CHAPTER 35

 

Chapter 35

 

The room was a storm of silk, perfume, and half-finished glasses of champagne, and the air was thick with the scent of roses, hairspray, and lots and lots of nervous energy…

Bridesmaids darted across the room, each wrapped in a soft blush gown, their arms full of last-minute emergencies like bobby pins, a curling wand or a mascara…

Someone was on the floor, desperately trying to fix a broken strap on a shoe while someone else was adjusting Lisa’s neckline in the mirror, muttering about how she should have gone with a different bra.

Laughter spilled from one corner and sharp instructions from another, and through it all, Lisa sat in the center of the chaos, surprisingly calm, swathed in white and smiling.

Her dress was just perfect… flowy but fitted, fabric hugging the curve of her belly and she shifted, the silk sliding over her skin like water.

Someone brushed shimmering powder over her collarbone, another bridesmaid crouched at her feet, adjusting the delicate lace of her hem while the mirror in front of her reflected back a woman Lisa barely recognized… serene, radiant, and somehow otherworldly in the kind of way only a bride could be.

She looked like some kind of goddess, but she wasn’t about to say that out loud, of course.

“You are stunning, Lisa…” Monica breathed from behind her, clasping her hands over her heart. “Absolutely breathtaking.”

A murmur of agreement rippled through the room, but Lisa barely heard it.

She was too caught up in the strangeness of it all, the way everything was moving so fast, too fast, like the day was sprinting ahead of her, and she was just barely keeping up.

Lisa took in her reflection in the mirror again and couldn’t help but grin. She did look… well, just perfect… Still smiling, she reached out for her orange juice and took a casual sip before she heard someone let out a full-on horror-movie shriek.

“Lisa! The dress! No food or drinks near the dress!!” She froze, eyebrows raised before she let out a scoff…

Gosh, they were all so dramatic…

She finished the juice and placed the glass back on the table.

“You are stunning, Lisa. Absolutely breathtaking.”

What?

The words were the same. Exactly the same. Same tone, same inflection, same breathy delivery and Lisa turned her head slightly, catching Monica’s reflection in the mirror… She stood there, smiling and Lisa opened her mouth, but before she could say anything, a loud sound erupted right next to her.

“Jesus, Anna!” Someone shrieked. “You can’t open the champagne bottle so close to Lisa! Oh my god, the dress, check the dress!”

The moment snapped as the bridesmaids rushed to inspect the damage…

False alarm, thank god…

The spill had missed Lisa entirely and the room surged forward again, all flurry and motion and desperate last-minute touches before they heard a knock on the door. The wedding planner poked her head through, clipboard clutched to her chest, smiling.

“Time to line up, ladies.”

A collective gasp, a shriek, and a rush for bouquets while Lisa stood carefully, her body moving on instinct, smoothing the front of her dress, adjusting the weight of it over her stomach.

The bridesmaids fussed around her, fluffing the train, adjusting her veil, checking her lipstick for the hundredth time before someone grabbed her hand and squeezed but she couldn’t even tell who…

They walked out and it felt like the world outside swallowed her whole….

Soft, golden sunlight spilled across the beautiful English landscape while the scent of fresh-cut grass and flowers curled through the air.

The aisle stretched before her … white petals scattered across the lawn, chairs lined neatly on either side, their occupants a blur of indistinct faces.

The guests were there, she knew they were there, but for the life of her she couldn’t quite focus on any of them.

Lisa pulled in a breath, her hands tightening around the bouquet while the music swelled, the moment expanded, and then she looked ahead.

Michael.

His back was to her, shoulders straight, hands clasped in front of him. The suit fit him perfectly as he stood at the arch, unmoving, waiting for her and the sight of him sent warmth surging through her chest, up her throat and into her fingertips. A slow smile curled at her lips, her pulse slowing down finally and for a second Lisa stood there, blinking.

