In This Life (Sequel to 'In Another Life')

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I just jumped out and tried to run through the doors. "Ma'am, you should slow down. You might hurt yourself like that," a young man said to me as I pushed past him to get inside. I ignored him, unable to concentrate on anything but the fact that something was wrong and Colby wasn't answering his phone. I saw Katrina as soon as I entered the waiting room. She rushed to me, and threw her arms around my neck. She didn't speak, which scared me even more. "What's going on Kat?" I wailed, feeling my entire body start to shake. "It's Colby, isn't it? I know it is." She bit her lip and nodded, her eyes red from crying. "Is he..." I let the question drift off, unable to form words. "No honey, he's okay. He took a nasty fall down the side of a cliff when they were out hiking. It's a good thing that there were others there doing the same thing. I swear I don't know why they continue to do these things." I felt anger like I hadn't felt in a very long time well up inside of me and smacked Kat with my purse. "OW! What'd you do that for?" she asked, rubbing her arm. "Because you had me thinking he di-" I couldn't finish the word, my voice catching on it. My body started to shake harder, as I sank down into one of the chairs. "I'm sorry T. I didn't know at the time. All I knew was that Sam had called me and told me that they were on the way to the hospital in an ambulance because Colby fell down a cliff. I didn't tell you anything, because I didn't know what to tell you." "I can't lose him," I whimpered, meeting her gaze with my own tear filled one. "I know sweetie. I know. It's okay. He's okay. Just got a really nasty bump on the head, a concussion, and a few cuts and bruises. Sam is sitting with him now." Relief flooded my body, but my anger wasn't gone. Only now, it wasn't focused on Kat. "I need to see him for myself," I said quietly. She led me back to his room, where I saw Sam sitting in the recliner next to his bed. Both of them were sleeping but I noticed that Sam's hand was resting next to Colby's on the bed. My heart swelled, knowing that their friendship really did surpass time. "Sweetie, wake up. Terra is here. Let's go get some coffee," Kat said quietly, jostling Sam's arm. He awoke with a start, panic in his eyes, until they rested on Colby. I knew the feeling. "Hey T," he said, finding my eyes. I just glared at him, irrationally angry at him, but still angry. "Don't you hey me, Sam Golbach. If you two idiots didn't insist on acting like you were still in your fucking twenties, this wouldn't have happened." "Okaaay, we're just gonna go. Feel better buddy," he said, patting Colby's arm. I noticed that he had his eyes opened now, and they were focused on me. "Hey baby girl," he said, his voice hoarse. I didn't reply. Instead, I got the thermos next to his bed, sat down on the bed beside him, and pressed the straw to his lips. He drank a little, then I set it back down on the little table. "I'm sorry T," he replied, his voice a little less hoarse. I nodded, and pressed my lips together tightly. If I opened my mouth, I was going to break down and I knew it. "I was so scared," I whispered, then sure enough the tears started to fall, and I lost my breath as the sobs wracked my now frail body. "I know sweetheart. I'm so sorry. I'm okay though. I'm fine. Not the first time I've gotten a little banged up." This statement reminded me that I was angry with him. "You stupid, stupid old man!" I said, my voice hard. "You can't just get 'a little banged up' anymore! You aren't as young as you use to be Colby. Neither you or Sam can just do what you used to do. Who the fuck goes climbing damn mountains at our age? You were supposed to be on a simple hike. I swear being married to you is going to give me a heart attack one day." He had the audacity to smile at me, that slow grin that takes over half of his face. It was the same smile that always made my heart skip a beat, just maybe surrounded by a few more lines. "I guess we'll have to do something about that then," he said, taking my hand in his. I watched as his finger started to fidget with my wedding and engagement band. "What do you mean?" I asked, still feeling the same flames that always burned in my stomach from his touch. "I think it's time to slow things down. It's time to maybe leave California." I gasped, not really able to grasp what he was saying. "What about our friends? What about Sam?" His smile faded a little at my words. "Sam and I will always be part of each other's lives, but you are my life. Besides, Kenzie and Kevin are always in Georgia, and Sarah too. Our other friends will visit, or we'll facetime them every day." So, that's what we did. Once Colby got out of the hospital, we sold our house in Southern California, and moved across the States to our home in Georgia. Life definitely slowed down, but it was slow in the most amazing way. We had lived our lives to the absolute fullest. I sat on the porch swing, watching Colby tend to the flowers in the garden. Who knew that he'd enjoy doing that? I smiled, and went back to looking at my photo album. There was just something about printed photos that couldn't be replaced. I ran my finger over Denise's laughing face and smiled at the memory of my best friend. Colby sat next to me, and wrapped his arms around my shoulder, before kissing my cheek. My life had indeed been an amazing one, but we weren't meant to live forever. I would live the rest of my life, knowing that love really does conquer all.