“Nice tie.” I reach out and run my hand down the bright red tie I bought him for Christmas that I wasn’t sure he would ever wear.
“Yeah, someone told me I was a little dull and needed to brighten up my wardrobe.” He takes my hand and holds it against his chest with his hand over top.
“Well, it worked, you look handsome.” That’s not the word I wanted. My brain is being too polite. The right words are that he looks so fucking sexy like that.
“I’ll make sure to let the gift-giver know.” His words make me think back to the smile on his face when he opened it. It feels like a lifetime ago. The boys’ voices and giggles fill my head for a moment, until it hits me what he just said.
“Wait, how long have you been here, what day is it?” I feel so floaty still. It’s like my brain is working but at a slow pace. Like trying to process my thoughts through a pea-soup fog.
“I arrived last night about eight pm, and it’s now two pm on Sunday afternoon.” I can tell he’s trying to drip feed me details to help me digest what he’s telling me.
“Did I sleep all that time?” I ask.
“Most of it. Last night you would stir every so often and mumble a few things to me, but you weren’t really coherent.Then early this morning they took you to surgery and operated on your leg. Do you remember what happened, what injuries you have?” Landon reaches out and strokes his other hand over my hair. It feels so soothing for the headache that is banging strongly in my head.
“Yeah, I think… maybe.” I try to think back, but most of it is a blur, and there are some gaps.
Landon patiently runs through what happened to me at work, the injuries I sustained, and what the doctors have done since I arrived.
“Now there’s something we need to talk about.” That serious look on his face is back, and the creases in his forehead are straight, like he’s worried.
“What?” I’m worried he’s about to tell me something bad.
“I need to call your mother. She’s already going to hate me for keeping this from her for this long, even though I understand why we did.” He tilts his head to the side like he’s checking me out. “You don’t remember that part either, do you?”
“I don’t understand… My mom… she doesn’t know?” Landon just starts laughing.
“Oh no, no, no. You aren’t hanging me out to dry on this one. You’re taking some of the blame too. When they were loading you into the ambulance, you briefly came to and told Rosco he wasn’t allowed to call your mom. Made him promise that he would tell the hospital too. You kept mumbling it in the ambulance, and then when you were lucid enough and called me, you made me promise the same thing. So here we are.”
Why don’t I remember any of that?
“Well, I’m glad you all listened, she would’ve panicked.” I can imagine how distraught she would’ve been getting that phone call. When my dad was killed, it was a knock on the door which she describes as the worst moment of her life. But at least she had people around her to get her through the news beingdelivered. A phone call saying your daughter has been injured in a fire and is on her way to the hospital without any real answers might have given her a heart attack, literally.
“I know, and I do agree, but here lies our problem. Today is her birthday, and she’ll be worried if you don’t FaceTime her at some stage and…” I cut him off.
“Her birthday, I never miss calling her. Never. Even when I’m on shift, which I was supposed to be.” I start trying to push myself up off the bed to find my phone, puffing at even the slightest exertion.
“Whoa there, calm down. We will call her, but I just wanted to hear you say it was what you wanted first. I’ve already sent her a message this morning apologizing and canceling our date to take her out for lunch,” he calmly tells me as he settles me back on the bed.
My head is spinning from the sudden movement. “What did you say to her?” I take a few slow deep breaths to get through the pain that has followed the dizziness.
“That something came up. I wasn’t stupid enough to make the lie any bigger. I’m going to be groveling for a while to get her to forgive me. You know how I feel about Mrs. B. I’m not about to wreck that friendship.” He’s lighthearted in the way he says it, but I know she has become like a mother to him, and she has the boys calling her Granny B.
“Ughhh, it’s me she’ll be mad at. Golden boy Landon can do no wrong in her eyes.” Rolling my eyes at him, he just laughs.
“I’m sure if she knew what I did to her daughter, I doubt that title would still apply.” He winks at me, and I can’t help but smile. We both sit in silence in that thought until Landon breaks it by standing up. “I’m just going to get the sponge I used last night to clean your face and freshen you up a bit, then we’ll FaceTime your mom. But me first so I can explain, and then you can reassure her that you’re okay. Sound good?” Hestarts moving to a door across the room. Hearing water running, he returns with a small bowl and the sponge. This is a side of Landon that I’ve seen with the boys. Kind, compassionate, and so caring, but it’s not how our relationship was. We were hot, heavy, and frantic in all the best ways.
I’m not sure anyone has ever been this tender with me since I left home. Even the few partners I’ve had along the way, I can’t picture them being like this. Although I’m not sure I have ever let myself be that vulnerable with anyone either, so maybe that’s on me more than them.
“Thank you,” I whisper when he gives me another quick kiss on the forehead as he finishes cleaning me.
Landon nods as he takes the bowl back to the bathroom. I brush my hands over my hair, hoping it doesn’t look too bad.
“How do I look?” I wait for his answer as he glances at me and smiles.
“Beautiful,” he quickly replies.
“Liar.” I groan because I know I’m far from that right now.
