The Boys Down South by Abbi Glines

36

asher

The waiting room was slowly filling up. I’d woken up here for the third morning in a row to find more and more people from Malroy arriving. The girls from the salon, Norton Knolls and his wife, Denver Watson, even Amber and Hannah, as well as faces that were familiar but I couldn’t place. I kept my head down, mostly, lost in my thoughts. They’d be waking her up today. Or trying to. The doctor had said there was a chance she would go into her own coma and then we’d have to wait it out. I wanted to see her eyes. God, I wanted to hold her hand and promise her that we’d get to be all she wanted us to be. I would bust my ass to make sure the past three years became a distant memory for her.

As nice as it was that these people were here offering their support to Luke and Charlotte, I wished they’d all go away. The voices around me were grating on my nerves. I needed silence. I needed to think of all the ways I would try to make Dixie happy.

“Brent said you haven’t left at all.” Hannah had kept her distance until now, but she had worked her way over to me.

I nodded. What was I supposed to say to that? Of course I hadn’t fucking left.

“Can I go get you something?”

This wasn’t the Feed and Seed. This wasn’t a lunch break. It was the damn hospital. Did she think a sandwich would make it all better?

“No.” I knew I was being rude, but I couldn’t get myself to care. Dixie might never wake up and I’d be here eating a damn sandwich.

She didn’t say anything after that. She just sat there beside me in silent support. But I kept thinking that Dixie wouldn’t want her by my side. I needed her to go. Talk to someone else. Leave me alone.

“Asher, go with me to get a coffee.” Bray was suddenly standing in front of us, looking down at me. He knew I needed some space and Hannah didn’t seem to get that.

I stood up and followed him out without a word to anyone around me. They’d all have to just understand. Small talk and words of courtesy were the last thing on my mind. Luke felt the same. He wasn’t even in here for that very reason. He was keeping his distance from the crowd by staying away.

When we were far enough from everyone, Bray stopped walking. “I have no fucking clue where to get coffee. I was just thinking if I didn’t get you out of there, you were gonna toss Hannah’s hot ass out a window.”

I wasn’t going to go that far, but I was grateful he saved me. “I just need her to wake up like she’s supposed to,” I said, staring out the window in front of us. Out there, the sun was still shining, the world was still turning, people were still living their lives, unaware that others were locked away in here fighting for theirs. Their worlds hadn’t stopped. Just ours.

I turned to Bray. “Scarlet came by yesterday morning. She was here when I woke up. She didn’t stay because you and Brent would be coming. But she’s close by. Waiting on news. Charlotte is keeping her updated.”

Bray was silent for a couple minutes. I understood needing to be left alone with your thoughts to process it all. So I let him. We both stood there, with our arms crossed over our chests, our eyes on the world outside but not really seeing any of it. Both our minds were elsewhere.

“I’m not letting her go. Brent may hate me for life, but I can’t let her go. She makes me sane. She understands and accepts me in a way no one else ever has. I can’t let her go, Asher.”

I knew he couldn’t. I never expected it to be that easy.

“Seeing Dixie put into that helicopter, realizing that life can end so abruptly, just like Dad’s…I have to fight for her. Life could end for any of us at any moment.”

I knew he hadn’t meant to, but the image of Dixie being taken away caused a burning in my chest again. I just nodded in agreement. I had to catch my breath. I had to remember she was alive and I hadn’t lost her.

“Shit. Didn’t mean to upset you. You’ve gone fucking white.”

“It’s never going to be easy remembering those things.”

Bray squeezed my shoulder. “No, it ain’t,” he agreed.

I started to say more when Charlotte’s voice rang down the hallway. “She’s awake.”

My heart jumped in my chest. The long strides I took from where I had been standing with Bray to the room that Charlotte led me to were a blur. All I could think about was that Dixie’s eyes were open. She was here. She was back.

When we reached the room, Luke was just walking out. He smiled at Charlotte. His eyes were full of joy while his cheeks were still damp from his tears. “She’s asking for Asher.”

I didn’t wait for an invitation. I moved past both her parents and opened the door. Dixie looked so small on that bed, with all those wires connected to her body, and her skin pale, but from the moment her eyes found mine, a smile curled her lips.

I had prayed for days just to see that smile again, and just from seeing her there sitting up and awake, I started to cry.

“Asher.” Her voice was hoarse and soft. I moved toward her as my vision blurred from the tears and a sob tore from my chest. When I finally got to her, I laid my head in her lap and let the fear, relief, and all-consuming love I felt for this woman break me further. Her hand touched my head and I just stayed there.

“I love you, too,” she said. I smiled through the tears and lifted my head to see her. To take her in. To remind myself she was alive. We still had our forever ahead of us.