The Royal Contract

He signed off all his pending files to his partner, leaving the office as soon as possible. He knew his friend was right. He should fight for Rosella, especially when she could not yet fight for them.

He should not give up and continue to remind her of what they used to be. Hopefully, in time, she would realize, or something in her mind would trigger her memories to come back. Then, they could continue where they had left off before the accident.

"Please, make sure you arrange everything according to my instructions," David spoke to his assistant on the phone as he drove his car in moderate traffic.

After several minutes, he dropped the beautiful white Lilies he had bought in the backseat of his car. Then he stopped by at his apartment to change into something casual and hurriedly grabbed some staff.

And then, he was back on the road, on the way to the most special person in his life. The only woman he would ever love in his lifetime.

"I promise, no matter what happens. I will love you, Rosella." He repeatedly mumbled to himself like a mantra, hoping when the right time came along, he would be able to say it to her.

As he parked his car in the parking lot, he mentally prepared himself for all the possible outcomes. But whatever would come out of this, he would continue to support and love her, even if it meant she would leave him.

"Hey, how are you doing?" Roseann asked as he bumped into her in the lobby of the hospital.

He just entered the hospital while she rushed toward the elevator from the other wing of the building. The collision forced them to stop walking, making them miss the last lift.

"Better than expected." It was the truth. He told her as they waited for the next elevator ride.

Talking to Evan had changed his outlook from this morning. It opened his eyes to the reality of their situation. That life or love had no guarantees, but it also had no limitations.

She looked skeptical at first, but eventually, Roseann said, "I am glad to hear that," looking happy and satisfied. "I know the situation is complicated, but my sister will eventually realize your value in her life."

"I just want to love her. I don't expect anything in return." He finally confessed to her what he had decided before the elevators opened, and they joined the rest on the ride to their floor.

He could see that she understood his situation, but she only nodded, not bothering to say anything. Then, she said goodbye as she proceeded to her duties.

He proceeded to the next floor, preparing himself to see the love of his life. This time, he was ready to handle the situation.

"Hey, you are awake." He greeted her as soon as he entered the room, hiding the flowers he had bought behind his back.

Then, he walked toward the bed where she was already sitting. She was not wearing the hospital gown. Instead, she was in denim jeans and a shirt.

"I just finished my therapy session." She told him.

He knew she was undergoing rehabilitation for her mobility. Being in a coma for a long time made her lose muscle strength and stiffen her joints.

But the doctors assured them that therapy would fix her temporary condition. Although, it would require her full cooperation for it to work. The speed of her recovery would solely depend on her.

"How was it?" He asked as he stood a meter away from her.

He did not dare to come closer, afraid that he might make her uncomfortable. He still remembered the last time he tried to touch her. She flinched away from him.

Therefore, this time, he would take it slow. He would not rush things, not wanting to worsen his situation. He was just glad that things seemed different today.

"The therapy was ok. I gained some strength in my arms and legs." She told him, lifting her arms and waving them in the air.

He could see the improvement in her movements. She did not look stiff, unlike yesterday. "That is great." He commented.

"Yeah, It is. I can also walk. But only for a short distance. The doctors said that the accident might have affected my knee, but if I do my exercises, I will get better." She explained to him.

He did not know what had changed between them, but he liked that she was talking to him. She was finally sharing some things with him.

"Then, you should follow the doctor's orders." He suggested, knowing the doctors knew best. "By the way, where is your Mom."

Usually, her mother was here, handling her care. She would fuss around, dealing with everything she needed. But she was nowhere in sight. Rosella was alone.

"I sent her home. She needed to get some rest." Rosella informed him.

He was surprised that her mother agreed to that. Mrs. Sheldon would not even leave her for more than five minutes. She would not even let him get near her daughter without her presence.

"Oh! I was not expecting that." Therefore, finding her gone was a little unusual for him. Although, he was not complaining.

It made his situation easier if he did not need to deal with her mother, who did not want him around. Not that he did not like her. He understood that she was only protecting her daughter, even if it was from him.

"Well, she did put up a fight." Rosella mildly laughed, probably remembering her argument with her mother.

He smiled, not because of what she said but because he liked to see her smiling. And he missed the sound of her laughter.

He thought he would never experience them again. But he was glad Rosella was back. He still had the chance to see her happy again.

"I bet." He could imagine. He was just glad that he did not witness the scene.

"David, is that mine?" Rosella asked, pointing to the flowers he still had on his back.

Damn! He had forgotten all about it. He quickly pulled it out and handed it to her. "Yeah. I forgot. I thought you might want something to brighten the room."

She immediately took it from him, pulling it closer to her body and smelling the sweet scent. Then, she looked up at him with the loveliest smile on her lips.

"These are lovely. I love Lilies. Thanks." She kept the flowers on her lap as she looked at him. "Why don't you sit down?" She offered.

"Those are your favorites," David told her as he sat on the available seat near her bed.

But she patted the space on the edge of her bed as she looked at him. "Do you mind if you sit here? It is hard to talk to you if you are down there."

Once again, he did not expect that from her. Somehow, he felt like he had just stepped into the twilight zone, where everything was suddenly working in his favor.

He stood from the chair and moved closer to her bed. "Are you sure you don't mind?" He was still puzzled by her unusual behavior.

She used to look at him with apprehension. But now, she seemed to be acting differently around him. He could not help but wonder what had changed in their circumstances.

"Yeah. I want to ask you some questions. That is if you don't mind." She reluctantly asked him as her eyes lowered to her fingers playing with the flowers.

He could see that her eyes suddenly turned mellow compared to the playfulness he had seen in them earlier.

"Of course, you can ask me anything. In fact, you can talk to me about anything." He assured her that he would not mind. "I know you don't remember me, but I can still be your friend."

He welcomed anything that would help him create a connection with her again. He would settle for friendly chitchat or anything that would make her spend time with him.

"Thanks. I am sorry if I can't remember anything about you or us, but I am happy to be your friend." Rosella lifted her hand and extended them to him. "Friends?"

He smiled at the gesture, feeling his heart stop a beat. It was more than he could ask for. "Of course, friends." He took her hand and shook them.

He felt like he had won a jackpot as he felt the warmth of her hands on his skin again. He knew it was more than he could ask for.

"By the way, can you join me for dinner?" He did not want to assume, but he had to try. "You have to eat, and I also have to eat. So, I figure we might as well do it together. I can order your favorite."

He watched her eyes think about his offer. Then, it appeared to glow before she answered him. "Sure, it sounds fantastic."

He knew he should not be rejoicing just yet. But he could not help it. It was a small step, but it felt like a giant leap to him.