Bet God heard you coming
If it weren't for Liam in the backseat buckled tightly in his car seat, Carina would have been driving a hundred miles an hour. Her wife twitched; it was small but yet so huge it was a sign. She could be waking up right now and Carina hated the thought of her not being there. What if she forgot her? And their entire life? What if she woke up scared and confused? Carina had to be there to comfort her, she had too. “Momma, why are we going so fast?” Liam asked from the backseat forcing Carina's mind to come back to the present, she released some of the pressure on the gas pedal. “Sorry bambino I’m just trying to get us to mommy” She glanced at him through the top mirror, he looked puzzled “But shes sleeping I don't think she cares if we get there late” Carina laughed a little, she wasn't going to tell him his mommy could be waking up this instant, it would only hurt him more if she didn't. Instead, she nodded “I know but I really miss mommy” Liam stared at her thoughtfully but seemed to figure it made sense “Because we saw her firehouse family?” He asked shyly, clearly fearful of not being allowed back there. “Sort of yes, but it was nice, isn't it?” She wanted to reassure him that they would be back there no matter what they would go back another day. Liam beamed “Yeah it was I want to be a firefighter one day!” Carina shook her head of course he did. “Bambino, your mommy would be so thrilled to hear you say that” Liam's smile grew even bigger “I’ll tell her when we get to the hospital!”
Maya at the hospital was fighting with her entire body, she could feel it stirring despite everything. Wave after wave of exhaustion hit her. Of course, years of no movement and small movement would be exhausting, muscles leave if they are not used. Fear hit her in waves too, which was not helping. Carina was probably on her way right now, maybe bringing Liam. If she didn’t wake up right now, she would be disappointing the woman she loved more than anything in the world again. She heard Amelia's footsteps, she felt the pressure of Amelia sitting and felt herself finally twitching her finger. “Hey Bishop” Amelia grabbed Maya's hand “I know you're in there” She felt Amelia squeezing hers, encouragement. Maya found herself forcing the squeeze around Amelia's hand. It was feeble but there. “Two squeezes if you can hear me” Amelia whispered. Maya concentrated –one–two– she heard Amelia gasp loudly. “I knew it!” She shook Maya's hand, her excitement buzzing off of her. This was good, right? Amelia the neurosurgeon seemed happy about her potential. That was good, it had to be. “More Maya come on” Amelia said, gripping her hang again. “Eight squeezes” Amelia whispered –one–two–three–four–five–six–seven–eight, exhaustion hit her. How was she going to get through this? How was she going to wake up if simple movements were so terribly tiring.
Carina felt the car nearly tip as she sharply turned into the parking lot. The steering wheel almost slipped from her hands, slacked from sweat. “Momma calm down!” Liam said his scared voice pulling her out of her anxiety filled haze of a mind. “I’m sorry bambino” she said with a soft voice; she was so worried about Maya about the possibility of seeing her wife again. Awake. Blue eyes full of life. Her body, finally alive with movement. All of it was too much and not enough. The possibility of immense disappointment after so many years of disappointment.
Footsteps. Every footstep that passed was a set that could be her wife and little boy. She was straining her ears while also trying to listen to Amelia's instructions. She had lifted her legs and arms now almost shifted up; it seemed like her eyes were cemented shut. “Open them” Amelia said, her tone a little harsher now. Anger. Maya was familiar with that, the same anger her father used during her training. She responded to this anger with anger of her own. It was calling something from within her out, to fight harder. She wanted to yell at Amelia badly, despite herself. She knew Amelia was only trying to help her but still it angered her the way she was speaking to her. Like she wasn't trying, like her entire purpose for the past nearly five years wasn't to be with her family again. “BISHOP” Amelia said, nearly screaming in Maya's face. Motivation sure, but even more so it was horrible and angering. She forced her arm up, a pathetic smack against what felt like Amelia's arm. Her arm felt like when you slept on it all night, weak and painful. Amelia let out a laugh of pride, “Come on Barbie, you got this”
Carina walked quickly into the hospital; she picked up Liam something she hadn't done in sometime as he was a big kid. She gripped him tightly, she knew he could tell something was up but all he did was look at her with questioning eyes. Her heart pounded as her mind raced with memories of Maya when she was awake. Her soft gentle smile and warm blue eyes, the sound of her beautiful laugh. The soft words of comfort Maya would murmur in the night when she believed Carina was sleeping. All of that could come back to her, soon. She walked faster, holding a little tighter onto Liam as they bounded up the stairs. Carina was too impatient to wait for the elevator.
