"Go home, Ope."
Opal snaps her head in the direction of her best friend. "No way. I'm not leaving him again."
Visiting hours ended over an hour ago, but the group still remains seated in the waiting room. The buzzing of the florescent lights, the hum of the vending machine and the smell of stale, burnt coffee lingering around them.
"You are all welcome to go," Opal assures them.
Lily scoffs at her words. "We're not going to leave you here."
"Last I checked, I'm a grown woman," Opal reminds each of them, looking back and forth between her friends. "I don't need any babysitters."
Rae moves to sit next to Opal, taking her hand and placing it on her baby bump. Opal closes her eyes, giving a soft smile, relaxing ever so slightly as she feels the little push against her hand. "Did it work?" she whispers to Opal as she leans a bit closer.
"I think it did," she says softly.
Lily's phone rings causing her to exit the room. Jameson and Anthony left earlier to go take a look at an issue with the air conditioner at Magnolia. Chris having left to go check in with his mom.
"Now, you gonna explain that email a bit more, friend?"
"Do I have to?" Opal pulls her hand away from Rae's belly. "Not really important now."
Rae shifts in her seat, turning to face Opal head on. "I beg to differ." Opal shakes her head slightly, looking down at the ground as she swipes her palms against her pants. "You went to Vegas, Ope. And you can try to convince me it was just a spur of the moment vacation opportunity but I will call your bluff."
"It was a mistake," she whispers under her breath, looking in the opposite direction of her friend.
Rae leans forward a bit. "What?" Her brow creased, concern evident.
Opal sighs, "nothing," she waves her hand at Rae motioning for her to let it go.
"Well," Lily announces walking back into the room, "I have to go. Sorry I can't stay any longer, Ope."
Opal stands to hug her. "I told you it's fine."
Lily pulls away from her as her hands rest on Opal's shoulders. "Get some rest."
"Yes, mother," she sasses with a tiny smile. "You should be going too. Get home and get that baby to bed," she tells Rae, hopeful that she'll leave as well and this whole discussion on Vegas can be laid to rest.
Rae huffs but stands, moving towards her friends. "I know what you're doing," she tells Opal.
Opal just shrugs. "I'm just making sure you take care of yourself and my nephew." She gives Rae a hug and a kiss to the cheek before patting her belly. "I love y'all. Now go."
She watches the two women walk out through the door and down the stark white hallway until they turn a corner leading to the elevators. She looks around the waiting room, completely empty now with the exception of herself. Chris walks back in as Opal contemplates asking the nurse about changing the station on the television set.
"And then there were two," he tells her.
"Yeah, you just missed Rae and Lily."
He shook his head. "Nah, caught them at the elevator. I told them I'd call if there was any changes." She nods her head before collapsing once more into a chair. "Long day," he mentions as he sits down next to her.
"Long thirty-six hours, Evans," she reminds him, watching as he rests his head back against the wall. He chuckles lightly, closing his eyes.
Opal puts her purse in her lap, digging through it to locate her house keys. "Here," she holds them out to Chris.
He opens one eye. "What do you want me to do with those?"
"Call an Uber and go get some sleep."
He closes his eye again, sinking a bit further into the chair. "I'm not going anywhere without you, Ope." He lifts his foot to pull the chair across from him a little closer before plopping his feet onto it.
"There's no sense in you staying."
"Not up for debate, sweetheart." She rolls her eyes at him while his remain closed. "Roll those pretty brown eyes of yours all you want. Put your keys up. End of discussion."
"So demanding."
He rests one hand on her thigh. "Love you too."
Opal gives in, dropping her keys back into her bag. Deciding to follow Chris' lead she moves a chair towards her as well before moving her body to mimic his. She lifts his hand off of her leg, threading her fingers through his. "I'm sorry," she mumbles, laying her head back.
"No reason to be." She feels his thumb rub along her knuckles, reassuring her that her earlier actions do not warrant an apology.
She wishes she felt that way, knowing that her reaction towards him was not warranted. Being put in the situation she's in, she takes her emotions out on those closest to her. Lucky for Chris, other than Pops, he's now the closest which means he bears the brunt of the burden.
Both of their breathing begins to even out as the 10 o'clock news begins to play on the television set hanging from the wall. The couple completely unaware of what's taking place around them until a nurse clears their throat.
Chris takes a deep breath, opening his eyes slightly flustered at being pulled from the first bit of sleep he's had in a day and a half.
"Sorry to disturb y'all but we're locking up the waiting room now." She goes to turn off the coffee pot, rinsing the carafe out in the small sink in the corner.
