Everyone had returned. Vega ran up to Jace and gave him a quick hug and kiss. They walked over and sat where Vega was seated between Jace and me. I wondered where Jace and Tanner had taken off to? They hadn't said where they were going when they left.
However, Jace had asked me to keep Vega company, which I have done. I'm glad I did because I learned a lot about Vega and Lyra. I can't wait until Lyra recuperates enough to meet her.
Once everyone had settled down in their seats, three doctors walked into the waiting room in our direction. Mr. and Mrs. Riley stood and greeted the doctors, and one of the doctors reached out and shook Mr. Riley's hand.
"Dr. Riley, our surgeries have been successful. Lyra will most likely need more surgeries in the future. We will not be sure if there is any brain damage until she wakes up. You know how this works; Lyra is now in the recovery room, where she will stay for an hour. Someone will come to get you when she is in a room. Lyra's recovery will be a long hard road for her; once healed enough, Lyra will need to undergo extensive rehab on her leg and arm. Which one of you would like to wait in the recovery room with her?" He said as he glanced over at Vega as if he knew she would be the one to go.
Vega jumped up from her seat."Me, I'm going; I want to be the first person Lyra sees when she wakes up," Vega cried out and went to stand by the doctors.
"Very well, we understand and wouldn't keep you from Lyra, baby," Mrs. Riley whimpered while she hugged Vega. Vega and the doctors walked back through the door and left a moment later.
Jace and Mr. and Mrs. Riley all sat down together and talked about random oddball stuff. All three of them were trying to keep their minds off of Lyra. When we arrived earlier, Jace introduced us all to one another. Tanner and I had been on the outside looking in on everything this whole time.
Tanner looked over at Jace and then back at me.
"So, Jace and I just went ring shopping. He told me that Vega and Lyra are twins," Tanner said with a questioned look on his face.
"A ring, huh? Did he get one?" I asked while I acted like I didn't hear the last of what he said.
"Well, yes, it's a beautiful ring. I'm sure Vega will love it. Jace is going to propose after Lyra gets home from the hospital. He wants us all to be there," Tanner said.
"So, did you hear the rest of what I said a minute ago? Lyra and Vega are twins, and it could be possible; Lyra was the one in your dream. They are the spitting image of each other," Tanner said with a skeptical look on his face.
"Vega told me while you and Jace were gone. After things she told me and seeing pictures, I have concluded that Lyra was the woman in my dream," I said while I watched Jace with Lyra's parents.
"Ok, and how do you feel about that?" Tanner asked with a raised brow.
"What are you, my therapist, now? It was a dream; how Lyra wound up in it, I don't know? How am I supposed to feel? While I was having that dream, I thought it was real until I woke up. I thought I had found my soulmate. Now, I feel like a creep, and I don't even know how I should feel or how I should act?" I said.
"I see you, but I also have a gut feeling that Lyra is the one for you. Especially after the things Jace has said about her. Just be patient, wait until you meet her, and then go from there," Tanner said.
JACE*
I love Richard and Rebecca as if they were my parents. I could talk to them about most anything. Vega, Lyra, and I had met with them twice a week for dinner, even though sometimes it was pretty late.
Nannies raised tanner and me until I was twelve, and Tanner was sixteen. Then we started fending for ourselves. Mom had left us when I was five; who knows where she was now. Our dad became an even worse workaholic than he already had been before she left. We spent a lot of time at Blaze's; other than nannies, our uncle and aunt were more like our parents. I can't wait for Vega and I to get married, so I can be a part of their family and build a family of my own. I stood and looked over at Richard.
"Mr.Riley, sir, can I talk to you for a moment in private?" I asked. Richard stood up and bent over and kissed Rebecca.
"Would you like some coffee, sweety?" Richard asked Rebecca.
"No, love, I think I'm fine for now," Rebecca said.
"Alright, son, let's go over to the cafeteria, and we will have a chat," Richard said as he flung his arm around me, and we headed out the door.
BLAZE*
Jace took off with Richard, and Tanner got up and left; I had no idea where he went.
Rebecca looked my way and said," come here, young man, and keep me company. I am about to go nuts, and everyone just left me. I understand Vega; those two have been inseparable, well, since the time before they were born," Rebecca said as she patted the chair next to her.
I stood and walked her way; I was nervous as hell. I sat next to her, and she hugged me. A hug like she's known me her whole life. I took it all in and hugged her back. I knew Rebecca was hurting, and I didn't want to hurt her feelings. We pulled away from each other, and she looked at me. I have met Rebecca twice, once while going over plans for Lyra, and Vega's house, and the second time, had been while handing over the keys to their house.