She held her breath, waiting, but instead of staying in the moment, her mind faltered, dragging her helplessly back to that one sweet memory from a few months ago, the one that led to all this…

 

 

The wind tasted like salt and sunshine, and the ocean stretched wide, shimmering under a sky painted in soft pinks and golds.

They were spending a long weekend on the Isle of Skye, just the two of them… no people, no stress, just some quiet "you and me" time.

One late afternoon, as the sky softened into evening, he had suggested they take a walk but Lisa hadn’t wanted to come, hadn’t felt up for it at all… her feet were swollen, her stomach heavy, but Michael had insisted, his boyish smile and relentless charm too strong to resist.

"Come on, Lise, just for a little. You need air. You’ll love it, I promise." His hand found hers threading their fingers together and she sighed, exasperated but surrendering, and let him lead her down the narrow trail that wound along the wild, breathtaking cliffs.

The breeze tangled in her hair, teasing loose strands free, cool against the heat of her skin and Lisa leaned into him as they walked — partly because she was tired, but mostly because he felt so fucking safe.

They reached the edge where the land broke away into open sky, the waves below crashing into the rocks in a strong and steady rhythm and Michael stopped, turning to her with a look so intense it made her forget everything else.

She was just about to say something when, out of nowhere, he dropped to one knee and her words froze in her throat, and her whole body went still as her mind tried to process what was happening…

"Michael, what in the…"

"Shh." He grinned, a little cocky and a little nervous. "Just… just let me say this, okay?"

He pulled something from his pocket, and when he flipped open the small velvet box, the setting sun caught the diamond inside, making it burn like fire. It was massive, ridiculous, absurdly beautiful, so much like him... and Lisa gasped before clapping a hand over her mouth.

“Remember how you told me you hate surprises? Yeah... well, you’re probably gonna murder me after this.” He said and she let out a half-laugh, half-sob, her chest aching. “Lise, baby… I brought you here because I need to tell you some things, so please give me a minute or two, okay? You’re… you are the reason I believe in good things again. You saved me, in ways I don’t think you even realize and now I can’t picture a single damn day without you in it. You didn’t fix me, you didn’t try to… you just stayed. And that saved me. You’re my best friend, my safe place, my person. You’re... it for me. I’ve always wanted just this — you, me, and all our kids… together. I want that life with you … the late nights, the early mornings, the whole damn ride. Please... say yes. Say you’ll marry me, Lisa Marie.”

Tears blurred her vision and her whole body trembled.

“Goddammit, Michael!” She gasped, then laughed. “You and your stupid surprises… This one really takes the cake." She choked out, sinking down to her knees in front of him, her hands cupping his face, dragging him into a desperate, tear-wet kiss. "Of course I will marry you, baby."

Lisa felt his breath hitch against her lips, the tremble of it turning into a broken, relieved laugh and then she was laughing too, breathless and crying and shaking in his arms.

His mouth crashed into hers, desperate and needy, like he couldn’t bear another second without feeling her and her lips parted for him, as he kissed her like she was air and he had been drowning for years.

It was wild, teeth and tongues and gasps caught between sobs while his hands were in her hair, gripping and grounding, and Lisa moaned into his mouth. His tongue slid against hers and she clung to him, fingers digging into his back while tears streaked their cheeks, but neither of them cared and they kissed through it all, through all the trembling and the laughter as the sun melted into the horizon...

 

 

And just like that, she was back…

Lisa took that first step down the aisle, her heart hammering so hard it felt as though it might burst right out of her chest. Her fingers clutched the bouquet so tightly that her knuckles turned white as she looked around, blinking…

Everything around her was perfect… the flower arrangements, the rows of chairs filled with loved ones, the golden glow of the setting sun but despite it all, her hands still trembled.

Michael stood under the arch at the end of the aisle, his back still turned to her with the priest right beside him, waiting, patient. Lisa swallowed hard, took a steadying breath, and then forced herself forward.

