My father smiled. “Garrett said the same thing.”
I jumped up. “He’s awake? Daddy, I want to see him right now! Why didn’t you tell me he was awake? I need to see him right away.”
My father stood up and placed his hands on my shoulders. “You will, Emma, but Garrett wanted you to understand how serious his injuries are before you go in to see him.”
Julia stood up and turned me toward her. “I’m not surprised at all that the both of you would say the same thing. Your mother and I will take care of getting the justice of the peace up here. Garrett has asked that the two of you be married as soon as possible.”
I gave her a confused look.
“Emma Rose, they won’t let you stay with him in the room unless you’re married,” my mother said.
“Oh…well then, yes. What do we have to do?”
My mother smiled and said, “You’ve already applied for the marriage license, so that is taken care of. Don’t worry. We’ll take care of the rest. Now, I need you to take a deep breath and prepare yourself for what you are about to see.”
I looked at Billy and then at my father. “Does he look worse than Billy?”
“Thanks, Emma,” Billy said with a chuckle.
My father nodded his head. “Yes.”
I took in a few deep breaths. “I’m ready.”
We began walking, and I got a glimpse of Margie.
I stopped and looked at her. “You’re not welcome here. Please leave.”
“Emma Rose Birk,” my mother said, “that is your cousin.”
I looked over my shoulder at my mother. “No, she’s the reason Garrett is lying in that hospital bed and why Billy is standing there, looking the way he does.” I turned back to Margie. “Please leave.”
Margie started crying. “Emma, I’m so sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I was so mad at Billy, and I just…I just…”
I walked up to her and got right in her face. “You just wanted to go and screw someone. Is that it, Margie? I should have let you leave with him.”
She shook her head. “No. I wasn’t going to…I just wanted Billy to be jealous and—”
“What about the hurtful things you said to me? You’re so stupid. He was going to ask you to marry him, but you couldn’t be patient, and now, you cost me my wedding and possibly Garrett’s future. I have nothing else to say to you.”
I turned and walked back up to my father. We made our way to Garrett’s hospital room.
“I arranged for Garrett to have a private room.”
I looked at my father and wiped a tear away. “Daddy, thank you so much. You didn’t have to do that.”
“Hey, what are the perks of being Chief of Staff if I can’t pull my weight sometimes?”
I tried to laugh, but I just couldn’t. I stopped outside of the room, and I could hear music playing. I smiled when I heard Elvis singing.
“Elvis always makes him feel better,” I said in a soft voice.
“I brought up the record player and some Elvis sides from my office.”
I hugged my father as tightly as I could. “Thank you, Daddy, for loving him so much.”
“He’s like a son to me, Emma Rose. There isn’t a thing I wouldn’t do for him. It was very hard for me to work on him in the emergency room.”
“Oh, Daddy.”
He kissed me on the forehead. “Go on. I know he really wants to see you.”
I quietly pushed the door open and heard “Loving You” playing. I put my hand up to my mouth to hold back my sobs. As I moved closer to him, I couldn’t tell if his eyes were open or shut. His whole face was swollen and black and blue. Garrett was softly singing, and I stopped and listened to him. He had such a beautiful voice. He was singing so softly, and I knew it had to hurt his ribs. The song ended, and another song began.
“Will you turn it off, Em?”
I quickly walked over and picked up the needle. I turned, and he was looking at me.
“How did you know I was in here?”
He smiled, and my heart broke. His beautiful crooked smile on his bruised and battered face still made me weak in the knees.
“I felt you…and I smelled your perfume.”
I smiled and walked up to him. As I took his hand in mine, I gently bent down and kissed it. I was trying so hard not to cry, but he looked so banged up.
“Tell me you love me, Em.”
I shook my head, and a sob escaped my betraying mouth. “Garrett…I love you more than the air I breathe. I love you so much that it hurts.”
“Marry me.”
I giggled. “When?”
“Tomorrow.”
I smiled as that familiar feeling moved over my body like a blanket. “It’s a date.”
My mother fussed with my hair as I looked at my reflection in the mirror. My hair was pulled up with a few curls hanging down. I had put on a simple white skirt and a light blue collared shirt along with my favorite blue pumps that my mother had bought me.
“You look beautiful, Emma Rose. Are you nervous?”
I smiled and turned to my mother. “A little. I’ve waited so long to become Garrett’s wife, and well…” My voice trailed off, and an overwhelming sense of sadness washed over me.
“What is it, darling?”
I tried to smile, but it was forced. “I just wish none of this had happened, and we were having our dream wedding next month, and—” I tried to hold in the sob, but it slipped through my lips.
My mother grabbed me and pulled me closer to her. “Shh…don’t cry. It’s okay, darling.”
“I’m so mad at Margie, Mother, that I can’t even see straight. What was she thinking? Look at what she did!” I began crying harder.
My mother pushed me away and looked into my eyes. “Emma Rose, Margie did not cause Garrett to end up in that hospital bed.”
“But—”
She held up her hand and tilted her head. “Margie made a mistake. We all make them, Emma Rose. She is riddled with guilt, and the fact that you are treating her so poorly is not making her feel any better.”
I swallowed and whispered, “Good.”
“Emma Rose Birk, I am shocked at you. Where is this coming from? Now, I know you are upset that Garrett is hurt and that the wedding is being put off, but you should not carry around such hate in your heart. It does no one any good. Do you hear me? You need to forgive, Margie. You’re best friends and cousins. Would you want someone to hold a mistake against you like that?”