Chapter Twenty-Seven: Fall Hard, Fight Forever-9

The police officers who had wisely stepped aside and waited while Luke had his meltdown, smiled politely at me and introduced themselves to Luke. Luke didn't look like he looked forward to the interview and pointed to somewhere beyond the door. "I already spoke to Officer Harden who rode with us over here. But come, I'll walk with you to him. You may also want to speak to the other witnesses who were in the meeting with me. My IT team is already in the process of sending all the recording from the conference phone but my colleagues are more than willing to provide statements if necessary..." Taking a deep breath, I smiled at the nurse who gave me one more quick check and helped me settle back in so she could leave me to rest. That was when I saw Peggy standing by the doorway, sniffling through a tissue and leaning against Charles's shoulder. I smiled because I was happy to see them but also because I saw what two people who were right for each other often couldn't see for themselves. I lifted a hand and gave them a little wave. "You okay, kid?" Charles asked, placing a hand on my shoulder. "A little banged up but yes, I'm okay," I said. "I've already made arrangements to have a doctor come by the House to look at you while you're there," he added. "He's the best in the country. He'll make sure you get better fast." "And I'll make sure you're all settled in and comfortable," Peggy said, sounding a bit clogged up. Her eyes and nose were red. "Anything you need, Max." I smiled more broadly. "Are you coming with us, Peggy?" "Damn right, I am," she said. "Charles here is going to do his best to hover without someone to distract him and I want you and Luke to just have as much quiet time to yourselves as you need. After this circus you've been through, you more than deserve it." I winced. "Was it that bad? I wasn't sure how..." I trailed off, uncertain of how to articulate the horror of the entire ordeal. "I didn't even know if Luke would answer but... I thought I'd try and..." Tears stung my eyes and I drew in a few ragged breaths to soothe the tightness in my chest. Peggy took my hand and told me that it was alright. She explained how Luke took the call in the middle of the meeting, hearing the ringtone he'd assigned to me specifically. How he'd lost all color when he it dawned on him what was happening. How he would later scream and beg and smash a fist down on his laptop. Peggy had switched the recording button on the conference phone and nearly had to wrestle the cell away from Luke so she could put it on speakerphone. Terrence and the security detail present alerted the cops, deployed GPS tracking of the car and liaised with the police who dispatched officers on the road to find the Benz. While the whole thing had felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake from, I could only imagine what it must've been like as a spectator with no power to affect the outcome in any immediate and significant manner. "Thank you, guys, for everything you did." "No, thank you, Max," Charles said, smiling softly. "For what?" I asked, confused. "For fighting to live," he said, giving my shoulder a light squeeze, emotions flickering across those wise and pale blue eyes. "I was there, listening through the whole thing, completely helpless as my son grappled with the terrifying possibility of losing you. I knew without a doubt that if Luke had lost you then, he'd be on his own way down as fast as his next breath. There would've been no bringing him back. So thank you." My throat prickled with a sob I was trying to hold down but I forced the words out anyway. "We'll call it even. I owe your son my life as much he owes me his. I fought to live because I had reason to. I may still be scared of a great many things but the last thing I fear is the life I promised to share with Luke. I plan to make good on it." "Oh, she will." Luke's voice, tinged with amusement and tenderness, came from behind the pair. Charles gently pulled Peggy aside so Luke didn't blindly run her down on his way to me. He perched on the bed and took my hand. "She's my brave girl, after all, who took the risk of falling to catch me and yank me back up into the light. I like it up here with her. It's happy." It was-happy, I mean. I smiled as Luke leaned down to brush a kiss on my lips and felt him smile back. There is much to be afraid of in life-the rabbit holes we fall into and never escape, the pain we're fully capable of inflicting on ourselves as much as other people, the loneliness we sometimes mistake for or adamantly label as independence, the demons that break free of the walls and chains and make monsters of us. We fear such things because we recognize that they're the opposite of that thing that always eludes us-happiness. And it will continue to elude us if all that we're capable of looking for are things to fear instead of opportunities to be happy. When I met Luke, I was afraid to fall and break and be irrevocably damaged. When I discovered that the alternative to all that was a life without him, I stopped being afraid because there was nothing more terrifying than that. Instead, I hoped for the best because happiness wasn't achievable without a mild dose of optimism. You have to believe you can have it, after all. ***