A family obligation forces Phillip into accepting a late Christmas Eve invitation, but what he doesn't realize is that on this night, his life is going to change forever. A beautiful comatose woman will teach him the true meaning of life and the importance of not sleeping through the beauty of it all. While he waits for his sleeping beauty to awake from her coma, he has to face the fact that, if she does awaken, even though he has had time to fall in love with her, he will be a complete stranger to her.
Excerpt
Phillip sighed and walked around the foot of the bed to the only window in the room. The night nurses hadn’t lowered the blinds yet and even though it was too dark to see anything, he stared out at the night’s blackness. “How did I get here, Rose? I’ve told you things I’ve never told anyone. I only feel complete the moment I walk in here and see you’re okay. I have fallen in love with you and you’ve never even seen my face. I only know what your voice sounds like from your mom’s home movies. My being here is crazy, right?” There was nothing but silence for a reply, so he continued staring out the window. “The money’s rolling in for your foundation. We have enough to begin three of the dormitories, but I need your advice on what to do next. Even though I have all of your notes, it’s not the same. I need your passion for this to ever work like I know you want it to.”
He glanced back toward the bed, but there wasn’t any movement or indication that she heard anything of his words or pleas. He drew in deep breath and then released a weary sigh. He jammed both hands into his pants pockets and turned back to face the blackness. His next words were directed toward the window and he said in all but a whisper, “Who am I kidding? I need you. I need you more than I have ever needed anything in my entire life. I have been asleep to the beauty out there, but you saw it, didn’t you? My entire life I have dwelled on only the negative aspects of my life. I never saw the possibilities until I met you.
“Did you know your mother lent me all of your journals? I don’t think she knew just how much of your personal life you had entered in them. But every word in them indicates that you’ve always known your place in the universe, and what you were capable of doing to make it a better place. I’m ashamed to say that all I ever saw is what had been stolen from me. I never thought I owed the world anything. I have been so blind. Now here I am and I see what you saw all along and there you are sleeping and missing the life you envisioned. It breaks my heart to know you are missing this beauty. I don’t think you want that, so stop sleeping your life away.
“Please wake up, Rose. I want that for you more than I have ever wanted anything in my entire life. Even with me knowing the moment you do, you’re not going to remember my words to you. I’m also aware that you’re never going to feel for me what I feel for you, but that’s okay because it will be enough to have you whole again, to see you smile and just to hear your voice. It will it all have been enough.
“I will hold this time in this room with you close to my heart forever and remember your sighs. I will hold all of this close to my heart. Even though you might not remember my words to you, I’ll remember that for a short time I had to you all to myself. You are destined for more than this bed and this room. You are destined to live your life to its fullest and for me that will be enough, so wake up, my beautiful Rose. Please wake, my love.”