“The love of my life.”
“Could have been worse. You could’ve lost your purse to a street gang.” She picks up her hook again, and almost as an afterthought, she asks, “But what did you gain?”
My shoulders tighten. “I gained my family and the respect of the town.”
She tips her head from side to side, considering. “So it’s a wash, huh?”
“Almost.” Even with everything that’s happened, I find myself smiling. Not because I’m healed. I still hurt. A lot.
But I’m growing through it, and at some point it’ll feel better. I’ll be able to look myself in the mirror and recognize that I did what I could. I tried to free Stone, even if it was too late.
The ball of yarn Dot’s using falls from her lap and unwinds, landing at my feet. “Son of a bitch,” she growls.
“I heard that,” the nurse calls from the hallway.
“Fix my yarn and I won’t have to cuss!”
“Here.” I pick up the ball and move beside her. “I’ll hold it for you.”
“You will, huh?” She shoots me a suspicious look. “Why? You after my money?”
I throw back my head and laugh. “No. But do you have any? Some that’s not covered in herpes?”
She clucks. “Look who learns so fast. Grab that chair over there and sit beside me. You can tell me everything that happened.”
So I do. I tell Dot the whole thing, from start to finish, even the wedding. Surprisingly, she’s a great listener. She doesn’t judge, just nods and laughs in all the right places.
By the time I’m done, she pats my hand. “You did good.”
“Thank you.”
“Now, take a look at this throw. Pick it up. Let’s see if it’s big enough.”
I grab hold of one edge and lift it. The afghan is beautiful.
“It’s gorgeous. Who’s it for?”
“You,” she deadpans.
“What?”
“It’s for you. Go on. Take it.”
She starts to push it into my hands, and I shake my head. “No. There’s got to be someone else you can give it to.”
Her lips form a grim line. “You want me to give this here throw I made with my own blood, sweat, and tears to one of these ingrates? To someone who does naughty things in their room?”
“But you worked so hard ...”
“Just take it.”
It is beautiful, so I relent. “Thank you. And now I have something for you.”
“Oh? Is it a man? One whose pecker isn’t about to fall off?”
“Um. No.” I pull the spell book from my purse. “Since it came from your office, I’m giving it back to you.”
Dot stares at it, and I’m not sure if she’ll actually accept the book. But after a moment she opens her hand.