"Jace has told me a lot about you and his brother Tanner. The fact that you are more of a brother than a cousin. The heartache you have gone through when it comes to women. He has asked me for advice on how to help you, and I have given it. When it comes to such matters, I feel fate has a place in it all. My Lyra has also had a rough patch when it comes to such matters. You seem like such a nice young man, so I know love will come to you; be patient," Rebecca said and smiled.
Be patient; how much more patient could I be. I spent years with those women. I think Rebecca could sense my hesitance because what she said next sent me through a loop.
"Fate will send you signs; sometimes it's a dream, or you randomly bump into a stranger; that stranger happens to be your soulmate. I got both of those with my Richard. Fate has so many ways of putting two people together. When you meet your soulmate, you will know. Everything will click into place for you both," Rebecca said with a reassuring smile.
VEGA*
I have been sitting here holding Lyra's hand and talking to her about every random thing I possibly could talk to her about. I looked down at my phone to see the time; thirty minutes had passed. Lyra still hasn't woken up. I am just impatient, and the doctor had told me it would take at least an hour for Lyra to wake up. He also said it might take longer due to her head trauma.
I wish Jace could be here with me. Other than Lyra and my parents, Jace is my rock. He would come next after Lyra, and she's here, but not at the moment. She had a blood bag and an IV bag hanging that was going into her arm. Tubes and wiring were all over the place.
They had to shave the upper left side of her scalp to repair the brain bleed, so a wrap now covered the upper part of her head. The left side of Lyra's face and her eye were swollen and black. Lyra's leg was up in a brace, with pins sticking out of it; her arm looked like her leg, which the doctor also had suspended and elevated. I couldn't help but break down and cry.
"LYRA, please, please, please wake up. Be ok, talk to me, please," I cried as I sobbed; but nothing changed.
The next thing I knew, I was being woken up by a nurse.
"I'm sorry, miss, but the doctor is here to evaluate the patient. We will need you to go back to the waiting room, please," She said.
I looked up to see that an hour had passed; it had been almost two hours, and Lyra still hadn't woken up.
"But I," I trailed off in the fog.
"We will have someone take you back to your family, but the doctor needs space," She said. I stood up and looked at Lyra, who showed no signs of waking up.
JACE*With Vega gone, I thought this would be a great time to talk to dad. "Mr.Riley, sir, can I talk to you for a moment in private?" I asked. Richard stood up and bent over to kiss Rebecca."Would you like some coffee, sweety?" Richard asked Rebecca."No, love, I think I'm fine for now," Rebecca said."Alright, son, let's go over to the cafeteria, and we will have a chat," Richard said as he flung his arm around me, and we headed out the door.Once we arrived at the cafeteria, Richard and I grabbed a coffee cup; and decided on straight black coffee. We found a table for two and sat down, and sipped our coffee. Even though Richard's like a dad to me, I was nervous. I wanted my talk with Richard to be perfect, like when I proposed to Vega."Well, son, let's have it; what's going on?" Richard asked.I took a sip from my coffee and set the cup back down on the table."Well, sir, you know that Vega and I have been together for six months. We spend pretty much all of our free time together
BLAZE*I sat at my desk on a Saturday morning and tried to calm my nerves. Taylor, our office manager, had left Thursday with no explanation. I don't know how the office would run smoothly without her. Jace, Tanner, Conner, and Wade would be arriving soon.I'm so glad this happened when we were all on a break. The guys and I knew that we would hire crews to split up and run our units. We have been so busy building and landscaping that we hadn't realized how backed up we were getting. That might be why Taylor left because we were all constantly in the field. Taylor had been here alone to cover the office. Jace had been here now and then when he worked on building designs, but other than that, Taylor must have been lonely. I've got to hand it to Taylor, though; she kept the office clean and in order. Taylor had been trying to tell us for a few months that building operations had been piling up. None of us had taken the time to listen, though. I looked at four mansions that needed to have
LYRA*I have heard and read up on near-death experiences. When I was in the ambulance, I went into the future. I was getting married to the man of my dreams, quite literally, I must say—and a double wedding at that. That would be amazing if that wedding were to happen. It had been enough to jump-start my heart and had brought me back to reality, which happened to be unimaginable pain. I couldn't open my eyes. All I could do was mumble, and I couldn't form words.Now I lay here and listened to everyone who came to visit me as I laid there in peace. Sometimes my soul would leave my body, and I could see whoever happened to be talking to me as I hovered above them. I would will myself to wake up. Looking at myself, though, kept me in this realm of peace. I did not want to go back to the pain I knew would consume me once I woke up.I drifted in and out of dreams that made no sense. More people that I had never met before came and went; as the future continued and flashed before my eyes.An
