The Gift of Possibilities: The Third Christmas Part II
Miranda shook her head to remove the vicious memories from her forethoughts. She had no desire to ever again remember her first glimpse of Andrea just after the explosion. Chemical burns, damaged retinas, torn flesh. She shuddered. She barely remembered the twelve hours following her first look at her beloved. She knew she’d chartered a helicopter to fly Andrea back to Manhattan, here to Columbia Medical Center, New York Presbyterian. She knew she’d demanded the best care possible, and she’d gotten it.
She remembered going home long enough to tell the twins and make arrangements for them. Then she was right back here where she remained camped for the following two days. After that, Andrea’s prognosis improved dramatically. Miranda refused to think of how Andrea was during those two days, however. It’s kept her awake every night since. Though sure she expressed it poorly, she was incredibly grateful for all of the assistance provided to her over the last ten days by Emily, Nigel, Roy, and Cara. Those four employees had been rocks. All of them. She would need to figure out a way to reward them for their service. It was truly above and beyond. And yes, a good deal of it was because they were all so fond of Andrea, but she still wanted to show appreciation somehow. Andrea could help her with that, surely.
A stirring across the room was to Miranda…the greatest of Christmas gifts. She crossed the room in a flash. “There’s my beauty. Merry Christmas, sweetheart.”
Andy shifted her head on the pillow and put her hand out, patting the bedside in search of something. Miranda lay her hand down and allowed the younger woman to find her and grab hold.
“I missed you,” murmured the sleepy brunette. “How wonderful it is to wake because I smelled your perfume. I could wake like that every day. Love you. Merry Christmas.”
Miranda leaned down and pressed her lips firmly to Andrea’s, ignoring any morning breath issues. It took only seconds for the kiss to deepen as the two women reaffirmed their relationship. Miranda broke it before they got too involved. “I’m sure we can make that happen,” she replied sweetly. “And I am indeed a lucky woman, as I am quite in love with you, as well.”
Andy reached up with her free hand, wanting to touch Miranda’s face. An unspoken symbiosis had developed between the two women over the last week. Miranda seemed to always know what Andrea needed with regards to her inability to see. She was scheduled to have her bandages removed tomorrow, but today…today she was still blind. But that was alright with Miranda. She hadn’t fallen in love with Andrea’s ability to see her. She knew her lover worried about whether or not she would be able to see once the bandages came off even though her physician assured her that the outlook was very, very good. Miranda, however, had confidence. This all flitted through her head as she leaned down and allowed her lover to cup her face.
Andy smiled and brushed a thumb across Miranda’s lips. “You didn’t have to come today, you know. It’s Christmas. You should be home with the girls. Opening presents, making a mess.”
Miranda leaned down until her nose nuzzled into the shell of Andy’s ear. Her lips barely grazed the skin as she stated her case in a soft whisper. “I am very thoroughly besotted, and I blame you completely. I have been extremely fortunate to have spent the last two Christmases with you, my darling Andrea, but I spent forty-nine Christmases without you. And I don’t plan to ever do that again. Now, what can I do for my love on this Christmas Day?”
Andy’s eyes burned underneath the bandages as her tears escaped. She brought their clasped hands to her lips and held them there. Moments passed in the quiet union of two souls. “I just want to see you,” Andy finally choked out. She felt Miranda squeeze her hand tighter and shift away.
Miranda pressed her lips to Andrea’s cheek before disengaging their hands and standing upright. “Let me see what I can do to make that happen, alright?”
Andy gave a small jerk of acceptance, already missing the warmth of the older woman’s touch. Miranda had grounded her like nothing else throughout this entire experience, from the moment she’d first touched her in the ER after the accident. Being unable to see her, Andy felt adrift without Miranda’s touch.
Miranda leaned in, pressed a quick kiss to those beloved, full lips, and then rushed out of the room. It didn’t take long to locate Andrea’s doctor, a neural ophthalmologist of some renown. Though she was surprised he was even working today, his dedication was just part of what made him so sought after. Miranda trusted him to take proper care of Andrea and would not ever forget the time and effort he’d put forth to save her eyesight. Finding him was easy. Convincing him to check Andrea’s eyes a day early, however, did take a few minutes longer. Miranda agreed to all of his stipulations and knew Andrea would, as well; especially given that doing so would allow her to see.
