Waiting for Love

Chapter 5

I kept staring at the beer without daring to drink it. There was a lump in my throat, and I was afraid to choke. I lost track of time and didn't know if hours or minutes had passed, but the instant Maddie entered the bar, I knew. Even before I turned to the door, I felt she was there.

When I walked towards her, I couldn't stop thinking about how pretty she was. And small. I had had the impression that Maddie was taller when she was lying on the stretcher.

But her gaze was exactly as I imagined it would be.

I stopped in front of her, analyzing her.

"Hi."

"Hi." I answered.

We both remained silent, just staring at each other.

God, how beautiful she was. The honey-colored curls fell like cascades from her back, and the dark eyes were the brightest I had ever seen.

"Is it weird if I tell you how beautiful you are? You always have been."

"Hopefully I look better than when I was in a coma." She smiled and looked at the floor.

"Well, there's more color on your cheeks now." I held her chin up so that I could look into her eyes. "I want to record your gaze in my mind."

I let go of her, and we stared at each other in silence again.

"What are you doing here?"

"I had to tell you that Dr. Frankenstein is the real monster. But I don't judge him for playing God; sometimes curiosity gets the best of us. And yes, Mr. Darcy was a fool. What even is this bizarre way of declaring that he was in love?"

"Do you remember?" Maddie nodded and held my hand between hers.

"Little by little and every day more. It's as if the blizzard in my brain is slowly falling away. I know you like lemon ice cream when it rains and that you love to swim. I heard about how nervous you get whenever you have an exam. It's crazy, but I even know some of the patients of the hospital by their names. And when I close my eyes..." She closed her eyes. "If I focus enough, I can hear your voice."

I studied her face, trying to convince myself that it was not the effect of the beer I drank. As crazy as it sounded, I loved Maddie from the moment I heard her name. It's as if in a certain way, I had always done it.

And even though it was impossible to reach her when we first met, I would never have stopped trying.

I would never stop loving her.

"You made a promise, remember?"

"I promised your mother you'd be fine."
I nodded with a proud smile.

"I'm not talking about this one. You said that you would take me dancing. Also that we would watch 'Pride and Prejudice' together, but this is not the promise I am most excited about."

"Which is it?"

"Guess it." Maddie smiled, but not like when she was just polite to the ones I used to see in her pictures. This one... was prettier. And it was for me."

"I said that if you ever woke up and smiled at me, as you did in the pictures you took at the beach, then I would kiss you."

"Well, I came here to give you a chance to keep your promise. All and each one of them."

I held her face between my hands, and although we were standing in the middle of a bar full of people, some of whom were my work colleagues, I couldn't care less.

"Are you sure?" I pulled her closer to me.

"Do I need to smile more? My cheek already hurts."

I lowered my head and covered her lips with mine.

"I love the taste of your smile. But..."

"But?" She walked away a little to face me. "Don't tell me you're married."

"No, god, no. But there's something important I need to tell you. I'm about to leave for the rest of the year."

"I already knew that Chanice told me. But I guess it's not a problem. You waited for four months, so it's my turn. I'll be waiting for love to come around."

I kissed her as if no one was looking while the bar exploded with whistles and applause.

Even if the entire world were looking at us, nothing would stop me from kissing her.

Again and again.

At that moment, I extended the promise I made to her mother; I would never stop taking care of Maddie, nor of loving and kissing her.

This was not a part of the original promise, but I liked this way better.

The end.