body, and focus on the damage he caused to her heart.
CHAPTER SIX
EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
The day Carmen woke up from the coma, Shaun was home. The doctor had convinced him to go and get some rest. All he did was shower, and when he walked back into the bedroom, the phone was ringing. Before he could pick up, the call ended. Caller ID told him it was the hospital, and his blood went cold. He lived in constant fear that Carmen's condition would worsen, that she would slip away without waking up. Without a goodbye.
He sank down onto the bed and returned the call.
"Mr. Brannon, your wife is awake." Dr. Marcel's tone was neutral, delivering the news and nothing else.
"I'm on my way." Shaun ended the call and dressed in seconds, his heart nearly exploding inside his chest. Over a month of waiting—a month of hoping and fearing—and she was back.
The excitement ebbed when his cab pulled up in front of Serendipity Memorial. The same question that had plagued him for weeks plopped into his mind, and panic welled up in his throat. How much of his wife would return to him?
***
Doctor Marcel stopped Shaun before he could enter Carmen's room.
"Mr. Brannon, we should talk."
Everything about the doctor’s posture told Shaun something was wrong. His normally stooped shoulders were even more hunched, and he had a deep furrow between his eyebrows.
Shaun swallowed as he followed Dr. Marcel into an empty waiting room. The doctor pointed to a chair, but Shaun shook his head.
He took a deep breath, trying to hold his raw emotions in check. "What's wrong with my wife? You said she was awake."
Doctor Marcel cleared his throat. "She is. But the damage to her brain was more extensive than we expected."
Shaun dropped into a chair then and gripped the sides so hard his knuckles whitened. "How extensive?"
Doctor Marcel sat down too. "Extensive enough to cause blindness. Your wife lost her sight, Mr. Brannon, and I'm afraid it could be permanent." He paused. "But she's alive."
Invisible lightning struck Shaun's chest, and he found it suddenly hard to breathe. He dropped his head into his hands, the pressure behind his eyes unbearable.
Dr. Marcel touched Shaun’s back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brannon. I can imagine how hard this is...for both of you. Your wife needs you. She's been asking for you."
Shaun looked up, his eyes wet. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll see her now." Yes, he'd see her, but she would never see him again.
When Shaun entered Carmen's room with a forced smile on his face, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring straight at him. For a moment he thought she could see him, that the diagnosis had been a mistake. But her gaze was distant. His sliver of hope thinned to nothing the longer he watched her.
He went to her side and hugged her tightly. "Baby, welcome back. I love you so much."
She pulled away and curled up on the bed, her hands wedged between her thighs. "I can't see you." Tears trickled down her cheek. "The accident... I can't see."
"We'll get through this." Shaun cried silently, hoping she wouldn't notice. "It will all be all right."
"No," she said. "It won't. My life is over."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kelsey exited The Hot Pot kitchen carrying a serving tray.
One of the waitresses was sick and she had offered to step in, even though working in the kitchen was her passion. The hotter, louder, greasier, and more hectic it got, the more she felt at home. A real restaurant kitchen was a fast-paced environment. It could be stressful at times, but it also brought her closer to the person she wanted to become. She didn't even mind that her hands constantly smelled of garlic. It was a small price to pay for getting her life back.
She approached a table where four heavily made-up women sat, roaring with laughter at something said by the pretty, petite redhead in a tight pink sweater.
Kelsey placed a meal in front of each woman. Not one of them bothered to thank her. But before she turned to walk away, the
CHAPTER SIX
EIGHT YEARS EARLIER
The day Carmen woke up from the coma, Shaun was home. The doctor had convinced him to go and get some rest. All he did was shower, and when he walked back into the bedroom, the phone was ringing. Before he could pick up, the call ended. Caller ID told him it was the hospital, and his blood went cold. He lived in constant fear that Carmen's condition would worsen, that she would slip away without waking up. Without a goodbye.
He sank down onto the bed and returned the call.
"Mr. Brannon, your wife is awake." Dr. Marcel's tone was neutral, delivering the news and nothing else.
"I'm on my way." Shaun ended the call and dressed in seconds, his heart nearly exploding inside his chest. Over a month of waiting—a month of hoping and fearing—and she was back.
The excitement ebbed when his cab pulled up in front of Serendipity Memorial. The same question that had plagued him for weeks plopped into his mind, and panic welled up in his throat. How much of his wife would return to him?
***
Doctor Marcel stopped Shaun before he could enter Carmen's room.
"Mr. Brannon, we should talk."
Everything about the doctor’s posture told Shaun something was wrong. His normally stooped shoulders were even more hunched, and he had a deep furrow between his eyebrows.
Shaun swallowed as he followed Dr. Marcel into an empty waiting room. The doctor pointed to a chair, but Shaun shook his head.
He took a deep breath, trying to hold his raw emotions in check. "What's wrong with my wife? You said she was awake."
Doctor Marcel cleared his throat. "She is. But the damage to her brain was more extensive than we expected."
Shaun dropped into a chair then and gripped the sides so hard his knuckles whitened. "How extensive?"
Doctor Marcel sat down too. "Extensive enough to cause blindness. Your wife lost her sight, Mr. Brannon, and I'm afraid it could be permanent." He paused. "But she's alive."
Invisible lightning struck Shaun's chest, and he found it suddenly hard to breathe. He dropped his head into his hands, the pressure behind his eyes unbearable.
Dr. Marcel touched Shaun’s back. "I'm sorry, Mr. Brannon. I can imagine how hard this is...for both of you. Your wife needs you. She's been asking for you."
Shaun looked up, his eyes wet. "Thank you, Doctor. I'll see her now." Yes, he'd see her, but she would never see him again.
When Shaun entered Carmen's room with a forced smile on his face, she was sitting on the edge of the bed, staring straight at him. For a moment he thought she could see him, that the diagnosis had been a mistake. But her gaze was distant. His sliver of hope thinned to nothing the longer he watched her.
He went to her side and hugged her tightly. "Baby, welcome back. I love you so much."
She pulled away and curled up on the bed, her hands wedged between her thighs. "I can't see you." Tears trickled down her cheek. "The accident... I can't see."
"We'll get through this." Shaun cried silently, hoping she wouldn't notice. "It will all be all right."
"No," she said. "It won't. My life is over."
CHAPTER SEVEN
Kelsey exited The Hot Pot kitchen carrying a serving tray.
One of the waitresses was sick and she had offered to step in, even though working in the kitchen was her passion. The hotter, louder, greasier, and more hectic it got, the more she felt at home. A real restaurant kitchen was a fast-paced environment. It could be stressful at times, but it also brought her closer to the person she wanted to become. She didn't even mind that her hands constantly smelled of garlic. It was a small price to pay for getting her life back.
She approached a table where four heavily made-up women sat, roaring with laughter at something said by the pretty, petite redhead in a tight pink sweater.
Kelsey placed a meal in front of each woman. Not one of them bothered to thank her. But before she turned to walk away, the
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