Sleeping through the Beauty Read Free

with me? What will I tell Mr. Burks? You’ll have us fighting duels over you next. My reputation will be tarnished beyond repair.” He stood and kissed the top of her head and then gently lifted her chin so she could see his face. He leaned in and whispered so only she could hear. “If you ever need a knight in shining armor, I’m your man. I’m not much of a horseman, but for you I would do everything within my power to protect your honor.” He leaned and kissed the side of her cheek. He gave her one last smile before hurrying down the long hall toward his ultimate goal, Rose’s room.
    Phillip closed his eyes and took a deep breath before pushing through the door to Rose’s room. He reopened them only after he was fully in her room and the door was closed. It was a silly game he had been playing ever since he began visiting Rose every night after work. It was an irrational hope that one evening he would discover her sitting up and alert. The moment his eyes were open, a stab of disappointment pierced his heart. Rose was still lying with her eyes closed. Nothing had changed since his last visit.
    To brighten his mood, Phillip began humming so Rose wouldn’t be able to sense his deep disappointment. He carried the bouquet of yellow roses over to the vase and pulled out the old flowers. He busied himself with adding fresh water to the vase and disposing of the old flowers before finally walking back to Rose’s bedside. In the first moment of stillness, he marveled again at how beautiful she was.
    How many hours had he spent memorizing each dimple, the curve of her cheeks, or even each breath she took and released? What he longed for but refused to voice was for her to open her eyes and see him. Was she able to hear his many conversations over the last few months? It had been easy to talk about the years of neglect. After all of that had been purged from his system, he had told her about every single forgotten hope and dream. Every night, even though he didn’t think he would have anything else to say, he would sit by her side and have each and every word tumble from the bottom of his soul. He told Rose things he didn’t know he had thought about or even knew he yearned for.
    “The paperwork came in this morning for Rose’s Security Blanket Foundation. I almost came right over as soon as my secretary placed it on my desk.” He waited for a reaction, even though he wasn’t expecting any. So why he was disappointed when Rose’s expression didn’t change was a mystery only his heart knew.
    Phillip sighed and walked around the foot of the bed to the only window in the room. The night nurses hadn’t lowered the blinds yet and even though it was too dark to see anything, he stared out at the night’s blackness. “How did I get here, Rose? I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone. I only feel complete the moment I walk in here and see you’re okay. I have fallen in love with you and you’ve never even seen my face. I only know what your voice sounds like from your mom’s home movies. My being here is crazy, right?” There was nothing but silence for a reply, so he continued staring out the window. “The money’s rolling in for your foundation. We have enough to begin three of the dormitories, but I need your advice on what to do next. Even though I have all of your notes, it’s not the same. I need your passion for this to ever work like I know you want it to.”
    He glanced back toward the bed, but there wasn’t any movement or indication that she heard anything of his words or pleas. He drew in deep breath and then released a weary sigh. He jammed both hands into his pants pockets and turned back to face the blackness. His next words were directed toward the window and he said in all but a whisper, “Who am I kidding? I need you. I need you more than I have ever needed anything in my entire life. I have been asleep to the beauty out there, but you saw it, didn’t you? My entire life I have dwelled