“I know.” Imogene’s voice is so quiet that I can barely hear it.
“Let it go,” I say quietly to all three of them. “It’s no big deal. I didn’t even know who I was helping. It was too dark, there was too much water…” A shudder wracks my body as I relive flashes of that incident, but I shake it off. “It didn’t matter who you were. I had to do what I could. So let’s just forget it and go our separate ways.”
I’m turning away when Imogene says, “Well, just know that I’m grateful to you.”
“Why should he care if you’re grateful or not?” Abigail asks fiercely. Her cheeks are pink with anger, and her back is ramrod straight. “He didn’t do it for your gratitude. He did it because it was the right thing to do.” She huffs out a breath and stares them down.
“I love you so much,” I say to her.
Imogene sucks in a breath, like my telling Abigail I love her hurts Imogene.
“Why did you drive into the rising water?” I decide to ask her. I’ve been curious about that since the night it happened. Her husband is the fire chief. Of course, he’s warned her about the dangers of flooding.
She shakes her head, looking chagrined. “I didn’t know it was that high,” she admits. “I’ve driven across that bridge many times over the years, even with several inches of water over it. I thought that was all it was, but as I got further and further across the bridge, the water started to lap at the sides of the car. Then the engine stalled out and I was stuck. I couldn’t get the windows down without the engine, and then the door wouldn’t open because of the force of the water. It rose so fast…so fast! I couldn’t get out.”
“I went in through the sunroof,” I remind her.
She nods. “You saved my life. You didn’t have to.” She squeezes Derrick’s hand where it’s resting on her shoulder. “But we are so grateful that you did.”
“As I said, I didn’t know it was you until after.”
“Fair enough,” Derrick says. “But you’d have saved her anyway, even had you known, because that’s who you are.” His eyes fill up with tears, and he blinks them back. “The first time Melanie brought you home to meet us, I didn’t like you,” he says frankly.
I try to grin but I’m afraid it’s more of a smirk. “I didn’t particularly think much of you two either.” They were pompous jerks who looked down their noses at me, a working-class guy.
“But then we saw the way you loved her,” Derrick says. He swipes at his nose. “The day I placed her hand in yours at the altar, I felt confident that you would take care of her for the rest of her life.”
Something tugs at my heart. Hard. “I’m sorry I let you down,” I say honestly. And I genuinely am sorry.
He shakes his head. “You didn’t let me down. You didn’t let her down. A tragic accident happened, and I tried to treat you like you did it on purpose, mainly because my heart was broken after my daughter’s death.” His voice breaks as he lays his hand upon his chest. “That’s a hole that can never be filled.”
“I did my time, and then you made sure I’d have to do a little more,” I remind him.
He lets out a chuckle, but there’s no warmth or laughter in it. “Oh, I wanted you to do more than that. I wanted you to pay.” He holds his fist in front of him and squeezes tightly, and I can see his knuckles go white from the pressure.
“I loved her,” I say to both Imogene and Derrick. “I really did.” I look at Abigail’s face, wanting to be sure I haven’t hurt her with my declaration. But she looks fine. She looks like my verbal diarrhea isn’t bothering her in the slightest. “I’m ready to go back to my room,” I tell her, my knees a little wobbly from standing for so long.
Abigail nods and puts an arm around me to support me while she leads me back to the room.
“Can you accept our apology? Please?” Imogene calls out.
I say nothing, and I let Abigail lead me back to my room. I sit down on the edge of the bed, the trauma of the past few days finally catching up with me. But it’s only a second before Abigail charges out of the room.
I can hear her, but I can’t see her.
“You don’t get to do that!” she cries. I can see her in my mind’s eye with her finger pointed in their faces. “You don’t get to ask for his forgiveness and then sit blindly by while he gives it. Your needs don’t matter right now. He’s been fighting for his life, all because he saved yours, so give him some time to get better before you force his hand, will you please? Thank you.”
“But—” Imogene begins. I wince when I hear it, because I know what a shit-storm it will produce.
“No buts!” Abigail cries. “No buts! Now go away so he can get some rest.”
Suddenly, Imogene lets out a laugh. “Melanie would have loved you.”
“Thank you,” Abigail replies. “I guess.”
“No, she really would. She would have adored the way you take up for him. She would have loved it. And I’m sure she would have loved you, all because he does.”
“Thank you,” Abigail says again. “Are we done here?”