Chapter 26

It was six days later — a full 10 days after the attack — when I finally was wheeled out of the hospital.

I've never consider myself to be particular fortunate. I've bought lottery tickets and to the best of my recollection, I've never won more than $2. I have never put too much faith in anything besides skill.

But I can say without reserve that I am a lucky man.

I am lucky that I didn't die from own stupidity or the stupidity of others. I easily could have expired from either one. My heart was strong enough that it didn't stop when it was nicked by a knife. I had never smoked and my good lung was strong enough to provide sufficient oxygen to the rest of my body.

I'm lucky that I landed in the snow which not only cushioned my fall but also cooled my body quickly enough that my heart rate decreased to the point I didn't bleed to death or lose so much blood that my body was impaired.

I am lucky that I had a friend like Paul Fitzgerald who was willing to risk his livelihood not only for my sake but for the sake of those I hold dear.

I'm lucky that I have friends like Kelly and Elizabeth who were willing to fight fiercely for my well-being and to make sure those who took my health so lightly were held accountable.

I am lucky that I have two wonderful children who genuinely love me and whom I genuinely love. My little buddy, Mark, spent as much time with me in the hospital as he was permitted. He shared his accomplishments with me and he made me several things I proudly displayed in my room. He and Kasey became the darlings of the floor with their sweet and gentle nature. Kasey took it upon herself to distribute the floral arrangements to others on the floor and she found a couple of older women with whom she spent several hours reliving their lives as their final hours approached. I was glad that both women were still alive when I was discharged so Kasey didn't have to face the loss. Still, in the next month she attended two funerals for the friends she found on the cardiac care unit. I worried about her but she seemed to come away from the experience better than she went in.

Then there was Carrie.

She was by my side constantly during the days and asked several questions of the medical staff that had never occurred to me but were of vital interest to me. She took care of my children when necessary and she and Kasey seemed to find a happy medium between friend and authority figure. She took care of insurance questions and she handled taking care of mundane things such as cleaning the house, doing laundry and buying groceries. Mostly she let me know exactly how she felt about me. One look would be all it took. I think the same was true for me. There was no doubt about how we felt about each other. It wasn't infatuation. It wasn't adoration. It wasn't a crush. It wasn't something that wavered. It wasn't something that faded.

I thought I had rebuilt my life in the five years since Kelly and I divorced. I thought I had everything I needed to ensure my happiness. I had my children. I had my career. I had time for myself and my hobbies.

I was happy. I can say without reservation that even before I met Carrie, I was happy.

But I can say with equal certainty that I was happier after I met her — far happier. In a couple short weeks, Carrie became the other half of my life. I finally understood what my father and my mother felt when they looked at the other. I finally knew what people meant when they talked about soul mates. One look, one simple glance, was all it took to send my pulse racing. Her smile could make me weak in the knees. Her kiss gave me butterflies in my stomach. Her tears sent a lance through my heart — even if I hadn't caused the tears.

I wanted to build the rest of my life around the woman. Surprisingly, Carrie wanted to build the rest of her life around me.

So we did.

Carrie and I closed on the house earlier than what we expected. The bank had done all the legal legwork to ensure that there no further liens against the property. The previous owners had pretty much cleaned out anything worth having and the bank did the rest. The inspector we hired told us the electric and plumbing was in good shape and the water heater and the windows were almost new. Six weeks after I left the hospital we moved into our new home.

A true friendship developed between Carrie and Kelly, which struck me as odd but which I couldn't deny. They both were determined, intelligent women and it seemed that their relationship became more like sisters than anything else. At least Kelly finally had a sister she could stand.

Kasey went off to college — but she didn't go far. She moved into the apartment above the garage on the day after she graduated high school. She has become more independent and less of a pain in my ass over the past couple of years. In fact, I grow prouder of her every day. She took a part time job because she insisted on paying rent and helping with the utilities on "her" apartment. I wanted to say that it wasn't necessary but Carrie and Kelly each shot me a look that let me know that I was better off staying silent.