‘I’d say you’re not really in love if you’re not fightin’ at least some of the time. No relationship is perfect. Depends on how badly you’re hurtin’. My sister, she got herself a divorce when she caught her husband in bed with his secretary. I didn’t blame her. My Robert never did anything like that to me. He’d buy me flowers, and we’d forgive one another and move on. We were family. Why’d you ask?’
Her eyes sparkle. I can tell she’s desperate for the details. Being a resident here doesn’t bring a lot of gossip her way, so she pounces on whatever news she can glean from me.
‘A special somebody?’ she prompts.
I let out a sigh. ‘His name is AJ,’ I say. ‘We went to high school together.’
‘And what does he do, this AJ?’
‘He fixes motorcycles for a living.’
‘So, he’s good with his hands.’
We both bite back a smile. ‘It’s just that… he and his friends weren’t very nice to me back then,’ I tell her.
‘Oh? Like how?’
‘They would play pranks on me. Childish, stupid stuff.’
She rolls her eyes. ‘Times, they never change. Go on.’
‘I got locked in this cupboard once. After school. It wasn’t a big deal, I guess. Except it was, because I could barely breathe and I almost had a panic attack… and last night I found out who did it. AJ was there when his friend turned the key.’
Mrs Huxley is frowning. ‘Well, that’s just not a very nice thing to do now, is it? Is AJ your boyfriend?’
I nod my head. Thinking about driving away from him yesterday makes my chest ache. He didn’t apologize or say anything to stop me from leaving. He was just silent.
‘And things between you both… they’re… serious?’
I nod again. ‘I mean… they are for me.’
‘And he didn’t apologize?’
‘Not yet, no.’
‘And how much do you like this boy? Is he Coyote Maverick?’
I know why she’s asking me that question. She’s asking if AJ’s my forever. If he’s the whole package. My protector. My knight in shining armor. The man who would move heaven and earth for me. The love of my life. ‘Didn’t we both say that Coyote Maverick is too good to be true?’
‘But is heyourCoyote Maverick?’
A smile dances across my lips. ‘I’d like him to be.’
‘Honey. You can’t live in the past. You can only go forward. You can’t change nothin’. So, there’s no point dwelling on the things that made you cry before now. But you can still shape the future. And if he can prove that he’s sorry… well then, you have to let him. But if you can’t bring yourself to forgive him… well then maybe he’s not your Coyote Maverick after all.’
I stare at my fingers. There’s a lump of emotion that sits heavy in my stomach.
When I leave Mrs Huxley’s room, the corridors are deserted. Still wearing my pink candy striper’s outfit, I look around, frowning at the lack of activity. I return to the reception area, only to find a group of eight or nine uniformed female staff huddled together staring out of the window.
‘You think the flowers are for his grandma?’ one of them says.
‘I’ll be his grandma,’ says another.
‘Why hasn’t he walked in here then?’
‘Man, he issofine.’
‘I’d die if a hot guy like that brought me flowers.’
