Ellie waited anxiously outside the door of the hospital room. She’d rushed over as soon as she could, but when the nurse had told her that Michael’s family was visiting, she’d hesitated. His parents, most likely. After pulling their son into danger that led him to the emergency room, would she be welcome?
That hesitation warred with her worst fears. She had no idea what condition Michael was in. The bullet, the loss of blood, the trauma of exposure... All of it would have taken a toll on him. Maybe she should give him some privacy—
Ellie’s thoughts were interrupted as the door to Michael’s room swung open and a woman walked out. She was shorter than Ellie, but she looked like Michael. The same pronounced cheekbones, the same wide-set, dark brown eyes... Was this his mother?
The woman looked at Ellie and tilted her head to the side.
Ellie swallowed as her heart pounded in her chest. Too late to retreat.
“Ellie?”
“Yes. Mrs. Tang?”
The woman nodded.
“How is Michael?” The question burst out of her. “I’ve been so worried.”
“He’s recovering.” His mother’s voice was soft. “The doctor says it’ll take some time, but he shouldn’t have any lasting damage.”
Ellie closed her eyes and gave a little prayer. Thank You, Lord. Then she opened her eyes and met Michael’s mother’s gaze, steeling herself for whatever came next. His mother had every reason to be angry with her for endangering her son, and all Ellie could offer was an apology. As little as it was, she had to try.
“I am so sorry for what I put your son through,” she whispered. “I tried to talk him out of coming with me, but in the end, I guess that doesn’t matter since he was the one who got hurt.”
Mrs. Tang did the last thing Ellie expected. She smiled. “Michael has a very strong will. When he makes up his mind, no one can dissuade him of whatever it is he wants to do.”
His mother didn’t sound angry at all, which made her wonder if Michael’s parents had heard the whole story. Ellie didn’t know where to start.
“If I hadn’t asked him to take me to my house, my brother-in-law never would have gone after Michael,” she tried to explain. “I wish I could take that back.”
Mrs. Tang shook her head. “I don’t wish for that.”
Ellie blinked at her in surprise. “Why not?”
“Michael has been lost to us since his wife died.” Sadness weighed heavily in her voice. “I think he told you about Sunny.”
Ellie nodded.
“We all mourned her, but it changed Michael. He rarely speaks anymore, and he was going to move away.” Her voice broke and she paused before continuing. “His father and I arrived at the hospital when he was in surgery and were given a note, apologizing for planning to leave our ranch behind. He wrote that he changed his mind. My husband and I... We were too scared to hope. So, we waited, holding on to that letter until he was out of surgery.
“What I saw when he returned to consciousness was pieces of the Michael I knew. The man who was capable of joy as well as sorrow.” His mother’s eyes lit up as she spoke. “I don’t know why, but this experience has brought our son back to us.”
Ellie stared at the woman, speechless. It was hard to believe that a day full of fear and harm could bring something good, too. It was impossible to know the why of any of this, but it all fit together, in ways that she never could have guessed.
Mrs. Tang reached for Ellie’s hands and took them in hers. The woman’s fingers were soft and cool, and somehow this simple gesture sent a rush of comfort. Relief.
“The letter also mentioned you,” the woman added. “He cares for you. He wanted us to protect you if he didn’t make it.”
“Thank you for telling me,” Ellie whispered. “I care about him, too. I was sick with worry that I had taken your son away from you.”
Mrs. Tang squeezed Ellie’s hands. “It’s the opposite. You’ve led him back to us.”
As the hospital staff rushed around them, Ellie bowed her head in wonder at this new connection that was growing inside her. The door to Michael’s room opened again and a man with salt-and-pepper hair walked out. He didn’t look much like Michael but he was tall like his son. Mrs. Tang let go of Ellie’s hands and turned to him.
“This is Ellie,” she said, and Michael’s father reached for Ellie’s hand. She shook it.
“You’re welcome at the ranch anytime,” he said.
“Thank you. I’d be honored.”
Michael’s parents said their goodbyes and walked away down the hall, leaving her alone in front of Michael’s door. Her heartbeat sped up at the thought of seeing him again. This felt like more than just a visit. The last time they had spoken, Michael had told her he wanted something with her, something more, and she wanted to tell him that she did, too. However Michael responded, this felt like a new chapter in her life, and she found herself hoping so much that it would be with him. She had no idea where it would lead, but she found that she was ready for it. So, with a deep breath, she placed her hand on the handle and opened the door.
Michael closed his eyes as his father walked out the door, exhausted, but happy. He was finally able to be the son he wanted to be for his parents, and he could feel the happiness it brought them. The pall that Sunny’s death had cast over their relationship had lifted, and he could hear in their voices that they felt it, too. His father talked about ideas for the ranch, and the ways they could rely on tourist dollars for the summer, during Michael’s recovery. He wanted to plan together, and they had plenty of time for that.
When the handle of the door turned again, Michael scanned the room to see if his parents had forgotten something. But it wasn’t his parents who walked through the door. It was Ellie. Michael’s heart jumped in his chest.
She looked different, dressed like the woman he had seen fleeing down the mountain in an expensive-looking white blouse and gray trousers. But unlike on the mountain, she looked put together. Her long red hair was pulled into a neat bun at the base of her neck, and she wore pearl earrings, a pearl necklace and pale lipstick.
This is the real her. She wasn’t the woman he had spent that day with, the woman he had felt close to. She lived a different life than he did. It was a life he had left behind when he and Sunny had decided to move to the ranch, a life he’d decided he wasn’t interested in anymore. He had to remember that throughout this conversation, no matter how good it felt to see her again.
“Michael,” she whispered. “May I come in?”
She looked nervous, almost shy.
“I’d love that,” he said. “You can pull up a chair.
Another thought occurred to him as he watched her cross the floor. The last time he’d spoken to her, he had told her how he’d felt. Was she here out of guilt, out of obligation, or was there something more? Michael wanted it to be something more so badly.
Ellie pulled a beige chair up to the side of his bed. “You’re sitting up.”
