Harry:
On Friday morning, I drove Tiffany to the hospital. She was quiet, staring out the window, and when I reached for her hand, it was cold. I raised her hand to my lips and brushed them against her skin. “Hey, you’re going to come out of this on top. I can feel it.”
She nodded, and I didn’t push the issue. Her mother was supposed to have been here, but she got stuck in terrible traffic. I knew Tiffany was having second thoughts going in there without her mom. But she was twenty-one years old. She wasn’t a child, and so she didn’t have to wait to have her mother present to sign any forms. I think the reality that she was doing this of her own accord was daunting to her.
Tiffany was admitted and sent to a room, which she would have all to herself, at least for today, the nurse had explained. She changed into a hospital gown and hospital socks, and I turned on the TV, trying to find something to distract her, but she opted instead to read a book and so I sat quietly beside her, taking in her bravery.
After almost an hour, Dr. Russel arrived. “Good morning, Tiffany! How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. Nervous. A little sore.” She leaned forward and rubbed her knee. I had done my best to keep her leg propped up, but she was a stubborn patient and had a habit of hopping around my apartment, insisting she could help me with simple tasks. I loved her, but I knew after surgery I may have to actually tie her to the bed so she could properly heal.
The doctor lifted her hospital gown and examined her knee. “It’s a little swollen, but that’s to be expected.” He rubbed his hands together. “So? Are you ready?” Tiffany seemed to shrink in her bed. I knew she’d never be ready. “Oh! I almost forgot. I brought someone I thought you might like to meet.” The doctor stepped outside for a moment.
“Is that code for the anesthesiologist?” Tiffany asked, not looking amused. I shrugged in reply.
The doctor returned with a woman. She was rather petite, but her hair was twisted above her head along with her stilettos giving the illusion that she was taller. She held a beautifully wrapped box in her hands. “Hi Tiffany, I’m—”
“I know who you are,” Tiffany said breathlessly. “You’re Katerina Petrovska. I’ve seen you in Romeo and Juliet, and Giselle, and Cinderella. You’re a principal dancer.” Tiffany was completely star struck, and I figured it was like if I was in bed and Derek Jeter came to visit me. Not like I’m about to play shortstop anytime soon.
“I am.” Her face broke into a humble smile as she nodded. “I am also a patient of Dr. Russel.”
“You are?” Tiffany’s voice was practically a squeak.
“Yes. Last year I tore my ACL. Dr. Russel fixed me up. You are in excellent hands.”
“Can you…?”
“Dance? Yes! Of course. In fact, I’ve brought you tickets to see me in Swan Lake in September. You should be feeling better by then.” She handed the box to Tiffany and pointed to the tickets that were taped beside the bow. “But I’m not going to lie. It took a lot of rehab. Trust his program. It works.”
“I will. Thank you so much for coming to see me. You really set my mind at ease.”
“Of course. And when you are ready to dance again, you can call me. Dr. Russel has my personal number, and I told him to give it to you.”
“Really? That’s unbelievable. Thank you so much.”
Katerina gave Tiffany a hug, and I pulled out my phone and quickly snapped a few pictures of them before she said good-bye. Dr. Russel walked her to the elevator so we had a few minutes alone before she was taken off to surgery.
“How cool was that?” I asked, beaming that the doc had pulled that off for my girl.
“Um… incredible! Did you know?”
“Not an inkling.” I pointed to the box. “Open your gift.”
Tiffany opened the box and teared up when she looked inside. She reached in and pulled out used ballet slippers. “She gave me her shoes.” Tiffany turned them over. “Look, she signed and dated them. They were from her Romeo and Juliet performance.” She hugged the shoes and smiled. She was in heaven. When she opened her eyes, I must have been looking at her a little strange.
She rolled her eyes. “It’s like if Aaron Judge gave you his game day glove.”
“I get it, babe.” I kissed her forehead. Dr. Russel appeared with a nurse. He had put on his surgical cap and had his mask around his neck. This was it.
“All right, Tiffany,” Dr. Russel said. “Are you ready to make some magic?”
She looked at me and squeezed my hand. “I am now.”
Forty minutes into Tiffany’s surgery, Claire arrived in the waiting room, looking disheveled. “I tried to get here in time. I really did. How is she?”
I hopped out of my chair. “She’s good. I mean she was really nervous this morning, very quiet. But then she got a visit from Katerina Petrovska and that perked her right up.”
“You’re kidding!” Claire looked shocked, and her eyes instantly glazed over as she raised a hand to her mouth. “How?”
“She was a patient of Dr. Russel’s, had surgery and rehab last year. So, Tiff’s a lot more optimistic now. I think for the first time she’s feeling hopeful that she might actually dance professionally again.”
“Oh Harry!” Claire looped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight embrace. “I am so relieved. I knew you could do it. I knew you could talk her into having this surgery.”
“Talk her into it?” I was confused. Hadn’t she wanted me to step away from this relationship a few months before?
Claire let go of me and wiped at her eyes. “Well, yes. Remember that night we had dinner? I was at my wit’s end, and Tiffany was falling further and further away from her focus. But she loves you, and I knew if you brought it up, she might actually listen. Thank you, Harry.”
Everything seemed to slow down around me as I realized I had it all wrong. “So, you didn’t want me to break up with your daughter?”
“No. Why on earth would I want you to break up with her? You two are crazy about each other.” She looked startled. “Why? Did you break up?”
“Uh… no.” I shook my head in disbelief. So many months wasted. Maybe Tiffany would catch her up one day, but now was not the time. “Actually, we only started officially dating last month.”
“Really? But you bought her that necklace.” She looked really confused.
“Yeah. It took us awhile to make it official.”
“But now you guys are good, right?”
I slipped my hands into my pocket and smiled. “We’re perfect.”