Page 76 of We Drank the Dawn

With strength only adrenaline could provide, I rolled him to his side as I shrieked his name then scrambled for my phone on the bathroom counter and dialed nine-one-one.

TWENTY-FIVE

Peter

“Knock, knock.” Bea called as her fist rapped the other side of the door.

“Come in.”

The door opened and my sister rushed in, a smile on her face. The muted autumn-orange dress she wore beautifully complimented her warm features, and for the thousandth time I marveled at Sarah’s ability to make the entire wedding party flatter her red hair and brown freckles.

Bea shut the door behind her, letting her eyes wander across the sea of coat bags, shoe boxes, and men’s duffle bags strewn across the room. “Looks like Men’s Warehouse threw up in here.”

I chuckled at that, but the sound hardly came out, caught in my tight throat.

“They’re waiting on you,” she said.

I nodded, still unable to speak.

“How are you?” She asked, her tone knowing.

Feigning nonchalance, I leaned against the table behind me, startling when I tipped a bottle of hair spray over. That was probably Ben’s.

I managed the words, “I can’t breathe.”

Bea took a quiet, sharp breath. “Still having doubts?”

“No.” I shook my head. “I’m not. I’m a little nervous for the reasons we talked about, but I’m excited.”

Bea’s shoulders fell with relief. “Good.”

About eight weeks ago, after my first seizure, I confided in Bea while she was in Texas, admitting I was having cold feet due to what happened. She encouraged me to stay steady.

My epilepsy diagnosis was so new, so fresh. We were only just now discovering how to live life navigating it. I had the one grand mal seizure and a handful of petit mal seizures until we got me on the right medication regimen. They seemed to have stopped. For now anyway.

But, we had to do things differently.

Like watch my sleep, nutrition, hydration, stress.

I wouldn’t be cleared to drive for another five months and any high-altitude or high-risk activities would be off the table for the foreseeable future until the doctor cleared me for that stuff. We weren’t sure what my triggers were, so everything was trial and error, learning it all, being extra careful.

The anxiety had worn me down.

And Sarah, too, even if she wouldn’t admit it.

I almost postponed our cruise, but Sarah was so excited to go and so certain everything would be fine that I decided to press on. Plus, my neurologist told us to go have a great time.

Bea strode closer, the chiffon swishing around her legs as she walked. Smiling up at me, she adjusted my tie. “Life has a funny way of meeting and dashing expectations with the same blow.” She smoothed the lapels of my coat. “It can bring everything we ever wanted the way we never wanted. You and Sarah are meant to walk through all this, and somehow it’s exactly what you need, even if you can’t see that yet.” Her eyes teared up a little. “You guys have always been perfect together, and you’re going to be so happy as husband and wife.”

A swallow tugged at my throat. “Thank you, Bea. I love you.”

“I love you, too.” She dabbed beneath her eyes with a knuckle, blinking. “She wants to see you.”

“Right now?” My head snapped up. “Before the ceremony?”

“Yep. She’s in the hallway.”

My heart thumped to life in my chest. “Is she wearing her dress?”