Each step felt surreal, the train of her dress gliding over the aisle runner and her nerves strung so tight she felt like they might snap at any moment.

For the briefest second, her gaze flickered upward toward the sky, her brows drawing together when she spotted a bird cutting across the clouds. Something about it seemed off, its movement unnatural, almost as if flying backwards but just as quickly as she noticed, it was gone…

Another step. Then another. She looked down at her belly, round and heavy beneath the white fabric and a strange wave washed over her, something cold, crawling and hauntingly off.

This wasn’t right.

None of this was right…

When Michael had proposed on the cliffs, she had made one thing crystal clear… no wedding until after the baby.

Lisa hated shotgun weddings!

So why was she here, walking down the aisle, belly-first.

There had to be a reason for that…

“Michael…” She whispered, when she finally reached him her lips curving into a soft, almost disbelieving smile as she lifted a hand, fingers brushing against his shoulder.

He turned slowly and the moment she looked up at him, her smile faded and her entire world cracked apart.

Her mouth opened and she gasped…

There was no face.

Nothing…

Just smooth, featureless skin where his eyes, his mouth and his smile should have been.

Another choked gasp tore from her lips, this time a little louder, as Lisa stumbled back, her stomach plunging into a pit of ice.

She felt her pulse roaring in her ears and her mind scrambled to make sense of what she was seeing, but nothing… absolutely nothing… could explain it.

She spun wildly, seeking reassurance, some kind of anchor, but all she found were more of them. The guests, rows upon rows of them, silent… still and faceless.

Her eyes quickly moved to Riley and Ben, sitting in the front row in their finest clothes, their hands folded neatly in their laps… but where their familiar, beloved faces should have been, there was only blank, smooth nothingness.

A scream built in Lisa’s throat, but when she opened her mouth, nothing came out. No sound. No escape. Just silence…

And then, just as suddenly as the horror closed in on her, something else broke through…

A warmth.

And wetness.

A slow, creeping sensation that bloomed against her stomach, thick and sticky and Lisa’s gaze dropped down.

Red.

Deep, glistening red, seeping through the pristine white of her dress, spreading fast, soaking the delicate lace, dripping onto the floor in dark rivulets.

And then came the pain… sharp, blinding, tearing through her abdomen like a knife and Lisa gasped, her breath hitching.

Cold seeped into her limbs, creeping up her spine, settling deep in her bones and her hands flew to her mouth instinctively, but instead of words, more blood spilled from her lips, filling her throat, choking the scream that still refused to come while the ground beneath her tilted violently, the world spinning… spinning…

And then…

White light.

And some harsh and blinding voices, urgent and shouting over one another.

“She’s losing too much blood!”

Lisa’s eyes fluttered open, her body distant, feeling almost foreign, as if it no longer belonged to her.

The ceiling streaked past in jagged flashes, a relentless blur of sterile white and flickering light and each and every stupid little bump of the gurney sent a fresh jolt of agony ripping through her, deep and raw, like something inside her had torn wide open.

Her breath hitched while voices swarmed around her, but all she could focus on was the ceiling, the pain, and the suffocating fear curling up her throat.

“Prep for an emergency C-section… and get me two units of O neg, stat! She’s bleeding out!”

The gurney jolted beneath her as hands pressed down, voices barking rapid orders and somewhere beyond the chaos, a shadow swam into view and someone grabbed her hand, gripping like they could pull her back from wherever she was slipping.

Michael?

Was it him?!

Her head lolled to the side, her vision hazy, and she blinked sluggishly, her gaze landing on Riley’s tear-streaked face.

“Mom, Mom! Michael is on his way! It’s gonna be okay, just hold on! You’re gonna be fine!”

The doors swung open, doctors moving fast, voices urgent, the metallic gleam of surgical tools flashing under the lights as another bolt of almost unbearable pain ripped through her and Lisa felt cold hands pressing now against her belly, while distant voices shouted and shouted, machines beeped, and everything felt so far away, like she was floating just out of reach.

