a freak.”
“That’s not why I’m staring. I don’t think you’re a freak.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I think you’re incredible. I can’t imagine what your life has been like.”
She smiled, “Really?”
“Yeah. Do you want to tell me what the pills do?”
“Okay,” she said tucking an adorably messy curl behind her ear. “These four, I can take on an empty stomach. But these,” she said pointing to a group she had separated off to the left, “I have to take with food. So, it’s really great that you made breakfast for me. I usually just have a protein shake. Anyway, this one suppresses my immune system so that my body doesn’t reject the heart, these two protect against infection since I have a weakened immune system, these two are for my blood pressure, this one is another anti-rejection medication, these three are kind of like vitamins that just try to build me up since the other medications kinda break me down.” She paused to see if I was still listening.
“So you take nine pills every day?”
“Well, this month. Sometimes my doctor changes things up because something’s not working or he wants to try something new.”
“I can’t believe you do this every day.”
“It’s better than the alternative,” she said staring down at her feet.
I kissed her. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to imagine what my world would be like right now if she had died and I had never met her. I wanted to enjoy her, every part of her. Her touch, her smell, her taste.
“Do we have time to…you know…before school?” I asked lowering her to the floor.
“Definitely.”
***
I walked Maddie to school then dashed to my appointment with Richard. I entered the waiting room just as Eden stepped out of his office.
“Hey, Bug. Where’s my hug?” I asked cheerfully. She didn’t leap into my arms as usual. Instead, she pouted her lips and stared at me.
“You didn’t come home last night.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve never done that before. I was scared.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Eden. I just…I-”
“Did you have sex?”
“What?” My voice resonated so loud and powerfully that Eden jumped back a little. I grabbed her elbow and pulled her into the hallway away from the shocked faces of the other patients in the waiting room. “Eden, where did you get an idea like that?”
“I asked Richard what he thought you were doing last night and that’s what he said.” Eden’s eyes watered as she twisted her beret around in her hands. “Did I do something bad?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” I said hugging her as tears began to fall. “Don’t cry, Bug. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” I forced myself to remain calm and speak in a soothing voice though every part of me wanted to strangle Richard for having such an inappropriate conversation with my little sister. “Do you want to go for lunch when I’m done with my appointment?”
Eden wiped her tears away as she said, “I can’t. I’m going to school. I have a math test this afternoon. But we’re still on for Sunday, right?” She said smiling broadly. “Museum, lunch, and movie, right? Just the two of us, right?”
“Of course.” I kissed her cheek and hugged her just as my mother entered the building.
“You ready to go, Eden?” My mother asked, avoiding eye contact with me.
Eden cocked her head to the side and said, “Aren’t we gonna wait for Gary?”
“Garrett can apparently take care of himself.” She grabbed Eden’s hand, then looked into my eyes and added, “He doesn’t need me.”
My concern over Richard’s conversations with Eden trumped my worry over my mother’s words. By the time I stepped into Richard’s office, my anger had returned stamping out any thoughts of Holly.
“Why the hell are you talking to my sister about sex?” I said slamming the door behind me.
“Good morning, Garrett. It’s 9:23. You’re late.” Richard glanced at his watch pretending I didn’t scare him, but I
“That’s not why I’m staring. I don’t think you’re a freak.”
“You don’t?”
“No, I think you’re incredible. I can’t imagine what your life has been like.”
She smiled, “Really?”
“Yeah. Do you want to tell me what the pills do?”
“Okay,” she said tucking an adorably messy curl behind her ear. “These four, I can take on an empty stomach. But these,” she said pointing to a group she had separated off to the left, “I have to take with food. So, it’s really great that you made breakfast for me. I usually just have a protein shake. Anyway, this one suppresses my immune system so that my body doesn’t reject the heart, these two protect against infection since I have a weakened immune system, these two are for my blood pressure, this one is another anti-rejection medication, these three are kind of like vitamins that just try to build me up since the other medications kinda break me down.” She paused to see if I was still listening.
“So you take nine pills every day?”
“Well, this month. Sometimes my doctor changes things up because something’s not working or he wants to try something new.”
“I can’t believe you do this every day.”
“It’s better than the alternative,” she said staring down at her feet.
I kissed her. I couldn’t help it. I didn’t want to imagine what my world would be like right now if she had died and I had never met her. I wanted to enjoy her, every part of her. Her touch, her smell, her taste.
“Do we have time to…you know…before school?” I asked lowering her to the floor.
“Definitely.”
***
I walked Maddie to school then dashed to my appointment with Richard. I entered the waiting room just as Eden stepped out of his office.
“Hey, Bug. Where’s my hug?” I asked cheerfully. She didn’t leap into my arms as usual. Instead, she pouted her lips and stared at me.
“You didn’t come home last night.”
“I know. I’m sorry.”
“You’ve never done that before. I was scared.”
“I didn’t mean to scare you, Eden. I just…I-”
“Did you have sex?”
“What?” My voice resonated so loud and powerfully that Eden jumped back a little. I grabbed her elbow and pulled her into the hallway away from the shocked faces of the other patients in the waiting room. “Eden, where did you get an idea like that?”
“I asked Richard what he thought you were doing last night and that’s what he said.” Eden’s eyes watered as she twisted her beret around in her hands. “Did I do something bad?”
“No, you didn’t do anything wrong,” I said hugging her as tears began to fall. “Don’t cry, Bug. I didn’t mean to yell at you.” I forced myself to remain calm and speak in a soothing voice though every part of me wanted to strangle Richard for having such an inappropriate conversation with my little sister. “Do you want to go for lunch when I’m done with my appointment?”
Eden wiped her tears away as she said, “I can’t. I’m going to school. I have a math test this afternoon. But we’re still on for Sunday, right?” She said smiling broadly. “Museum, lunch, and movie, right? Just the two of us, right?”
“Of course.” I kissed her cheek and hugged her just as my mother entered the building.
“You ready to go, Eden?” My mother asked, avoiding eye contact with me.
Eden cocked her head to the side and said, “Aren’t we gonna wait for Gary?”
“Garrett can apparently take care of himself.” She grabbed Eden’s hand, then looked into my eyes and added, “He doesn’t need me.”
My concern over Richard’s conversations with Eden trumped my worry over my mother’s words. By the time I stepped into Richard’s office, my anger had returned stamping out any thoughts of Holly.
“Why the hell are you talking to my sister about sex?” I said slamming the door behind me.
“Good morning, Garrett. It’s 9:23. You’re late.” Richard glanced at his watch pretending I didn’t scare him, but I
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