Chapter 111 CHAPTER 111

Chapter 111 CHAPTER 111
Ethan Hartley

"My congratulations, Ethan."

The smile emerges before I can contain it. I pull another invitation from my bag and extend it to him.

"I would very much like your presence at my wedding, Doctor."

He takes the invitation, reads it quickly, and lifts his gaze, emotional.

"Of course I will go. It's going to be incredible to see my patient getting married."

I smile excitedly but soon remember something important.

"Doctor…" I hesitate for an instant. "Can I begin to eat with fewer restrictions?"

He nods.

"Yes, with care. Avoid excesses, especially very greasy foods, excess fried foods, and very acidic things. And alcohol… avoid it. Since I know there will be champagne at your wedding, limit yourself to one glass. Just one, Ethan."

I take a deep breath and agree.

"Understood. Thank you."

"The nurse will call you now for the last session," he continues. "After that, I want to see you every three months in the beginning. Further along, we move to appointments every six months."

I stand up and shake his hand.

"Thank you for everything, Doctor."

He smiles.

"I only did my job. You did the hardest part."

I smile peacefully, and we leave the office.

My mother holds one of my hands, and my mother-in-law holds the other. The two of them walk with me full of pride. And I… I feel light.

The nurse calls my name.

"Ethan?"

I head into the chemotherapy room. As soon as I enter, I recognize Paula and Márcia. The smile comes automatically. I approach quickly and pull two more invitations from my bag.

"I would very much like for you to go."

The two of them take them, surprised.

"Oh my God, you're getting married!" Paula exclaims, emotional, pulling me into a hug, completely forgetting any protocol.

I squeeze her back tightly.

"Thank you for everything."

Márcia joins the hug.

"We are proud of you. You fought, you resisted, and you won. Of course we will be there."

I smile, feeling my eyes burn. I pull away and sit in the comfortable chair. Paula approaches to prepare the IV line.

"Any discomfort, let me know."

I nod.

My mother and my mother-in-law settle in beside me. I close my eyes for an instant, feeling the calmness arrive.

The last chemotherapy.

I can barely wait to get home and sleep after such a long day.

But above all, I can barely wait for our wedding.

I hear a distant noise, and gradually, I realize that I ended up falling asleep. I open my eyes with difficulty and notice that I am inside the car. Blinking a few times helps organize my vision.

I turn my face and find Gabriel at the wheel. He looks at me sideways and smiles in that calm way that always makes me feel safe.

"You woke up, my love," the voice comes out low. "Sleep a little more; we are already heading home."

I look out the window. The sky is still bright, but the sun has already lost its strength. It must be around five in the afternoon.

"I'm sorry… I ended up falling asleep without realizing it."

Gabriel laughs lightly.

"It's fine. You are tired; it's normal. The day was heavy, and there was still the chemo. Your body just did what it needed to do."

I nod, still sleepy.

"And the suit?" I ask, in a low voice. "How was the search?"

He lets out a nervous laugh.

"Exhausting. Your father manages to be worse than my mother."

I snort in disbelief.

"I doubt it, love. My mother, along with yours… it was hell. "I shake my head. "I almost cried from being so tired."

Gabriel laughs louder.

"Then we suffered equally."

I agree, and, shortly after, we arrive home. And to think that, soon, this won't be just his house. It will be our house.

Gabriel gets out first, walks quickly around, and opens the door. Before I say anything, he picks me up in his arms carefully, holds my bag as well, and walks inside, locking the door right after.

"Do you want to eat something?"

I shake my head.

"Just sleep, love. The tub can be waited for later. Today a quick shower is enough."

He smiles.

"Deal."

He goes up the stairs with me in his arms and enters the bedroom. I toss the bag on top of the bed while he heads straight to the bathroom. Carefully, he lowers me and places me on the floor. My legs are still weak, so I lean against him without even thinking twice.

Gabriel takes off my clothes slowly, attentive to every movement. I let him. The fatigue weighs heavy, and the simple touch already makes me relax. Afterward, he removes his own clothes. He guides me into the shower and turns on the water.

The warm water falls, and the world seems to truly slow down. Gabriel washes my body with patience, without any rush, as if time had decided to respect that moment.

His hands traverse every corner carefully, skipping nothing.

He cleans my arms, my chest, and my back, always attentive to my body's reactions. Every now and then, he leans in and leaves a light kiss on my cheek, then on my shoulder—simple gestures that warm more than the water. He says nothing. He doesn't need to. The affection is in every movement.

I feel my muscles relax little by little, the tension draining away along with the water, going down the drain. The weight of the day, of the chemotherapy, of the emotions… everything seems to lessen. I close my eyes and allow myself to rest there, leaning against him, confident and safe.

When we finish, he wraps me in the bathrobe with care. Next, he grabs a towel from inside the shower stall, wraps it around his own waist, and only then conducts me back to the bedroom.

Calmly, he helps me put on clean underwear and then grabs one of his oversized shirts, dressing me in it and smoothing the fabric with affection. He remains only in the towel for a few moments before changing as well.

He walks over to the switch and turns off the lights. In silence, we walk to the bed. I remove the bag from the top of the bed and place it on the floor, to the side, before we lie down.

As soon as I settle in, I rest my head against his chest, feeling my body relax immediately.

His arms close around me.

The day was long.

Intense.

Emotional.

It doesn't even take us a few seconds.

The exhaustion wins, and we fall asleep like that, holding each other deeply, as if the body finally understands that it can rest.