Minutes, maybe even hours passed, she couldn’t really tell anymore, when suddenly she heard something…

A sharp sound that cut through the chaos.

Michael.

This time it was him! She knew it. And he was calling her name.

She tried, so hard, to turn her head, to find him, to see him… but before she could… darkness swallowed everything…

 

 

She had never ever known cold could feel so suffocating… It wrapped around her like a vice, seeping into her bones, numbing her fingers and her toes…

There was no bed beneath her anymore. And no walls around her. No ceiling, either. Only endless and vast emptiness, stretching in every direction.

She jerked and tried looking around and then, somewhere in the distance she saw a pinprick of light.

Oh, fuck…

No, no, no!

No, she wasn’t ready! Not yet!

But something pulled her forward, slow at first, then faster, drawing her toward the light despite every instinct screaming for her to stop.

The air there was thick, suffocating, and then she noticed some figures.

Shadowy, shifting figures, moving slow, some watching her with quiet interest, their eyes tracking her like she was some tragic spectacle, while others passed by indifferent, absorbed in their own world.

Some she knew and some she didn’t. But she recognized them all, somehow, which didn’t make any sense at all…

There were faces from childhood, from old photographs and from some moments she couldn’t quite place…

She noticed her grandfather first, waving at her weakly, then her old neighbor, and then the girl from high school who OD’d senior year.

They stood at the periphery, murmuring something in low voices… At first, she didn’t understand, but then the words began to take shape.

“Come on, Lisa.”

“You’re almost there.”

“It’s okay now.”

But it wasn’t okay! None of this was okay!

She didn’t want to be there!

The light wasn’t warm and it wasn’t welcoming. It pulsed unnaturally, flickering like a dying star and the closer she got, the more the shadows around her twisted, whispering something.

She tried to turn though she wasn’t even sure she had a body to move, and the motion felt strange, weightless even, like shifting through water in a dream. Then, suddenly, she wasn’t alone.

“You need to go back, baby girl.” A voice echoed through the stillness … low, distant, yet unmistakable, and the sound of it sent a shiver down her spine. Not of fear, but recognition and something inside her stirred, and for the first time, a strange warmth surged through her like a pulse.

Her gaze locked onto a tall figure standing just beyond the reach of the pulsing light...

It was draped in shadow, the darkness clinging to it like smoke and Lisa couldn’t see its face, couldn’t see anything clearly, and yet, she wasn’t afraid. Not at all…

Instead, an overwhelming flood of comfort poured over her, sudden and all-consuming, wrapping around her like a memory as he stepped forward, not too close, but enough.

Her breath caught in her throat and Lisa tried to speak and to move toward him, but she couldn’t…

“Not yet…” He said, his voice gentle. “Turn around, Yisa. Go back. I’ll be waiting when the time is right.”

She reached for him, but he was already gone.

And then… she was falling.

 

 

Pain.

White-hot, searing through her like a live wire, a jagged, electric shock that tore her out of the void and straight into pure agony and Lisa gasped, choking on nothing, her throat raw, her lungs burning, and suddenly…

Gravity.

It felt like her body slammed back into existence, the weight of it crashing down on her all at once.

She tried to move, but nothing responded the way it should and she heard herself let out a low, desperate moan.

Her eyelids felt glued shut, her limbs uncooperative and panic stirred low in her gut, slithering through the pain, growing stronger with each passing second.

“Lise?! Oh god, Lisa!”

The voice was hoarse, wrecked, and so full of desperate relief it cracked something deep inside her and Lisa forced her eyes open, blinking against the harsh blinding light, the world swimming into focus in slow, agonizing increments.

Michael.

He was right there, gripping her hand so tightly she could feel the faint tremor in his fingers and he looked like hell… eyes bloodshot and red-rimmed, jaw clenched so hard it looked like he might shatter his teeth.

