"Right," Tory agreed. "They aren't unhealthy, either. You should see them go, Mama. Those ladies have enough energy to run a marathon."Francine and Kaye returned a few moments later with a nurse and wheelchair in tow. "Give me a mirror, Mama." Mama and Kaye exchanged glances and Tory immediately reached up to explore her face with trepidation. Just because Lee was blind didn't mean she was willing to give up the one thing that most people could agree on; that she had a beautiful face.Her fingers told her that she was swollen and would be badly bruised. Mentally she prepared herself for what she would see. When her mother handed her a compact mirror she saw that she had a black eye and an angry purple bruise that covered one side of her face. The oxygen mask had been replaced with an oxygen tube and she saw that her lips were also swollen. Her skin tone was off causing her to look nearly grey. She handed the mirror back, regretting her decision to look at herself. When the wheelch
"What was that about?" she asked Macey who turned away and pursed her lips tightly. Tory's face dropped. It was about her."Macey…are your parents angry at me?" she whispered."Come, let's walk for a bit." Macey wheeled her out before she had a chance to object. She glanced over at the bed to see if there was any change in Lee, but he seemed exactly the same.The two friends bypassed the waiting room where several other family members were waiting patiently for their turn to come into ICU. Mama had left to go back to the hotel and promised to return in the morning, hopefully to meet Lee--awake and able to communicate. They walked quietly down the corridor and to a private waiting area, which was meant to only accommodate two or three people but with the family crowding the hospital corridors there was usually five times that many people. Macey sat down and faced her. Tory recalled the first time she had set eyes on the full figured young woman that wore a perpetual smile on her fa
Macey and Tory headed for the ICU. None of the family was in the ICU waiting area so it appeared that everyone was now allowed into Lee's room to witness his awakening. Tory squeezed the armrest of the wheelchair. She knew that there was a chance that Lee's brain could have been injured even though no one talked about it. She saw everyone crowding around the bed and Macey pushed their way through so that she was front and center. "Mr. Torres, can you hear me?" One of the doctors asked. There were interns, doctors and nurses all crowded into the room--not to mention a roomful of relatives and a fiancée in a wheelchair. But no one moved, no one barely even breathed. "Mmm…" Came the whisper of a groan from the bed. Tory squeezed her hands into fists. Was that a groan of pain, or was it just his confirmation? She saw that his eyes were still closed but his breathing was different and he was moving his limbs restlessly."Mr. Torres, I'm Dr. Hendrix. Can you hear me?" There was no res
Dr. Hendrix and his team of doctors put Lee through comprehensive tests and then announced that he seemed very healthy despite being a bit groggy. "I have a headache," he announced."Of course," Dr. Hendrix replied. "I'll have pain medicine placed in your IV.""When can we leave?"The doctor's eyes flitted to Tory and then he raised a brow. "I'd like to monitor you for the next 24 hours and if all is well then I see no reason why you shouldn't be able to go home tomorrow. I'm not your fiancée's doctor but I will confer with him."Lee squeezed her hand gently and then a moment later the doctors left to speak to the other members of the family. "Where are you staying?" Lee said to his parents once the room was empty.Lee's father responded in Portuguese but Lee interrupted him. "Daddy, speak in English, please. Tory doesn't understand yet." She smiled at the word 'yet.' The older man gave her an apologetic smile. "We forget easily.""I'm not surprised. You haven't been to the
Tory felt a smile tugging at her lips as she found herself liking his parent's more and more. She had certainly hoped to make a better impression. Being accused of nearly killing ones son did not make for the best first impression. So the upside was that she knew they didn't totally hate her. But the downside was that now she knew they were talking about her behind her back. She sat down on the edge of the bed suddenly tired. It was wonderful when the clan was all on her side—but having them against her was unsettling. But she knew that she would go up against any of them if she had to. They were not going to push her away from the man she loved. She had no doubt about that, but she did worry about one thing; If they didn't eventually accept her as Lee's woman and trust that she would be there for him in all ways, could they influence him against her? She knew how much he valued his family…She just wanted to be there! To balance everything so that Roz couldn't stack the cards agai
Friday was a day of anticipation for both Lee and Tory. After her check-up she was to meet him at his place. Daddy took her to pick up the replacement car early that morning and then rode in the passenger seat despite her assurance that she didn't need him to. Mama wordlessly drove their rental car to the doctor's office to meet them. Her father was wonderful. He never mentioned the fact that she was shaking like a leaf as soon as she got in behind the wheel. He never scolded her for driving too slow¡ªso slow, in fact, that it could have caused another accident! But after a few miles she was comfortable again. When they got out of the car to go to her doctor's appointment she threw her arms around her father's neck and kissed his cheek. "What's that for?" He smiled."Because¡" She thought about the fact that a few short days ago she nearly lost her life and might not have ever seen her Mom and Dad again. "Because you are the best father in the world."He snorted. "If you say so." B
"I don't need you to take off for me. I want you to take off for you." Tory glanced around the room watching the tide turn against her. "I need to work, honey¡don't I?" She didn't know a lot about his finances. She knew he was more than comfortable in the financial department but now he would have someone else to take care of. She had a college loan to pay off and they had just bought a fifty thousand dollar car. "We'll talk about it later," he exhaled anxiously. "Excuse me." He got up and she watched him in surprise as he tentatively made his way across the room. She noted that he moved slower, his arms out before him as if he was no longer familiar with his surroundings. Just as he reached the corridor that led to the bathroom he stumbled over a toy that one of the kids had left on the floor. No less than 5 people jumped to his assistance before catching themselves and holding back. Lee caught himself before he fell but he kicked the toy in uncharacteristic anger. As soon as Lee
"Like my entire life was just an illusion." He paused and then seemed to stare right into her eyes. "I thought I was in control of it, but I'm not. I'm just a…passenger. I have no control over anything.""Baby…" she began, alarmed by his words. "You are the most capable man that I've ever met. There is not a day that goes by that I'm not in constant awe of you. You are a blind man that has accomplished more than most sighted people. You are funny, sexy, talented, and smart--but most of all you are confidant." Tory watched the intense expression on his face and hoped that he was listening and believing that she meant every word.His expression was uncertain. "Is that what you really see Tory?""Yes!"He paused and then leaned forward and kissed her forehead—she wasn't sure if he was going for her mouth but either was okay. "Thank you. I needed that," he whispered."Don't doubt yourself. Don't doubt what I feel for you." She opened and then closed her mouth. Suddenly she knew she