way her dark hair shined in the lamplight made Meredith's breath catch. She settled the tray over Natalie's lap, just like at the hospital, except this one was made of wood and the dishes on top were ceramic, not plastic.
The pancakes were homemade, but not as good as Colleen's.
Natalie raised an eyebrow at the water glass with dandelions and clover blossoms.
"Boys picked those for you. But I made them promise not to come in."
"Where are they?"
"In the living room, petting your cat," Meredith said.
"Is my cat all right?"
"When I left he was."
Natalie bit her lip, but gazed at the plate.
"Do you want syrup?"
"Yes."
Meredith tapped the little polished silver vessel.
"What's that?" Natalie asked, tapping a glass.
"Iced tea."
Natalie took the glass and carefully took a sip.
"Unsweetened," Meredith said.
"I see."
"Gotta start you slow."
"We do have tea in Charlotte, you know," Natalie said.
"Is it Lipton?"
Natalie shook her head. She put the glass down and poured syrup on her pancakes.
"Ain't tea," Meredith said.
Natalie snorted.
Meredith eased off the side of the bed.
"Going to work?"
"Day off. We get those sometime. I was thinking of going to Wal-Mart and getting a few things. It's a couple of towns over."
"Want me to watch the boys?"
"They can get pretty wild on you. How about you take one, I'll take one."
"I think I can handle that. Maybe after breakfast."
"Got a preference?" Meredith asked.
Natalie took another bite of pancake, chewed, swallowed, and said, lifting her tea to toast Meredith, "I love them both the same."
Meredith's chest constricted. "Good answer. I'll leave you to your breakfast."
"I really do," Natalie called, as she went through the door.
# #
Chapter Fourteen
Natalie got up early Sunday morning and carefully made her way out of her bedroom. The boys were already awake. Merritt colored in the kitchen. Beau played with blocks. What he was building, Natalie couldn't guess.
"What're you doing?" Natalie asked as she wheeled herself into the kitchen. Her legs itched. Her hips were sore. She wanted out of the chair, but she was pretty sure she'd forgotten how to walk.
Merritt came over and crawled onto her lap. He'd gotten good at avoiding her broken leg by wedging himself against the arm of the chair and her shoulder.
Beau said, "We can't watch TV without mommy. And we have to be quiet. She's asleep."
"What time does she usually wake up?"
Beau glanced at the clock. "Um. Nine."
Merritt began combing his fingers through Natalie's hair. Natalie hoped they weren't sticky.
The kitchen clock read 8:15.
"Should we make Merr--Mommy breakfast?"
"Okay," Merritt said.
Beau put down his blocks.
"What's her favorite food?" Natalie asked.
"She likes eggs," Beau said.
Merritt pushed his face into Natalie's shoulder and giggled. "With hot sauce."
"It burns," Beau said. He wore a dismayed expression.
"Hot!" Merritt shouted.
"Shssh," Natalie said.
Merritt grunted.
"Beau, see if we have any eggs," Natalie said.
Beau scampered to the refrigerator.
"Merry, do we get the paper?" Natalie asked Merritt.
Merritt nodded. "On Sundays."
"Go get it," she said.
Merritt slipped off her lap and wandered in the general direction of the door.
Beau carefully set the hot sauce and the eggs on the kitchen counter and then frowned.
Natalie wheeled over.
Beau said, "We can't reach the stove."
"Good point. Maybe mommy will make everyone breakfast."
Beau nodded. He looked determined and marched back over to the refrigerator, and pulled out the milk.
"We can have cereal," he said.
"Where are the bowls?"
He opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out a bowl, and then more carefully stretched to pull a spoon from the silverware drawer. His triumphant grin faltered when Natalie narrowed her eyes at him. She waited. He gazed down at his bowl.
Merritt scrambled in with the paper, which he dumped on Natalie's lap. "I want cereal," he said.
"Me too," Natalie said.
"Oh," Beau said. He got out two
The pancakes were homemade, but not as good as Colleen's.
Natalie raised an eyebrow at the water glass with dandelions and clover blossoms.
"Boys picked those for you. But I made them promise not to come in."
"Where are they?"
"In the living room, petting your cat," Meredith said.
"Is my cat all right?"
"When I left he was."
Natalie bit her lip, but gazed at the plate.
"Do you want syrup?"
"Yes."
Meredith tapped the little polished silver vessel.
"What's that?" Natalie asked, tapping a glass.
"Iced tea."
Natalie took the glass and carefully took a sip.
"Unsweetened," Meredith said.
"I see."
"Gotta start you slow."
"We do have tea in Charlotte, you know," Natalie said.
"Is it Lipton?"
Natalie shook her head. She put the glass down and poured syrup on her pancakes.
"Ain't tea," Meredith said.
Natalie snorted.
Meredith eased off the side of the bed.
"Going to work?"
"Day off. We get those sometime. I was thinking of going to Wal-Mart and getting a few things. It's a couple of towns over."
"Want me to watch the boys?"
"They can get pretty wild on you. How about you take one, I'll take one."
"I think I can handle that. Maybe after breakfast."
"Got a preference?" Meredith asked.
Natalie took another bite of pancake, chewed, swallowed, and said, lifting her tea to toast Meredith, "I love them both the same."
Meredith's chest constricted. "Good answer. I'll leave you to your breakfast."
"I really do," Natalie called, as she went through the door.
# #
Chapter Fourteen
Natalie got up early Sunday morning and carefully made her way out of her bedroom. The boys were already awake. Merritt colored in the kitchen. Beau played with blocks. What he was building, Natalie couldn't guess.
"What're you doing?" Natalie asked as she wheeled herself into the kitchen. Her legs itched. Her hips were sore. She wanted out of the chair, but she was pretty sure she'd forgotten how to walk.
Merritt came over and crawled onto her lap. He'd gotten good at avoiding her broken leg by wedging himself against the arm of the chair and her shoulder.
Beau said, "We can't watch TV without mommy. And we have to be quiet. She's asleep."
"What time does she usually wake up?"
Beau glanced at the clock. "Um. Nine."
Merritt began combing his fingers through Natalie's hair. Natalie hoped they weren't sticky.
The kitchen clock read 8:15.
"Should we make Merr--Mommy breakfast?"
"Okay," Merritt said.
Beau put down his blocks.
"What's her favorite food?" Natalie asked.
"She likes eggs," Beau said.
Merritt pushed his face into Natalie's shoulder and giggled. "With hot sauce."
"It burns," Beau said. He wore a dismayed expression.
"Hot!" Merritt shouted.
"Shssh," Natalie said.
Merritt grunted.
"Beau, see if we have any eggs," Natalie said.
Beau scampered to the refrigerator.
"Merry, do we get the paper?" Natalie asked Merritt.
Merritt nodded. "On Sundays."
"Go get it," she said.
Merritt slipped off her lap and wandered in the general direction of the door.
Beau carefully set the hot sauce and the eggs on the kitchen counter and then frowned.
Natalie wheeled over.
Beau said, "We can't reach the stove."
"Good point. Maybe mommy will make everyone breakfast."
Beau nodded. He looked determined and marched back over to the refrigerator, and pulled out the milk.
"We can have cereal," he said.
"Where are the bowls?"
He opened the bottom cabinet and pulled out a bowl, and then more carefully stretched to pull a spoon from the silverware drawer. His triumphant grin faltered when Natalie narrowed her eyes at him. She waited. He gazed down at his bowl.
Merritt scrambled in with the paper, which he dumped on Natalie's lap. "I want cereal," he said.
"Me too," Natalie said.
"Oh," Beau said. He got out two
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