cool is that?”
His blue eyes lit up. “Does his son want to be my friend?” he said through a mouthful of food, sending a few noodles back into the bowl.
I couldn’t help but giggle. “I bet he will. And maybe you guys can have campouts in the backyard and go sledding and do all sorts of fun stuff together.”
“Will he be here tomorrow?”
“Mmm, I don’t think tomorrow, but I’ll ask Miss Jodi later if she knows when he’s moving in, okay?”
He nodded excitedly. “I bet he likes Ninja Turtles like I do.”
“You might be right, buddy. Ninja Turtles are the coolest.” I reached over and smoothed his crazy blond hairs down.
Matthew told me all there was to know about Ninja Turtles as he finished eating. Then I gave him a quick bath and tucked him into bed. I peeked in on Maura one more time, who not only slept right through dinner, but hadn’t moved a muscle since I put her in there.
“Sweet baby girl,” I whispered to myself as I closed her door and tiptoed to my bedroom. The room was quiet and pretty dark except for the glow of the TV Matthew had left on when he went downstairs. I set the monitor on the nightstand and slipped off to the bathroom for a quick shower.
When I got out, Viper was sitting up in bed, looking down at his phone.
“Hey. How are you feeling? Do you feel better after getting some sleep?” I pulled the towel off my head and squeezed my hair with it.
Viper just shrugged without looking up.
“Are you hungry? Want me to make you something to eat?”
“No thanks,” he muttered.
“Okay then.” I turned and headed back toward the bathroom to brush my hair and put pajamas on.
The TV and all the lights were off when I came back. Viper had rolled over and was facing away from me.
I climbed into bed quietly and nudged him. “You still awake?”
“Mmhmm.”
I picked my phone up from the nightstand. “I need to set my alarm. What time are you supposed to go see Dr. Jennings?”
“Andy’s taking me,” he said flatly.
“ What? ”
“I said Andy is going to take me,” he repeated a little louder.
“I heard what you said, I’m just wondering why.”
“Why not? We were talking a little while ago, and he said he had the morning free and offered to take me, so I said fine.”
I was a little shocked and a little more hurt that Viper didn’t want me to take him, but fighting with him about a ride was the last thing on my mind. “Okay.” I set my phone down. “Will you at least call me and let me know what happens?”
“Sure.”
He was being so cold and dry with me that tears stung my eyes. I’d done as much as I could have done for him the last couple days and he was keeping me at arm’s length. I swallowed the pre-cry lump in my throat and lay down on my pillow, determined not to take any of Viper’s actions too personally . . . and also praying that he’d be back to normal soon.
“Look at you! That’s quite a log you’re dragging around there, huh?” Andy leaned against his car with his arms folded, harassing me as I slowly made my way over. “Could you hurry up, please? I’m hoping we can get there before dinnertime.”
“Shut up, asshole,” I joked as I opened the passenger side of his car.
As soon as we pulled out of the driveway, my cell phone buzzed and Michelle’s smiling face popped up.
“Who’s that?” Andy asked.
“A text from Michelle.”
Michelle: Hey . . . we didn’t get to talk much this morning, but I just wanted to tell you good luck today. The kids and I are thinking about you and hoping for good news. Call me as soon as you can. Love you so, so much!
I knew she’d been trying so hard to keep my spirits up, and I appreciated it, but I just wasn’t in the mood. I also didn’t want to be a dick and completely leave her hanging, so I responded.
Thanks. I’ll take all the good news I can right now. Love you, too!
“You look like someone ran your dog over with a car, dude.”
I set
His blue eyes lit up. “Does his son want to be my friend?” he said through a mouthful of food, sending a few noodles back into the bowl.
I couldn’t help but giggle. “I bet he will. And maybe you guys can have campouts in the backyard and go sledding and do all sorts of fun stuff together.”
“Will he be here tomorrow?”
“Mmm, I don’t think tomorrow, but I’ll ask Miss Jodi later if she knows when he’s moving in, okay?”
He nodded excitedly. “I bet he likes Ninja Turtles like I do.”
“You might be right, buddy. Ninja Turtles are the coolest.” I reached over and smoothed his crazy blond hairs down.
Matthew told me all there was to know about Ninja Turtles as he finished eating. Then I gave him a quick bath and tucked him into bed. I peeked in on Maura one more time, who not only slept right through dinner, but hadn’t moved a muscle since I put her in there.
“Sweet baby girl,” I whispered to myself as I closed her door and tiptoed to my bedroom. The room was quiet and pretty dark except for the glow of the TV Matthew had left on when he went downstairs. I set the monitor on the nightstand and slipped off to the bathroom for a quick shower.
When I got out, Viper was sitting up in bed, looking down at his phone.
“Hey. How are you feeling? Do you feel better after getting some sleep?” I pulled the towel off my head and squeezed my hair with it.
Viper just shrugged without looking up.
“Are you hungry? Want me to make you something to eat?”
“No thanks,” he muttered.
“Okay then.” I turned and headed back toward the bathroom to brush my hair and put pajamas on.
The TV and all the lights were off when I came back. Viper had rolled over and was facing away from me.
I climbed into bed quietly and nudged him. “You still awake?”
“Mmhmm.”
I picked my phone up from the nightstand. “I need to set my alarm. What time are you supposed to go see Dr. Jennings?”
“Andy’s taking me,” he said flatly.
“ What? ”
“I said Andy is going to take me,” he repeated a little louder.
“I heard what you said, I’m just wondering why.”
“Why not? We were talking a little while ago, and he said he had the morning free and offered to take me, so I said fine.”
I was a little shocked and a little more hurt that Viper didn’t want me to take him, but fighting with him about a ride was the last thing on my mind. “Okay.” I set my phone down. “Will you at least call me and let me know what happens?”
“Sure.”
He was being so cold and dry with me that tears stung my eyes. I’d done as much as I could have done for him the last couple days and he was keeping me at arm’s length. I swallowed the pre-cry lump in my throat and lay down on my pillow, determined not to take any of Viper’s actions too personally . . . and also praying that he’d be back to normal soon.
“Look at you! That’s quite a log you’re dragging around there, huh?” Andy leaned against his car with his arms folded, harassing me as I slowly made my way over. “Could you hurry up, please? I’m hoping we can get there before dinnertime.”
“Shut up, asshole,” I joked as I opened the passenger side of his car.
As soon as we pulled out of the driveway, my cell phone buzzed and Michelle’s smiling face popped up.
“Who’s that?” Andy asked.
“A text from Michelle.”
Michelle: Hey . . . we didn’t get to talk much this morning, but I just wanted to tell you good luck today. The kids and I are thinking about you and hoping for good news. Call me as soon as you can. Love you so, so much!
I knew she’d been trying so hard to keep my spirits up, and I appreciated it, but I just wasn’t in the mood. I also didn’t want to be a dick and completely leave her hanging, so I responded.
Thanks. I’ll take all the good news I can right now. Love you, too!
“You look like someone ran your dog over with a car, dude.”
I set
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