Page 53 of The Transfer
He gives me a hug, and we enter the hospital. Our parents are waiting for us at the elevators, ready to take everything upstairs. Time for a little Christmas miracle.
THIRTY-EIGHT
RIGGS
Ipocket my phone as I walk through the automatic doors of the hospital.Not where I want to spend Christmas Eve. I stayed with Dad overnight so Mom could go home and sleep. When she got back this morning, I went home for a nap. After tossing and turning all night, I collapsed on my bed instantly.
A few hours later, I have showered and am feeling somewhat better. I’m ready to soak up every moment I can with my parents before everything changes. Mom told me they were on their way back to the room, so I head there and see them as I exit the elevator on Dad’s floor.
“There’s my boy.” Dad has a smile on his face. Mom too. I’m struggling to find mine. I have to do better for my dad, if nothing else. I walk to them and hug Mom while Dad gives me a fist bump from his wheelchair. Going to open his door, I see a small Christmas wreath hanging on it. I’m glad that the staff is doing something to bring the holiday cheer to the patients. I hold it open so Mom can wheel Dad in, and as they cross the threshold, I hear a loud gasp. I'm not sure what’s going on, so I follow in quickly, and my heart stops.
Looking around the room, I find decorations covering every availablesurface. There is even a Charlie Brown tree in the corner, and twinkling lights cover the space.
“Mom, did you do this?” My answer comes quickly as I look at her and see sobs consuming her body. It definitely wasn’t her. My eyes move to Dad, and he is beaming at me, eyes flooding with tears as well. He points at the doorway, and that’s when I seeher, my Sunshine.Of course, it was her.She knew we would be here tomorrow. This beautiful, thoughtful woman never ceases to amaze me.
“Merry Christmas!” I hear her and the rest of her family behind her say, as they walk into the dreary room that they transformed into something Clark Griswold would envy.
I walk straight to her, lift her in my arms, and hold her tight. No words need to be spoken as I press my forehead to hers. She has a beautiful smile on her face. “Thank you, Sunshine.”
“Anything you need, Riggs.” We are in our own little world until someone clears their throat, and we break apart to see everyone smiling back at us.
“Y’all are incredible. I can’t believe you did this for us.” My sweet mom can barely get the words out before Paige wraps her in a hug.
The rest of the evening passes quickly with a delicious dinner that Paige and Reagan prepared for everyone. We watch a Christmas movie before the Mills decide to go home, and then it is just Mom, Dad, and me.
One last Christmas with the man and woman who gave me a life full of holiday magic and memories. I promise myself I will never forget it.
THIRTY-NINE
RIGGS
The time between Christmas and New Year’s is quiet on the basketball front. Since school is out, we don’t do much else except practice. This gives me the chance to spend a lot more time with Dad. He was released from the hospital yesterday, and we are all happy to be spending New Year’s Eve at home. We spent the morning watching college football bowl games, including the CTU game, which ended in a last-second missed field goal.
Looking over at my dad, I’m filled with conflicting emotions. I don’t know what is worse, a sudden, unexpected loss or this drawn-out process. Don’t get it twisted, I love having this time with my dad, but I hate watching him in pain, and I know he is ready for relief. I know I will never be ready or prepared, and it is selfish of me to want him to hold on as long as possible.
A knock on the door pulls me out of the darkness, at least temporarily. My mood lifts instantly at the sound ofhervoice. Mom comes into the living room with Reagan behind her, and my breath hitches, just like it does any time I see her. She looks edible in leggings and a hoodie. With a fresh-faced look and hair up, she is undoubtedly the most beautiful woman.
After striding over to her, I pull her into my arms. “Rea, you always look beautiful. But seeing you in a hoodie does something to me.” As I let go, her eyes meet mine, and a delicious, sexy smile lights her face.
This is a New Year’s Eve I never want to forget. Intimate, just the four of us, laughing and reminiscing. All the while, I know there is an underlying tension we are doing our best to ignore.
It’s about ten o’clock, and I can see that Dad is exhausted. Reagan and Mom go into the kitchen and return a few minutes later. Mom hands me a hot chocolate with a soft smile on her face and takes hers to go as she pushes Dad’s wheelchair to their room.
After hearing their bedroom door click shut, I grab Reagan and pull her close. “It’s almost midnight, Sunshine. You going to give me a New Year’s kiss?” I whisper in her ear as I tuck a strand of hair behind it.
She gives me a shy smile, teasing me. “We’ll see.”
We stay on the couch for the next two hours, talking and watching the countdown on the television. Just as we hear “5… 4… 3… 2… 1!” I put my hands on Reagan’s cheeks.
Soft at first, I press my lips to hers. Electricity flows through my veins as she kisses me back, pulling me to her by my shirt, a deep groan escaping my mouth. It is a kiss full of promise, and it rocks me to my soul.
I pull her onto my lap, her legs straddling my hips, our mouths fused. We are a mess of hands and lips, and pure intensity crackles between us. I could drown in her, just like this, forever.
Coming up for air, she puts her forehead on mine, eyes dark gray and stormy. “Riggs.” Just my name on her lips has my heart jumping in my chest.
I pull back and grab her face in my hands. Those piercing eyes locked on mine. “Sunshine. You’re perfect.” I don’t give her time to answer as I put my heart and soul into a kiss that I hope shows her exactly how I feel. Her answering soft moan brings a smile to my face, and I know she gets it. She does that to me, too.
Without thought, I suddenly stand, Reagan’s legs instinctively wrapping around my waist as I carry her out of the living room and down the stairs to the basement, where my bedroom is. We reach the doorway, and I stop.
