The doctors eventually said he was stable but still in a coma.
***
His mom and I sat beside his bed until sunrise.
I held his hand, begging him to wake up. I whispered every stupid inside joke we’d ever shared.
I was still wearing the dress we’d chosen together.
***
Weeks passed before my boyfriend squeezed my fingers back.
Against all predictions, he survived and woke up!
The doctors called it a miracle.
They also called the wheelchair permanent. I didn’t care about either word.
My high school sweetheart was alive, and that was the only thing that mattered.
***
My parents came to visit Terry once a week at first. I noticed how his whole body tensed whenever they walked into the room.
“You don’t have to stay long,” he’d say, his eyes fixed on the blanket.
“Nonsense,” my mother would answer. “We’re family.”
***
One afternoon, I stepped out for coffee and came back to find Terry pale and silent, my father just leaving the room.