There were dried tear tracks on his cheeks, his hair a mess, like he had run his hands through it at least a hundred times.

The second she stirred, his grip tightened even more, his breath hitching, his whole body tensing like he was afraid she would slip away again and then, all at once, he lurched forward, pressing the call button like a man possessed.

“She’s awake!!” He choked out, voice rasping, cracking on the words. “She…she’s awake!!”

For a moment, there was nothing but silence. His puffy, red-rimmed eyes locked onto hers, filled with a raw, desperate relief and Lisa watched his shattered expression and felt the tremor in his hands… She wanted to tell him something, tell him not to worry but she couldn’t speak…

And then, chaos.

Doors burst open as nurses and doctors flooded the room, hands checking wires, adjusting tubes, voices murmuring things she couldn’t process.

The doctor leaned over her, fingers pressing gently to open her eyelid, shining a blinding light into her eyes, as someone else was already at her wrist, pressing down hard, checking for a pulse but Lisa barely registered any of it, her thoughts sluggish, scrambled and tangled in the thick fog of lingering anesthesia and pain medication. And then…

It fucking hit her.

The baby!

Did she lose the baby?!

Terror clawed up her throat, squeezing the air from her lungs and she struggled, trying to push herself up, but her body once again refused to cooperate. Desperation surged through her again, and she turned frantically to Michael, her fingers clawing weakly at his sleeve.

“The…” Her voice cracked, barely a whisper. “The baby…”

“Hey, hey, breathe.”

Michael was already leaning closer to her, cupping her face in his hands, his thumbs brushing over her cheeks, frantic in a way but still very gentle.

“She’s okay, baby. She’s okay. I swear.”

Lisa’s pulse thundered in her ears. “She…?”

“Yeah.” His voice wavered but there was a genuine, happy smile on his face. “It’s a girl.”

She saw Michael swallow hard, blinking rapidly, his forehead dropping to press against hers.

“It’s a girl, Lise. And she’s perfect. She’s so fucking perfect.”

A choked sob broke from her chest, relief crashing over her in a tidal wave while she felt Michael shaking softly against her, his hands trembling where they held her, his breath uneven.

“You scared the living daylights out of me…” He whispered a moment later. “I thought… God, I thought I lost you. Jesus, Lisa. I can’t…” He exhaled sharply, pulling back just enough to look at her, his fingers still framing her face, thumbs brushing her cheeks like he couldn’t stop touching her. Then, without a word, he reached down and grabbed her hand, lacing their fingers together, holding on like he would never let go. “I need you. I need you to be okay. I can’t do this without you, baby… I just can’t.”

Her heart ached at the way his lips wobbled, like he was barely holding himself together and Lisa wanted to reach up and wipe the pain from his face, tell him she wasn’t going anywhere, but all she could manage was a weak squeeze of his hand.

“I wanna see her…” Lisa croaked and Michael nodded immediately, already turning, already gesturing to the nurse.

“Can we…?”

The nurse smiled. “Of course.”

Lisa watched as the nurse carefully lifted the baby from the warming bassinet before she slowly walked toward the bed.

There she was … Tiny, delicate and impossibly small, wrapped snugly in a soft pink blanket.

The nurse handed her to Michael first, and he took her like he couldn’t quite believe she was real.

“God…” Michael breathed, staring down at her like she was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. “She’s so… Look at her, Lise…”

He swallowed hard, blinking rapidly before carefully, oh so carefully, placing her in Lisa’s waiting arms and the second Lisa touched her daughter for the very first time, everything else fell away.

The pain, the exhaustion, the lingering haze of medication, it all faded into nothing as this tiny, perfect little girl nestled against her chest, her little fingers curling weakly into Lisa’s hospital gown and Lisa could feel tears starting to well up in her eyes…

She kissed her head softly, inhaling the pure, intoxicating scent of a newborn. Her skin was warm and golden brown, a perfect blend of both of them, a reflection of their love. Her nose, small and slightly upturned, and her full head of dark, velvety curls peeked out from beneath the blanket and when her lips parted, the faintest, sleepiest sigh escaped, making hot, fast tears spill down Lisa’s cheeks.

