My mother strokes my hair, and her eyes are wet.“Does it hurt?Should I call the doctor?”
“No, I’m fine.I’ll take some more pain medication, but I’ll be fine.Caleb shouldn’t have called you.You guys got worried for no?—”
“He absolutely should have called us.He did the right thing!”My mother says fiercely.“What if something happened to you.You lost a lot of blood, Eve.Marco donated his blood.”
“They wouldn’t let Mamá give hers,” Marco whispers.“She was ready to fight them.”
My lips twitch.“I’m really okay.I promise.I’m sure I’ll be out of here in no time.”
“Then you come home, and I will look after you till you are fully healed,” my mother says firmly.
“Mamá,” I begin.
“I will not argue on this.You need to be looked after.Look at how thin you’ve gotten.”
I meet Rafael’s gaze, and he tries to hide his grin.I guess there’s no point in reminding my mother that getting stabbed didn’t end up with me shedding a couple of pounds.
“Okay.”It’s easier to give in.It’s easier because I kind of like my mother fussing over me.“You all should go home now.Caleb said he was fetching the nurse.I want to rest for a while.”
“I’ll stay,” my mother says but Marco shakes his head.
“She needs to sleep, Mamá.Caleb will be with her.You also need to rest.”
“But—”
“I’ll be fine, Mamá.”I smile at her.“Once they discharge me, you can take me home.”
My words make her relax.“Okay.He’s a good boy, your Caleb.I like him.”
“I’ll be sure to let him know.”
I watch her leave, and when the door closes behind them, I close my eyes, allowing my body to relax.The nurse slips in, and as she adjusts the pain medication, I feel myself fading away.As the darkness wraps me in its embrace, I think I hear Caleb’s voice, and then the mattress dips and something warm and familiar is holding me.
I feel safe and protected, and for once, I’m grateful for everything.
* * *
The afternoon sunslants through the living room windows, casting golden rectangles across the hardwood floor.I’m stretched out on the couch, my body still tender from the injury but finally healing properly.With my eyes half-closed and my mind adrift, I’m in that perfect state between sleep and wakefulness when I hear the front door open.
“Eve?”Caleb’s voice carries from the entryway, followed by the soft thud of his keys landing in the bowl by the door.
“In here,” I call out, not bothering to open my eyes.The doctor said I needed rest, and I’m taking that prescription seriously.Maybe a little too seriously, judging by the pile of fashion magazines and half-eaten snacks littering the coffee table after returning here only just this morning.This last week of being cared for at my mother’s has really turned me into a slob.
I sense Caleb before I see him—the slight shift in the air, the faint scent of his cologne.Then the couch dips as he settles on the floor beside me, his back against the couch near my head.
“How’s the patient?”he asks, his voice soft.
I crack one eye open.“Bored out of her mind.If I read one more article about which shoes are ‘in’ this season, I might stab myself again just for the excitement.”
Caleb winces.“That’s not funny.”
“Too soon?”I smile, reaching out to run my fingers through his hair.It’s become my favorite thing to do—his hair is ridiculously soft, and the way he leans into my touch makes my heart do stupid little flips.
“It will always be too soon,” he says, tilting his head to give me better access.“I was thinking...”
“Dangerous,” I murmur, twirling a strand of his hair around my finger.
He ignores my jab.“I was thinking that once we come back from our trip, would you be interested in looking for another job?”
