The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of burnt candles. Between trying to keep up with work, getting ready to split assets with his mother, talking to doctors, and taking care of Katie Jacob was exhausted. This morning felt a little different, only because he was able to deliver some beautiful pieces of art to some very important people.


    “Good morning, Tracy,” Jacob greeted Katies aunt as he entered the hospital room carrying two big bags. “I’m a bit surprised to see you, it''s only Thursday.”


    “I got a disturbing call from the doctor’s last night. They are concerned you won’t transfer Katie to a long-term care facility.”


    “I’ve already went to check out the ones they recommended, and I just can’t do it.” Jacob took a deep breath recalling the bright bleach smelling halls and drab rooms decorated in beige, brown, and dingy blues. “She deserves better care than that.” Jacob paused, he was unsure if she would agree with his next move, and she did have the ultimate final decision. “I think she should come home with me. I can get her round the clock care and pay the doctors to make home visits. This way when she’s ready to come out of this she’ll already be home.”


    “She needs expensive medical equipment and constant monitoring. It’s just too much for one person to handle. There is expensive medical equipment, complicated medications, nursing, and therapy that she needs. Just dealing with the insurgence companies, the DME companies, and nursing companies is too much for any one person. That is a lot.”


    “I know,” Jacob pulled out the biggest box from the bag, the one that contained Katie’s mirror. “I know, but I’m not just one person. I’ll be counting on you and Cheri for support. I’m gonna do it anyways. It’s only a matter of time.” Tracy nodded, knowing that to fight this decision wouldn’t be worth it. “Would you like to see the mirrors I had made for her from the broken pieces?”


    “Oh sure,” Tracy couldn’t really muster up any real enthusiasm for stuff, her concern was only for what would happen with Katie.


    Jacob handed her the large white box wrapped up with a pink silk bow. Tracy took a second to admire the beauty of the gift wrapping. Pink had been Katie’s favorite color. She always wore a little pink somewhere in her daily outfit and every Christmas she would wrap all her gifts in different shades of pink paper. Even her wedding dress had pink accents.


    “Oh, this is beautiful,” Tracy pulled the mirror out from under the light pastel pink tissue paper. The center mirror was framed with a cluster of small delicate sunflowers culminating at the top like a surreal bouquet held together by three intricately designed butterflies resting along the stems.


    “He made two other smaller mirrors. I believe he created them as a set. This one I think is meant for you. When you see it, you’ll know why.” Mark handed her a box wrapped with a silk violet ribbon.


    “Oh, my favorite color. How did you know?”


    “I didn’t, and I don’t know how he knew either.”


    Tracy unwrapped the box to pull out a smaller, but just as beautifully rendered mirror. This one was made with a smaller bouquet of sunflowers and only two butterflies.


    “Oh damn, this artist really did his homework.” Tracy held the mirror up comparing her smaller one to Katies. Katies contained three butterflies, each one with a gemstone in the center of their body. One with a bright emerald green stone, Katies birthstone, one with a brilliant pearl, Tracy’s birthstone, and the last one held a stunning red ruby, Cheri’s birthstone. “I love it, and it was very thoughtful of you to have these created for us.”


    Just as Tracy replaced Katie’s mirror back on her hospital nightstand by her bed the doctor entered the room.


    “Good morning.” The doctor’s face looked grim. “Thank you for coming down today.”


    “Good morning,” Jacob and Tracy replied in unison. There is nothing good about this morning, Jacob thought to himself but refrained from saying out loud.


    “I was just with Katies medical team going over the latest lab results. Medically we still can’t find any reason she should still be in her state. The baby is progressing well, but we really should move her to a better equipped facility to care for her long term.”


    “I’ve already looked at the facilities you recommended and I’m not sending her there. I want to bring her home with me.”


    “All of those facilities have the best reputations and the ability to give her to close care that she needs. They have medical staff available 24/7, including OB/GYN’s and neurologists to watch her brain function and the baby’s growth.


    “I can hire nurses and have doctors come for her exams. And if needed we can transport her to the hospital when needed. I’ve given this a lot of thought.”Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    “This really is a huge undertaking, I’m not really confident you are aware of how much it will take to make that happen and give her the attention she requires.”


    “I don’t care what it takes, or how much it costs. I’ll buy whatever she needs or hire whoever she needs. My only concern is her health, and the babies.” Jacob paused for a moment. “In any case the decision is not yours. Your job is to make our decision work.”


    “Well let’s first discuss her TPN. Right now, currently she’s receiving all her nutritional needs met this way. We cannot send her home on TPN. It’s not the best long-term solution anyways, for either of them. We can either insert an NG tube to deliver a nutritional feed directly to her stomach. This is the least invasive option; a small tube is inserted through the nose into the stomach, and she’ll have a pump which will feed her slowly throughout the day. Or we can fit her with a G tube. This one would be a surgical procedure which allows us to bypass the nose and throat to pump feed directly into her stomach. There are pros and cons to both.” The doctor handed each of them a couple sheets of printed papers which detailed the pros and cons of each. “Typically, we always suggest least invasive first. We don’t know when she’ll wake up. She could come out of it tomorrow, or she may never wake up. We just don’t know at this point. Either way I would like to get her off the TPN, it’s hard on the bones and liver and with the extra demand the baby is making on her… well it would just be better for both of them.”


