Hannah nodded. “They were really nice. I’m visiting the university next week to see the art faculty and meet some of the staff.”
“Have you told Brett?”
“Not yet.” She glanced at her sister. “What am I going to do? He’s going to be upset.”
“You’re the only one who can answer that question. Has Brett said anything to you about the residency program?”
“I think he’s letting me make up my own mind.”
“Maybe it’s time you had a good talk with him?”
Hannah placed a big white bow on the back of a chair. With everything else that was happening, it was the worst time to tell him she was leaving. “I’ll wait until the Jenkinses’ wedding is over.”
“If you need some moral support, let me know.” Claire’s phone beeped and she looked at the screen. “A delivery has arrived. I’ll be back soon.”
Someone gave a loud shout, and Hannah looked up at the ceiling. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the fairy lights sparkling through the sheer fabric. When the lights on the walls were turned off, the whole room would look magical.
“Are wedding venues always this chaotic?”
Hannah jumped. “Brett? What are you doing here?”
“I’ve been at the hospital. The doctors have taken Ida off the drugs that paralyze her muscles and she’s started using her lungs. They’re still only working at about fifty percent, but it’s a huge improvement on what she was doing.”
“That’s amazing. You must be really happy.”
“I am. She’s still got a long way to go, but we’re so proud of her.”
“What about the sedatives? Have the doctors been able to reduce those?”
Brett nodded. “They’ve taken her completely off one and she’s only getting half the amount of the other two. If everything goes well, they’ll slowly remove all the sedatives and try to wake her.”
“That’s fantastic. How did Pat take the news?”
“He’s excited and scared. We don’t know what will happen once Ida’s awake, but at least she’s getting better.”
After working with people who had been placed in induced comas, Hannah knew Ida still had a long way to go. After she was awake, it could take months for her brain to unjumble the mixed-up messages it was receiving.
Brett pointed to the ceiling. “The lights look great.”
“Thanks. Once the florists have hung the roses and the tables are set, you’ll really see a difference.”
“What can I do to help?”
Hannah squeezed his biceps. “It depends on how strong you’re feeling.”
Brett lifted her into his arms and spun her in a circle.
Hannah squealed and held on tight. She laughed at his mock groan when he finally stopped moving. “You can put me down now.”
“What if I don’t want to?”
The smile on his face was contagious. “Then you’ll needreallystrong muscles to hold me. And I’ve got the perfect job for a big, muscly man.”
“Does it involve sampling the white chocolate fountain I saw beside the entrance?”
“No, but I could be persuaded to let you try the chocolate if you do an itsy-bitsy job for me.”
Brett looked around the room. “It looks as though you’ve got everything covered.”