“Oh my god…” She gasped as Michael pressed a kiss to the top of Lisa’s head, his fingers threading through her hair, his other hand gently stroking the baby’s head.

“Yeah…” He whispered. “She’s perfect.”

Lisa pressed her lips to her daughter’s forehead one more time and then turned to Michael again who leaned in closer and captured her lips in the most gentle and loving kiss, his fingers still tangled in her hair.

“I swear, I’ve never loved you more than I do right now…” He murmured. “You’re the strongest damn person I’ve ever known. And I’ve never been more grateful for anything in my life.”

Lisa sniffled, her heart full to the brim, overflowing, as Michael tilted his head, catching her lips in another soft and still almost hesitant kiss.

She felt him trembling against hers like he was afraid he might lose her all over again and in his kiss, she felt everything…his fear, his love but mainly his impossible relief.

He tasted like mint and cinnamon, warm and familiar and she pressed her lips to his again, a gentle kiss full of warmth, quiet longing and gratitude… It felt like it was never going to end and honestly, Lisa didn’t want it to.

Not when Michael held her like she was everything and not when their hearts were finally in sync after everything they had been through over the past decade…

She had it all. Everything she had ever wanted… the baby, her kids, his kids… and him.

But it hadn’t come easy.

Hell, there had been times it felt impossible.

The screaming matches that had left them both wrecked, the brutal breakups where they had sworn it was over only to come back a few days, weeks or months later, again and again, just to fall apart all over.

The nights filled with silence, tension thick enough to choke on as well as the nights filled with passion and love…

And the people … all the goddamn voices around them, always judging, always pushing, trying to tear them apart and make them doubt what they had.

But they didn’t break them. Not really.

Lisa and Michael grew.

Two stubborn, flawed adults, beaten down by life learned how to fight better, how to love better, how to choose each other for the right reasons, not just the easy ones and now, here they were, coming out stronger and smarter together.

Michael reached out and the baby’s little hand curled around his finger like it was the most natural thing in the world while they both just stared in awe, grinning like idiots.

Lisa chuckled and looking down at the baby still grabbing Michael's finger, she noticed the giant diamond on her own left hand. Engagement ring, yes, but no wedding band... 

So yeah, that whole crazy vision was just some fucked-up morphine-induced dream while she was bleeding out.  

"Baby?" Her voice came out rough.  

"Yeah?"  

"We're not married, are we?"  

His brows pulled together. "What? No... what are you...? What are you talking about? I... I thought you wanted to wait. Y’know, till after the baby was born." Michael said and reached out, tilting her chin up so that she was looking at him, watching her real careful.  

"I did… I do…" She muttered. "Just had some weird visions is all."  

He let out a breath, then leaned in and pressed a kiss to the top of her head. "Care to tell me about them?"  

"Yeah… I'd like to..." She sighed. "I... I saw my dad."

______________________________

 

              Okay, that’s pretty much it. It’s time to wrap this story up and let it go…

I might add one more chapter, an epilogue or something like that, but I don’t have it ready yet, and honestly, I’m not even sure what it should be like. So if I do end up posting it, it probably won’t be anytime soon.

To anyone who stuck around the whole time - thank you! And to those who ever left a comment, an even bigger thank you!! Seriously, your words kept me going, and without them, I probably would’ve given up halfway through. 🧡

Wishing you guys all the best. I’m going to leave this blog up in case anyone ever wants to go back and read it again, but it won’t be active anymore.

That said, it’s still connected to my email, so if you ever leave a comment, I’ll still see it.

Thank you again… I had an amazing time bringing Michael and Lisa back to life this way and I hope you enjoyed the ride too.

Goodbye. 🩵