Locking up the waiting room? "Oh," Chris glances over at Opal still resting next to him. "We thought we could stay here through the night."
"No, not on this level. You can come back in the morning. We'll open it up about an hour before visiting hours."
Chris nods, rubbing at the film that covers his eyes from the small taste of sleep. "Give us five minutes?" The nurse stops her busyness around the room and steps back out.
Chris begins rubbing Opal's thigh, attempting to stir her body awake. "Ope?" He grips her leg a bit tighter, causing her to stir ever so slightly. "Opal, baby?"
Suddenly, as if she's remembered where she is, she startles awake, sitting up quickly. "What happened? Is he okay?"
"Shh..." he hushes her calmly. "They're closing the waiting room. We need to head home."
She shakes her head, "no."
"Yes, love. There's not really an option here. We can be back in," he pauses to look at his watch, "seven hours."
"But-"
"They'll call if there's any change, I'll make sure they have both of our numbers at the desk, okay?" She's pleading with him through her eyes, and he can't make the situation any better. "Call an Uber and I'll go to the nurses station."
Opal's eyes begin to fill again, threatening to overflow for what feels like the thousandth time today. "Chris," she mumbles. "I won't be able to live with myself if I'm not here and something-"
"He'd want you to rest. You know that. Seven hours, Ope," he interrupts her. "Your house is only ten minutes from here, and we know I can get you here in less than that."
Reluctantly Opal pulls out her phone, opening up the app to call a car as Chris goes to the nurses station. She grabs up her purse, standing by the door waiting for him to return.
"Ready?" he asks, holding his hand out to her. She nods as she takes his hand in hers, squeezing it gently.
An hour passes, providing time to return home and prepare for a more comfortable sleep. As Opal exits the master bathroom she turns the light off. Chris walks into the room to grab one of her extra pillows for the couch. He sets it at the foot of the bed before pulling back the covers on the side he knows Opal sleeps on most.
"What are you doing?" she asks him, leaning against the door frame.
"Tucking you in," he says, fluffing up her pillow, turning to give her a warm, tired smile.
She shuffles towards the bed in her Jaguar pajamas, stopping just shy of crawling under the covers. Standing directly in front of Chris she puckers her lips and waits. "You know the rules," he tells her, not giving her what she wants.
With a grunt Opal goes back into the bathroom and quickly changes her top. "Ya know, with the way my day has gone you think you'd let it slide for once." She takes her spot back in front of Chris, puckering once more. Seeing as she now wears a Patriots top he leans down to give her the kiss she was asking for.
"Can't give in that easily," he smirks as he pulls her to his chest, holding her against him as he feels her relax into his touch.
Opal takes a deep breath, nuzzling her face into Chris' chest. Being this close to him giving her a satisfaction of surviving the days events, thankful that he didn't stay away considering how cold she was to him. He kisses the top of her head before pulling back. "Get some rest, baby."
He pulls the covers over her as she slips into the bed, resting her head on the pillow. Chris leans down, placing a kiss on Opal's forehead. "I love you." She hums under his lips before rolling over on to her side, closing her eyes.
Chris exits the room, closing the door behind him. He pauses, leaning against it, running his hands over his weary face.
Inside the room, Opal's heart begins racing, an all too familiar tightness beginning to squeeze her chest. Her breathing panicked, a rush of waves sounding in her ears, she sits up, crying out, "Chris!"
Still against the door, Chris rips it open, rushing to her side, wrapping her in his arms. Opal's hands clutching his shirt across his back as she digs her face into his chest. "I feel like I'm drowning," she sobs.
"I've got you," he tells her, his own heart breaking over and over for the woman he loves.
"Stay in here with me," she begs. "Please."
"Ope," he whispers, unsure of how this should go.
She lays back down, pulling the covers over herself before moving a pillow for him. Chris nods, climbing onto the other side of the bed, laying down on top of the comforter. Opal gets as close to him as she can surprised with the sheets separating them don't make it too difficult. Her breathing still wrecked until she finds her place in the crook of his neck. With just a few inhales of his scent, along with the warm hand that rests on her shoulder she begins to come down from her panic attack.
Chris hums a soft melody over her, aiding in her relaxation. "Not quite the tangle of sheets you were expecting tonight, Sergeant?" she teases as the tightness releases its clutch.
With a slight chuckle, he places a chaste kiss against her forehead as his fingers comb through her hair soothingly. "It's perfect because it's with you, my Ope."