My Husband Planned His Wedding While I Was Comatose

That night, I can't sleep.

I lie in the guest room bed and stare at the ceiling. The house is quiet. Too quiet. I keep thinking about Jasper's face. The way he ran from me.

Around nine, I hear footsteps upstairs. Lily's voice. Soft. Then Jasper's laugh.

I get into the wheelchair. Move to the door. Open it slowly.

The hallway is dark. But there's light coming from under Jasper's door upstairs. I can hear them.

I wheel myself to the bottom of the stairs. Sit there. Listen.

"One more chapter," Jasper says. "Please?"

"One more," Lily agrees. "But then it's really bedtime."

He giggles. The sound makes my chest ache.

She starts reading. Her voice is warm. Steady. She does different voices for the characters. Jasper laughs again.

I close my eyes. Press my palm flat against the wall.

This is what six years sounds like. This easy rhythm. This intimacy.

I should go up there. Knock. Say goodnight.

But I can't move.

I sit at the bottom of the stairs until the reading stops. Until I hear Lily say, "Sweet dreams, buddy."

"Love you, Mom," Jasper says.

"Love you too."

The door closes softly. Lily's footsteps move down the hall. Toward the master bedroom.

I wheel myself back to the guest room. Close the door. Sit in the dark.

---

The next afternoon, Lauren comes to visit.

She arrives with flowers. Pink roses. Not my favorites, but close enough.

"Keira!" She hugs me carefully. Like I might break. "You look amazing. I mean, considering everything."

I smile. Try to. "Thanks for coming."

She sits on the edge of the bed. I'm in the wheelchair by the window. She's wearing a nice coat. Expensive. Her hair is different. Shorter.

"So," she says brightly. "How are you feeling? Really?"

"Tired," I say. "But okay."

"That's good. That's really good." She nods too much. "Grayson said you're doing physical therapy. That's great."

"Yeah."

Silence.

She looks around the room. At the bare walls. The single dresser.

"This is cozy," she says.

I don't answer.

She shifts. Crosses her legs. Uncrosses them.

"Lauren," I say quietly. "What was it like? These past six years. Here."

Her smile falters. Just for a second. "Oh, you know. Grayson managed. He's always been good at that."

"And Lily?"

She blinks. "Lily's been helpful. Really helpful. With Jasper and everything."

"She lives here."

"Well, yeah. It made sense. With you in the hospital. Someone had to—" She stops. Clears her throat. "Anyway. You're back now. That's what matters."

"Did you visit?" I ask. "The house. During."

She hesitates. "A few times. For dinner. Grayson likes to host."

"With Lily."

"She's a good cook," Lauren says quickly. She laughs. It sounds forced. "Better than you, honestly. Remember that Thanksgiving turkey?"

I stare at her.

She checks her watch. "Oh wow. I didn't realize the time. I have a thing at four."

"You just got here."

"I know. I'm sorry. But I'll come back soon. I promise." She stands. Smooths her coat. "It's really good to see you, Keira. Really."

She hugs me again. Briefly. Then she's gone.

I sit by the window and watch her car pull away.

She didn't tell me anything.

But she told me everything.

---

Grayson says we should have a family dinner.

"All of us," he says. "Together. It'll be good for Jasper. Help him adjust."

I don't want to. But I nod.

Lily cooks. She moves around the kitchen like she owns it. She knows where everything is. The plates. The glasses. The serving spoons.

I sit at the table and watch.

Jasper is in the living room. Playing with toy cars. He hasn't looked at me once.

Grayson sets the table. He puts me at one end. Lily at the other. Jasper between them.

Lily brings the food out. Roasted chicken. Vegetables. Rice.

And shrimp.

I stare at the platter. My chest tightens.

Jasper loved shrimp. When he was two. I used to make it for him special.

"Looks great," Grayson says.

We sit. Lily serves Jasper first. Chicken. Rice. Vegetables.

No shrimp.

I reach for the platter. Put two shrimp on my plate. Then I put two on Jasper's.

"For you, sweetie," I say. I try to smile.

Jasper looks down at his plate. Then at Lily.

Lily's face goes pale.

"Keira," she says quickly. "He can't—"

Jasper picks up a shrimp. Bites it.

Ten seconds.

Then his face starts to change. Red blotches spread across his cheeks. His neck.

He drops the shrimp. Starts scratching his arms.

"I'm itchy," he says. His voice is high. Scared.

Lily is already moving. She runs to the kitchen. Comes back with a small case. Pulls out a needle.

"It's okay, baby," she says. Her voice is calm. Steady. "Just a little poke."

She jabs the needle into his thigh. He cries out.

Grayson is standing now. He's staring at me.

"You didn't think to ask?" His voice is sharp. Angry. "He's allergic, Keira. Severely allergic."

"I didn't know," I whisper. "He used to love—"

"That was six years ago!"

Jasper is sobbing now. Lily pulls him into her lap. Rocks him.

"She tried to hurt me," Jasper cries. "She tried to hurt me!"

"No, baby, no," Lily says softly. "It was an accident. She didn't know."

But Jasper won't stop crying. He buries his face in her shoulder.

Grayson sits back down. Runs his hands through his hair.

I sit at the table. My hands are shaking.

No one looks at me.

Lily carries Jasper out of the room. His sobs fade down the hallway.

Grayson stands. Starts clearing the plates.

"I'm sorry," I say. My voice breaks. "I didn't know."

He doesn't answer.

I wheel myself back to the guest room.

Close the door.

Sit in the dark.

My son thinks I tried to hurt him.

And I can't even tell him he's wrong.