Maya strained; her body felt like an old piece of technology being booted on after years of inactivity. Everything was slowly turning on in her body, slowly connecting back to her mind. For years she was imprisoned inside her own body but now finally she was being released, her sentence served. Amelia had moved off the bed now, allowing Maya the range to move her limbs as much as she could, she hadn't tried to open her eyes in a while a part of her was scared she would try and they wouldn't and she would be right back where she started. There was also another part of her that wanted the first thing she saw in nearly five years to be Carina's face. All of the beauty and grace she hadn't seen in so long, all she needed was her. “You're doing wonderful,” Amelia said, watching each intentional movement with pride. Maya was somebody Amelia knew personally, and she was also close with Carina so of course there was the emotional tie. There also however was the fascination as a doctor when it came to Maya's case, the brain activity and all. This was all exciting for many reasons.
Carina reached the coma unit and walked quickly, Liam stared at her with immense concern, clearly unsure of what was happening. He knew it was something to do with Maya. Still even then he stayed silent. This was it, this was her chance. Her wife is finally waking up. She needed to see her eyes, hear her voice. It was repetitive, the desperate wishes in her mind.
There. That was them. Maya recognized the footsteps. They were followed by many mumbles of Italian. “Mi amore” she said with concern. Maya felt the weight of the bed shift and she moved her arm to touch out in front of her, she heard the loud gasp from Carina. “Please please bambina open your eyes” Carina was desperate, tears welling in her eyes she placed Liam next to her, he stayed completely silent. He had always been the type of boy to fall silent when things were tense. Stoic, so much like Maya even at five.
Maya's heart pounded and she felt Carina's cool hands on her face, the familiar vanilla she dapped on her wrists. This was it. Open them. With force Maya brought her hands to Carinas and opened her eyes to the harsh lights causing ache immediately. She couldn't even take in Carina or Liam yet. Another gasp from Carina, slowly Maya's eyes adjusted. She suddenly realized her throat was excessively dry and terribly dry. She stared at her wife in all of her beauty. The lines of her older age were more pronounced, streaks of gray hair framed her face. Beautiful. Those dark warm brown eyes were better than any memory, completely glorious. It had been too long since she last saw those eyes and for a moment nothing else in the world mattered; it was only Carina. “MOMMY” Liam suddenly yelled out, tearing Maya's attention away from Carina to her beautiful son. She felt so much pride in her chest looking at this little boy. “Hey buddy” She sat up more allowing herself to be hugged by him entirely, his arms gripping her crushingly, but she knew it was fair. All he knew was her lying unmoving. He shook in her arms, and she knew instantly he was crying. She couldn't help it. She began to cry as well; she had left this boy alone for too long without her. The guilt ate away at her as she looked up at Carina, her aged beauty crying with a soft smile, her eyes on the embrace.
Carina couldn't help it. Watching Maya with their son for the first time in years was overwhelming. She was feeling so many emotions not a single word in any language could describe. Maya was there, awake and intact. Her wife. Her love. She was okay. Liam there in her arms crying, he would remember this even despite his young age but at least Maya wouldn't miss the rest of his life.
After another month Amelia released Maya, she was hesitant to do so but Carina assured her she would look after her wife. Getting back into their routine was hard. Maya had to do lots of physical therapy and often grew frustrated by her lack of muscles. But it was good finally having her wife home again.
Carina woke up first today and turned over, looking at Maya. It was hard not to feel a bit of panic when she first woke, seeing Maya just lying there like she had for years scared her a bit. The pit in Carina's stomach was getting overwhelming and she gently pushed at Maya “Baby” She whispered “bambina” Maya groaned and grabbed her wife's hand. “What?” She said sleepily her voice caused Carina to sigh in relief. “Just wanted to make sure you were going to wake up” Carina whispered trying to make it sound more playful, of course Maya heard through it.
“Come here” Maya said, opening her arms and bringing Carina close to her, arms tight around her wife. “I promise I won't go back but I know you worry so don’t feel bad about waking me up” She kissed the top of Carina's head. Her wife nodded slightly against her chest, letting the peace settle over them. She thanked the Lord in her mind over and over again, her wife was back.
They grew their family a bit more soon after that, knowing time would only make more kids harder. Time was a thief, and it stole so much but in return gave them more. Old age took them both eventually, Carina first Maya following her shortly after. By then all their hair was greyed, and their skin told the stories of a thousand smiles. Smiles shared in the kitchen after all the kids went to bed, smiles when they found a way to laugh after all the hard days. Carina passed away with smile lines so deep, and to think for almost five years she thought it impossible to ever truly smile again. Time robbed you blind, but it was also the greatest gift imaginable. Carina DeLuca-Bishop died peacefully surrounded by her children, her grandchildren, her wife and the comfort of knowing she would be embraced by the kind God she had hoped existed for many years.
And in Carina's last moments of this life, Maya whispered softly to her.
“In a hundred years we will be only bones, and they will not know our names, but our love will live in generations of family. Whatever is next I will be there, I will always be there to love you.”