Chapter 9 - Coming Home
Two months later, Elena was officially discharged.
She was weak, and her immune system would take a year to fully mature, but she was in total, complete remission. The nightmare was over.
I packed her bags into my car, but when I pulled out of the hospital parking lot, I didn't drive toward her cramped apartment, nor did I drive toward my cold downtown bachelor pad.
"Julian, where are we going?" she asked, looking out the window as we drove into a quiet, leafy suburb outside the city.
"I have a surprise," I said, my heart beating fast.
I pulled into the driveway of a beautiful, single-story craftsman house with a wraparound porch and a massive backyard. It was bright, open, and surrounded by old oak trees.
I turned off the engine and looked at her. "I bought it three weeks ago. It's fully sanitized, entirely clean, and it's in a trust under both of our names."
Elena stared at the house, her hands flying to her mouth. "Julian..."
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"We can't go back to the past, Elena," I said softly, unbuckling my seatbelt and taking her hand. "The people we used to be died in that hospital. This is a new house for a new life. If you'll let me stay."
She looked at me, tears streaming down her face, and smiled a brilliant, blinding smile. "Take me home, Julian."
