~*~ A New Day Dawning ~*~
The sun streamed through the blinds of the hospital room warming her face. Somewhere between sleep and wakefulness, she became aware of his presence; the weight of his leg draped across hers, one hand resting protectively on her belly while his other arm was wrapped around her shoulders as her head rested on his shoulder, his warm breath mixing with the sun to warm her skin. She tried to move but with her left side banged up and his body on her right side, she couldn’t.
Opening her eyes, she closed them quickly against the bright light. "Shit!" she mumbled.
From beside her, "What’s wrong, Andi?"
It was Denise’s voice and Andi tried opening her eyes again, one at a time as she answered, "I can’t move."
"Want me to wake Alex?"
"No," smiled Andi sleepily looking at her sleeping husband holding her. "He was exhausted."
"I take it everything’s okay?" asked Denise as she brushed AJ’s cheek.
"More than okay. He’s going to get help for his drinking."
"Oh thank God," said Denise with her eyes closed and her head tilted upwards. Looking at Andi, "How did you convince him?"
Groggily, AJ spoke up, "By forgiving me and telling me she loved me."
"’Mornin’ sweetheart," greeted Andi.
"Mmmm, morning, Beautiful." AJ placed a sweet kiss on her lips. "When did you get here, Mama?"
"I’ve been here since six." AJ looked at his watch but she said, "It’s almost ten now. I take it this woke you up?"
"Yeah, it did. Andi deserves better and I want to be a good father. I can’t do either if I’m always drunk." AJ looked into Andi’s eyes as he stroked her belly. "I almost lost the only woman who’s ever loved me and believed in my dreams. I’m going to spend the rest of my life showering her with all the love she deserves."
Denise watched as the couple gazed into each other’s eyes and decided they needed some privacy. She was thrilled that they were back together and that AJ was going to get help. Quietly, she eased out of the room watching as the couple and bumped into Howie, Kevin, Nick and Brian as they were about to go into the room themselves.
"Hey, Denise," grinned Kevin as Denise jumped in surprise.
"What’s going on in there?" asked Nick trying to peek through the closing door.
"We know what’s NOT going on," joked Brian.
"I wouldn’t be so sure about that. We’re talking about AJ here," reminded Howie.
"Well, if you four would let a person talk," scolded Denise as she led them away from the door. "They just woke up and they have some news I think they should share with you."
"Are they back together?" asked Brian hopefully.
Denise nodded, "Yes, they are."
All four erupted in cheers earning them disapproving stares from the nursing staff.
"Boys! This IS a hospital," scolded Denise before giving in to giggles. "It’s like they were never apart for anything more than the tour."
"Oops!" laughed Nick.
"Give them a few minutes," suggested Denise as they started to go into the room. "They’re just waking up."
The small group remained gathered across the hall from the door while inside the room, the couple giggled.
"The guys are here," said AJ.
"Uh huh! The nursing staff is gonna have their hands full with those four…and you."
"Nope! Not me! I’m spoken for. I am deeply in love with my wife."
Andi sighed dreamily, "And I’m deeply in love with my husband. I just wish I could run my fingers through your hair."
AJ chuckled, "In time, baby, but you know, your lips still work. How about kissing me?"
"A kiss? Well, if I HAVE to but I’m not sure I wanna be kissing such a scruffy looking man. That unshaven look is awesome on Ho…"
AJ silenced her as his mouth caught her words. His tongue swept her touching all the sensitive spots he knew, putting her senses in overload. His hand moved along her body to tangle in her hair holding her close.
The kiss was interrupted as Dr. Ross pushed the door open amid protests from the four friends waiting outside. "Looks like I should have listened to your friends," smiled the doctor.
AJ and Andi laughed as Nick defended, "We REALLY tried to stop him."
"It’s okay, guys," assured AJ as he untangled himself from his wife. "I’m glad to see you, Dr. Ross. I’ve got some questions about my wife."
"Tell you what, let me examine her and I’ll answer all your questions afterwards."
"Andi, I’m gonna go talk to the guys while Dr. Ross is with you," said AJ kissing her hand.
