“Are you kidding me? I love her! What’s Nick’s last name?” she asked.
“Locke.”
Lina pulled out her phone and started typing. “Holy shit! He’s a big deal. His podcasts are huge!”
“That’s what he tells us.”
“I can’t wait to listen.”
The elevator doors opened and we took a left following the signs pointing in the direction of the room number. On the way, several nurses smiled and one even blushed.
“Do you know them?”
“No.” I didn’t want her to think that I was like Nick. He reveled in attention from the opposite sex, actually gender was irrelevant. Nick just loved attention.
As we approached the room, my heart picked up the pace. It always did that whenever I knew I was about to see Peyton. It had since the day she walked into second period.
At the doorway I saw that the room was darkened, and I didn’t want to disrupt Nonna if she was resting, so I stopped.
“Are we going in?” Lina asked.
“Yeah. I just—"
“Who’s out there?” Nonna’s voice carried into the hall. “Go see.”
Before I could respond and announce my arrival, Peyton appeared from the darkness. “It’s Maddox and he brought a visitor.”
I searched her eyes to see if us being here was a good or bad thing. She definitely looked happy to see Lina.
Lina walked in without hesitation, I stayed where I was and lifted my hand in an awkward wave. “Hi.”
She smiled, “Hi.”
“Who is this?” I heard Nonna say.
Peyton turned as I entered.
“I’m Lina,” she introduced herself as I came around the curtain.
Nonna squinted as she instructed. “Turn on lights.”
Peyton turned on a single light that hung behind Nonna’s bed. When it came on Nonna clasped her hands at her chest. “Oh Lina, Lina, Lina, you look just like my Farfalina.’” Then she gasped. “Farfalina, Lina.”
“Farfalina?” Lina questioned.
“It means little butterfly,” Peyton explained. “She’s called me that since I was little.”
“Cool.”
“Come here, come here, let me see you.”
Lina approached the bed and bent down. Nonna cupped her face in her hands. “Lina, Lina, Lina what a beautiful name.”
“It’s short for Angelina.”
Nonna’s face blanched white, and she clasped her hands over her mouth.
Lina stood back up and looked at Peyton and I with wide eyes. “What did I say?”