    “I think NG, least invasive, would be the way to go. She’s going to wake up. What do you think Tracy?” Jacob waited for Tracy to confirm.


    “I agree, but can we do this at home?”


    “Yes, it’s relatively simple,” the doctor quickly replied. “She really has no complicated medical conditions. Here is a complete list of medical equipment you’ll need before we can send her home. Most of it your DME company will provide through her insurance. I’ve included a couple of optional items at the bottom which will be good to have but not medically necessary, and the name of a couple of medical supply companies which will work with you.”


    “Alexander,” the soft whisper of a voice came from across the room. Mid conversation everyone halted and looked. Katie lay in bed with a very small smile across her lips, but still in a vegetative state.


    Katie smiled as she saw Alexander saunter up the path towards her. Alexander carried a large bouquet of sunflowers mixed with daffodils and carnations. The whole group burst with yellow and pink like a beautiful spring morning.


    “I knew you’d come back for me!” Katie rushed towards his open arms.


    “Nothing could keep me away from the most delightful women on the planet! Your mere presence lights up the day like the sun lights up the town on a summer’s day.” Alexander smiled as he gazed deeply into his love’s eyes. “Your ruby lips, smiling with joy and love, set my soul on fire like no other that I have ever seen in my long lifetime.”


    “Oh Alexander,” Katie blushed like a silly schoolgirl swooning over her first crush.


    “My beautiful, the world is our oyster, and you are the pearl that sets my soul on fire. Never again will you want for anything, be alone, or fear anyone. I do solemnly promise.”


    Katie let loose a small happy sigh and leaned into Alexander’s chest. She had found her place in his world, and it felt good. For the first time in her life everything was perfect.


    “Welcome to Paradise Lost. How do you like the cottage? I endeavored to create an area you’d be comfortable in. Correction, you and our baby.”


    Katie turned to admire the two-story Victorian home. It was everything she ever dreamed of with its steep, gabled roof and the two tall round towers framing each side of the house to create an impressive eye-catching view. The beautiful structure was highlighted with a wide welcoming porch with an intricately designed trim, the perfect place to sit with your baby and drink lemonade on a bright spring morning or a warm summers day.


    “Before we venture into the house there is something I must tell you right away,” Alexander gently slipped Katie’s hand into his and lead her down a path heading towards a cliff that overlooked a wide blue ocean and beach. “Down there,” he pointed towards a small quaint house on the beach. “In that house lives a crazy lady. Her name is Abigail. Don’t engage her in anyway. If she attempts to approach you walk away and tell me. If she speaks to you, ignore her. Anything she has to say will be marred with lies and craziness.”


    “I understand, but why is she like that? Does she not like you? How couldn’t anyone not just love you?”


    “All the questions,” Alexander laughed. “I don’t know what her issue is. The two of us have never really interacted much. She was already here when I arrived on our island.”


    Katie fell silent, the ominous warning Alexander gave her left her feeling a bit unsettled. The soft wind blew, and a gush of white cherry blossom petals flurried around the two of them.”


    “Why the sad face my love?”


    “I…” Katie held out her hand as a white petal landed in her palm. “I don’t know, it’s the cherry blossoms, they just remind me of something… someone.”


    “What do you mean,” Alexander gazed deeply into Katie’s blue eyes. “You don’t like the fall?”


    Katie looked up confused for a moment, then glanced down into her palm where a red and orange swirled oak leaf lay. She smiled as she took in all the large oak trees awash in the fall colors of red, orange, yellow, and browns of the season.


    “Oh, the forest is beautiful!”


    “It doesn’t mean anything,” the doctor finally broke the silence. “She is clearly in a sort of REM sleep. There is no change in her EKG...”


    “No matter what you say I’ll continue to hope,” Tracy pipped in shutting the doctor’s negativity down.


    “I’ll have her room ready by the end of the week. Please have her ready.”


    “We’ll take the TPN out today and fit her with an NG tube.”


    Jacob found himself staring at the mirror wondering what Katie was seeing. The light flickered across the reflective surface and mangled images flashed across. Jacob couldn’t make out what he was seeing. The room was located on the twenty-first floor, so it wasn’t reflecting the street or the cars. It almost looked like people walking hand in hand down a forest path.


    Jacob shook his head to clear the daydreamed image away, picked up the stack of papers he’d received from the doctors. Then headed for the door.


    Before Jacob left, he handed Tracy a key to his house, gave her a small kiss on the cheek, then whispered, “Our girl will come back to us.”