JACE*I had just left the office and was headed back to the hospital to pick up Vega. It was now eleven o'clock. It would have been nice to sleep in this morning, but Blaze and his all work, and no play, had to ruin it. I feel bad for Taylor. I was the only one who worked in the office from time to time. I would meet new clients there and draw up my building drafts. Otherwise, she was alone and running around like a chicken with her head cut off. She made sure everything ran smoothly and on time. Made certain supplies were ordered, and we had plenty of stock at the warehouse. We are probably Lowes and Home Depot's most favorite customers now. I hope that Vega will take me up on the offer to do the Secretary's job.Once at the hospital, I quietly walked towards Lyra's ICU room. I peek into the room and see that Vega was smiling for once. I slid the glass door open and stepped inside. Then slid the door shut."What's going on? You look so happy. Did Lyra move or anything?" I asked as I
BLAZE*I didn't want to leave Lyra. Even with all of the bruises, casts, and wires hanging all over the place, she was still the most beautiful woman I had ever encountered. I hoped that she would wake up soon. I want to meet her and get to know her. The nurse had said that I could come back later if I wanted. So I decided it would be best to head home to rest, and I would come back later before going to my parents for dinner. Jace would be bringing Vega tonight so that everyone could meet her. As of now, Tanner and I are the only ones to have met and spent some time with Vega. Once I arrived home, I grabbed bottled water from the refrigerator and walked to my room. I stripped down to my underwear and crawled into bed. I guzzled my water and then laid down. I set my alarm to wake me up at four o'clock; it wasn't long before I passed out. My alarm went off at four o'clock, and I woke up and made myself presentable for dinner at my parent's tonight. I grabbed my phone, keys, and walle
BLAZE*Once there, I pulled into Lyra and Vega's circle driveway. Even though I had a hand in creating this West Texas Oasis, I couldn't help but admire it.Lyra and Vega's parents had said they needed a low-maintenance yard, so we had laid down a beautiful white rock and had installed a timed sprinkler system to water the trees and plants in the front and backyard. I can't wait to see what Lyra and Vega have done to the inside of the house.I climbed down from my truck and walked up to the door. I pushed on the doorbell and waited for someone to let me in. Jace opened the door a few moments later."Come in, Blaze. Breakfast is almost ready. I went simple with eggs, toast, and bacon; I figured we could get lunch afterward," Jace said."Sounds perfect to me," I said as I glanced around at the living room and kitchen."Wow, they've done an amazing job with the painting and decor in here," I said.A dark grey leather couch and love seat were squared off with two light grey recliners. Bla
BLAZE*Vega and Jace looked at each other with hope in their eyes, and they both looked back at me."Blaze, I hope that you are right because I want to see both you and Lyra happy. Relationships have always put me off after seeing what has happened to you and Tanner; and what my mom did to my dad. Then I met Vega. She's the best thing that could have ever happened to me. Lyra is an amazing girl, and she is like a sister I never had. She has been hurt as well," Jace said."Yes, same here; I want to see you both happy," Vega said with a smile. Then Jace looked at his phone to see the time."We'll need to clean up when we get home, or we'll be late. We should go; church starts in ten minutes," Jace said.He saw my face as I glanced at the kitchen and the mess on the table."It's ok; Vega and I will clean up when we get home. For now, we've got to go," Jace said."Ok, let's go in my truck, and I could help clean up once we get back," I said."Sounds good to me," they both said in unison.
BLAZE*It was six in the morning, and I sat here in my office. I couldn't sleep knowing that there was so much going on today, and my brain was in overdrive. Every time I fell asleep, I had these horrible nightmares; and they had all pertained to work. So I rolled over and climbed out of bed at four-thirty in the morning.I have nine applications sitting in front of me. I had gone through a stack of them on Thursday and had called them all up on Friday. My first applicant would be here at nine o'clock, and he seemed like a good fit for the company. Vega starts working in the office today, which I was excited about, and Jace would be here to get her trained. Jace would also help me with interviews. I called the guys who would be going with Tanner, Conner, and Wade today on Saturday before I left the office; that was another load off my back.The foundation for this one home that Tanner, Wade, and Conner would be starting on today was leveled and laid down over a month ago. So construct