Andy smelled Miranda as she reentered the room. “Hey.” She could easily intoxicate herself on Miranda’s perfume.
Miranda moved to the bed and picked up Andrea’s hand. “I brought your doctor. He’s willing to check your eyes today rather than waiting until tomorrow.”
Doctor Frantom cleared his throat. “There are a few stipulations, Andy. For the first few days, you need to wear an eye mask. I’m removing your bandages, but your eyes are still going to be extremely sensitive to light and quick movement. Under no circumstances are you to be out in the sun, in a brightly lit room, or in front of strobe lights.”
“Damn, Miranda. We’ll have to take ours down,” Andy drawled. She was absolutely delighted. She was going to be able to see Miranda! For the first time in ten days.
Miranda tightly squeezed the hand she held. “Cheeky girl.”
Frantom chuckled and moved to switch on the lamp, at its dimmest setting, in the corner of the private room. He then turned out the main overhead lights. “Ok, Andy. Keep your eyes closed until I tell you to open them, alright?”
Andy nodded, eager to proceed. Her fingers clenched around Miranda’s in anticipation as she felt the doctor’s on her face. The bandages came off slowly and several minutes passed as Frantom checked the stitches at the corner of her left eye and the surrounding tissue.
Miranda watched intently, wincing at the raw features of her beloved’s face. Was Andrea scarred? No. She would have a tiny one at the corner of her eye but hardly noticeable. And easily fixed if Andrea so chose. It didn’t detract from her beauty at all in Miranda’s eyes. No, her wince was due to the painful-looking redness of Andrea’s eyelids and surrounding parts of her face. The burns would heal, but Miranda knew they were very painful. Andy’s eyes were sunken and bruised; the flesh red and raw.
Miranda thought she was gorgeous.
“Ok, Andy, you can open your eyes, but do it slowly. Give those singed retinas a chance to adjust,” Frantom cautioned as he backed away.
Andy turned toward Miranda and again squeezed her hand, this time in anticipation. She felt Miranda place her free hand over top of their joined ones in a demonstration of support. Andy slowly opened her eyes.
And there stood the blurriest, most beautiful sight she’d ever seen. She blinked a few times in the dim light, pain lancing into her head just as the doctor had predicted.
Miranda nervously gazed back. Tears pricked her own eyes as she was, once again, able to gaze into those large, deep brown pools. “Andrea?” she prompted after an extended silence.
Andy quirked her lips and dryly muttered, “As a journalist, I’m trying really hard to come up with the right words without turning into a cliché.”
Miranda beamed. “Go for it, darling. Be a cliché!”
With that kind of enthusiastic permission, Andy grinned. “Boy, are you a sight for sore eyes!”
*** *** ***
Two hours later, Andy’s eyes were again covered; this time in a soft, black satin eye mask. Andy didn’t care. She’d gotten what she wanted for Christmas. She could deal with the mask for the next several days. Besides, she had a feeling her significant other would make sure she adhered to every directive given by Dr. Frantom. Emily had brought the twins and the mask (as requested by Miranda as the three were on their way over), they’d had a wonderful visit, and she was now exhausted. Combine that with the pain medication she’d just ingested and Miranda’s loving attention, and she was hard-pressed to stay awake.
Miranda was propped up beside Andrea in the bed, supporting the younger woman against her shoulder. She slowly ran a hand through Andy’s thick tresses, soothing the woman as best she could. “Are you comfortable?” she murmured.
Andy nodded tiredly. “I got what I wanted for Christmas, which was to see you and the girls. I’m just sad I didn’t get to give you your Christmas present. I mean, I know I’ll never top what I got you the first Christmas, but I still have something.”
Miranda cupped her hand to Andrea’s face. “Oh, my darling, you did! You already gave me a most extraordinary gift. One that is even more priceless than the first.”
“I did?” Andy frowned. “I’m coming up blank here. What was it?”
Miranda’s eyes watered and her throat closed tight with emotion. She pressed her face into Andrea’s hair and choked, “You lived, sweetheart. You lived.”
The silence was profound as the two women clutched at one another. Many minutes passed before Andy jerked back.
“Great. How am I ever going to top that one?”
~R