Page 59 of The Husband Diet
‘Where’s Yoda? Is she still bleeding?’
At that, they all laughed.
‘You’ll be a little loopy for a bit,’ the doctor said. ‘Let’s get you up here.’
Julian bent over and lifted me into his arms and onto the stretcher. Just like that. No huffing and puffing.
‘No blowing big houses down?’ I asked him, and he looked at me for a second and then grinned.
‘Come on, Little Red Riding Hood. Let’s get you checked out.’
‘Three little pigs,’ I corrected them, and they stared at one another.
‘Gee, thanks, sunshine. We really needed a compliment after dying,’ Paul chuckled.
‘I’ll huff and I’ll puff and I’ll blow your house down,’ I insisted, and Julian looked at Paul, who nodded.
‘A margarita will set her straight.’
‘No alcohol,’ the doctor said. ‘She’s still got the dregs of shock. Just keep her warm and get her to lie down.’
‘I’m not lying down in a morgue – whether it’s Boston City or Boston County,’ I sentenced. ‘What’s wrong with you guys?’
The doctor checked my blood pressure.
I’m not the one who’s had the accident, I wanted to tell him. ‘Paul…’ I murmured, and he bent over me.
‘Nice to know you’d miss me, sunshine, but really! You think I’d die in a car accident and get blood all over my Armani?’
And that’s all I remember.
When I woke again, I was in my own bed (I recognized the cow jammies hanging on the back of the door) and Julian, Paul and the kids were there, Maddy curled up in the crook of my arm.
‘Mommy’s awake!’ she hollered into my ear.
I jolted up as Warren checked me out and then hugged me as Maddy tugged on my hand.
‘Mommy!’
‘Sweetheart,’ I whispered, kissing the tops of their heads as my eyes swung to Paul’s. He wasn’t dead. My darkest fears hadn’t materialized today. The idea of losing Paul was something I couldn’t stand.
‘Oh, boy, am I glad to see you,’ I breathed, and, realizing how stupid I sounded, began to sob. Not a loud sob – just a sniffly, teary thing under my breath so the kids wouldn’t be alarmed.
‘OK, kids, you’ve seen your mum’s alright. Bedtime now,’ Julian said in his deep, deep voice that was tender but commanding as well.
Julian in my bedroom. For real this time. Oh, wow. Although this wasn’t exactly the way I’d pictured it, with Paul in it as well.
Maddy and Warren gave me one last look and a kiss before they allowed Julian to usher them out.
I sat up and looked at Paul in the lamplight.
‘What time is it?’ I asked.
‘Well, I’m fine, thanks for asking,’ he quipped, and I held my forehead.
‘Stop, my head is killing me.’
‘Serves you right, burying me before my days,’ he said as he reached out his hand and caressed my cheek. ‘I meant what I said yesterday. You are my family, Erica.’