"I’ll be okay, Alex," whispered Andi seeing the uncertainty in his eyes. She squeezed his hand and watched as he went to join the other four.
Standing at the back of the room so he could watch the doctor examining Andi as he explained to the guys that he was going to check into rehab. All four were relieved and expressed their full support. Kevin agreed to call management to let them know and to see what could be done about the tour while AJ was in rehab.
As Kevin, Brian, and Nick left, it left AJ and Howie alone. Looking at his friend, AJ stumbled, "I need to ask a favor."
"Okay. Just name it."
"I…I’m leaving before Andi’s out of the hospital. Can you take care of her?"
"Are you sure?"
"Positive. Look, I know that for the most part, nothing happened. What did…well, I drove you both to it. She was in good hands with you."
"Thanks, ‘J’. So, where you going?"
"Arizona, a place called The Meadows. It’s suppose to be the best."
"That’s good. How long?"
"Thirty days. I can’t have any contact for the first week but after that, my family and friends can come to the sessions. We’ll work out something because I want Andi with me but it depends on what the doctor says. Looks like he’s done," said AJ motioning to the doctor. Moving back to be with Andi, AJ asked, "How is she?"
"Much better. She had a concussion and her kidney is bruised. I am concerned about her arm. I can’t do anything to fix it if it doesn’t heal correctly."
"Why not?" asked Nick.
"I’ll have to wait until the baby is born because it’ll have to be re-broken and I would rather do that with her under anesthesia."
"How long are you going to keep her?" asked Kevin.
"I’d like to keep her a couple more days to monitor her and the baby."
"When can she fly?" asked AJ.
"Not until after the baby is born."
AJ frowned. "Oh."
"Is that a problem?" asked Dr. Ross.
Howie spoke up, "AJ is gonna be spending some time in Arizona for the next 30 days and he wanted her to join him when she got out of the hospital."
"I’m sorry but I just don’t want to put her at risk even though I expect her to make a full recovery."
"I understand," said AJ, "and I appreciate all that you’ve done for her."
"She’s extremely lucky to walk away from this accident with only the injuries she DOES have. Andi, do you remember what happened?"
From behind the group, a police officer spoke, "Yes, Mrs. McLean, what do you remember about the accident?"
The boys parted to allow the two officers to get closer and Andi blushed as she remembered the accident. She knew AJ was going to give her a hard time about it.
It didn’t escape AJ’s attention and he said teasingly, "Okay, ‘Speedy’. How fast were you going THIS time?"
Everyone laughed and Andi pouted, "It was NOT my fault this time."
"Uh huh, just like when you hit me," smirked AJ.
"Seriously."
"She’s right, Mr. McLean. A drunk driver hit your wife. We just want her side of the story. Your mother let us know that Andi was awake."
The fact that a drunk driver had hit Andi hit AJ hard and he wiped a tear. Andi saw it and reached for his hand.
"It’s okay, baby," whispered Andi. "You would never have done something like this."
"But it COULD have happened," he replied as he leaned to her to kiss her one more time.
Looking at the officers as she held AJ’s hand, "The only thing I remember was listening to one of my husband’s CD’s and I was crying. As I was taking the CD out, I remember feeling my car getting hit and then the next thing I knew, I woke up here."
"You didn’t see it coming?"
"No sir."
"Thank you, Mrs. McLean. Glad you’re okay." The officers started to leave but stopped at the door. Looking back at AJ, he asked, "So, have you tamed that temper of hers?"
It dawned on AJ and Andi then that these were the same two officers who had worked the accident where they had met. AJ laughed, "No, I haven’t and you know something, it’s WORSE when she knows she’s wrong."
Everyone laughed as Andi swatted him playfully.
With the doctor and police officers gone, Nick asked, "What CD were you listening to?"
"’Black and Blue’," mumbled Andi.
"You NEVER listen to our stuff in the car," said AJ as he sat on the bed beside her. "What song had you crying, ‘Beautiful’?"
Andi turned her face into his body and mumbled, "Not now, please."
Howie quickly changed the subject. "Andi, I have your rings for you."
"My rings?"
AJ looked down to see that she wasn’t wearing any of her jewelry.
