“You’re free to get a second opinion, Mr. Blade. You can return home and have the surgery done on the East Coast. But UCLA is ready, and they’re a renowned hospital. The sooner this is taken care of, the sooner you can get on with your life without worrying about a potentially dangerous situation. And you can concentrate on your family.”
The doctor went through the details of the surgery, but Tommy was only half listening. He was too worried about the future.
“You’ll have a small section of your scalp shaved approximately—–”
“What?” Tommy turned his attention toward the doctor. “You’re not shaving my head.” On top of everything that was going on and the severity of the surgery, they weren’t shaving his head. No fucking way.
“It’s routine and imperative from a cleanliness standpoint. Your hair will grow back, Mr. Blade.”
Angel was smiling at Tommy through the tears that glistened in the corners of his eyes. He ran his fingers through Tommy’s hair. “No one loves your beautiful blond locks more than I do, mi amor, but it’s a small price to pay for your health.” He placed a gentle kiss on Tommy’s lips. “I love you, my prince, and I need you to be well. We all do.”
Tommy nodded, then turned to Jessi. Tears hung on her lower lids, and she was struggling to smile, but her lips were quivering too much.
Tommy placed his hand on her belly and envisioned his son sleeping securely inside. Movement under his hand made him smile, and his heart filled with love. Everything he did from now on was for that baby. He would shave his head bald if needed. He leaned down and kissed the mound of Jessi’s stomach. “I love you, little baby.” He cupped Jessi’s face in his hands and kissed her. “I love you, hon.” Then he reached for Angel. “I love you, A.”
Angel’s smile widened. “When are you going to name that baby? He’s going to be in nursery school by the time you find a name for him.”
Tommy smiled back. “I can’t help it. I can’t commit to a name until I see him. I’ve got some ideas rolling around in my head, but they keep changing. When I see him, I’ll know which one suits him.”
Angel just stared at him. “I love you, Tommy. You are my world. I can’t envision one moment of my life without you. Please get well.” He hugged Tommy so tight it was hard to breathe, until Jessi’s arms joined Angel’s and they both encapsulated him in a suffocating bear hug.
Unable to really maneuver in their close embrace, he sat motionless and let them hold him. They squeezed him so tight it felt like the three of them were occupying the same body. Emotionally, they were always in the same headspace. Physically, they were as close as three people could possibly be.
The doctor slipped out of the room and left the three of them alone together. A short while later, a nurse popped in with a stack of written material about the surgery. Tommy needed to read each pamphlet. Words like death and brain damage stuck out and made a knot form in his stomach. He knew it was a standard disclosure, but it was unnerving and sent a chill down his spine. He wondered about the success rate of the surgery, but wouldn’t dare ask with Jessi and Angel in the room. Either way, he wasn’t playing Russian Roulette with a vein in his head, not when he had a baby to raise. Or two. He chuckled softly to himself. His son wasn’t even born yet, and he was already thinking about having another one. His smile quickly faded as the reminder of his impending surgery filtered through his thoughts. It was going to be a long night. “Will you two stay with me tonight?” he asked Jessi and Angel.
“Do you think I’m going anywhere?” Angel asked. “They didn’t want to let me in, you know. They had the God damn nerve to say I wasn’t immediate family, but an army couldn’t have kept me away from you.”
Tommy knew that Angel had no legal rights in their marriage. That’s why he and Jessi both had wills drawn up that left everything to Angel in case something happened to both of them. But not being able to visit him in the hospital? That was fucking bullshit. Angel was an equal part of the marriage – one full third. “How did you convince them to let you in the room?”
Angel sat up a little taller. “I told them they would have to kill me to keep me away from you. And I meant it. Seriously, they would have had to drag me away in cuffs to stop me.”
Angel was just as headstrong as Jessi sometimes. Those two were so much alike, which is probably why Tommy loved them both so much – so equally. “I’m glad you did, because I would have moved my bed into the waiting room if they didn’t let you in to see me.”