“Hey, you.” It sounds like she’s trying not to cry. “You’re not allowed to scare me like that, dude. What would we do withoutyou?”
I don’t know how much Kev is processing of what she’s saying, but I lean in and press another kiss to his forehead.
At this point, I don’t care who sees me.
His gaze shifts a little, like he’s trying to look at the phone, then returns to mine. I smile at him, stroke his hair, let my hand settle on top of his head and gently rub the spot between his eyes with my thumb.
He’s mine, andwhatever I have to do to make this up to him, I will.
I’ll divorce Shae in a second and marry him, if he asks me to.
Dying for me was never part of our agreement. I’m a little mad at him for risking his life for me, but only because I know I owe him everything.
“The kids told me to tell you they love you and want you home as soon as possible,” she says. “I’ll try to bring them in the morningwhen I come to visit you. I love you so much, sweetie.”
I take the phone back. “It’s me.”
She’s sniffling. “How is he?” I tell her the latest. “Can I bring the kids?”
“They have school.”
“I was thinking about—”
“No,” I say. “They need to go to school. They can’t miss it. Not unless it’s not safe to let them go. Have the detail bring them by the hospital after school, and only if they clearit through me first. Just you in the morning.”
I’m still rubbing his forehead, and while he’s groggy, I know the gesture make it through to the deeper center of his brain, because his gaze has softened in that familiar way. He might not remember much—or any—of this part later, but that’s okay.
Iwill.
“Are you sure?” she asks.
“Yes. He’ll be more awake by then, too. I don’t know how groggyhe’ll be in the morning, and he might end up sleeping through a visit.”
I finally get her off the phone and resume my vigil at my boy’s bedside. I don’t bother using the cot, for now, because if they’re going to be checking him more often, it’d be pointless to be in the way like that.
He drifts back to sleep, which is for the best. They’re happy with his vital signs, and happy with the latestround of blood work. That means I feel reasonably safe getting my hopes up.
I can only hope it doesn’t bite me in the ass later.
