The boys started to head for the stairs.
"Don't forget to brush your teeth," Penny called after them.
"We won't," came the reply.
As they disappeared Sophia was suddenly yawning. "Oh, dear, it's been such a long day." Her eyes looked droopy. "I think I'm going to go to bed as well."
"Yeah, me too." Emma stood with Sophia.
"I'm heading up as well," Lily said.
The girls walked to the door and turned.
"Thank you for coming to sit with us, Penny," Sophia said. "We really enjoyed spending time with you."
"And thank you, Martin, for bringing the food," Lily told him.
"Goodnight," they called and left Martin and Penny in the dark living room with the only light shining from the television.
They were sitting so close Martin could feel the warmth from her side pressed against his, could smell her perfume, and neither of them made any effort to move.
"How about this movie?" Martin asked, not really paying attention to what he'd picked; all he knew in that moment was that he wasn't ready for the night to end.
ANNA
Anna walked through the quiet, sterile corridors of the hospital, the soft soles of her shoes squeaking faintly against the polished linoleum floors. Held securely in her hands was a small, brightly wrapped box of homemade saltwater taffy, freshly made back at the hotel kitchen. She knew perfectly well that George could not actually eat it yet, considering his delicate medical state, but she had brought it anyway, determined that he should have a little piece of comfort waiting for him. He was still in the Intensive Care Unit, surrounded by the constant, rhythmic ticking and humming of medical machinery, but the doctor on duty had given her an encouraging nod and let her in. This time, to her immense relief, George was wide awake.
She was deeply hesitant at first, her fingers tightening around the sweet box as she neared the intensive care bay. A heavy wave of nerves washed over her, making her pause just outside the glass partition. She truly was not sure if seeing her was going to upset him or cause his blood pressure to spike, given the complicated, painful history they shared. But to her complete surprise, when George happened to look up and spot her through the clear window, the tense lines on his pale faceinstantly softened, and his features broke into a genuinely warm, welcoming smile.
Her heart gave a violent flutter, and her stomach clenched in a tight knot of nerves and sudden affection. Taking a slow, deep breath to steady herself, she finished slipping into the required hospital gear, adjusting the oversized paper scrubs, the crinkly blue hair cap, and the protective booties over her shoes. Once she was fully covered, she slowly pushed open the heavy door and let herself into the silent room.
"Hi," Anna greeted him softly, stepping up beside the high hospital bed and looking down at him with a mixture of tenderness and lingering worry.
"Anna," George breathed, his voice rough and incredibly weak, yet filled with a profound sense of awe. He stared up at her, his eyes tracking her every movement as if he feared she might vanish into thin air. "So it wasn't just a medication-induced dream, then. You are really here."
"Yes," Anna said, offering him a small, slightly guilty smile along with a nod of her covered head. She reached down, carefully setting the candy box on the bedside table before looking back at him. "I'm really here, George. Though I think I'm ultimately the one responsible for landing you in this hospital bed in the first place, after our argument."
"No," George said immediately, shaking his head slightly against the stiff white pillow. "Don't you dare blame yourself for this, Anna. I did this to myself, plain and simple. I let my health go, and I ignored the warning signs for far too long."
"Oh, George," Anna sighed, a soft, wistful sound as she looked down at the man she had once known so intimately. "You crazy, stubborn old fool."
Unable to resist the pull any longer, she leaned down over the safety rails, gently kissing his lined forehead. The familiar scent of him, underneath the harsh smell of hospital antiseptic, made her eyes sting with unshed tears.
"I waited for you," she whispered, her voice cracking slightly with the weight of the passing decades. "I waited for you for all these years, George. But you stubbornly refused to reach out to me, even when you were in dire need of help, even when everything was falling apart around you."
George closed his eyes for a brief moment, a look of profound defeat and regret settling over his features. When he opened them again, the old stubbornness was entirely gone, replaced by a raw, heavy sadness.
"I know I did wrong back then, Anna," he admitted softly, his voice trembling. "I know I made a mess of things, and I have regretted it every single day since."
Slowly, weakly, he reached his hand across the crisp bedsheets, his fingers trembling as he waited. Anna didn't hesitate, immediately meeting him halfway and closing her hand around his. His grip was frail, but the warmth of his skin sent a familiar jolt right through her. As they sat there, tightly holding hands, George’s gaze suddenly drifted past her shoulder, his eyes widening slightly as he spied the colorful box sitting on the tray.
"What's in there?" he asked, his gray eyebrows rising in sudden curiosity.
"Oh, just a little something from the chef back at the Hearts Hotel," Anna said with a playful, teasing smile, trying to lift the heavy mood in the room. "But you absolutely cannot have it right now, so don't even think about asking. The doctors would have my head."
"It's saltwater taffy, isn't it?" George guessed immediately, his eyes lighting up with a sudden, boyish hunger.
Anna laughed softly as she watched his entire expression change, his tongue darting out to quickly lick his dry lips as he stared longingly at the contraband box.
