to get to know you both better. I want to, if you let me, take you out to dinner when I get out this joint."

"Elisha, it's not that simple," Sabrina said. "I don't want some man coming into Madeline's life. I don't want her heart to be broken."

"Nor yours," he spoke. 

Sabrina glared at him with tears welling in her eyes. "I... I... I can't go through that again, Elisha. I just can't."

"I won't put you through that," he said. Her skin was so soft to his fingertips. "Please, allow me the chance to get to know you. To know Madeline. To love you and her."

He felt her hand tightened around his. A single tear trailed the contour of her cheek, slowly rolling until it made its way to the edge of her jawline. He wiped it away, then pulled her closer to him. He placed a single kiss on her cheek.

"Love isn't--I've got to go," Sabrina said as she stood from the chair. She glanced at her daughter who was now fast asleep in the other chair. "I want to get to know you too, but it's too risky. I can't do that to--"

"--Please don't go," Elisha pulled the covers from his legs, turned to face her, and got out of the bed. He stumbled toward her. 

"You shouldn't be out of the bed."

"I know I shouldn't, but I'm not going to let you run away. "

"Elisha, please don't do this."

He pulled her into his embrace and held her close. "I know I sound like a creep."

"Yeah, you really do," Sabrina agreed.

"But, you would have never stayed the other night if there wasn't something there," he said, still embracing her. "I know this seems fast, but I want to take all of my time getting to know you and Madeline."

"You've probably never been in a situation like I have," Sabrina said. She pushed away from him and glared into his eyes. "What that man did to me is something I can never let go of. I refuse to let that happen to me again."

"Maybe not with a kid, but I do know. I know what it's like to get to the alter and be left there for three hours. I know what it's like to love someone who only loved the money I made. I know this all too well, Sabrina."

He sat down on the bed. He watched Madeline climb onto his bed and snuggle the white sheets before turning onto her side and drifting back to sleep. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed. He knew that he wasn't going to get past her pain, but he for damn sure wasn't going to let it stop her from loving again. Regardless if it was with him, he wanted her to love and not be afraid of it. He wanted her to know that the man she had wasn't a plant root. He was just the leaf. 

Watching her sit down in the chair again, she looked out the window. A constant stream of tears flowed down her cheeks. "I came here because I wanted to take that small step with you. I would love to get to know you, but there is too much pain," she paused. Sabrina looked at him and gave a slight smile. "I just don't want to go through that shit again."

"I understand how you feel," Elisha said. He saw Madeline smile in her sleep. "I don't want to waste your time, and I'm not going to, but even if we don't get together, I would just be happy with knowing two of the most beautiful women that I've ever met."

Sabrina looked at him, wiping away a tear. "I would love to get to know you better," she said. "I'm just so afraid."

"Then, let me replace it with what's truly supposed to be there."