"Your fingers were swelling and they had to cut them off. I took them to a jeweler this morning and had them fixed for you," explained Howie as he pulled them out of his pocket. The three rings she wore on her left hand dangled from a gold chain as he held them out to AJ. "I put them on the necklace so you could still wear them."
"Thanks, ‘D’," said AJ gratefully as he took the necklace. Putting it on Andi, he saw the tears in her eyes and whispered, "Want me to clear them out?"
Andi nodded her head slightly as a tear trickled down.
"Guys, can you give us some time?"
The others had seen Andi’s tears too and Kevin asked softly, "When do you need to leave?"
"My flight is at four."
"We’ll go get your things for you so you don’t have to leave Andi," offered Brian.
Looking at his wife, AJ said, "Thanks, Bri."
Each guy gave Andi a kiss on the cheek as they said their good-byes and promised to return to visit.
Alone, AJ sat facing Andi so he could see her eyes and he brushed her cheek. "Andi, what song were you listening to?"
"All of them…’The Call’, ‘Get a New Boyfriend’, ‘It’s True’…but the one that got me was ‘More Than That’." Her voice was barely a whisper.
AJ smiled lovingly. "When we did the video, I thought about you. I wanted to show you I could still love you…more than that."
Andi took AJ’s hand, "You’ve always loved me more than I ever thought possible. I was so unfair to you, Alex. I didn’t give you a chance to explain. All I did was push you away when you really hadn’t done anything. I assumed you slept with her. If I had just looked into your eyes…."
"If you had looked into my eyes, you’d have given in. I know that and I tried my damnedest to get to you but you had a right to be angry. I didn’t know I hadn’t screwed her until right before I found out you were pregnant. He begged me to tell you thinking you weren’t gonna take me back. Then I found out Nana had died and I needed you…I needed to feel your arms and to have you forgive me."
"And you found me at Howie’s after having a romantic dinner. No wonder you lost it. Alex, I should have trusted you," whimpered Andi as the tears spilled over.
"Shh, I told you, it’s over, ‘Beautiful’," soothed AJ as he held her face in his hands using his thumbs to wipe the tears. "You need to concentrate on getting well. This little darling you’re carrying needs her mama to be healthy."
Andi smiled, "You mean little boy."
"Do you know for sure?" he asked curiously.
"No, I didn’t want to know until he was born."
"She!" teased AJ. "It’s gonna be a beautiful little princess with her mother’s….and grandmother’s….exotic beauty." AJ traced her eyebrows, her jaw line, and her lips with the tip of his finger as he stared into her eyes. "I have missed you so much, Andrea. The next thirty days are gonna be pure torture thinking about your sexy body in our bed, waiting for me, changing because of me."
"I have taken so much from you with this pregnancy. How can I make that up to you?"
"I was there for the MOST important part and I’ll be there for when ‘she’s’ born. Has it been difficult for you?"
"Not really…just not having you when I went in for doctor visits. Not having you there to celebrate hearing the heartbeat for the first time. Alex, I’m not sure I can make it thirty days."
Playing with her fingers, AJ said, "Me either but it’ll be worth it. It’ll be a new start for us, Andi. I’ll be clean, no addictions…"
"I hope you’ll have ONE addiction," purred Andi placing her hand on his inner thigh. Stroking lightly, "We share an addiction that is NOT a bad thing."
"Mmm." AJ closed his eyes enjoying the feel of her touch that he’d ached to have for five long months. He knew what addiction she was talking about and he knew she was right. "Okay, that one will ALWAYS be around but the others, the dangerous ones…they’ll be gone. Baby, you’re making me hard."
"Need me to take care of it for you?"
Her hand had found it’s way to the growing bulge in his jeans and he hardened immediately. "Andi," he whined. "How are we gonna fool around?"
"What? My husband, the sex-addict, can’t figure out a way to fool around?"
"Oh, I can figure out a way," growled AJ as he climbed into bed with Andi. "You wanna fool around, Mrs. McLean, then we will fool around."
The couple spent the time they had remaining before he had to leave talking, exploring the best they could, and simply holding each other. It was just like the way they had been before that fateful night in February and they were both happy…happier than they’d been in five months.
