When Will She Awaken

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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. I love her so much. I would like to have your permission, sir, to ask Vega to marry me?" I asked as I reached into my pocket for the ring box.

I pulled it from my pocket and sat it on the table in front of Richard. He had a massive smile on his face, so I knew that was a plus. Richard opened the box and glanced down at the ring.

"This ring has Vega written all over it; you did good, son. You know you are like a son to me, so you have my permission to ask for Vega's hand. However, it will need to be a long engagement," Richard said and took another sip from his coffee.

'What does Richard mean by a long engagement?' I thought to myself.

"I would like for my daughters to finish their degrees before you and Vega tie the knot; let's not make it quite so long. Let Vega finish her master's degree. That will be two years, maybe a little less," Richard said.

Two years was not what I envisioned, but I understood where Richard was coming from.

"Yes, sir, I understand. We will wait until after Vega gets her master's degree to get married. Thank you, sir. I intend to ask her to marry me after Lyra has recovered," I said.

Richard looked down at the ring again, and when he looked up, his eyes were glassy, and stray tears fell from his eyes. I got up from my seat and walked around the table to him, and we engulfed each other in a tight hug.

"Lyra will be ok, sir; she's a fighter," I said as Richard broke down.

Richard and I stayed like that for a couple of minutes until he calmed down.

"Yes, you are right, son, thank you; thank you for being here for Vega. She would be a mess if you weren't here. Lyra has always been the fierce one, the rock, you could say. Vega is the sensible one that keeps them rooted and on the right path. I'm happy to have you in my family's life, son," Richard said after he cleared his throat.

VEGA*

When I got back to the waiting room, everyone was gone except for my mom and Blaze. And they were sitting there engrossed in a deep conversation. What is that about? Where's Jace, my dad, and Tanner?

My mom saw me walk in; she gave Blaze a quick squeeze on his hand, got up, and walked over to me.

"Is she awake?" Mom asked.

"No, in fact, they kicked me out so that they could check over her. It's been two hours, mom," I said as tears streamed down my face.

"Oh honey, it may take a while for her to wake up due to the swelling in her brain," She said as she pulled me in for a hug.

I looked over at Blaze, who had gotten up and was headed to the door.

"I'll head over to the cafeteria to get your husband and Jace. They went for coffee some time ago," Blaze said as he glanced over his shoulder and then left.

BLAZE*

I know I don't know Vega all that well yet, but I wouldn't say I like seeing her in pain. I knew she needed Jace, which was why I was headed to the cafeteria now.

Also, what her mom said about fate and dreams, was messing with me. Is the dream a sign of fate, or am I going nuts? Did Lyra have a dream about me? I contemplated these things when I looked down a hallway to see Tanner walking with a gorgeous Asian woman. Of course. He couldn't stay away from women for longer than a day.

"Tanner, I'm headed to the cafeteria to get Jace and Mr.Riley. Vega has returned, but Lyra still hasn't woken up yet," I shot his way. Tanner looked up at me.

"I got lost; Mae is taking me there now. I'll see you in a bit." Tanner said with a massive grin on his face.

"Yeah, sure, see you in a bit," I said as I continued on my way. Poor guy, I want love for him, even more than I want love for myself. He deserves a good woman after his mom left and Bailey doing what she did.

I made it to the cafeteria and collected Jace and Mr.Riley. I decided to get a coffee for myself. I have a feeling it's going to be a long night. The question is, how long should Tanner and I stay before it starts to get awkward?

VEGA*

My mom and I sat down shortly after Blaze left to get Jace and dad. I pulled out my phone, and we laughed and laughed. Lyra is so crazy; the things she says and does are beyond hilarious. Not to mention her clumsiness. I could go on and on with stories. I'm the serious one; I miss her so much already. It's been twelve hours since I held an actual conversation with her. I can't believe I slammed the door in her face.

A few more minutes passed, and Tanner walked in the door. He took his seat across from us. He was lost in thought-poor guy. Jace has told me everything he could about Tanner and how they were raised. Jace and Tanner both had had a rough go of it since their mom left when they were younger. Jace didn't want anything to do with relationships until he met me. We were each other's first. Tanner, on the other hand, hasn't been so lucky.

Not long after Tanner returned, Jace and my dad returned. Jace sat on the other side of me and gave me a peck on the cheek. He then grabbed hold of my hand, and we sat in silence. My dad sat on the other side of my mom and took her into a hug.

Then a short time later, Blaze walked in. I wish Lyra could see him; she would swoon for sure. Blaze had changed out of his suit before coming to the hospital this morning and was now wearing a plain black t-shirt that showed off his lean, firm muscles and a pair of simple blue jeans and boots. These Cunningham men, oh my, watch out, ladies.

Tanner looked like Jace but had his mom's hazel green eyes. His hair is a darker brown than Jace's, and Tanner is a couple of inches taller than Jace.

Blaze has black hair and sapphire blue eyes, and Jace has blue eyes but a darker shade of blue. Blaze is the same height as Tanner. But they are all very handsome.

A few minutes later, one of the doctors from Lyra's surgery walked in. He walked over to my dad and shook his hand.

"Dr. Riley, sir," he said with a nod. "Lyra has not woken up from the surgery. We have gotten another CT of her brain to check on the swelling. It has not gotten any worse, but there is a minimal change for the better; however, the swelling has gone down slightly. We have moved Lyra to a private room in the ICU. For now, it appears that she is in a comatose state. We do not know when she may wake up. If you all will come with me, I'll take you all to the ICU waiting lounge," He said.