When we enter the room, Dr. Menard gets up from where he was sitting behind a desk. He gestures to an adjoining room. “Through there.”
We step into the examination room, and I go take a seat.
Dr. Menard comes to stand on my right and smiles down at me. “Are you ready?”
No.
Not in the least.
I nod. “Yeah.”
Kao crosses his arms over his chest, and his eyes are locked on mine as Dr. Menard pulls the tape from the stitches.
I hear Dr. Menard breathe as he looks closely at the sutures. “Oooh, yes, they’re healing beautifully.” He stands back to make eye-contact. “I’m going to remove the stitches. You might feel some discomfort. Okay?”
“Okay?” I take in a deep breath, and unable to stop myself, my hand reaches for Kao. He darts to my left and grips my fingers tightly with his.
I shut my eyes tightly while Dr. Menard goes to work on my face and neck. My stomach tightens horribly.
After a while, Dr. Menard's fingers brush over my cheek and neck. “I’m very happy. Like I said, we’ll do some laser therapy to minimize the scarring even more.”
Slowly, I open my eyes. Dr. Menard holds something behind his back as he asks, “Are you ready?”
I’ll never be ready.
Kao moves closer to me, placing his other hand on my shoulder.
“Nervous?” Dr. Menard asks. “Trust me. You’ll be happy.”
Then he brings a mirror from behind his back, and the next second I’m staring at my reflection.
Before my eyes can even focus, a sob bursts from me. Emotion tears through me, and I have to blink rapidly to see my skin.
There are no angry gashes. No haphazard tears.
There’s only one thin line running along my jaw that’s pink in color.
“The laser therapy will take care of that little sucker,” Dr. Menard reminds me.
I bring my trembling right hand to my face and brush my fingers over the soft skin.
“I don’t know how you did it, but…” my voice disappears. I have to swallow a couple of times before I can say, “Thank you so much.”
God, even if the thin scar remains, I can live with that.
“Great. We’ll schedule the laser therapy for next week.”
“Okay.” I finally manage to smile at the doctor who saved me from a life as a scarred woman.
Dr. Menard looks at Kao. “I think you should take this beautiful woman out for a night on the town.”
“Definitely,” Kao agrees, a broad smile on his face.
I’m bursting with gratefulness as we leave Dr. Menard, and once we step outside the building, I turn and throw my arms around Kao’s neck. His arms instantly wrap around me, and lifting me off my feet, he hugs me tightly.
“God, I’m so relieved,” I whisper in his ear.
Kao presses a kiss to the side of my head, and when he begins to walk toward the car, still holding me against his body, I let out a burst of laughter.
Reaching the car, he finally sets me down on my feet, then he frames my face, his touch gentle, and he presses a tender kiss to my mouth.
Kao pulls back, and his eyes lock on mine. “Who loves you?”
“You,” I grin at him, loving when he asks me that question. It’s become our special thing we do.
“And who am I?”
Not hesitating, I answer, “Mine.”KAODr. Hodgson has cleared me to drive, and honestly, as I stare at the brand new Aston Martin, my heart is thundering against my ribs.
“Come on,” Dad says as he holds the key out to me. “You have to get behind the wheel at some point. The sooner, the better.”
I take the key from Dad and pressing the button, the doors unlock.
Dad climbs into the passenger side, then calls, “Get your ass in the car, Kao.”
Sucking in a deep breath of air, I climb in behind the steering wheel. After we’ve put on our seat belts, I freeze.
Dad places his hand on my shoulder. “I’m right here. You’re going to be fine. Start the car.”
I notice my hand is shaking as I press the button.
“Now put it in gear,” Dad instructs me.
Pushing the clutch in, I put the car in drive.
Christ.
Closing my eyes, I try to breathe through the panic, tightening my chest.
“You’re doing great,” Dad murmurs as he rubs my shoulder. “Just one mile. That’s all you have to drive.”
I nod, and opening my eyes, they scan over the empty stretch of road.
I can do this.
I place my hands on the steering wheel and then let the car slowly roll forward.
“Will you look at that?” Dad chuckles. “We’re moving.”
I let out a nervous laugh. “You’re not helping.”
Slowly I pick up speed, and then Dad says, “Seeing as we passed the mile marker and we’re still going, you might as well take your old man for a drive.”
My confidence grows with every mile that falls behind us, and I steer us in the direction of the beach.