Adam’s apple as it moved, like it was something I liked watching, and I hated that.
I looked at his eyes before answering. “I’ll settle with that. I’m just not looking forward to taking care of you.”
He smiled, “I’m still going to be nice to you. I won’t ask for clean sheets when I don’t need them. I just want your attention. That’s what nurses do, right? They award attention to their patients.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Nothing,” he interrupted. “We have a deal.”
“I guess so,” I said softly. I forked another piece of egg in his mouth. I wasn’t forceful with it that time.
“Can you give me a shoulder-rub after breakfast? I’m feeling tense this morning,” he said.
I gave him another piece of egg, my eyes squinted at him. “You’re really pushing it, Mr. Blan-”
“Wyatt,” he interrupted me again. “Just Wyatt,” he said crisply.
“Okay, just Wyatt . I suppose I can work a shoulder-rub into my schedule,” I sighed. “You’re lucky my daughter is in your class. Way too lucky.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. I bet she’s just as sweet as you are,” he whispered the last sentence, teasing me.
“I’m actually a really nice person,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “But Annette is my angel. I’m proud to call her my daughter.”
I fed Wyatt the last of his breakfast, and opened his first carton of orange juice for him before he tipped the carton back once.
He let out a deep breath, his eyes on me. “You can tell me about her. I want you to. I might not be the brightest patient you’ve cared for, but when it comes to my students, I’m the brightest. It sucks that I can’t be involved with them now, and you can probably tell that it has affected me,” he went on.
“So, you see yourself as a good teacher?” I asked.
“Definitely,” he answered immediately. “I love being a teacher, It’s my life. My students are my life. I’m actually really glad your daughter is one of my students.”
“Okay…” I paused. “Why are you still here, then, Wyatt? You can teach in your condition,” I said slowly, my tone soft.
He drank some more of his juice at that moment. “What’s your daughter’s name?” he asked, instead of answering my question.
He found my weakness, and I hated that.
“Annette,” I smiled. I couldn’t help but smile.
He nodded, and for the first time ever, he smiled one of the biggest smiles I’d ever seen.
Ever.
“Tell me about her,” he said. He was almost begging to know her. I couldn’t help myself.
I looked at Wyatt differently, so differently - ever since I told him about Annette. And I really, really , hated that.
May 27 th , 1997, 12:04a.m.
Willow
In chemistry class , Kennedy had told me to meet him at our home around midnight. He said he had something to tell me, and that it was important - that it was something he couldn’t say during class.
He looked almost sad when he told me he had something to say to me, and that reminded me of what I failed to mention to him.
I said maybe to Calvin Steelton when he asked me to go on a date with him, and I felt bad that I hadn’t told Kennedy as soon as I saw him in class. I hadn’t known what he’d think of it. I felt crazy for saying maybe.
I also knew Kennedy would never think I was crazy, because he was Kennedy, my best friend. He always stood by my decisions, and I always stood by his. That was why I loved him so much.
I knew I had to tell him as soon as he got to our home. I wouldn’t be able to think clearly until I just got it off my chest. I was sitting on my bean bag, next to the dimmed lantern I turned on so I wouldn’t be surrounded by darkness.
Kennedy wouldn’t be upset. I never dated anyone, and it would surprise him that I told Calvin maybe - but he wouldn’t be upset. Hopefully he’d be hopeful for me.
I did really like Calvin. He was a nice guy, he was funny. He was really sweet, and I really liked the way he talked to me.
What I was
I looked at his eyes before answering. “I’ll settle with that. I’m just not looking forward to taking care of you.”
He smiled, “I’m still going to be nice to you. I won’t ask for clean sheets when I don’t need them. I just want your attention. That’s what nurses do, right? They award attention to their patients.”
“Yeah, but…”
“Nothing,” he interrupted. “We have a deal.”
“I guess so,” I said softly. I forked another piece of egg in his mouth. I wasn’t forceful with it that time.
“Can you give me a shoulder-rub after breakfast? I’m feeling tense this morning,” he said.
I gave him another piece of egg, my eyes squinted at him. “You’re really pushing it, Mr. Blan-”
“Wyatt,” he interrupted me again. “Just Wyatt,” he said crisply.
“Okay, just Wyatt . I suppose I can work a shoulder-rub into my schedule,” I sighed. “You’re lucky my daughter is in your class. Way too lucky.”
“I can’t wait to meet her. I bet she’s just as sweet as you are,” he whispered the last sentence, teasing me.
“I’m actually a really nice person,” I told him, rolling my eyes. “But Annette is my angel. I’m proud to call her my daughter.”
I fed Wyatt the last of his breakfast, and opened his first carton of orange juice for him before he tipped the carton back once.
He let out a deep breath, his eyes on me. “You can tell me about her. I want you to. I might not be the brightest patient you’ve cared for, but when it comes to my students, I’m the brightest. It sucks that I can’t be involved with them now, and you can probably tell that it has affected me,” he went on.
“So, you see yourself as a good teacher?” I asked.
“Definitely,” he answered immediately. “I love being a teacher, It’s my life. My students are my life. I’m actually really glad your daughter is one of my students.”
“Okay…” I paused. “Why are you still here, then, Wyatt? You can teach in your condition,” I said slowly, my tone soft.
He drank some more of his juice at that moment. “What’s your daughter’s name?” he asked, instead of answering my question.
He found my weakness, and I hated that.
“Annette,” I smiled. I couldn’t help but smile.
He nodded, and for the first time ever, he smiled one of the biggest smiles I’d ever seen.
Ever.
“Tell me about her,” he said. He was almost begging to know her. I couldn’t help myself.
I looked at Wyatt differently, so differently - ever since I told him about Annette. And I really, really , hated that.
May 27 th , 1997, 12:04a.m.
Willow
In chemistry class , Kennedy had told me to meet him at our home around midnight. He said he had something to tell me, and that it was important - that it was something he couldn’t say during class.
He looked almost sad when he told me he had something to say to me, and that reminded me of what I failed to mention to him.
I said maybe to Calvin Steelton when he asked me to go on a date with him, and I felt bad that I hadn’t told Kennedy as soon as I saw him in class. I hadn’t known what he’d think of it. I felt crazy for saying maybe.
I also knew Kennedy would never think I was crazy, because he was Kennedy, my best friend. He always stood by my decisions, and I always stood by his. That was why I loved him so much.
I knew I had to tell him as soon as he got to our home. I wouldn’t be able to think clearly until I just got it off my chest. I was sitting on my bean bag, next to the dimmed lantern I turned on so I wouldn’t be surrounded by darkness.
Kennedy wouldn’t be upset. I never dated anyone, and it would surprise him that I told Calvin maybe - but he wouldn’t be upset. Hopefully he’d be hopeful for me.
I did really like Calvin. He was a nice guy, he was funny. He was really sweet, and I really liked the way he talked to me.
What I was
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